Critical Thinking

Keyword ‘critical thinking’

A Defense of Blogging

January 20th, 2010 by Andrew Swenson

image credit: Andrew*

Yesterday Rebecca Thorman contested that “bloggers are not writers” and “blogging is not writing.”

I happen to disagree, but this not really about disagreement. This is about rethinking our basic understanding of writing.

This is about boiling down the underlying implications of Thorman’s ideas in an effort to hold them, to examine them, to test them.

I’m deeply indebted to Thorman’s post and presentation as the start of this conversation, so first: Thank you Rebecca. And now to our point of departure…

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keywords: blogging, critical thinking, philosophy, writing
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We’re transparent, authentic, and on Twitter…now what?

November 4th, 2009 by Andrew Swenson

photo credit: Troy Newell

I think we’ve reached the point at which if you aren’t transparent, authentic, and/or human you’ll be treated like a dirt sucking, crap-eating spammer. I think we have to start talking more about what’s next.

I realize that I’ve regurgitated some of the hackneyed language of social media in Tweets and posts. But now is the time to move beyond those second order concepts like “relationships.” We don’t need any more lists of tips to help us get more followers. We need a strategic understanding of what the real-time web will look like so that we can write our business plans and outline our strategies for community engagement.

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keywords: Business, critical thinking, Marketing, progress, social media, Straight-up Snark, strategy, Twitter
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Business Practice

3 Business Lessons From a Haircut

October 20th, 2009 by Andrew Swenson

Hair Saloon for Men, an Honorable Rebellion

In desperate need of a trim, I typed my zip code and “haircut” into my iPhone. The first hit pointed me “Hair Saloon for Men”—a saloon-themed “salon” for guys. I was curious (and desperate) enough to book the appointment.

Although their corporate website leaves something to be desired (hairsaloon.com), the whole experience reminded me of three critical business lessons…

1. Know who you are.

I say this with the utmost respect, but Hair Saloon is not a upscale establishment. Sure, there’s no burnt hair perm smell from the chair next to you, but there’s also not a particular emphasis on style. Think of it as Barber Shop 2.0.

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keywords: Business, critical thinking, Innovation, strategy
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Marketing

Seeing Marketing as Long-Term Investment (on iDea Anglers)

October 9th, 2009 by Andrew Swenson

When top line revenue declines (like during a recession), spending cuts often look like a great option for lifting your bottom line. You know what I’m talking about—layoffs and budget reductions.

While I think it’s financially wise to look at how we spend each of our business dollars, and while I concede that some budgets can afford to be trimmed (e.g. travel), one area I wouldn’t touch is marketing. In fact, I might expand it….

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This post is hosted in its entirety on ideaAnglers.com

keywords: critical thinking, idea Anglers, Marketing
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Business Practice

Ready to be done with AIG

March 19th, 2009 by Andrew Swenson

Okay, so I get that people are upset about AIG’s executive bonuses.

I get the argument that we are rewarding cruddy work by allowing these bonuses to stand.

I get Harry Reid’s proposal for a 90 percent tax on the bonus money.

I get the argument from that if the bonuses are returned, NY city and state will lose a significant amount of revenue that they desperately need.

But I’m bothered that issue has spawned a populist uprising. I’m bothered that President Obama is following suit. And I’m especially bothered that Andrew Cuomo is suddenly a hero.

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keywords: AIG, Andrew Cuomo, bailout, critical thinking, Obama, populism, Stephen Colbert
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Keyword ‘critical thinking’

Culture Meets Customers

The short-sighted claims

1. Know who you are.