Sometimes I just have to rant….
What happens when you assume
I’m new to this consulting thing, so I’m probably not breaking any new ground here, but I have come away from the client engagements I’ve had to date scratching my head about:
The assumption that the best way to deal with the financial headwinds created by the crummy economy is to cut expenses across the board. Whatever happened to investing more to market the programs that are working, or even rolling out something new that actually makes the organization more valuable to members?
The assumption that your members read and remember everything you tell them — and then wondering why people don’t pay attention to or use that complicated new online offering you developed — especially when you explained how it works at the bottom of a single email message two months ago.
The assumption that your members actually know what your member benefits are. Especially the new ones. Didn’t they just receive that two pound new member folder chockablock full of dozens of things you provide (even though most aren’t specifically relevant to them)? You know, that overwhelming thing they set aside when it arrived, fully expecting to review it “when they had a free moment?
The assumption that comments from a board member are representative of members’ sentiments.
The assumption that people actually are willing to watch online videos longer than 3-4 minutes. What? People weren’t riveted by the video replay of the new chairman’s 25-minute “welcome to the convention” speech?
HDTV — I’m trying to not be a hater
It seems as though everyone with whom I speak thinks HDTV is absolutely wonderful. I would like to agree with them, but I simply cannot. Sure, HDTV delivers a better picture, but that’s about the only good thing I have to say about it at this point. (Okay, I guess it’s great that there are all those extra channels on the free TV part of the spectrum, but how many weather radar images do I really need?)
HDTV has been a gold mine for the Comcasts, Verizons, and Toshibas of the world, as one needs to shell out beaucoup dollars in order to get the full HDTV experience — at least for the 40% or so of programming that actually broadcasts in full HD. In my case, I did spring for a couple of HDTVs, mostly because I needed to replace old televisions that were failing. But I don’t watch enough television to justify paying for a hi-def feed. As a result, I have a mishmash of analog and digital televisions, some connected to the cable feed, some on a converter box.
If my experience is representative (and I think it is), my overall viewing experience has declined markedly. Bitmapped video signals…channels cutting out completely…out of synch audio…distorted video presentation (at least for the one analog set in my house not connected to cable). I feel worst for those people who don’t have (or cannot afford) cable. The signal is so weak an antenna is almost mandatory unless you live directly under the broadcast tower apparently. Plus the signal compresses the image so much that everyone looks like Gumby.
Color me underwhelmed.
“Must-bloviate TV”
I spent a couple of random hours watching the confirmation hearings for Judge Sotomayor – mostly because I’ve never been able to see a live performance of Kabuki theatre. The Dems spend their time praising her to the hilt and tossing softball questions at her. The Repubs grab on to a silly statement the judge made in a speech years ago and use it as cover for attacking her as too liberal and too likely to legislate from the bench. The judge spends her time parrying away the thrusts and revealing absolutely nothing about how she will adjudicate cases. Same thing happened in reverse when Judges Roberts and Alito had confirmation hearings. What, exactly, is the point of this rhetorical masturbation?
Filed under: Random thoughts and rants, Uncategorized
