Submersed Songs

Australian country still 'True Blue'

John Williamson was munching a slice of pineapple, noting that the wet year seemed to have been sweeter.

At age 65, and an important part of Australia's cultural furniture, the sale of large Australian singer song-writer says he feels more like 40.

And after what amounts to a life-long learning in an uncertain and unforgiving, he thinks his performance is better than ever.

"I am much more relaxed these days. I got to a point where I know I can do it, "he said.

After being on the road since 1970, in one way or another, creating a comfort zone of performance is probably one of the luxuries that come with experience.

"Most of your career is spent finding out what you can do and can not do.

"Now I know what my limits are and what I do best," he said.

And what he does best, besides making up songs that help us all, especially the Australians, understand and be proud of ourselves, is what he will do next month at Gympie Muster Music Optus - with the show Col Watson guitarist (whose first professional job was with Slim Dusty).

Source: Coff's Coast Advocate

Writing a Corrective Action Plan/Falling on Your Sword 101 « jcp ...

by John Williamson

Our efforts to provide seamless service delivery are not always smooth. It's not a perfect world. There will be times when mistakes are made and / or processes are not followed that lead to a disruption of client operations. These interruptions to draw attention to the client directly and often at a management level. Obviously this is not the kind of attention we can afford too often, if we want to maintain a strong relationship, but there is a way to at least meet the current situation in a way that will correct the problem and to provide some level of peace of mind for the customer.(Remember, an "Aw Heck" Atta boys = 100 ")

It is best to treat more serious interruptions in writing to its key customers (after your initial meeting), those with a level of management that may have been involved (on the side of the house) and probably your manager. First it is important to support and strengthen and say "we did and we regret that it happened" (only to the extent that you are at fault, of course). This will a long way in adding to your credibility and maintain a trusting relationship with your client....

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Hewlett-Packard, Qualvu Study Shows Flexibility Means Uncanny ...

by admin

Just in time for back-to-school, students have sent researchers back to school by driving home the point that it’s not just technology that enables companies to learn about their buying habits, it’s also the ability and flexibility to walk a mile in their shoes to experience the process they go through when deciding on major purchases for college. In a study that challenges the conventional wisdom, Hewlett-Packard and Qualvu partnered to accompany soon-to-be college freshmen as they considered, evaluated and purchased a computer and printer to take to campus. What made the study different, and the results more revealing, was that students weren’t herded into using a specific kind of technology to record their responses to researchers’ questions. “A flaw in many companies’ approach to qualitative research is that they first settle on a research technology, then try to force it onto a study. HP’s approach was to put technology second and consumers first, by allowing the students to use ways that were comfortable to them to share their purchasing journey. When research is more natural to respondents, it is more telling and valuable to the researcher, and HP hit a home run with this approach,” Williamson said. “This is a case where innovation met intuition and the result was in-the-moment insight,” he added. Williamson said the key to the study was being able to “look over the shoulders” of students as they went to stores, ordered online, or pursued other routes in their purchasing journey. “Not all customers take the same path when it comes to deciding on a purchase, so it logically follows that one size doesn’t fit all for a research methodology employed to learn from those customers. And leading companies are realizing that and acting on that,” Williamson added.

Source: Hewlett-Packard, Qualvu Study Shows Flexibility Means Uncanny ...