http://www.cheskin.com/blog/perspectives/ en-us http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/001075.html The AIG bonus debacle is last week’s news. Still, I wade through articles and opinions, baffled at what sensible people propose. Most troubling is the call to publish AIG bonus-recipient names and leave punishment to gladiators, er I mean citizens. Sound principles like contract law and employee incentive plans vied... Etcetera Jennifer Gray 2009-04-03T22:15:47-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/001052.html I feel no need to smell my books. A shelf loaded with books does not impress me. It makes me sneeze. I am notorious for finishing a book and leaving it behind. When reading paperbacks, I often tear off what I’ve read and toss it in the trash to lighten... Innovation & Design Jennifer Gray 2009-02-27T23:47:01-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000809.html Sitting in today's new employee orientation, I explained what people need to know when it comes to the Cheskin Employee Experience. At the end, the org chart slipped out and I realized I'd forgotten to cover it. Because, after all, it means little to me. There is an expectation of... Innovation & Design Jennifer Gray 2006-03-15T14:31:28-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000773.html You'd think marketing candidates would be smart enough not to submit a resume when they are looking for a job. Why hasn't this lame method of job hunting fallen by the wayside? Nobody writes a resume that says what they do. Nobody enjoys reading a resume. Hat's off to two... Jennifer Gray 2005-12-18T21:43:49-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000765.html As detailed in the new book due out by Steve Diller, Darrel Rhea and Nathan Shedroff, the power of meaning is logical and provacative. I'm sometimes ambivalent about the shape it will take when companies tap into personal meaning of their customers, but I know it can't be ignored. Witness... Jennifer Gray 2005-12-09T09:16:14-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000762.html Denise Klarquist woke up one day last week and started her 11th year at Cheskin. How does a company recognize somebody who has solidly contributed for 10 years? It is tempting to get creative in describing Denise and the contribution she makes to Cheskin. Diving deep into adjective-land to chronicle... Jennifer Gray 2005-11-22T06:08:27-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000760.html Thanksgiving nears. My gratitude list includes plenty of entries about life at Cheskin and how fortunate we are. Everything we set out to do 11 months ago is taking shape and coming to fruition -- larger projects, more complex, broader in scope, strategic in nature, and focusing on innovation. Our... Jennifer Gray 2005-11-17T14:31:48-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000741.html Criticism. I think it's a delicious form of feedback. I'll admit it's an aquired taste and like avocados or sushi or chocolate, there are times when I'm in the mood for it and times when I'm not. I receive one bit of criticism over and over again. Yes, I'm good.... Etcetera Jennifer Gray 2005-09-19T16:37:38-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000732.html I haven’t been able to get my arms around the level of disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina. I scoffed at news reports of a Category 5 hurricane and the urgency to evacuate. How many of these ‘supposed’ disasters do we hear about, only to find out it wasn’t as bad... Etcetera Jennifer Gray 2005-09-01T14:14:44-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000679.html Having an extended group of friends and associates is a gift. Yeah, a gift that catapults me more often than not into dizzying confusion and scheduling. Count your groups. Here's a glimpse of mine: Family (Close, Extended); Friends (high school, college, work friends, BCI Alumnae, EDAW Alumnae); Candidates (current, prospective,... Jennifer Gray 2005-06-06T15:11:41-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000646.html Congressional hearings over baseball and steroid use: it's like watching gardeners mow weeds. It'll look good for awhile, but we all know the weeds will be back. Congress is saying, "this has got to stop. Young men are harming themselves because they want to be like you." Well, when I... Jennifer Gray 2005-03-18T10:38:27-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000642.html Every Monday we meet to review the prior week's new projects and figure out what new projects are coming in the door. We also laud someone with the "Best Written Proposal of the Week", and a new learning is shared from each group. It was a small group today so... Etcetera Jennifer Gray 2005-03-14T12:20:45-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000633.html Driving to work I saw a bumper sticker on a nice Murano in front of me: Bose is the 'White Zin' of sound systems. Music deserves better. It bummed me out. I see "Bush sucks" and I have no problem with that, but here's a pot shot at a brand... Jennifer Gray 2005-03-03T10:25:58-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000594.html I like the new Kraft mayo jar. Best Foods happens to be my brand of choice, but that new Kraft mayo container is smart. Fits in the refrigerator better, easier to get in/out of, keeps the knife clean. Packaging is boring until it's fun or smart. Kudos to Kraft for... Jennifer Gray 2005-01-28T12:55:32-08:00 http://www.cheskin.com/blog/blog/archives/000546.html We have a new ceo at Cheskin. In some companies, this is referred to as a shifting of power, or the changing of the guard or some other militaristic term. I see it as a subtle change of influence. As Christopher Ireland moves into her new role leading research and... Jennifer Gray 2004-12-28T15:43:39-08:00