ORANGE STAR BLOG
Subscribe to Fresh Squeezed, essential ideas on branding, marketing and growing a small business.
Subscribe to Fresh Squeezed, essential ideas on branding, marketing and growing a small business.
The Five Why’s Method – A Quick Overview
If you’re anything like me, you likely have a million things to think about on any given day. One of those things is trying to identify and solve problems. That’s where the five whys method comes in. This problem-solving technique can help you quickly get to the root cause of a problem so that you…
Strategy vs Tactics: What’s the Difference and Why Does it Matter?
All too often, we confuse strategy with tactics. We think that the way we’re doing something (tactic) is the plan that will achieve the outcome (strategy). But that’s not the case.Strategy is a long-term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal.Tactics are what you do to execute your strategy.Without a clear strategy, it’s easy to get lost in…
Remembering what you learn
There is a concept known as The Learning Pyramid and apparently learners retain approximately: 90% of what they learn when they teach someone else/use immediately. 75% of what they learn when they practice what they learned. 50% of what they learn when engaged in a group discussion. 30% of what they learn when they see a demonstration….
How to make the Smartist decisions
I sometimes have trouble making what feel like big decisions. Perhaps it is the Libra in me constantly weighing my options. Unchecked, it can be quite an obstacle. At its worst, it becomes analysis paralysis. Decision-making is a critical part of our daily lives both as individuals and entrepreneurs, and we’re making a staggering estimated 35,000 decisions every single…
Why is this so hard? What if this could be easy?
“Getting ahead doesn’t have to be as hard as we make it. No matter what challenges or obstacles we face, there is a better way: instead of pushing ourselves harder, we can find an easier path.” ~ Greg McKeown, EffortlessMcKeown says “When the essentials become too hard to handle, you can either give up on them or…
Measure output not outcomes
Are you actually doing the work that will lead to the desired outcomes?If you are, the results will come.By focusing your weekly goals on your outputs (lead indicators), which are 100% in your control — you are more likely to improve your results (lag indicators) — which are not 100% in your control).“We’re held back…
The power of reciprocation: how being generous pays off
Reciprocation is the strong desire most people feel to “pay back” what has been given to them. If someone benefits us, we like to benefit them in return. When you are giving of your time, energy and resources to help others, they’re more likely to reciprocate and be interested when you make an offer. When…
The Orangutan Effect
“If you sit down with an orangutan and carefully explain to it one of your cherished ideas, you may leave behind a puzzled primate, but will exit thinking more clearly yourself.” ~ Warren Buffet Teaching others actually teaches yourself. via Chris Hladczuk
How to Think for Yourself
First principles thinking is a powerful method for problem solving and creativity. It can help us understand complicated information and solve complex problems. It can also help us unlock our creative potential and move from linear thinking to nonlinear thinking. By starting with the most fundamental principles, we can build up to a specific situation…
Be + Do + Have + Share = Success
Success is not just about what you have or even what you do. It’s also about who we are, and how we choose to show up for the people in our lives and ourselves.Limitless author Jim Kwik breaks it down for us into this simple four-word success formula: Be + Do + Have + Share = Success.BE,…
