Disqus - Latest Comments for joankw

Re: What Tops Your 2011 Agenda?

Joan Koerber-Walker — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:15:53 -0000

Topping my agenda is helping more entrepreneurs and business leaders lend a hand to at-risk populations (folks that REALLY need it) helping them to find a path to economic self suffiency through entrepreneurship. For five years, a small committed group in Phoenix, Arizona has pulled together hundreds of entreprenuers each year to share ideas, engage and connect with this mission through the Arizona Entrepreneruship Conferences. This year is the year that we will expand our reach and make more of a difference for those that have the confidence to ask for help and more importantly for those that have yet to imagine that help is even out there.

Re: Efficiency Frees the Robots

Joan Koerber-Walker — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:56:08 -0000

David - interesting perspective, and I agree - no one should be a robot. Often when we speak of increasing efficiency, increasing productivity, and value or non value added activities at the organizational level people do get defensive. It is as if they believe that we are saying that they are inefficient or unproductive by suggesting it. Like innovation, the ultimate goal of a lean enterprise is to look for new ways of doing things that make life better for the employees, customers, business partners and owners of the enterprises. When we find new ways of doing things that continuously improve our products, services, and processes, we move closer to our overriding goals. It is important to note that when the perception of value is ONLY being tied to creating customer value we may be missing opportunities. There are many roles within the enterprise that will never directly create value to a customer, that does not make them any less important to the organiztaion. A good example of that would be the tax department in a company. It can be argued that this creates no value for customers, yet a well run tax department can save its company a LOT of grief. So whether we call it LEAN thinking, innovation, or simply good business practice, the goal is to get people thinking, talking, and acting in new ways that make things better. When this happens, increased efficiency and reduced waste are a welcome result.

Re: A pragmatic way to respond to negative feedback

Joan Koerber-Walker — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:57:42 -0000

John,

Thank you for sharing my post with your readers and even more for expanding on. You have helped us all get a better handle on the importance of responding to feedback in the RIGHT way.

All the best,

Joan Koerber-Walker

Re: Remembering Steven Groves II

Joan Koerber-Walker — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:56:53 -0000

Steve:

What a beautiful message.

Know that you too are loved and appreciated by all of those that you so generously help with your time, your energy and your support. Now the Social Media community that you helped to develop and build can do just a little bit to help you as you have so often helped us.

For those of you that may be visiting for the first time. Steven Groves is an active part of the Phoenix entrepreneurial community. He serves on the board of the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation (http://www.otef.org) and has been a driving force behind the scenes at all of the Arizona Entrepreneurship Conferences (http://www.azentrepreneursh...) He generously shares his time and talents whenever we ask. Now, at a time when he needs us, we all have an opportunity to Chip-in.

You will see on the Chip-in/PayPal site that OTEF is collecting the donations and will distribut the to support Steve and his family at this sad time.

Joan Koerber-Walker
Chairman, OTEF, The Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation.

Re: Moderated Comments in Social Media – Why?

Joan Koerber-Walker — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:31:23 -0000

Steve:

In a perfect world allowing a fully open comment stream adds to the free flow of information on a topic, unfortunately the world is rarely perfect.

Today I work on several blogs. The comments, while few, have usually been solid additions to the original conversation. But that is not always the case. In a former position I had a blog that was very much in the 'public eye'. Over a period of time, it fell prey to individuals who posted comments or links that ranged from spam to the truly obscene. Having those comments appear on our public site for even a few minutes could have seriously harmed our repuation as an organization. We did not have the resources to have an indiviual monitor the stream every minute of the day, and so moderation was our only alternative. It's a shame that the actions of a few have to create inconveneince for the many - but such is life.

Re: Finding a Job thru Playing Business Golf

Joan Koerber-Walker — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:44:25 -0000

Whether it's on the golf course, volunteering on a non profit project, attending a networking event, or having lunch with a friend - people will help if you are honest and let them. Thanks for sharing such great examples and tips. I'll be sure to share this with others.

Re: Failure is Everywhere…Don’t Underestimate Collateral Damage

Joan Koerber-Walker — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:27:05 -0000

Thanks for staring this Howard. Everyone likes to talk about their successes - but few are brave enough to talk about their failures openly.

ZenProfit called this discussion a downer - but I disagree. Instead I see this as opening up the possiblities for solutions. History shows us that some of the biggest failures - in business and in life - have learned from the experience of failing and move on to great success. When I listen to someone say they have never failed, I get worried. They obviously still have a lot to learn.

Today, collateral damage is all around us. Lost jobs, a financial industry still on shaky ground, and an automotive industry that has moved from a position of world dominence to disaster. The collateral damage to the employees of those companies, their supply chain partners, and their distribution networks is staggering. Yesterday a thousand car dealers learned that the partner they relied on is a partner no more. Some of these businesses span generations and the collateral damage includes not just the business, but their employees, their customers, and the communities that they have long supported.

Most of these busineses will not survive - but a some will learn from this failure - come up with a new way to serve their customers - and rebuild to grow again.

Fortune8 mentions Schumpeter's model of Creative Destruction. As an economist I have always thought the name misleading. In the model, new products or innovations that create more value replace those that have less. Each company that is displaced has the opportunity to rise again if they learn from their failures and focus on a new strategy for value creation and rejoi the cycle.

Thanks for reminding us to take the time to look at our failures - to learn from them - and to move forward.

Re: NightTline: Twitter and ABC Launch a Tweetable News Show

Joan Koerber-Walker — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:57:33 -0000

What a creative way to bring the viewers into the debate and discussion. It will be interesting to see how this evolves and how quickly other programs follow.