by Miriam Hara | Jun 3, 2015 | Business Success, Latest, Uncategorized
Led Zeppelin had it right – ‘All that glitters is not gold’. More profound words were never spoken.
The digital revolution has occurred over the last three decades. Since then, businesses and brands have rushed in (some more than others), to jump on the band wagon and be part of the curve. Well, it’s time to take a breather. Business managers and those that lead brand marketing need to stop and evaluate their part in it. Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you or your brand have to be there.
Newsflash: We are now entering the digital evolution phase of the digital revolution.
Digital technology has propelled business forward. Now, it’s time to take stock and assess. Over the last few decades, we have all ventured into new areas and channels. As business leaders, we’ve taken the proverbial plunge. Some were hits, others were not. And there were times when we hit the bottom hard. Have we learned anything from that experience?
To paraphrase Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven verse: All that is new isn’t necessarily the best. Yet the minute we hear about something new, we rush in – trying to conquer and assess all at the same time. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s time that we stop to investigate the real value of what we are doing and who we are entrusting our business and brands to.
As we open up our email tomorrow morning, chances are that we’ll be bombarded with messages that all shout as loud as possible. Out with the old and in with the new. Just remember this: Breathe. The digital revolution is upon us and we must adapt. We must embark and conform. But can we just pause for a moment? The speed of the digital space has made businesses react, rather than plan. Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you or your brand have to be there this instant.
For marketing and business alike, many digital services and products speak about brand being part of the experience – a living organism. Here’s another newsflash: Brand marketing, if it was ever done properly prior to the digital revolution, has always been about more than just a name or brand awareness. For consumers to live the brand, the marketing and brand pillars that make a product into a ‘household’ brand still apply. The only things that have changed are the channels available and potential access points.
The new way of doing things will still be there tomorrow. Such is the future. If anything changes, taking the time to assess and do it right might have been a good strategy after all.
by Lisa Wedmann | Jul 16, 2013 | Advertising, Business Success, Latest, Management, Uncategorized
He was a big man and he smoked a big cigar. He was standing beside his desk, with his back to me, smoking a cigar and looking out the window at the city skyline. His presence dominated the room.
That’s how I first saw him. That’s how I remember him. Big and in control.
It was my first day on the job and I was being given the typical meet and greet walk. He was on the third floor, the executive level. I knew it was the executive floor since there was a big sign that said “EXECUTIVE LEVEL”.
In the office marked Vice-President, I was introduced to this giant of a man. As we left and walked down the stairs, my guide turned to me and whispered, “he’s a decision maker”.
That took me by surprise. I wasn’t sure what it meant, or why it was important to me so I nodded wisely.
I soon learned how important it was to be a decision maker when I was assigned to work in his department.
He terrified me. He barked orders. I followed them.
I asked questions. He gave answers.
HE MADE IMPORTANT DECISIONS QUICKLY
As I navigated through the politics of that first job, it wasn’t long before I came to understand how lucky I was to have a boss who was a decision maker, someone who was not afraid to answer questions and make important decisions.
But once I left that first job, I also learned how rare it is to find someone who can make important decisions quickly.
This man was not afraid to make important decisions and he wasn’t afraid to make them fast. Fearless and fast, traits valued in business since he soon left his job as Vice-President to become King of the Universe.
DID HE HAVE A SECRET WEAPON FOR DECISION MAKING?
Fortune favours the brave, at least that’s the way I saw it. He was one of those brave people who don’t hesitate. It didn’t matter if the question was related to ordering lunch or business strategies. He didn’t skip a beat. He simply opened his mouth and out jumped the answer.
I often wondered how he made his decision making choices. Did he have a plan for decision making in business or was it simply intuitive?
Just recently, I met one of my co-workers from that time and as typical when old friends meet; we began to reminisce and recall our days working together. We had both worked for Mr. Big Cigar. I reflected that after years of working for and with people who were reluctant to make important decisions it was a pleasure to have worked with someone who had no fear.
IF ANYONE KNEW SHE WOULD
I asked if she had any idea how he was able to make so many good important decisions. She was his right hand and if anyone knew she would.
She laughed.
Mr. B made a lot of decisions, she told me. What many didn’t realize is that they weren’t all the best decisions. They were close to the best but they weren’t always the best. They were aligned with the goals and objectives of the business, but you couldn’t comment that each one deserved that number one recognition.
The secret she confided was that he made decisions. And because he made decisions he became the decision maker. Some were good. Some were bad. But none were in limbo.
Bad decisions will rise to the top and become visible. Good decisions will float. But no decision will sink you…. fast.
THE SECRET OF MAKING IMPORTANT BUSINESS DECISIONS
What Mr. B. understood is that any decision is better than no decision. And that’s the secret.
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” Theodore Roosevelt
by Lisa Wedmann | Jul 12, 2013 | Administration, Business Success, Latest, Uncategorized
A few years back I took a course on strategic planning for small business. When the floor opened for questions many revolved around building teams. What kind of skills should you look for when building a team, is experience more important than education, are soft skills more important than hard skills, at what point of the project should you bring on a new team member … that type of question.
But the topic I found the most interesting was around how to build a good team. The discussion spiraled on subjects we had previously discussed. Finally in exasperation, one attendee said, “Yes, I understand all that, but how do you build a good team?”
The lecturer paused, looked straight at him and answered, “Build a good team”.
It seemed a simplistic joke but as he went on to explain, it had a great deal of merit. It means that in order to have a successful team you must build a good team.
Still too simplistic? Below is the discussion that followed on how to build a good team.
Wicked Way #1: Know your goals and your objectives
Number one, number one, number one. Always know your goals and objectives. Keep these clear in your mind. Write them on a piece of paper and stick them to your wall in a prominent place. If it’s a project deadline, if it’s gross sales, if it’s a percentage of growth, write it down. Paper remembers, people forget.
Wicked Way #2: Define roles and set expectations
Define the roles that you need in order to meet your goals and objectives. Fill these roles with people who can meet them. When you are interviewing to fill the roles, make it clear what your goals and objectives are and set expectations.
The person you interview may have the best qualifications and a great attitude but if they don’t know what you want and they don’t know whether they can do what you want, you are relying on a wish and a promise, neither one is a position for success.
Wicked Way #3: Provide feedback
Once you have a team, continue to set expectations. Provide feedback. Let the person know what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong. Always ask yourself and the team, will this activity help move us towards our goals and objectives? If it doesn’t, stop immediately.
Find out what will work. Then move on. And when the work your team member is helping to meet your goals and objectives, acknowledge and reward.
THAT’S IT
There you have it. Simple. Easy peasy.
How to build a good team… build a good team.
by Stephanie Fasulo | May 23, 2013 | Business Success, Latest, Social Media, Uncategorized
If you decide to take your company online you’re joining a community of teachers, learners, explorers, and open-minded people who are trying new marketing communications tools that are changing every day. Just this week alone I received numerous emails about my analytics on Facebook changing… yet again. The most frustrating change Facebook Analytics did was remove the Social Reach reference when monitoring Facebook Ads, in the Full Report mode ! Working around this new development, I was still able to find the necessary metrics I needed, in a less efficient way… a needless to say, a tad more stressful! This got me wondering on how any of us can keep up with our work while the platforms we work on everyday change so often!
Don’t get we wrong, I totally accept that being in social media, it’s what we signed up for, this diverse, ever-changing, community of social people. But how do we keep it up when there are so many other priorities in the day-to-day business of doing? Rather than depending on email updates or announcements, there are a few ways we can deal with the ever evolving ground of social media. Based on your brand’s vision and more importantly, goals that you establish, here are a few alternatives in how you can manage your social media initiatives. Picking the right one for your business will make the difference between how well you navigate the many transitions that are sure to come!
Hire someone: Hiring a designated person to handle your company’s social media specifically regardless of company size is that you can maintain a steady, unwavering pulse on social media and all the changes that happen so often. You can start off my hiring a part-time full-time person. This will allow the person to get a read on the business culture and brand voice so that they can communicate effectively.
Outsource: Like everything else in business, if you outsource to your social media initiatives to the right partner, your social media becomes their priority…and seeing that they are in the business of social media, they not only have a pulse on the changes, but they are the at the forefront of the changes and their potential impact on your business’ social initiatives. More care would have to be taken to ensure that the business culture and voice is portrayed consistently.
DIY: . I’m not saying not to do it yourself! You can be successful if you immerse yourself. You just have to know that you need to be involved with the image and online brand being shared all over the world every minute of every day. If your company is small, it can be fun and exciting to do it yourself because you can see your fan base and community build…in real time! You have to ask yourself though… is the time you are taking to do it yourself, taking you away from “your real job”…and thus short-changing the business goals?
Don’t get involved: Let’s face it, there’s always those who jump in with both feet…that would be the early adopters. And then there are those that really take a long time to get on board…and that would be the slow movers. In some cases, there are those that don’t ever get on board! I ‘m not sure if that’s even an option in today’s marketing and business landscape. After all, social media isn’t just Facebook…it’s LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, MosiacHub, Reddit,Social Media Today and GuestBlog…to name a few.
If you are reading this right now you are already apart of the social media community where we all learn from each other. If there is a problem, challenge or question, online communicators… we social communicators don’t have to go very far for answers. Social Media has made us pioneers of sorts and we are all part of the same community, constantly learning and reaching out…and in fact keeping up with social media!
