Month: October 2010

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Bad Interview Sparks Crisis

Mad HR representative pointing at door asking an interviewee to leave

One interview gone wrong can cause a crisis management nightmare for your organization.

Bad interviews have been responsible for igniting countless crises. A few errant words, and what would have otherwise gone largely unnoticed is suddenly an international sensation. The latest example of this is the case of UK nuclear sub commander Andy Coles, who ran his £1.2 billion ship aground late last week. A quote, from a Herald Scotland article by Helen McArdle:

In a previously unpublished interview with a newspaper before the incident, Commander Coles reportedly admits previously ignoring advice not to sail the high-tech vessel in bad weather and says it has proved difficult to manoeuvre.

He also says he believes he is getting too old for the job. “When I leave her next May I probably won’t go to sea on a submarine again,” he said. “I’m 47 now and I think it’s time for someone younger.”

Cdr Coles, who is nicknamed Stumpy because he lost one of his fingers as a child, complains that the advanced nature of Astute’s periscope means that even minor mistakes by him can instantly be witnessed by crew members when the information flashes up on the submarine’s high-definition television screens.

He said: “In the old days you could spin round, see you’d had a close shave and think to yourself ‘I’ve got away with it.’ Now everyone knows.”

Scary statements from the man responsible for the well being of the UK’s most powerful attack submarine and her crew. Both the interview and the Commander’s actions have made the Royal Navy, which was seemingly unaware of the interview, appear weak and foolish in the public eye, creating a rough crisis management scenario. One advantage the Navy holds is a strong foundation of trust and good will with the people, which will help to direct blame towards Coles and prevent any significant reputation damage.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. , an international crisis management consultancy, and author of Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training.]

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HR on the Offense

An-employee-in-an-organization-discussing-with-a-HR-staff

In a recent post over at the Fistful of Talent blog, Paul Herbert discusses the need for HR to play more offense. In the blog, Herbert describes a workplace situation in which an employee made a request and the then got the typical HR blah blah blah about why it couldn’t be done. This is the very reason why HR can be so hated by other employees and departments. We are so often perceived as the roadblock to getting things in other departments. The reason, we don’t play enough offense.

Don’t get me wrong, we are charged with being really good at the defense. Our job descriptions are probably filled with terms like risk mitigation, compliance, and some may swear box checking can be found in there somewhere too. It’s true; we are responsible to protect the company and its “human capital” from risk. But in order to win the game, we have to score a few points once in a while. We have to find a way to say yes. We have to be able to question traditional ways of thinking about our jobs and our defensive roles. We have to consider other options. And it is ok, if the option didn’t come from HR.

Are you the HR person who already has the list of reasons why we can’t formulating in your mind before the question is completely uttered out of the mouth of that manager who is always questioning HR? If you are, try just listening and asking more questions next time before you decide if the answer is no. Help them find a yes and you will take the first step to changing their perception of HR. If you’re not interested in a win and you like being hated, keep doing what you’re doing.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.

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Halloween Special: Five Business Plan Tricks

Here are five tricks from business planning expert Tim Berry. Excellent advice to follow to avoid getting spooked by your business:

1. Keep the planning simple and practical.

Your plan should be measurable, and include strategy, dates, deadlines, metrics, and basic projections, plus a review schedule. This is critical: when will we review and revise? The goal is to keep the plan alive.

2. Grow it organically.

The worst thing you could do is avoid taking any action until you’ve developed a complete plan. Don’t put anything off for planning; plan as you develop your business.

3. Think it, plan it, test it.

Stay on top of your quickly-changing plan and manage your assumptions as the reality emerges. You’ll continually be going back to the plan, looking at how everything is related, and making adjustments as needed.

4. Use agile planning.

Real-world business planning, particularly in periods of rapid change, should be pretty darn agile. And rapid. Plan it, build it, revise it, plan it again. That’s the planning process, and without it you don’t control your destiny.

5. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Planning has to be like steering – a matter of constant small corrections within a broad navigational plan. The details change, but all within the context of the long-term direction. You’re always reviewing and revising.

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For more resources, see our Library topic Business Planning.

[Note: Tim Berry is the president and founder of Palo Alto Software, which produces Business Plan Pro software, and is the author of The Plan-as-You-Go Business Plan. You can also read his blogs.]

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Coaching Tip – Manage Time Urgency

Hourglass with Red Sand Grainer

Many of my coaching clients have me help them with overwhelm. They have too much to do and not enough time to do it all. Balancing work, family and other obligations stresses them out. They feel like they are always rushing. Does this sound like you?

I came across a helpful article regarding this by Joe Robinson in the November 2010 Entrepreneur Magazine entitled: Tick, Tick Boom – Time Management Tips for Entrepreneurs.

Joe talks about “time urgency” – a stressful behavior that focuses on the scarcity of time. He gives a number of practical tips to manage “time urgency”. Here are some that may be helpful to you.

Reframe the panic – Understand that it’s not the clock or the deadline that’s causing the stress but what you’re telling yourself about the stress.

Do speed checks – Look for the signs when you’re racing. Take a deep breath and deliberately slow down.

Cut clock-checking by 75% – Watching the clock wastes time and increases overwhelm.

Take time to get more time – Spend 15 minutes each morning to prioritize and organize your most important tasks for the day. Prioritizing and list-making tells your brain you’re handling things.

Be realistic – Time urgency breeds overoptimistic deadlines. Change this by adding 20% more time when you estimate how long a task will take you.

For more resources, see the Library topic Personal and Professional Coaching.

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Pam Solberg-Tapper MHSA, PCC – I spark entrepreneurial business leaders to set strategy, take action, and get results. How can I help you? Contact me at CoachPam@cpinternet.com ~ Linkedin ~ 218-340-3330

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Expand Your Sales Force – Part 1 of 2

Man in blue suit studying sales chart

Establish an Online Affiliate Program

Online marketing can quite effectively expand your sales force (and your sales!) with minimal cash outlay and greatly increased margins.

Your business can literally explode online sales with a simple and easy to administer Affiliate Marketing program. Using one website to drive sales to another website is the basic concept employed in affiliate marketing, which is growing in favor among retailers everywhere who are looking for innovative ways to increase sales.

Use an Affiliate Network

Affiliate Networks are companies that match retailers and salespeople. They handle all the transaction flow in exchange for compensation from the transactions and the relationships. Affiliate Networks act as the intermediary between retailers (called Merchant Affiliate programs) and salespeople (called Publishers or Affiliates).

Top Affiliate Networks coordinate hundreds, and even thousands of Merchant Affiliate programs, which are searchable by keyword in their extensive directories. Affiliates earn a sizable commission for each sale made through their own website. On their own websites, Affiliates often promote a wide variety of Merchant programs related to their core business and customer needs.

Affiliate Network Services and Benefits

For Merchants, Affiliate Network services and benefits may include:

  • instant tracking technology,
  • extensive reporting tools,
  • automated payment processing, and
  • access to a large base of resellers/Publishers.

For Affiliates, services and benefits can include

  • simplifying the process of registering for one or more Merchant Affiliate programs, greatly reducing the administrative and record keeping burdens,
  • automated reporting tools, and
  • complete payment aggregation.

Affiliate Network Costs

Affiliates are generally able to join top Affiliate Networks for free, whereas there is generally a fee for Merchants to participate. Traditional Affiliate Networks might charge an initial setup fee and/or a recurring membership fee. It is also common for Affiliate Networks to charge merchants a percentage of the commissions paid to Affiliates.

In the next post, we’ll go into more depth, identify top Affiliate Networks, and take a look at Affiliate Network compensation models.

What Affiliate Marketing success stories can you share?

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For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

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ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:

Ms. Chapman’s new book, How to Make Money Online With Social Media: A Step-by-Step Guide for Entrepreneurs will be available very soon. With offices in Nashville Tennessee, but working virtually with international clients, Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. As a Founder of iBrand Masters, a social media consulting firm, Lisa Chapman helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com

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Corporate Support of Special Events

a-firm-manager-conversing-with-a-potential-client.

Reading Hank’s postings on “Corporate Fundraising,” made me think about a recent series of conversations my firm has had with a potential client about managing a conference (including a major dinner event) for them.

During one of those conversations, I was asked about assisting them with getting corporate sponsors for the conference. My response to that question is always the same.

While I have contacts with some corporations, I will only make the connection between the client and the corporation provided the organization’s mission and interests dovetail with those of the corporation. No point in setting up a meeting that goes nowhere because the corporation is not remotely interested in the organization’s goals and objectives.

If there appears to be a match, then it will benefit both the organization and the corporation to have me call my contact at the corporation and set up an introductory meeting; and, there are times, depending on circumstances, when I will go with the client to their first meeting with the corporation.

I do that only as a part of my relationships with client organizations and with corporations, not for a percentage or commission of any support a corporation might provide to a nonprofit.

I make it clear to my clients that I am not a “fundraiser.” I do not sell tables to corporations for a client’s dinner or luncheon or ask them to sponsor a coffee break at a client’s conference. I do not “dial for dollars,” but I do make connections … there is a difference!

No one can legitimately make the case for a corporation to support a nonprofit as well as can be made by the board members and staff of the organization. And, by “legitimate,” I mean that when the nonprofit makes its own case it’s a lot clearer that no “middleman” is going to get a piece of the corporation’s support of that organization.

Sometimes nonprofit organizations don’t understand or ignore the difference between having a conference and special event firm help them make the connection versus raise the money for them. They often only hear what they want to hear.

To them, the idea that a conference and special event firm has connections to corporations means that they (the nonprofit) won’t have to “get their hands dirty,” that someone else will get the big bucks for them.”
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Have a comment or a question about creating or expanding your special event? Email me at Info@NatalieShear.com. With over 30 years in conference and event planning, we can help you turn your vision into reality.
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Have you seen Natalie’s ebook on Special Events ??

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Practice of Appreciative Leadership

Silhouette of people following their leader on a hill

Guest Submission by Amanda Trosten – Bloom

Strengths Spotting

In my last post, I offered history and some detail on the Five Core Strategies of Appreciative Leadership. Today, instead, I’ll share some of the practices of Appreciative Leadership. But first, I must make a confession. We’ve all heard it said that we teach what we need to learn. Not surprisingly, co-authorship of Appreciative Leadership has reminded me of things I know and believe – but may not consciously enact on a daily basis. It’s also brought me face to face with new frontiers in my own appreciative leadership.

Take Illumination, as an example. I know about Illumination. I’m privileged enough to be surrounded by people who deeply acknowledge my strengths. I regularly, intuitively and clearly see other people’s strengths. But do I share what I see just as regularly, maintaining a 5-to-1 ratio of positive-to-negative comments about who people are and how they operate? Absolutely not. In fact, when I’m in the thick of things, I have an unfortunate tendency to comment only on what’s broken, what didn’t get done, and what’s still on the horizon. In our book, we describe a practice called strengths spotting that helps me address this unfortunate tendency. It’s a simple but profound process:

  1. Ask someone to tell you about something they’ve done that they feel proud of.
  2. Listen, watch their expressions, and make note of the underlying strengths that they’ve expressed or described.
  3. Share what you heard.

Strengths spotting can occur in a casual conversation, or formally: in a job interview, performance development session, or career planning process. “By asking for and listening to stories and thereby illuminating strengths, you can easily identify what a person wants to do and is capable of doing. You can then consider if this person’s strengths are a good fit for the available job.” (Appreciative Leadership, p. 69).

Positive Questions

There are other examples like this for me: principles I know, but forget to turn to … practices I believe in, but forget to apply. For example, “The Wisdom of Inquiry” suggests that we ask more and tell less. I’m profoundly aware of the power of positive questions to engage. But when I really get going, there are very few people who have more answers (or are more certain in their answers) than I. On balance, my “ask-to-tell” ratio (Appreciative Leadership, p. 31) is a great deal lower than I wish it were. How has this book helped me boost it? It’s elevated my awareness, and encouraged me to plan ways and times that I will ask more questions. Speaking engagements, meetings with clients, in the face of criticism: these are all opportunities to ask more questions, rather than lead with answers.

Conscious Decision Making

Here’s another example. The strategy of Integrity calls us all to conscious decision-making. It suggests that every decision we make affects other people, and other choices. When I automatically say yes to too many things, or take on too many projects or responsibilities, I feel great about sharing my gifts and helping people out … but at what cost? I start “speeding” – perhaps forgetting to consider other people in the process. I sleep badly, and get grumpy. I get absent-minded – perhaps forgetting other obligations, or dropping balls that other people have to pick up. In other words, my unconscious decision to over commit regularly and negatively impacts the people around me … not just me. It hinders the greater good. “Appreciative Leadership consciously attends to the choices they make, both personally and collectively, to create a world that works for all.” (Appreciative Leadership, p. 170)

Appreciative Development

Why, you might ask yourself, do I share these challenges of mine? My hope is to remind myself (along with those who read this blog) that we are all on this Appreciative Leadership journey together. We’ll never fully “arrive” … instead, we’ll do the best we can a day at a time, using the best tools and resources that are available to us. The book Appreciative Leadership – co-authored with Diana Whitney and Kae Rader – offers generative stories and practical tools that can help each of us walk that path a little more consistently and consciously. In so doing, it may help others do the same – and make the world kinder, better place. Lena ecunk’unpi, hecel oyate ki ninpe kte. (“We do these things so the people may live.”)

Amanda Trosten-Bloom, Managing Director, Corporation for Positive Change, Twitter: @ATrostenBloom, amanda@positivechange.org

[A1]Link to last post

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by Martin Keller

SEO on a wooden blocks

Search Engine Optimization & PR: Google Me This

I am not a Geek. Let’s get that out there right away. I’m a former pop culture writer and editor and now a PR guy, a flack, a publicist (mostly, 8-5 anyway) with some good ideas and communication skills. And like most people I know, I try to keep abreast of the technologies and social media implications of the profession and try to leverage them to the client’s advantage. The occasional webinar or seminar helps.

Over the years, however, I’ve relied on close colleagues and friends — and the occasional kindness of strangers — who are Geekish to lead me through the forest. Some days we are in the thick, others days we reach the clearing. Ten years ago, clients started asking about search engine rankings, what today is conventionally called SEO — Search Engine Optimization.

“How do I come up better in searches?”

“Good question. Let’s see who can help you with that.” And I’d call up the guys who knew how to help.

Today, I offer the latest SEO insights from the giant that practically invented search, Google. It’s very contemporary, even providing a section on mobile sites. Of course, if you’re like me, some of it may be pure Geek to you. Understood. Share it with the teckie in your org, or your own Geek Friends. But scan it for insights to try and stay current —at least on the thinking — even if the moving parts piece of this leaves you cold and uncertain.

Here’s the link to it: Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide:

http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/www.google.com/en/us/webmasters/docs/search-engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf

See you in the forest clearing. Bring marshmallows. We’ll do smores and talk PR and stuff.

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For more resources, see the Library topic Public and Media Relations.

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Martin Keller runs Media Savant Communications Co., a Public Relations and Media Communications consulting company based in the Twin Cities. Keller has helped move client stories to media that includes The New York Times, Larry King, The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, plus many other magazines, newspapers, trade journals and other media outlets. Contact him at kelmart@aol.com, or 612-729-8585

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Professional Development: Are You Learning Every Day?

A group of 3 learning together

Professional DevelopmentAre you learning new shots or skills every single day?

Jack Nichlaus was asked if there are really talented golfers who never make it. “Oh, hundreds of them”, he replied. “A lot of people out there are more talented than I am and yet, through the years, I’ve passed them by. That’s because I never was satisfied with my game. I was learning new shots every single day.”

It’s up to you to make sure you are continually improving, growing, and learning every day. It’s up to you to make sure you never go out of style! It’s up to you to take charge of your professional development. Here’s how.

1. Have a learning perspective.

Be on the lookout for teachable moments. Approach each learning experience, whether you want to be there or not, with the questions: What can I learn? What one or two things can I take away that I can use immediately? Who else would find value in this learning?

2. Benchmark your skills periodically.

Do it at least once a year. For those in a fast moving profession or industry every three months may be required. In other words, what’s in your work portfolio? Is it filled with skills or competencies that are up-to-date and sought after? Or, is it filled with skills which are obsolete and not very portable?

3. Create a learning plan.

Pinpoint specific skills and knowledge that you need to acquire or up-grade. Then identify the professional development activities that are available to you. They can include mentor relationships, special assignments at work, in-house and public seminars, professional conferences, on-line courses, university education, books, journals, blogs, etc.

Are you learning every day?

I hope so. If not, you may find yourself a professional dinosaur…out of touch, out of skills and out of work. Just as a company invests in its own research and development, you need to invest in your own career growth and development. Remember, as you never outgrow your need for milk, you never outgrow your need for professional development.

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

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Procurement and projects – best and worst practice?

The following is definitely not at the “best” end.

I recently had to respond to a bid for major customer – in the customer ITT the usual procurement rules were laid down. The ITT had been written in English; by someone who’s native tongue was not. The document was full of inconsistencies, incomplete or vague and conflicting statements.

In the procurement rules in the ITT, it stated that: “no meetings or verbal discussions would take place with any of the bidders” – all communication would done in writing, and it got worse, in one single pass. In other words, no clarification on the customer’s response to bidders questions would be entertained, and from this, the bidders were expected to present binding fixed price bids.

Sadly, in the world of procurement, this is not an isolated case.

Many projects rely completely on procurement, but too often the project team’s decisions or needs are overruled by the procurement process or function – and the end result? The project has to try and fix the issues that this leaves behind or generates – and sometimes they can’t be fixed.

Surely there has to be a better way?

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For more resources, see the Library topic Project Management.

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