January 2015 – Page 2 – Management Library

January 15, 2015February 21, 2023

The Reputation Feedback Loop

Paying attention to reputation is key to prospering as a business today

Taking care of your reputation is more critical than ever thanks to the widespread use of the Internet and social media to share opinions, experiences, and info about businesses of all kinds. Not only is reputation management critical to prospering as a business, but it’s an important part of any crisis management plan.

In a post for The Proactive Report, Social Media Strategist Sally Falkow shared what she calls “The Reputation Feedback Loop”, something we believe every business should be utilizing. Check it out:

Find out what is being said online about your brand, your employees and your executives. If you don’t already have a robust monitoring system in place this should be your first action.
Listen to what’s being said and analyze the data. This is how you will get the first clues to a crisis that might be bubbling under the surface. If you can identify it early and act promptly it is possible to avert a full blown online crisis.
Connect with your customers and other stakeholders online. Figure out where they’re active on social media.
Be proactive. Every time a customer comes into your establishment reach out to them and ask for feedback on that visit. Ask them to rate your business and the employees they dealt with.
Use a system that automates this process, so that it is not too time-consuming. Choose a system that’s easy for you to administer and make it quick and easy for the customer to rate and review you. It must be mobile-responsive.
Use the negative feedback to improve any issues with the business, your product or your employees.
Encourage any customer who gives you a 4 or 5 star rating to post it online, so you can build that trust factor.

The prevalence of online review sites and widespread use of social media are certainly double-edged swords. Without care, a few small hiccups can turn into a serious loss of business, but these same platforms present opportunities for you to take your reputation to the next level, boosting your bottom line and protecting against any threats that may appear.

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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, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

– See more at: https://staging.management.org/blogs/crisis-management/2015/01/10/building-your-online-reputation/#sthash.4y8qeZd5.dpuf

January 14, 2015February 15, 2023

Recognizing the Anonymous Donor

In the context of charitable giving/fundraising, the anonymous donor is someone whose name will not be publicly linked to the gift they’ve made … or even if they’ve made a gift.

Usually the recipient organization will know the name of the “anonymous” donor; but, consistent with the donor’s wishes, will not allow that donor’s name to be linked to a specific gift, or to any gift, to that organization.

Occasionally, a gift will come to an institution through a third party, such as an attorney, ensuring that the institution will not even know the name of the donor.

In any case, whether or not institutional staff knows the donor’s identity, and even though no public mention is made of the donor’s identify, every effort should be made to acknowledge the gift … to thank the donor.

Even if the donor is not being acknowledged publicly for his/her gift, s/he should get the appropriate recognition for the gift … for the support … for caring !!

“Recognition” is something done “for” the donor, not for the public. And, for recognition to be appropriate, it must be consistent with the needs of the donor.

That’s an important concept that many people in the nonprofit sector don’t know and/or understand. “Development” is all about the needs of the donor, ‘cause if you’re not considering her/his needs, s/he is not likely to be giving to you … or not likely to give to you again.

Bottom line: All gifts to nonprofit organizations are made to satisfy the donor’s needs – from wanting to do some good, to helping his/her community, to “giving back” to an organization that has helped them or someone or some community they care about, to wanting the recognition that comes with giving, to wanting to enjoy the feeling of having helped, to any other reason that results in a gift.

That’s not being cynical. It’s realistic. If making the gift didn’t in some way satisfy donors’ needs, if making the gift didn’t make donors feel good about giving, then they wouldn’t be giving.

Most “anonymous” donors are known to the institution(s) they support, and those institutions know what has motivated that person to make the gift(s) and what it will take to get the donor to want to make future gifts.

In knowing/understanding the needs of the donor, it’s not difficult to give that donor the appropriate recognition. It could be a handshake from the organization/s board chair or CEO, a report on how the donor’s gift will make and/or has made a difference in people lives and/or how that gift has impacted society, a note from someone whose life has been changed because of that gift, a video of the organization’s programs in operation, a small but appropriate gift (like a book) or any combination of those and/or anything else you can think of … that would fall into the category of “satisfying the needs of the donor.”

Of course, if the donor is not known to the recipient organization, you can’t know the range of his/her needs; but, you can make an assumption – mainly that the gift would not have been made if it wasn’t satisfying one-or-more of the donor’s needs.

What would you think one of those needs might be ?? What would satisfy that need ??

I encourage you to share your thoughts, your answers to those two questions. Your responses (with attribution) can/will be the basis of a follow up posting.

Next Week Jon Howard discusses THE essential element in Direct Mail Fundraising

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or expanding your fundraising program?
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Have you heard about
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They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99-$4.99)
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If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, email Comments to offer your thoughts. Your comments, with appropriate attribution, could be the basis of a new posting.

January 13, 2015June 1, 2022

10 Quick Tips for Better Voice Habits

1. Listen to your outgoing phone messages for a few days. How are your vocal habits and voice quality? These are habits you can practice every day.
2. For better projection, open your mouth wider, so that you can articulate each word clearly. This helps with both volume and enunciation.
3. To reduce vocal stress, sip lukewarm liquid. Don’t clear your voice repeatedly, or you will make matters worse. Remember that strain in your voice is almost always more obvious to you than it is to your audience.
4. To sound more confident, avoid sentences that end with an upward note at the end, making them sound like questions. Instead, end each sentence (or phrase) with a downward emphasis.
5. Too many ums? Slow down slightly. Become more at ease with a pause. Rehearse your content out loud, not just in your head.
6. Avoid common qualifier words like “hopefully, maybe, a little, just…” which weaken your message. Be direct and forceful in your wording.
7. Breathe before you begin speaking. You’ll have enough breath to end each sentence with full voice; and you won’t trail off at the end of a sentence.
8. Try to keep from thinking ahead too much – if you lose your train of thought, you will end up with more fillers.
9. Use a voice recorder or listen to your voice messages to check your enunciation, volume and clarity.
10. For greater vocal interest and inflection, emphasize 2-3 key words in each sentence. Experiment with which words to emphasize, making sure you don’t change the meaning of the sentence.

January 10, 2015February 13, 2023

Building Your Online Reputation

young-business-woman-checking-satisfaction-checklist-box

Establishing yourself on the ‘net takes time, so get started today!

Everyone wants a positive online reputation these days, but seem at a loss when it comes to getting the ball rolling. Although it absolutely takes work, it’s not as complicated as you might think, as you can see in this infographic from SiteName.com:

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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– See more at: https://staging.management.org/blogs/crisis-management/2015/01/05/another-cyber-threat-targets-ms-office-users/#sthash.jCOyaVYE.dpuf

January 7, 2015June 1, 2022

Communicating Globally

two men shaking hands after a conversation

How do you currently communicate globally? Before our modern techniques (of using the web, mobile devices or videos, Skype, etc.,) for communicating, the time it took to converse or correspond internationally took quite a while and we weren’t even sure of how the recipient reacted to what was delivered. But now we can know immediately how a recipient feels. Using new technology and also being able to create a global team provides the solution.

In regards to translating documents globally, set up a dedicated global team instructed in the areas of:

Cultural diversity – acquainted with cultural differences and being able to have the same frame of mind as the other culture.
Training and writing globally –accustomed to implementing leaning sessions and clarifying word meanings globally.
Managing in a global environment – familiarized with working with others globally; negotiating, planning, etc.
Reporting globally– used to translating captured data and their meaning.

In regards to technical writing globally and information gathering, technical writers need to ensure effective communication between global teams to maximize productivity. They need to understand the culture; their language, ethics, principles of value, moral codes, etc. It is not easy living in one country and leaning about another, unless of course you move overseas. But if moving is not possible, how do we know that what we communicate is being accepted and understood?

To meet and greet the individuals, we have conference calls, video chats, or Skype.
To ensure we are on the same page, we send out documents and discuss them.
To show the product or activity, we create prototypes or perform demonstrations of the product.

Note: refer back to a previous article on global technical writing for tips on writing and managing your documents:

https://staging.management.org/blogs/communications/2012/04/30/a-global-technical-writer/

In addition to the above tips in the article, prior to and during meetings, be sure you note and ask:

Who are the global contacts?
How do we virtually connect with them?
Is there a process in place for ensuring that all documentation standards are met?
Where are all the terms defined so that we are all on the same page for terminology?
How are files exchanged?
How are updates made?
Did the document capture and meet the objective of the organization?
Was the correct knowledge transferred?
Was the language used suitable, appropriate and understandable?
Was the usage of the document easier than meeting face-to-face?
Was the translation software able to phrase local terminology suitably?

The key to an effective global team is to also get everyone in sync. This is quite a challenge, but is doable by following all the tips noted. There are many more solutions, but he above were just a few.

Have you established a global team? What challenges have you faced in working in a global organization?

January 7, 2015June 23, 2022

Taking Care of Your Online Reputation

A-business-man-attracting-customers-to-himself-due-to-goodreputation

Getting serious about creating a name for yourself on the web

Reputation is your most valuable asset, and these days the ‘net is where it grows…or falters. Follow the advice in this infographic, created by ReputationRepair.org and you’ll have a solid start on building and maintaining your good name:

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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– See more at: https://staging.management.org/blogs/crisis-management/2015/01/29/unexpected-demand-for-wired-uk-giveaway-sparks-crisis/#sthash.xGmQF9pz.dpuf

January 7, 2015March 4, 2022

What’s Coming – The Next Eight Weeks of the Fundraising Blog

January 14:

Recognizing The “Anonymous” Donor
by Hank Lewis

“Recognition” is something done “for” the donor, not for the public. And, for recognition to be appropriate, it must be consistent with the needs of the donor.

January 21:

Getting To Know “YOU”
by Jonathan Howard

Every time I sit down to write a fundraising letter … I suffer a period of anxiety. I’m worried that readers will reject my writing. Reject me.

January 28:

Development Staff as “The” Fund Raisers
by Tony Poderis

I’ve been fighting the development-as-sales battle for too many years, and I fear we are all losing to the growing trend of having boards of trustees believing that fundraising is someone else’s responsibility….

February 4:

Dear Millennial, There’s Nothing New Under the Sun
by K. Michael Johnson

Like many Millennials, I’ve definitely ticked off some of my older colleagues with my so-called “new ideas.” I’m not particularly interested in doing things a certain way just because that’s how they’ve always been done.

February 11:

Development as a Profession vs. Development as an Activity
by Hank Lewis

No one can decide to be a professional in any field, without learning the rules/practices of that field. No one can be a development professional their first day in fundraising.

February 18:

Dear Boss, Let’s Try This….
by K. Michael Johnson

The Millennials are coming, the Millennials are coming, and they’re bringing their “new ideas.”

February 25:

Who Should Raise The Money – Part One
by Tony Poderis

We are not selling to a prospective donor; we are presenting her with an opportunity to satisfy her own needs … by supporting/contributing to an organization that serves her community and her concerns.

March 4:

Who Should Raise The Money – Part Two
by Tony Poderis

I fear we are all losing ground with the growing trend of having boards of trustees believing that fundraising is someone else’s responsibility….

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Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks.
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

January 5, 2015June 23, 2022

Another Cyber-Threat Targets MS Office Users

A-female-cyber-hacker-working-on-a-system

As long as cyber attacks remain profitable, hackers will be in business

We said 2014 was the “Year of the Cyber Attack”, but as you can see from our recent blogging 2015 is already making a serious run for the title.

The latest attack to come to light is hitting users through Microsoft Office, and results in the Dridex banking malware being installed on the affected system.

eWeek’s Sean Michael Kerner dug deeper into how this particular cyber attack works:

The Dridex banking malware is being used in a malicious spam campaign that is generating 15,000 emails a day, according to security firm Trustwave. The attacks, largely against users in the United Kingdom, are leveraging macros in Microsoft Office documents to infect users.

The way the attack works is that a user receives an infected Office document that includes a macro that triggers a download of the Dridex banking malware. Dridex steals user banking information and attempts to generate fraudulent financial transactions.

So far, Trustwave has not yet identified the group behind the new Dridex attack.

Microsoft Office exists on nearly every work PC, and it’s no rare thing to send and receive Word docs on a daily basis for most, making this a particularly tricky attack.

For this type of cyber-attack, as with so many others, the number one crisis prevention tactic is to educate your employees. If they know how to spot emails containing hack attempts before they ever download and open the programs inside, then they can simply trash them and report to the IT department, and you don’t have to deal with infected systems, stolen information, and all of the headaches that follow.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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– See more at: https://staging.management.org/blogs/crisis-management/2015/01/02/crisis-management-musts-training-employees-to-be-cyber-safe/#sthash.JithP8Hd.dpuf

January 2, 2015February 15, 2023

Crisis Management Musts: Training Employees to be Cyber-Safe

A-female-software-developer-signalling-a-breach-in-their-system

Reduce the risk of employee error allowing hackers through your security with training and education

You can have the best security systems in the world, but that all goes “POOF” if an employees allows the bad guys into the bank vault. Well, cyber crime is no different, and the scary thing is that, unlike with physical theft, people don’t even realize they’re helping someone attack your organization while they’re in the midst of doing so.

Luckily, there are assets online to help you train employees to help security rather than hinder, including StaySafeOnline.org. Here’s a preview of the type of helpful advice you’ll find there:

Talk to Your Employees About

Keeping a clean machine: Your company should have clear rules for what employees can install and keep on their work computers. Make sure they understand and abide by these rules. Unknown outside programs can open security vulnerabilities in your network.

Following good password practices: Making passwords long and strong, with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols, along with changing them routinely and keeping them private are the easiest and most effective steps your employees can take to protect your data.

When in doubt, throw it out: Employees should know not to open suspicious links in email, tweets, posts, online ads, messages or attachments – even if they know the source. Employees should also be instructed about your company’s spam filters and how to use them to prevent unwanted, harmful email.

Backing up their work: Whether you set your employees’ computers to backup automatically or ask that they do it themselves, employees should be instructed on their role in protecting their work.

Staying watchful and speaking up: Your employees should be encouraged to keep an eye out and say something if they notice strange happenings on their computer.

A bit of training and regular reminders can turn your employees from ideal attack targets into defensive assets that help protect the well-being of your entire organization, and with the continued rise in cyber attacks you’re more likely than ever to need that protection. Don’t wait, train employees to be cyber-safe today.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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– See more at: https://staging.management.org/blogs/crisis-management/2014/12/31/hackers-wreak-havoc-on-german-steel-mill/#sthash.clKehVrj.dpuf