Don’t Take The Rock

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business, clean, cleaning, Dawn, desk, employee development, Golden Shovel, labels, marketers, marketing, musings, office, organization, organized, paperweight, rock, SIx Sigma, ugly sweaters

It is typically twice a year I take the time – or I find the time – to give my desk and office a thorough cleaning. For some reason, I feel guilty organizing my space – much more so than any guilt I might feel in letting it pile up.

The first bi-annual cleaning pass comes around the Christmas or Holiday break. Most offices seem to be on a mental hiatus anyway, with staffers partaking in holiday cookie exchanges and ugly sweater contests, or even recuperating from the Holiday Happy Hour the night before. Often associates are out of the office diligently using their remaining time off before the end of the calendar year resets the clock. It is then I can find an afternoon to dig in, unearth and organize.

The second time of year my office receives its due attention is usually sometime during the summer. There tends to be at least one or two days where, in the good way of a perfect storm, projects are done, phones and emails are quiet, and my clients or associates are on vacation. This means regularly scheduled meetings are cancelled. How joyous those one or two free hours seem.

At one company I worked, the department head implemented one component of Six Sigma. She thought we marketers were a messy bunch (in full disclosure Dawn did once receive the Golden Shovel award from another department). For one week we underwent training to organize and rearrange, learning everything should have its place and could be found. To ensure nothing went lost or missing, we put a label under every item on the shelf or desktop. Stapler. Monitor. Photo Frame.

ROCK.

Yes, even the rock received a label. I have an inspirational paperweight given to me by a co-worker years ago, and even that, when you lifted it from its spot on my desk, had a label to ensure I would notice if it was gone. It usually got a good laugh when people picked up the rock to look at it and found the label identifying its location.

I’m confident I’ll never label everything like that ever again, but for two weeks each year I feel proud of myself (nice little pat-on-the-back moments) and admire my clean and organized office. I appreciate there is actually a desktop surface underneath the file folders and documents on my desk. And maybe even a label.

After Banning Bossy

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Advocacy, Banning Bossy, Boss, Bossy, employee, employee development, feedback, Fortune 500, gender, Girl Scouts, leadership, Lean In, magnet, Sheryl Sandberg, tenet, women

When promoted to an executive position a few years ago, a friend gave me congratulatory card with a magnet that read, “I’m not bossy. I just have better ideas!!”

I laughed when I received that magnet. It wasn’t too far off the mark. Promoted as the youngest female vice president of a Fortune 500 company, that achievement did not come by being a follower without originality and gumption. As funny as I thought that magnet was, though, I wasn’t about to bring it into the office and set a tone of being close-minded.

I am not offended by the term bossy because I tend to remove the “y” and just think of it as “boss.” And in turn, I think of myself as a leader with a leadership style advocating for the employee and for each other. I also work with each individual to increase strengths and develop weaknesses supported by plenty of on-going feedback.

As part of my summer reading list, I finally cracked open Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In. This book led to the creation of the Ban Bossy campaign by the Lean In Organization and Girl Scouts of America. A tenet of the campaign focuses on women predetermining advocacy for each other in the workplace where they ask opinions, reinforce ideas and provide support. I think this is a great idea, however, I do think it should apply to both genders. Think about this: what if in second grade during a math lesson, the teacher sent Billy into the hallway while she taught Sally, Susie and Betsy how to add? Billy would never learn the concept.

The Ban Bossy campaign also offers valuable resources and reference ideas on leadership. It focuses on how to help each other. I believe inspirational leadership is an all-inclusive process. Leave no employee behind.

I still have that Bossy magnet, and I still chuckle when I read it. It has stayed on the refrigerator at home, an appropriate reminder for my family members as to why I’m in charge in this household.

For more information on the Ban Bossy campaign, visit http://www.banbossy.com or http://www.leanin.org.

Why You Need Internal Reputation Management

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business, communication, employee development, employee engagement, employees, executive, financial, Gallup, internal audiences, internal communication, investor relations, leadership, reputation management, technical

Most companies pay attention to what is happening externally – the response by its customers, sales channel, investors, bloggers and the media. Most companies do a decent job of monitoring the external reputation. Companies track blogs, forums and articles to audit discussions and trends. Online reputation management is easy to read, monitor and respond. It has become critical in business as a medium.

Reputation management has a big impact on a company’s revenue, and addressing the external audiences is important. Often, organizations will base reputation management programs on what those external audiences say. In my career, I’ve seen Communications and Investor Relations staffers draft scripts for the executive team to deliver information on trending topics during quarterly calls or at financial conferences. The teams provide answers to anticipated questions with accurate information on which investors can depend, which is safer and smarter than allowing inaccurate information to filter in from elsewhere. This is an avoidable risk.

However, failing to notice or regard what internal audiences are saying can be a bigger risk. Oftentimes, companies fall short in managing their own internal reputation management. It is one area that does not always garner the needed attention it deserves. Some companies do not view employee perceptions as a significant component to reputation management, while other executive leadership teams may not understand the importance of employee perceptions within the organization.

While the customer may always be right, your employee is the one in contact with that customer. Employees are the first line of brand ambassadors. They are the ones who, when they believe in something, will stand by a company through the darkest days. Conversely, if they have lost faith or confidence in the leader, the product or the philosophy of the company, there is going to be a major disconnect in trying to move a program, idea or concept forward without their support.

Do not disregard water cooler talk. Any employee discussion can glean valuable information.

According to Gallup’s 2013 State of the American Workplace, strategy and leadership philosophy is the most effective way to generate employee engagement. “The best leaders understand that there is an emotional  undercurrent to everything they do … they take a strategic, top-down approach to engaging leadership teams and then cascade engagement through the ranks of managers to employees on the front lines.” In order for a business to be successful, the leaders need to provide a clear vision of how their people connect to the company’s mission and growth strategy.

What can you do to establish your organization as one of the best? First steps including assessing your communication and knowledge management. Are you taking a strategic approach to align employee engagement communication efforts? Are you hoping it will just organically happen? Look for ways and methods to communicate your organization’s engagement impact throughout the year. Next, share engagement tools and best practices within the organization. Use every opportunity, touchpoint, and available communication channel to reinforce and recognize your organization’s commitment to employee engagement.

When your own employees have good things to say about your company, product or service, a corresponding response from external audiences will not be out of range. If you develop, build and nurture a strong internal reputation management, you have engaged the best brand ambassadors – your own employees.

I Just Want You To Tell Me I’m Wonderful

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business writing, communications, editing, edits, employee development, keyboard, marketing, mentor, padded kneeler, public relations, technical writing, thick skin, writing

Twenty years ago I thought I was a great writer. I graduated with a degree in English and minors in professional communications and business management. I headed out to the work force, confident in my skills and abilities. My resume looked great – solid content, no typos and consistent formatting. I was ready to make my impact and take the world one key stroke at a time.

It didn’t really work out that way. Not exactly. I was a decent writer and I landed a good position in marketing, but I didn’t have the experience needed to make me a great writer. Through the years, I sought out positions and companies to help me get there.

For awhile I worked in the middle of a renowned PR department at a national agency. I found out quickly my writing abilities had a lot of room for improvement. I accepted edits, advice, criticism and lessons. I wrote and rewrote. I edited and then edited some more. I worked with people who really were good writers and by being in the same vicinity and working on projects together, my skills developed.

All of the critiques came with different intentions. Not every co-worker or manager is a great mentor, but ultimately the feedback and interaction did make my writing better than it had been. At the end of the day, the goal is to produce the best work for my client. I wasn’t writing for myself, but rather to represent someone or something.

I have worn off the a, s, d, e, n, and i letters on several keyboards.

I learned that as a writer or communicator or marketer, I needed thick skin. Never is there 100% consensus that a document or a speech or an advertisement is the best thing since the padded kneeler. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and some things just don’t resonate with everyone. I may get 98% of the people to like it, but it’s that 2% who keep me grounded and in pursuit of a higher quality work product. With my writing, if I can make the majority of the audience understand, appreciate and accept the idea, then I’m on the right path. It’s taken a lot of time and patience to get to this point, and I’m not done yet.

One of the challenges in producing great work is there is no guarantee you’ll knock it out of the park every time. Some methods are tried and true, and some equations are consistently winners but, especially in marketing and communications, factors are always changing. Audience needs, perceptions, social impacts, etc., continue to influence and alter end products. As the creator of these materials, it’s up to me to understand, keep aware and continually adapt. Perhaps one day my biggest critic (me) will step back and say, “You are the most wonderful writer I have ever met.” Until then, I put my head down, endure the bumps and bruises, and deliver work that is best for the client, their audience and target messaging.

Help Me Help You Help Your Team

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business report, business writing, employee development, human resources, jerry maguire, professional, sales manager, sales report, technical writing, training, writing, writing content

It’s no secret – most people don’t like to write. Some people are even afraid of it. Just as I know I will never be great (or even good) at calculus, but if I had to do it for a project, I’d certainly seek out a knowledgeable resource to offset my weakness. Writing is not everyone’s forte, and good writing is hard work. Unfortunately, it seems people are either reluctant to seek out writing help or unsure where to find it. Human Resources departments typically provide training on safety processes or employee engagement or sexual harassment, but sometimes it’s technical skills that actually need attention and don’t receive it.

Is Your Business Writing Ready for an Upgrade?

I once worked with a sales manager who had been on the receiving end of a rather unpleasant reprimand from her vice president. The VP was less than pleased with the level of writing and number of errors from the staff’s weekly reports. The sales manager needed to do something about it. She wanted her team to be better writers because she knew that writing is a reflection of the individual, and lacking strong writing skills would ultimately hinder advancement through the company. If a team member couldn’t write a good report, how could he or she expect to move into an executive role?

To get the process started, the sales manager shared samples of her team’s reports as well as their background and experience. Problems areas were identified quickly and solutions defined. We needed to increase each team member’s personal confidence and writing knowledge through the application of skills. Most people learn basic grammar skills in middle school, but never really get a chance to perfect or practice them – we’re just expected to know them when we submit an essay, report or presentation at school or work.

It was time to take her team back to basics and remind them that writing isn’t scary. During an interactive meeting, we discussed challenges and fears. Then we explored logical and effective methods for making the use of day-to-day writing more effective and professional. The team members left the session with improved writing skills and increased self-confidence. I also provided them with an simple reference handbook to which they could refer to for questions afterwards. It was a successful employee development workshop and future reports demonstrated fewer errors and stronger levels of writing.

Some days I feel like the lead character from the movie Jerry Maguire when I listen to businesspeople discuss their challenges with writing and communications. Just like the sports agent, I say, “Help me help you!”

So here I am, ready to help. Professional development courses and content in writing can be modified to fit your specific needs, and the number of sessions can be tailored as well. Let me know how I can help you.