Grow From Here

At one of our team meetings recently, we read through a list of wierd and wonderful error messages created by programmers (we try to have something fun in each meaning).  One could get very philosophical about the deeper meaning of each of these and what they say about life, but they can also be read just for fun and a little light relief

(sadly, I don’t know the origin of these or I would happily attribute them back…)

• I once tried to post-date a piece for publication and was given the error message, “The future has not happened yet.” Wow, really? Thanks for that news flash.
• I have a system that will occasionally throw out one word… PANIC. Oookay… I have many places that could be in a panic state, can you throw me a clue as to the location, at the very least?
• Back in the day, my Cadnetix workstation once put up: “We should never get here.” That’s high on my list of informative and reassuring messages.
• The server understood the request, but is refusing to fulfill it. OK,Hal. This message implies that there is a problem with a rogue server with an attitude problem.
• “A internal error broke out” – it was exactly this spelling etc.  I often wondered what kind of internal error it was, and where it broke out from!
• I was creating a HOBS payment back in the 90’s. The create instruction dialogue box popped up to let me the world as we know isn’t real…”the state of the atom is invalid – [OKAY]” Damn. That’s not “OKAY” at all.
• IF-YOU-ARE-HERE-SOMETHING-IS-TERRIBLY-WRONG. STOP.
• Many years ago I tried to install a modem program on a Mac. It didn’t work and the error message was: “Installation failed. Something is wrong. Find out what it is, fix it, and try again“.

I’m very proud to tell you that in our company we do not write error messages like these, but we sure had a good laugh over them

Communication, Fun, Technology

A few weeks ago, I read (while cringing and smiling) TechCrunch’s list of most despised corporate buzzwords from 2011.  Then I came across this crazy tool calling a Meeting BS Generator – the scary thing is that when you try it out, the results almost always sound like they could be real.  So if you need a break between meetings, check it out, and enjoy.  Then try to figure out what you will say in that following meeting, but don’t blame me if you end up silenced.

Fun

SQUAWK?

Ever been ostrichized by insider jargon?  Then you’ll enjoy this fourth communication tip from Open Box.

Check out the earlier tips if you missed them:

Communication game: tip #1 (working miracles)

Communication game: tip #2 (what goes bump in the dark)

Communication game: tip #3 (what lurks in the seas)

Communication, Fun, Video Tips

From miracles to what goes bump in the dark to what swims in the seas, our communication journey continues.

Learn why Jaws was not a good communicator in this latest episode…

Communication, Fun, Video Tips

A great quote I came across this week:

An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he’ll quickly learn how to chew it.

-Roy Ash, co-founder of Litton Industries

It made me laugh, but it’s so true – how can we ever make progress if we don’t do more than we know we can?

At our team meeting this week we were talking about being extraordinary.  Today is not a day for clear answers – rather it’s one for good questions, but biting off a little more than we can chew is often not a bad idea…

What successes have you found from biting off more than you can chew?  And what has made you smile this week?

Business Growth, Communication, Fun

Continuing on our obsession with effective communication, we move from working miracles to shining a light on dark places with tip #2.   Unexpected things happen when people are kept in the dark.

Communication, Fun, Video Tips

Communication can sound fuzzy, but a team with solid communication can accomplish miracles.

At Open Box, we’re all a little obsessive about communication - what works, what doesn’t, and how to have fun doing it.

Nothing can be as exciting and good for a business as good communication where people building on ideas and creating together.

And nothing is as destructive as bad communication – passive aggressive, stonewalling, talking at cross purposes…

We have created a series of short videos about the communication game – we hope you enjoy them, and do suggest more ideas for great communication tips – all suggestions gratefully welcomed

Business Growth, Communication, Fun, Video Tips

The world is full of great quotes.

Here are five that give me energy & determination today:

• “Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”~~ Saint Francis of Assisi

• “We don’t grow unless we take risks. Any successful company is riddled with failures. “~~ James E. Burke

• “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day, saying “I will try again tomorrow.”~~Mary Radmacher

• “An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.” ~~Arnold H. Glasgow

• “Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia. ~~ Charles Schulz

Business Growth, Communication, Fun

Every week during our team meeting, we have a segment on communication (sometimes a game or some jokes, sometimes something one of our team has written, sometimes a favorite poem or story or song).  Recently we had a fun challenge to meet & what came out of it was a blast for all of us.

Here’s the challenge, for those of you who want to try:

Write a poem using the following nine words

1. Llama
2. Freedom
3. Incredulous
4. Fais Gaffe (french for watch out or be careful)
5. Panda
6. Water
7. Ominous
8. Cosmopolitan
9. Tintinabulate

Sounds a little tough?  Well, our team came through with a vengeance.  Not everyone wanted to try, but here are the results – a great set of different styles & takes on these nine very different words.  To really get the drift, you should have been with us as each author read out their poem, but you’ll just have to use your imagination…

from Audrey:

As the cosmopolitan panda wandered into the street,
The Llama exercised his freedom of incredulous speech,

“Fias gaffe!” he exclaimed, but alas was too late,
Panda met curb; sealing his ominous fate,

The Llama tossed water to revive Panda’s faint,
Panda saw stars and heard bells tinabulate,

“Hurrah! You’re okay!” the Llama exclaimed.
“Yes but now I’m all wet” the Panda did blame.

from Nick:

An incredulous llama called Amanda
Spilled water all over a Panda
With an ominous roar
To a tintinnabulate score
She scream “fais gaffe!” while she danced
The Panda said “Hey!”
“You’ve abused your freedom to sway!”
But watching her move
To the bells ringing true
A cosmopolitan he gave while entranced.

from Zane:

A llama tintinnabulates with
copious garlands of small brass bells,
he has an incredulous look on his face.

He sees a panda sitting by the road,
humming an ominous song:

“Fais gaffe!”
the panda shouts.
“Freedom is never free,
as water is not a cosmopolitan thing.”

from Mary Jane:

As the cosmopolitan church bells tinabulated
The incredulous Llama pondered his ominous luck
The Panda’s shout of “fais gaffe” had saved him
From the deep water unseen before him
Granting another day of life’s joyous freedom

from Katryn:

Llama’s Lament

The ominous waters have covered the llama – poor llama
- has he found freedom from his woes?
Incredulous bystanders stood silent and still
not a one called ‘fais gaffe’ as the waters rose
Soon funeral bells will tintinabulate across the hill
and the cosmopolitan panda continues to munch, oblivious.

Communication, Fun

That’s the horned devil’s greeting on the website of Hell Pizza.  With its first Canadian location, in North Vancouver, the chain continues its ghoulish global spread.

Word has spread to pizza lovers everywhere, creating a cult-like following.

Cutting edge in concept, marketing and advertising, with a wildly creative menu, Hell Pizza is one franchise to watch out for.

The eatery began in Wellington, New Zealand in 1996, and quickly expanded to 63 locations in that country and 3 in Australia, before setting up shop in London, Dublin and now New Delhi, India.  The brainchild of Warren Powell, Callum Davies and Stu McMullin, they sold the New Zealand Master Franchise rights to Tasman Foods for a whopping $15 million NZ.  The trio then bought the rights back in 2009.

What are their secrets?

The darkly satirical and wickedly fun underworld theme is used throughout their menu and marketing campaigns.  The pizza boxes contain a coffin-like cut-out “for your remains,” the box reminding customers to “dispose of the evidence.”  The phone number is 1-888-HELL-911.  An after-hours message kindly requests that you “go to Hell.”

Pizzas choices are infinite, and devilishly named.  The ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ items include a lustful meat-laden pie slashed with your choice of sauce, a greedy double-cheese and double-ham option, and a proudly vegetarian creation.   Gore-Met offerings include seafood rich ‘Underworld’, a ‘Sinister’ Mexican variety, and a cream-cheese apricot sauced ‘Grimm.’   Fiery chili-toppers include ‘Forked Tongue’ and ‘Ring of Fire’ for those not faint of heart.

Besides the vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free ‘hell-thy’ options there are many other fresh ideas.  The menu prices include taxes, making bill time surprise free.  They have further added value by offering online orders in addition to delivery.

Some think that the franchise may have gone too far, but it seems to have worked wonders for them.  Besides, they are selling pizza- not plasma- so it’s okay to have a little fun.

Is it time for your franchise concept to incorporate some of new, fiendishly good ideas?  Maybe it’s time to add a little –gasp- playfulness into your franchise.   Perhaps a free-flowing brainstorming session is in order.   And if you decide to order a pizza for the party, I’d recommend Hell Pizza.  If you chose a different pizza palace – beware!  Who knows what in Hades might happen to you…

Business Growth, Franchise, Franchisor Spotlight, Fun creative, franchise concept, Hell Pizza, marketing campaigns, pizza, strategy