I read a great story about a cat food company that decided to launch a new product. They did extensive research on packaging, marketing, and advertising. They conducted focus group surveys with cat owners and consulted with top cat food nutritionist. They paid millions in advertising and positioning the cat food in the grocery stores and pet food stores. In the first six months, the food flew off the shelves. They could not keep it stocked. Then something strange happened. The sales stopped. No one could figure out why, so the company started more research. They discovered that they had failed to ask the most important participants in the market research. The cats!
How often do we create a major change or a new process revamp to find out that it does not work because we did not consult the people most affected by the change? I experienced this during a change in the programming of a company I consult with. We created a whole new program adding additional classes that needed to be led by trainers. We spent hours creating a training schedule and with new trainer slotting. When the schedule was presented to the trainers, there was uproar. Although a lot of time and effort went into creating a fabulous schedule, we missed out on one very important aspect. We did not checked to see if the trainers were available and if the schedule met their needs. Due to the lack of availability from the trainers, the schedule had to be completely reworked. We could have saved time and money if we had asked the trainers first.
Often, we get so caught up in the process that we forget to include everyone that the change will affect. No matter how good the new program, system, or whatever is, it won't work if everyone involved isn't involved. When making huge changes, make sure everyone affected by the change is made aware of the change. Ask for input during all stages of the planning and make sure everyone agrees to the change. Nothing is worse than to spend time, money, and energy creating an exciting new change only to realize that it doesn't work for the people most affected.
Health Problems In CatsIt may come as a surprise, if you re a new cat owner, that many
health problems may befall your feline friend. Some problems are
easily preventable, while others are hereditary.
Hairballs
Hairballs are among the most common of cat health problems. Cats
groom themselves almost constantly, and swallow the loose hair
that comes off their tongues. Occasionally, the hair gathers
into a ball and lodges in the cat s digestive tract instead of
passing on through the body. If your cat starts coughing and
hacking, he probably has a hairball. While the end product is
unpleasant for the owne ..
About the Author
Coach Lee is a Master coach specializing in working with business owners and professionals in being more profitable and productive while staying sane and balanced. Coaching Lee is the publisher of the award winning e-zine, 365 Days of Coaching, because life happens every day. Visit Coach Lee at her websites coachlee.com and 365daysofcoaching.com.
You Can Help Reduce the Number of Unwanted Cats - Spaying and Neutering of Cats Every year, hundreds of thousands of cats and kittens are destroyed because they are unwanted. Animal shelters that take in these animals and try to find them homes are overcrowded. With so many animals in need, they cannot support all animals indefinitely. The solution is not to open more shelters, but for cat owners to become more responsible about spaying and neutering their pets. A female cat can have two litters of kittens each year. The average survival rate is about 2.8 kittens per litter. If her offspring are not spayed or neutered, the result is 12 cats the first year, 66 cats in the s ..
Rachelle LeeDon't forget to ask the cats
