With the recent NBA lockout, my cable provider provided "Celtic Classics" for the pro basketball fan. For the first time I had the chance to see Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, and Bill Russell in a full game. I was also able to revisit Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Oscar Robinson, and a young Kareem. Finally, I got to relive the Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish battles with Dr. J, Moses Malone, or an older Kareem and Magic. With the black-and-white TV era, I found myself wondering how each player's ability and game would transition to today.…

You know (actually you don't; that's why I'm writing this), sometimes I get unexpected responses to things I mention. A little tradition I have with you (you didn't know we had traditions?) is, I conclude each holiday season column with "Be nice to the bell ringers." Last year I got an email from someone who thought that was a pretty funny line. Unfortunately (on many levels), I was being sincere. I know, it's a rare thing, and where was he anyways when I was trying to be funny? My now 15-year-old daughter and I have rung those bells for the…

Tell me about how you view yourself. Cautious and safe? Risk taker and entrepreneur? I think if you are going to lead an LP effort, you have to be more of the entrepreneurial type. Don't get me wrong, you aren't doomed if you think you are "cautious and safe." I just think in order to move an agenda along, you have to be willing to take a bit of a risk. So, since I'm typing and you are reading, we move forward with the entrepreneurial concept, which happens to lead me to a quote I read recently (funny how that…

The last few issues I've been working on this "game changer" concept. ("What, again?" you ask. Why, yes, I am going to get another column out of it. The response has been pretty good.) Seriously, I had another piece of feedback that hit the mark. It got to me via LinkedIn...incidentally, a networking game changer in my opinion.   Mike, I just read your article in the most recent issue of LP Magazine...electronically no less. Loved the "green bar" reference! I think we're currently in the midst of the next game change event in the LP industry. I see it…

I promised some feedback from the last couple of columns on "Game Changers." First out of the box are two from service providers...edited for space reasons. (You know how wordy the dark side can be.)   Mike,   I'm sure every vendor of a product category that you did not list in your January-February 2011 article is already emailing you! I know the success of exception-reporting tools. And I have a brother who designs DVR systems, so I hear and see their benefits first hand. However, I have never seen a truly measurable revenue impact and ROI like return authorization.…

I got some feedback on last edition's list of "game changers." Thanks for the material; I'm sure it will make it into a future column. I'm not going to recap that column, so check it out on the magazine website if you missed the hard copy. This month it's all about the other team's (relatively) new weapons. Remember, my point of reference is the mid-80s, a simpler time, before the Internet, cell phones, voicemail, tweets, Facebook, texting, or Google. Now, onto the bad guys' game changers. Duct Tape and Aluminum Foil. I don't know when booster devices became vogue, but…