Even if a social network has millions of followers, it is very unlikely to translate into millions of buzz-spreaders. Only a tiny percentage spread the word – the One Percenters. The One Percenters are the root of all word of mouth, and our job is to find and attract them.
Tags: Talent
22% of income on education
Families in South Korea spend 22% of their income on education and 13% on their housing. How many of us in the UK spend an amount each month on educating our families that comes anywhere near what we spend on our mortgage or rent, or even our leisure spend. It is worth thinking about, especially as the skills and talent of our next generation will determine whether a company is successful or not in future. All about the people. Also, most of us focus any spend on education at senior school or university fees – but in Asia, the big spend is on infant education – that’s where they get the greatest benefit and they generate millions of students keen to learn and able to learn (from a Vistage UK event hosted by my old chum Steve Gilroy www.vistage.co.uk).
Banks stealing people
I loved the original Michael Caine movie, The Italian Job. I grew up watching it over and over again. Today, banks are taking from each other, but they are stealing people. They don’t have the skills so they poach people back and forth. Organisations are sometimes frightened to upskill their people in case they leave for another job and for more money. Well they don’t. Staff are more loyal to an employer who takes care of them. And what if you don’t train and certify them at all and they stay with you – how competitive will you be in the future? Case solved.
As simple as it gets
This quote came from Business Week in 1953, from the Tupperware company, and it still rings true today, as it will 100 years from now. This is as simple as it gets for me:
“If we build the people, they will build the business.”