Month: December 2010

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A Campaign for Change

a sign with the words time for change written with led light

One effective way to support the launch of a Business Process Management (BPM) initiative is by using a catchy and memorable campaign that symbolises your Business Change Agenda.

Like the way politicians rely on campaigns to garner votes, support for your BPM should appeal for everyone’s support and participation. The major difference being unlike a political campaign; in BPM we actually stick to our promise and get to deliver the goods.

A well-executed BPM campaign allows you to cut through the noise and command a share of voice with everything else going on in the business.

Two Ideas to help kick off a BPM Campaign

  1. Launch a business wide competition inviting staff to submit a campaign title or slogan, rewarding the most appropriate with a decent prize (Most people would love a free iPod – the cost is negligible compared to the benefits you’ll reap from a BPM program).Keep the competition rules fairly simple, with the final decision declared final. We’re here to help the business improve not run the next “X Factor” or “American Idol” program.
  2. Employ a “teaser” type of campaign tactic, made up of building suspense and anticipation. Suppose your campaign is centred on a soccer based theme (Kick Waste Out). In week one, your messages may contain an image of soccer boots, then the following week a soccer ball, then a whistle and possibly even a red card (let your imagination run wild).Keep everyone guessing up until the Big Bang announcement. Follow this through with consistent supporting messages throughout the validity of the campaign.

What a Campaign will do for Your BPM Program:

  • Gets everyone talking
  • Raises Awareness levels
  • Builds Excitement and Anticipation
  • Creates a much needed Buzz
  • Adds Fun
  • Keeps the Change Agenda on everyone’s Radar

How do you campaign for Business Improvement support ?

We asked several organisations including Immigration Solicitors London

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For more resources, see our Library topic Quality Management.
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About Brian Venge

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I’ve spent 21 years in a career built around 4 multinational companies involved in manufacturing and service related industries (Nestle, Unilever, Vodafone and Crown Cork). In conducting several high profile Business Improvement projects across 5 continents and 12 countries, I discovered there is one universal translation to Continuous Improvement and it’s called Value Creation.

My new book , “Pimp Your Biz – The Complete Guide to Improving Your Business Under Any Circumstances”, a DIY Business Improvement guide, decodes this formula.

I now consult for Immigration Solicitors Cambridge UK as the Head of CI.

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Anti-Bimbos

A-female-stressed-during-a-meeting-on-crisis-management

Outstanding examples of good crisis management

The primary goal of Merrie Spaeth’s “Bimbo Awards” is to give a humorous look at crisis communications gone wrong. Occasionally, though, Spaeth picks out a few examples that stand in stark contrast to her usual fare – those who got things right. Here’s a sample, from her “Bimbo of the Year” list:

A passenger on a Virgin Air flight wrote a humorous and illustrated letter of complaint regarding food he was served on a flight. It generated a personal response from CEO Sir Richard Branson who invited him to help select meals for the airline in the future. Another example of how important it is to respond quickly, to have a conversational and humane tone, and to use humor. If communication is to be a strategic tool for business, this is a good example of how to handle complaints. Telegraph, “Virgin complaint letter: Author of Virgin letter offered chance as airline’s food tester,” Jan. 28, 2010

Another good example is how Walmart reacted when an announcement over their loud speaker in a New Jersey store ordered all black people to leave. Predictably, shoppers were horrified, angry, and word spread quickly. Rather than wait to find out what had happened, Walmart immediately apologized saying it was unacceptable, and pledged to find out what had happened and share whatever they found with the public. A 16-year-old boy was discovered to have commandeered one of the courtesy phones. This is how a company has to react in this day of instant news, even before it knows all the facts. The county prosecutor “praised the company for their strong cooperation in the investigation,” and the NAACP, which has been critical of Walmart in the past, weighed in to say that the company has worked hard to show it cares about diversity. (The moral: even bad news can be a platform for positive news). MSNBC, “Police: Boy, 16, made racial comment at NJ Walmart,” March 20, 2010

While these two cases took different approaches to these negative incidents, the constant was direct, honest and public communication. As a result, both came out with improved reputations and a bundle of free publicity.

Want to see the winners and more honorable mentions from this year’s BIMBOs? Check out my HuffPost blog!

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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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Training Sessions and Seminars: Who Should Do Most of the Talking?

A-presenter-in-front-of-a-group-of-people-in-a-business-seminar

The Ongoing Debate Between Subject Matter Experts and Communicators

To most who have read other blogs by me, you will think you know my answer to this question. You might be surprised. In my usual style I will try to delineate why I believe as I do and why others disagree. As always I take the middle to begin with to say there are times for both to be effective in their own way. Now that I have said that, the debate can begin.

What I am really talking about is interest, focus and passion.

We talk about different ways people learn, process information, and deliver that information. If those things matter, what does a subject matter expert (SME) offer that a communicator does not? A little bit of a no brainer. Knowledge, of course. Specific knowledge. The communicator: general knowledge. What does the audience need? Specific knowledge? How specific? Is he or she doing research at the seminar?

Is it best to get the highlights and get back to the SME to clarify and add information not available or not enough time to deliver in the seminar? So maybe the seminar or training session is not the place to gather as much detailed information the SME has available or wants to give at one time, but the fact he was there made you come.

What if he were there to answer your technical questions instead of speak and make a presentation? We can leave the less technical details of introducing the topic and putting it in perspective for its audience to someone who specializes in doing that, a subject matter expert in communicating with an audience.

Communicators can boil a complicated subject to a level understood by many members of the audience. We all don’t have the same level of understanding or interests. I have spoken to high level audiences, even Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates, a Chinese delegation of political leaders, civic and industry leaders from around the country. In most cases, we should say these are not dummies, but I spoke on Air Force Military Logistics and the Industrial Military Complex, which I can assure you I am no expert; there were plenty of SMEs in the room to answer questions, but you need only one. And, as a communications expert (a public affairs officer, in this case), I was less likely to blurt out information of a classified or sensitive nature that I shouldn’t have.

Sometimes the overview is what matters, giving the audience time to think about what is said before applying it to their particular interest. I also spoke on the operations of the North American Aerospace Command complex inside Cheyenne Mountain and Air Force Space Division missions and projects. Now, again, I am no expert, but I was able to know enough to be credible and to encourage the use of SMEs for a more in depth view, most often the high-ranking man or women running the show on the inside. How’s that for credibility?

Most speaking opportunities or even training sessions are not intended to be the end all—all the information you’d ever want relayed. What I recommend is a look at what the audience needs and what they are likely to get at that moment. If you want your audience to be pumped up about learning new information on a topic it’s better to get a person who is passionate in a way lay people can understand. SMEs are passionate about their subjects, too, but may lack the ability to “dumb” it down enough for an audience. Communicators lack the specific knowledge, but good ones can lay it out for an audience and make them want more.

Now I welcome your thoughts and comments as always. Meanwhile, if you need a communicator, an SME in communication (and training), give me a call.

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For more resources about training, see the Training library.

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J&J Accused of Ignoring Red Flags

A gavel in a courtroom

Today’s business press reports that a lawsuit filed last week on behalf of Johnson & Johnson shareholders accused the company’s directors of ignoring “red flags” foreshadowing product recalls and government probes of manufacturing defects and marketing practices.

The lawsuit alleges that while J&J once set “the gold standard for integrity and excellence,” the directors’ “utter disregard for their fiduciary duties, including permitting and fostering a culture of systemic, calculated and widespread legal violations has destroyed J&J’s hard-earned reputation.”

Bloomberg Business reports that the board received “years of red flag warnings of systemic misconduct,” according to the complaint. “These red flags came in the form of federal and state regulatory investigations, subpoenas and requests for documents, FDA Warning Letters, news articles and the recall of products accounting for hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate losses.”

It will be very important to watch the progress of this lawsuit on several levels:

  1. Will Directors be held liable for failing to adequately monitor the culture of the company?
  2. How important is the fall of the company’s reputation (in terms of news articles being a “red flag”) in determining directors’ liability.

Stay tuned…

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David Gebler is the President of Skout Group, an advisory firm helping global companies use their values to clear the roadblocks to performance. Send your thoughts and feedback to dgebler@skoutgroup.com.

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Holy Traditions – Light in the Darkness

cozy-winter-feast-with-family

This is the season of Light in the Darkness as we in the northern Hemisphere move through the Winter Solstice. This year it’s an extra special Winter Solstice. The Solstice has both a full moon and a lunar eclipse on Dec. 21st. The Winter Solstice is a time of reflecting on the darkness and stillness. Use this time for your inner journey of reflection and discovery. What do you want to see more clearly that may be hidden or in darkness for you now? How can you create stillness or quiet to hear what needs to emerge or be birthed in the coming year?

This month is a celebration of Hanukkah– the miracle that occurred in the re-dedication of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem. A small amount of oil kept a lamp burning for 8 days. What small thing can you offer to keep people motivated at work? How can you spark their energy for those who might be tired, feeling ready to quit, or needing inspiration? The menorah has an extra candle (the shamash) to light the 8 candles. How do you light the way for others who are seeking to change in some way?

This month is also a celebration of a child born in the darkness and cold. A star helped guide some shepherds to where the child was. They followed a light to see a miracle. What light are you providing to guide others through uncertainty or unfamiliar territory? Have you taken the time to explain something to a co-worker who is new, to show them the ropes, or help them learn something they didn’t know?

You may not know that Bodhi Day is a celebration of when Buddha became awakened and taught others how to transcend their suffering. Siddhartha Gautama sat under a fig tree and achieved enlightenment on Dec. 8th. Perhaps you work with people who are suffering in some way- job stress or worry about losing their job. Your co-workers may be struggling with balancing work and home, challenged by projects that aren’t going well. What can you do to provide extra assistance, support or re-assurance to a co-worker or customer who is experiencing pain of some sort?

Whether or not you are celebrating any special holiday this month, reflect on what this time of year means to you. Write down at least 3 ways you can be a Light to others who may be lonely, tired, sick, stressed, worried or challenged in some way. Set your intention in the new year to share your Light in some way at work.

Let us know if there is a special way that you were able to touch someone’s life at work, if you were able to assist someone through their moment of Darkness.

Peace for you this week and into 2011.

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For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.

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Linda is an author, speaker, coach, and consultant. Go to her website www.lindajferguson.com to read more about her work, view video clips of her talks, and find out more about her book “Path for Greatness: Spirituality at Work” Her book is available on Amazon.

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Are Late Social Media Adopters Losing Precious Ground?

Photo of hand holding a smartphone with social networks

Can they catch up?

Some companies and industries are just naturally late adopters. Take Banking, for example. As a whole, they are conservative, and less likely to devote their marketing attention to social media.

Some banks have jumped on the innovation train. Take Wells Fargo Bank, for example. One of my previous posts mentioned their early adopter stance on social media as an important part of their overall marketing strategy.

Wells Fargo Bank adopts social media

According to SocialMediaToday.com: Wells Fargo Bank was the first US bank to launch a corporate blog in early 2006. Since then, they’ve taken the reins and created innovative role-playing games to attract the younger generation. Brilliant!

“Hundreds of Wells Fargo Bank employees are now using blogs to brainstorm with one another and interact with customers. ‘We’ve built tools in the past to share information inside the company, but they were always these very structured things,’ says Steve Ellis, EVP of Wells Fargo’s wholesale solutions group. ‘A blog is informal–a great way to get away from the corporate thing and let people inside our heads.’ “

The company’s blogs have become the most-read non-banking pages on Wells Fargo’s site.

Can competitors make up ground?

Since the internet is based on organic search, Wells Fargo has had a HUGE advantage online. Their activities have ‘seasoned’ and their ranking is well-grounded in laser-targeted SEO content.

So, the big question remains, not only for banks, but for ALL companies that are late adopters:

ARE WE CREATING A ‘GREAT DIVIDE’? (Those who are establishing their SEO brand online and those who aren’t.)

Will they lose permanent ground because they’re late adopters? Can they make it up, or because the early adopters are so grounded in their organic SEO content, is their advantage so strong that it can’t be challenged?

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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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Values at Work…and at Play

Two female soccer players playing on the field

I have to admit that I have a conflict of interest here. All four of my kids have attended Maimonides School in Brookline, Massachusetts. But the story below from boston.com is a good example of how we can instill values in our kids in ways that matter…to them and to us.

In the last girls’ soccer game of the season at Maimonides School, an underclassman pulled off her uniform and handed her jersey over to an injured teammate.

Senior player Tifara Ramelson had torn ligaments in her knee during her final season, but Shoshana Ehrenkranz, a seventh-grader, wanted Ramelson to have one last chance to play.

Moments like these permeate the athletic program at Maimonides School, a Jewish day school in Brookline.

For its athletes and leaders, it was no surprise they were recognized for good sportsmanship this year.

“For me it’s not about winning the game; it’s about playing well,’’ said Sophie Edelman, the varsity volleyball captain. “I want to have a good relationship with my teammates rather than show them I’m the best server in volleyball.’’

Today, Maimonides will honor its athletic teams at the opening game of the girls’ basketball season by presenting the District Sportsmanship Award.

The school received the award last month at the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s 17th annual Sportsmanship Summit at Gillette Stadium.

The summit recognizes one school in each district for sportsmanship, and Maimonides won the award among private schools, said Peter Smith, the association’s assistant director. The summit has grown in the past several years as more schools are interested in attending, with 1,100 people participating this year, he said.

“This is the type of stuff you take for granted,’’ said Smith. “There are a lot of people out there doing good things, and they’re not things you see in the news.’’

Maimonides won the award after being nominated by Marie Laundry, athletic director at Mount St. Joseph’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic school in Brighton.

“They come prepared all the time. They’re good sports and play hard right up to the last minute,’’ said Laundry, who coaches basketball and soccer against the Maimonides teams. “They never give up, and they encourage each other.’’

Maimonides students, administrators, and coaches all agreed their sportsmanship stems from values the school teaches starting in kindergarten. Half the school day is spent in academic classes, while the other half is spent studying the Torah, administrators said.

Lashon harah, for example, is in Jewish law the prohibition of gossip. It teaches students to be mindful of what they say about others, said Rabbi Dov Huff, assistant principal of general studies.

“In the newspaper, you read about how some schools do terrible things and haze. That just doesn’t happen at Maimonides,’’ said Elan Baskir, a senior who plays soccer, basketball, and baseball.

Baskir said the men’s soccer team made the quarterfinals for the first time in school history this year. It wasn’t easy. One victory, Baskir recalled, came on a freezing, rainy day.

But when the team stood on the brink of losing in those quarterfinals, said Huff, he overheard the players chatting in their huddle, with their captain praising his teammates not only for a great season, but also for respecting others.“To me, it was shocking. . . . What was on their minds is they did it the right way,’’ said Huff.

Rabbi David Ehrenkranz, who teaches the Bible and the Talmud and coaches varsity softball, said he teaches the same concepts in class and during practice.

“Dignity and self-restraint are second nature,’’ said Ehrenkranz. “I see no difference from students in my class, the way they behave in the classroom, compared to my athletes.’’

Athletic Director Hal Borkow said other schools and referees often compliment him on Maimonides students’ behavior, such as when a tough call is made, and the athletes take it in stride.

“The ref made a point to let me know that the kids behaved like mature young adults,’’ said Borkow.

But not everyone has to study the Torah to promote sportsmanship. Students said one of the most important ways to develop good attitudes is to maintain good relationships with teachers.

Huff, who graduated from Maimonides before becoming an administrator, said every grade has a tradition called shabaton, when students will spend the weekend at a teacher’s house, eating meals together and talking about important issues.

“Teachers in the school as a whole play a big role in how to behave,’’ said Tamar Kosowsky, a senior varsity volleyball captain. “Every school should focus on what it means to be athlete on the field.’’

Administrators said receiving the award meant they were doing the right thing, in and out of the classroom.

Judy Boroschek, general studies principal for the school, said, “It felt very affirming of what we’re trying to accomplish — to think school can have that much of an impact.’’

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David Gebler is the President of Skout Group, an advisory firm helping global companies use their values to remove the roadblocks to performance. Send your thoughts and feedback to dgebler@skoutgroup.com.

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Funny Business – 5 ways to play at work and get more done

Employees-playing-at-a-workplace

Can having fun at work boost productivity? Professor Babis Mainemelis from London Business School thinks so, his study with Sarah Ronson found that: “Play at work improves employees’ motivational and cognitive processes and diversionary play fosters creativity.”

innocent smoothies office
innocent smoothies are a very successful company and they enjoy promoting a fun and creative workplace

And the Institute for Social Research found that companies with high employee engagement saw a 13.2% improvement in net income growth over a one year period.

Innocent smoothies grew their business from nothing to £100 million in just eight years with grass flooring, table football and an indoor picnic area, review innocent success by clicking on the link and see how.

So here are 5 fun ideas to get your team working smarter: Continue reading “Funny Business – 5 ways to play at work and get more done”

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Testing Email Campaigns

a businesswoman running an online email campaign

Never take anyone’s advice on how to run an email campaign (except this advice from me)!

Instead, take the good ideas you hear from others and test them within your campaign. Testing online is similar to testing in direct mail (or with your favorite recipe, for that matter).

Test one subject line against another, or one landing page against another. Start with your favorite (or the one the boss likes most) or the one that did the best last time. That’s your “control.” Then find one variable that might improve results, and that new message is your “test.”

Easier said than done, you say? True. Most basic email tools do not have sophisticated testing capabilities. However, you can get some pretty reliable results with a few tricks.

If your list is less than 10,000 email addresses, the best you can do is to split the list into two groups and send one of the halves the test email and the other the control.

If the list is larger, you can create two test groups of 5,000 email addresses each – one for the control, and the other for the test. Within 24 hours, you should know which list did best, and send that message to the rest of the list.

How do you create valid test segments? The only one sure data element you have for each address is the email address itself. Most email tools will let you create a segment of a list based on the content of the email address.

So, if you create a segment that includes every email address with an ‘s’ or ‘t’ or ‘k’ in it, you might end up with 5,000 names. Avoid using a, o, l, c, o, and m, or else you’ll get every AOL.Com address in one segment or the other. That’s never a good idea, since AOL subscribers might very well perform, as a group, differently than others. For the same reason, avoid ‘y’ (Yahoo!) and ‘g’ (Gmail) as well as any other letters that might skew your results.

Now you can test different subject lines, long copy against short copy, different designs, anything – and get pretty valid results.

How do you test landing pages? Send the exact same email message to both groups, but in one message, change the link so it goes to the test landing page.

As an added way of ensuring valid results, and to maximize your overall response, see if you can swap the segments: mail message B to those on list A who didn’t respond, and message A to those on list B who didn’t respond. If your lists are equal, whatever message did the best last time should do better this time. And, you’ll gain more responses from people who didn’t see or respond to the message the first time.

Do your test, tell us your results, and ask us your additional testing questions!

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We’re taking a break until after the New Year.
Be back on January 4, 2011

Best wishes to you and yours from Hank,
Natalie, Andrew & Rick. ☺

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Rick Christ has been helping nonprofit organizations use the internet for fundraising, communications and advocacy since 2009, and has been a frequent writer on the subject. He delights in your questions and arguments. Please contact him at: RChrist@Amergent.com or at his LinkedIn Page

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The New Year is Approaching- Plan it Well!

happy-new-year-beside-mandarins

As the New Year approaches in less than two weeks, it is a great time to review and reflect the previous year while preparing for the year to come. This is a ritual in which I have participated since my early career days in retail management. It was motivating to reflect on the accomplishments of the previous year, review the challenges and outcomes, and prepare for year to come with a new set of goals. As this year comes to an end, I would encourage all of you to do the same. And for you HR professionals who have not moved past determining your success on smiles sheets and the success of the holiday party, make that your first goal of the year. Here is a list I would recommend for 2011.

  1. Determine how to measure your HR programs in terms of business impact. This doesn’t mean you have to have a long drawn out ROI on every single program. However, you should know the expected results to any program and how it can be measured in business terms prior to its launch.
  2. Know the organization’s priorities and plan your time and programs around those. You should be spending your time on developing, measuring, and implementing programs that are aligned with business needs and priorities. Failing to align in this way, will keep your seat at the table taken by other departments that get this very point.
  3. Keep updated and informed on pending legislation and its effects on your business. Not only do you need to keep up to date on federal legislation, make sure you are missing changes in local and state laws. Also, find reliable sources for pending legislation as well. A good example for background screening is the website of EmployeeScreenIQ who recently released the 2011 List of Background Screening Trends. You may also find a lawyer in your state who blogs about changes and as always consult your own attorneys.
  4. Review your policies to ensure they are compliant with EEOC guidelines and Wage and Hour laws. In 2010, the EEOC and the Department of Labor have increased focus on employee discrimination and wage and hour violations. Don’t assume the policies you have had for years, are compliant. Have an attorney review your policies and conduct an audit to ensure you are not in violation.
  5. Plan your Professional Development. Learning, developing and growing is a lifelong process. Don’t wait for your boss to tell you in what areas your need development. Review yourself, pick an opportunity for growth and develop it!

 

What can you add to the list? Your thoughts are always encouraged!

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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.