The Power of the Obvious: Notes from 50 Years in Corporate America

Merchandiser and marketer Aldo Papone's "The Power of the Obvious" is an organized collection of observations and experiences from a career which spans fifty years. Papone, long time board member of and Senior Advisor to American Express, and an active advisor to Xerox, writes that one of the ironies of life in corporations is that we work very hard to complicate things that are really very simple. Unfortunately, the obvious is harder to grasp than most think and easier to lose sight of than most will admit. "The Power of the Obvious" builds on Papone's four "Eternal Verities": * It all comes down to winning. * Staying at the top takes leadership with staying power. * Relationships matter most of all. * Brands are a preeminent business asset. He flushes out each of these with examples from American Express, Xerox, and Proctor & Gamble. Some of the "obvious" include: "Don't focus so much on your competitors that you neglect what you are doing." "Globalization Changes the Rules of the Game" "The Principles of globalization. ? 1) Do not view markets that constitute your international business as a monolith - grouping them together and trying to treat them as one and the same. ? 2) Understand that there will always be under performers - one or two markets that fall short of expectations. ? 3) Within the portfolio, have markets of absolute priority for investment. ? 4) In terms of financial allocations, strike a balance between today and tomorrow. ? 5) Do not allow financial and earnings pressures to deter you from supporting and building your brand in every market.." "Don't be so anxious to get to the top that you forgo developmental experiences along the way." "Travel in search of knowledge and experience. - To see how people live and work and what is important to them." "When it comes to doing business, the superior form of human communication is face-to-face." "Brands provide an unassailable competitive advantage." "Value = content +service+convenience /price" "The Power of the Obvious" is a quick read, and for some, Papone's observations may be all too obvious. This book probably has the greatest value for this group. It is one thing to agree to the obvious but an entirely different matter to act on it and change our behavior. And that, too, is all too obvious.

In "Why We Buy," a wizard named Paco Underhill cautioned that "the obvious isn't always apparent"---and showed how scientific methods can help us see and understand customers who may be standing right in front of us, as plain as the invisible man. Aldo Papone is also a wizard, but more an artist than a scientist. He is more a right brain thinker, a cultivator of relationships, and a passionate brand champion whose book is like the firm handshake of a mentor or guide. He grew up in retail, the world under Paco Underhill's microscope, and learned from experience on the selling floor what a delightfully compounded and nuanced thing a transaction can be. He went on to lead one of the greatest brands in the world: American Express. From that lofty perspective, he offers simple straightforward advice to those who have the talent, but need a little more encouragement and inspiration to reach their own summit. His narrative voice is that of a gentle friend who has been all over the world and had time to reflect on what matters most on just about any path to success. The book may not change you, but it will reinforce your best instincts and give you a filter for getting at the truth. It may also convince you to use that American Express card in your wallet, every chance you get. Mr. Papone is the kind of CEO that makes a great company seem even greater, and confirms your trust in the elusive thing called "brand," that he discusses with almost peerless expertise.

Yogi Berra's widely quoted comment correctly stresses the importance of paying close attention to the circumstances in which we may find ourselves. Easier said than done. Most of us are seldom alert to such details. We tend to "see" and "hear" only what we expect, perhaps to validate our prejudices (i.e. pre-judgments) or simply because we are unaware of being unaware. So what? According to Aldo Papone, there is great power in being able to overcome this phenomenon, one which is often referred to as "the invisibility of the obvious." This is precisely what Michael Levine has in mind in Broken Windows, Broken Business when suggesting that prolonged neglect of a seemingly minor detail (e.g. a broken window) can send all manner of negative "messages" about the given enterprise (that it is sloppy, careless, indifferent, unreliable, etc.). Fair or not, most first impressions are based almost entirely on appearances. Although the percentage varies among major research studies, they all agree that in face-to-face contact, body language accounts for 65-70% of the impact. How many opportunities are there to make a first impression? In this book, Papone affirms the value of several basic principles which he characterizes as "Eternal Verities." None is a head-snapper. That's not why he shares them. Rather, because these basic principles have guided and informed countless decisions (his and others') which had significant consequences. He devotes a separate chapter to each Eternal Verity, anchoring it in a real-world context to illustrate its universal truth. Papone establishes and then sustains a personal relationship with his reader, maintaining a conversational tone as he shares his insights. Hence the importance of his use of direct address and, when appropriate, self-deprecation. Authors of so many somewhat comparable books come across as preachers, lecturers, cheerleaders, etc. At no point in this book does Papone seem to be any of these. He invites his reader to accompany him at a brisk but unhurried pace as he reflects back over the years, generously sharing much of what he has learned along the way. The substantial value of this book, however, is by no means limited to what Papone has to say about the power of careful observation. He also discusses how to make productive use of what has been observed and I especially appreciate the emphasis he places on determining root causes of problems rather than merely responding to their symptoms. Fallacious thinking such as "Wet highways cause rain" and "Newspaper obituaries indicate that people die in alphabetical order." In business, it is imperative to be able to recognize causal relationships which exist now and, better yet, to recognize those which are emerging or imminent. Paradigm shifts, for example. Papone's counsel on just that one subject all by itself is worth far more than the cost of this book. To whom do I highly recommend it? First, because those who really need this book are probab