WHEN FACING A tough decision, whether personal or business, Chip and Dan Heath recommend the 10/10/10 rule, which asks you to think how you will feel about the decision 10 minutes from now, 10 months from now, and 10 years from now.
“Perhaps our worst enemy in resolving conflicts is short-term emotion, which can be an unreliable adviser,” they write in their 2013 best-seller, Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work.
If, for example, you’ve been avoiding a difficult conversation with a staff member, then you’re letting short-term emotion (fear) rule you. “If you commit to having the conversation, then 10 minutes from now you’ll probably be anxious, but 10 months from now, won’t you be glad you did it?” they say. Or maybe you’ll just view it as a trifling matter not worth getting worked up about. The important thing is that you remove some of the visceral emotion from the occasion.
Buy Roses Early
Prices for roses will spike — often by as much as double — as Valentine’s Day nears. If you hand out flowers to gift buyers, purchase them earlier than usual or consider heartier flowers that will take longer to start wilting. “Carnations and orchids look nice, smell great, and won’t start to wilt for almost two weeks,” notes fivethirtyeight.com’s “Cheapskate’s Guide to Buying Flowers for Valentine’s Day.”
Gems In the Rough
Going to Tucson this year? Don’t be afraid to check out the most distant booths or even the tables of the wild indie guys who set up by the pool of their motel. If you know what you’re doing, you can score some great deals from these adventurers who often come from the seven corners of the world but couldn’t afford a better show spot, our Brain Squad insiders tell us.
Valentine’s Love
It’s February; time to share the love with your best customers. J Vincent Jewelers in Colts Neck, NJ, recently took their top clients out for a special Valentine’s dinner that included fine wine, delicious food and many laughs, says owner Joseph V. Brando. “As a gag, we presented each couple with a ‘goodie bag’ that included love CDs, chocolates, and to kick it up a notch, a few adults-only toys. It was hysterical and definitely an unforgettable evening for all,” said Brando.
Like Vs. Share
Looking to drive engagement on your Facebook page? Try a “Like” vs. “Share” poll, which asks your followers to vote for Option A by clicking on the Like button or for Option B by clicking Share. “The Like and Share counters on the post act as a built-in vote count to see which side is winning,” notes a post on tech blog wishpond.com. “It also acts as social proof of the number of people participating and pushes others to join in as well.” For instructions on how to execute this poll, see wishpond.com’s instructions here: http://instr.us/1173.
Friends with Benefits
Will Dean, the co-founder of the massively popular Tough Mudder obstacle race series, has an interesting take on recruiting: Hire only people you’d go out to dinner with. “If you’re building a company, you need to like, trust, and respect the people you hire,” he told Men’s Health magazine. “Otherwise it’s no fun and you won’t succeed.”
Carats and Candy
In line with the idea that Valentine’s Day is basically a time for couples, Jewelers On Main in Mooresville, NC, hooked up with another downtown business, SugarPop’s, to offer customers a complimentary candy and soda bar as part of a “Carats & Candy” event held to mark the Feb. 14 date. “We are serious about promoting other small local businesses, and this was a chance for us to market each other while giving our customers a great experience,” said store owner Alan Allman.
Your Password Sucks
If you use any of the following passwords to protect your computer system — x, Zz, St@rt123, 1, P@ssw0rd, bl4ck4ndwhite, admin, alex, ……., administrator — you’ve basically left the key in the door. They, according to a year-long, 119-country study by information security firm Rapid7, are the top 10 password guesses that attackers try first. “……..” — Really? You need to try harder.