Sue, a small business owner, came to us with a problem: she wanted more repeat customers. She wanted to better understand her customers’ needs and what she could do to encourage them to return for another visit. We told Sue the best way to connect with her customers is by understanding their needs. Here’s a...Continue Reading

Our Regional Brand Can Help You Recruit Talent Now’s the time for your organization to show it off as a part of your strategy. I’ve been paying attention to the brand of our region for a long time now. Well, 33 years to be exact. That’s when, from my bedroom in Winona, Minnesota, I flipped...Continue Reading

One of the reasons I became a writer was for connection. I wanted to connect things—words, stories, and ideas—while also exploring my connection to this world and people. Now as a writer and communications specialist for O’Connor Connective, connection is part of what we strive to do every day. Support of and connection to our...Continue Reading

You don’t have to look very far or listen very long before the tenor of divisiveness in our country becomes evident. In the midst of it all, I long for conversation, real conversation, to find out why we are at such odds. My premise is that communication—open communication with respect for the communicator—can guide us...Continue Reading

You and your board have decided it’s a perfect time for strategic planning. You’ve also decided you’d like outside help with facilitation and documentation to help you clarify your future. To help you get the best response from possible strategic planning partners for selecting just the right fit, here are a few things to keep...Continue Reading

Great leaders have used amazing one-liners during crisis. Straight talk with a call to action from the top has the power to inspire us. Calm us. And motivate us to be more than we thought we could be. Just think of great calls to action like: President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “The only thing we have...Continue Reading

Today we find ourselves in the age of technology, a time when more clients and customers spend their work and free time online to engage with businesses. Infographics can help set your business apart—and position it for future growth—by creatively sharing your story in an instant. Research now shows that humans process visual information 60,000...Continue Reading

Dear Community of The Connective, the social enterprise of O’Connor Connective When asked what they could do to help women in business during this time, our preferred providers stepped up big time. In less than 24 hours, they created a series of discussions and workshops that we hope will help in some small way. Here...Continue Reading

Many of you are asking us this week for advice related to the COVID-19 situation and your planned fundraising initiatives. Here’s what we are hearing and what we recommend. Based on personal interviews with local philanthropists and national experts over the past week, we are told that giving will continue—but it will change course. Your...Continue Reading

In times of challenge, change or crisis, research shows us that communication is key to keeping organizations and individuals on track. Right now, we are faced with ever-evolving conditions regarding COVID-19. As organizational leaders, here are five things we encourage you to do today, tomorrow and for the foreseeable future to help keep your teams...Continue Reading