I’m a fan of the board game Monopoly.  As a kid, my dad and uncle would beat me consistently.  It is not in the Cuthbert blood to "let" someone (above the age of 6) win at a game!  I'll never forget the first time I won and knew that it was for real.  The game teaches basic business concepts but to win, you have to be a risk taker!  I've enjoyed playing with my son recently... and no, I don't let him win!  But then, I don't need to!

What is your favorite Monopoly game piece?  According to the "Monopoly Game Piece Theory" the Monopoly piece you prefer is very telling of your personality.  I have used Battleship for years but been Wheelbarrow more recently... not sure what this says about me!

I heard a story recently I thought I would share with you...

A number of years ago a salesman had gotten lost and drove up to a house to ask for directions.  He got out of his car and walked up to the porch where an elderly gentleman was rocking in his rocking chair and an old hound dog lay stretched out near by.  As he approached the dog lifted his head and let out a moan.  A moment later the dog again lifted his head and moaned.  The salesman began to ask for directions when the dog’s moaning interrupted him.   He almost got his question out when the dog moaned again.

Finally the salesman asked, “What’s wrong with your dog?”

The old man looked down at the dog and then to the salesman and said, “He’s lying on a nail.”

“Lying on a nail?”, asked the surprised salesman.

“Yep”, said the old man, “It bothers him enough to complain about it, but not enough to do anything about it.”

Doesn’t that seem to be the way with some folks? They’ll complain about something, but they won’t do anything about it.

We don’t have to have the same outlook.  If something is bothering you then it is probably bothering someone else too. Take that step to do something about it.  You can affect change.

Tom Cuthbert

I grew up around computers.  My dad is an electrical engineer and I can still remember going to work with him on the weekends and staring at the giant computers!  We even had a Commodore Pet as one of the very first "desktop" computers.  (You had to have a really strong desk to support that baby!)

One of my earliest computer memories is when my dad bought me this "Electronic Computer Brain"!  I saw this in the Huffington Post article (below) and laughed out loud!  I remember getting this and assembling it when I was probably 6 or 7.  There were short straws that would attach to the front to "program" it.  It could do simple math problems and as the ad points out, could tell your fortune!  Unfortunately it didn't tell me to buy Microsoft stock in 1985, but for $4.99 it was a bargain!

"What the heck is electronic mail?" isn't something you typically hear today. Even moms and grandmas are on Facebook, and if you hand any of today's kids a smart phone they'll be downloading episodes of "Yo Gabba Gabba" before you can say "don't drop that."

Still, it wasn't too long ago that consumers were fascinated by the possibilities of computers, and these vintage ads prove that in a hilarious way. From those which show our former naivete of all things digital, to ads for hard drives that pale in comparison to an iPhone and cost exponentially more, we guarantee you'll get a kick out of these outdated tech-vertisements. Vote for your favorite!

Ronald Reagan, Andy Grove, Martin Luther King, Jeff Bezos and LeBron James?  

Seriously, how could Time Magazine consider LeBron for Person of the Year?  Over the past 100 years there has never been a sports figure (Peter Ueberroth was closest).

My vote goes to lady Gaga :-/

MIAMI — If the Miami Heat locker room was polled, LeBron James would not have unanimous support in the race for Time's Person of the Year.

James wouldn't even vote for himself. (Cuthbert commentary: although he would probably hold a press conference to announce his decision)

Calling it "crazy" just to be on the list of finalists for the award, the NBA's reigning two-time MVP seemed almost a bit embarrassed on Monday when he learned that he was one of the final 25 names under consideration. The winner of the award, bestowed since 1927 on a person or group who "has done the most to influence the events of the year," is expected to be revealed next month.

"I am who I am and I think I'm in a position of my life where I'm going to get better every day," James said after Miami wrapped up its practice Monday. "But it's too much."

Other finalists this year include President Barack Obama (the 2008 winner), Lady Gaga, Sarah Palin, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, conservative commentator Glenn Beck, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Also on the list: The trapped Chilean miners who spent more than two months underground before finally being reached and rescued in a gripping story that was covered worldwide.

"That's just crazy," James said. "What those guys did, the courage and what they stood for, I should be nowhere near that list. Nowhere near it."

Charles Lindbergh was the first winner of the award. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is the only three-time winner, and most recent winners include Vladimir Putin in 2007, Obama in 2008 and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke in 2009.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/15/lebron-james-person-of-year_n_783894... 

http://www.infographicsshowcase.com/how-much-is-a-petabyte-infographic/

First of all, I want to thank you for taking your valuable time to read this post!  Persuasion is a fascinating topic.  It is used (and misused) in business and life everyday.  HBR had a very interesting article on the subject of reciprocation.  It reminded me of Michael Scott (from The Office) describing reverse psychology... but in this case, it is both real and effective!  I noticed the instance below that describes my "gift" of $5 to save the planet by reusing my towels when traveling recently.  I realized that this also saved the hotel more than the lame $5 credit but thought about how clever that approach was!  Enjoy the article, and keep your eyes open for new ways to affect behavior in business.  Let me know what you find... now you owe me one :)

You are more likely to invite a neighbor to the party you're hosting this weekend if they have previously invited you to one of theirs. You can be persuaded to leave the waiter a bigger tip if he places a piece of candy on the table along with your check. Fundraisers can increase the chances that you will make a contribution if they accompany their request itself with a small gift.

The principle is reciprocation: the psychological phenomenon in which we feel drawn to repay what another has provided for us first. An obvious idea, but understanding its nuances can enhance your ability to build stronger networks, create more trusting relationships, encourage long term collaboration and become more influential over others.

What is particularly fascinating about the way reciprocation works is the order of the exchange. Unlike a traditional "if you help me then I will help you" transaction, reciprocation requires us to take the lead and be the first to give in the hope that the recipient will play by the rule and respond accordingly. This isn't as naïve as it sounds; numerous studies have in fact shown that if we give first, those we invest in will very often live up to their obligations — often even more than when we demand the initial move.

A series of studies conducted by my Yes! co-authors Robert Cialdini and Noah Goldstein show how this played out in a business setting, looking, for example, at how hotels asked customers to reuse their linens. The study showed that when guests were informed that the hotel had already made a donation to an environmental organization, those guests were 45% more likely to reuse their towels and linens. This was compared to a standard approach in which guests were told that the hotel would make a donation only if they reused their towels first. Compared to this standard incentive-based message, the"give-first" strategy resulted in a more desirable change in guests' behavior, more environmentally protective outcomes, and increased cost savings for the hotel.

The same holds for other situations that require an element of persuasion. In another series of studies, researchers sought to persuade business executives to complete health and safety questionnaires about their organisation. They found that the inclusion of a $5 gift doubled the response rate compared to the promise of a reward of $50. Not only did the gift trump the reward in terms of response, success came at a tenth of the price.

However, the key to the reciprocity approach lies in your response to the message of thanks for the initial favor. How you phrase your "you're welcome" can determine your footing for your own request down the road.

Don't worry, I'm not suggesting that "Yes I did help you out and now you owe me" is the right way to go; of course you'll just be branded as someone whose help is best avoided in the future! But the much more common response —"Hey, it's no problem, I was happy to help." — isn't quite right either, because it fails to take advantage of the very moment when you are at your most persuasive: the moment immediately after someone has thanked you.

Instead, you should highlight the help and assistance you have given in a specific way that will increase the likelihood that it will be reciprocated fully in the future. For an individual, that means "Happy to help — I know how valuable it would be to get your help if I ever need it." Or, "No problem — I know that if the situation were ever reversed, you'd help me."

And in a more formal business setting, if you're looking to secure future business opportunities from your currently satisfied customers, it's: "You're most welcome. It's what we at XYZ Corp. do for our important customers" or "I am glad that we were able to resolve this issue. It's the sort of thing you can be assured of when you deal with ABC Inc."

The key to optimising the principle of reciprocation, then, is a two step approach: give help or assistance first and then be sure to position your help as part of a natural and equitable process of give and take.

And by the way, if you found this article helpful, please let me say: "I am delighted that you found it so useful. It's the sort of thing you should expect from the blogs on HBR.org."

Steve Martin CMCT is co-author of the New York Times Bestseller Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Persuasive and Director of INFLUENCE AT WORK UK.