I’ve been paying attention to the things that command attention, both of myself and others, and I’ve made a list of 21 techniques that work. This list is far from all of them I’m sure, but it should be enough to get you started …
1. Be wrong
The world is full of people trying to do the right things. It’s become so common that many of us are bored by it. We long for someone that’s willing to do the wrong thing, say the wrong thing, be the wrong thing. If you have the courage to be that person, you’ll find lots of people paying attention to you.
2. Be right
You can also gain attention by being right … but only if you’re more right than everyone else. Run a mile faster than anyone else, explain your topic more clearly than anyone else, be funnier than everyone else. Embody perfection, and people will take notice.
3. Communicate what others can’t
As writers, we take ideas from our heads and put them on the page. Sometimes we forget how difficult that is for some people and how valuable that makes us. Lots of people would give anything to be able to say what they mean. But they can’t. So, they turn to songs, books, and art that communicate for them. Be a producer of those things, and you’ll never lose their attention.
4. Do something
Everybody online is trying to say something important, but very few are trying to do something important. If you want attention, dare not to just give advice to others, but to live that advice yourself. Then publish it to the open web.
5. Surprise people
Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick, say that one of the best ways to set yourself apart is to break people’s “guessing machines.” Take a surprising position, making outlandish analogy, or otherwise do the opposite of what you normally do. As long as it’s unexpected, people will stop and pay attention.
Negotiating for a corporate VP level salary and total compensation package can be undermined at the “get go” if you fall into the trap of answering the question, “What is the number?” So, what is the way to take the high road (not appear greedy) and still negotiate for the increase you want?
I have often said common sense is a lost art. Somehow when a “C” level executive starts the job hunting process, he stops thinking like an executive who has hired over a dozen professionals. If he makes this basic mistake at the “get go” and answers the question, it can haunt him right up until the end of the search when the offer is made.
Think about what it is like to hire a Director or Assistant VP. When your HR people establish a salary range and determine what bonus level and/or signing bonuses are possible, you are relying on them to be current with the market. You have been busy doing your job and have not made a science out of developing competitive compensation packages for your group.
When you create a package, to keep things simple, you end up with a “number” that is what you can offer the new hire, without doing battle with your compensation team. For example, if the range is up to $150,000 and the midpoint is $130,000, you don’t expect the offer to be above $130,000. You intend to be able to “play” with the additional pieces of the compensation program to make the offer attractive.
As you identify candidates, you ask for current base salary and that becomes their “number.” You do a quick mental check to be sure the salary is in the range you think you can afford so you are not wasting your time. That then becomes the number on file and the number your HR team will work with if an offer is made. Changing the number is incredibly difficult once it ripples through the hiring team. Unfortunately, that number is often too low and inaccurate.
What’s wrong with this picture? If you are now in the reverse role as the candidate, how can you sidestep having that number (your current base salary) haunt you when the offer is made?
Here’s what I recommend. Under NO circumstances do you want to put a stake in the ground with a current compensation figure at the start of this process. Once that number is circulated in an email, it travels with your record. Frequently, a senior executive who is not looking and is being contacted by a search executive will share a base compensation figure early in the process to determine if the new opportunity is attractive. I repeat, DO NOT PROVIDE A FIGURE.
Compensation is not one figure, it is a moving target. It is not a “number,” it is a complex group of numbers that can be on the verge of changing. It is your job to present the “story” of your compensation and not take the question literally.
That means if you have not thought about compensation when you receive a call from a “headhunter” and you are possibly interested in the search s/he is conducting, it is time to look at your current and near term estimated earnings. Also, what are you leaving behind? Timing is critical for raises and bonuses and must be considered. This is not as simple a formula as you think.
Once you have those numbers, get back to the search person with a comprehensive set of figures and it should be in writing. If any figure is an approximation, indicate that along with a timeframe to provide more precise data.
Here’s how to do your homework before you provide total compensation information (not base salary). Let’s look at computing compensation using real numbers with the example below.
Current Base Salary: $250,000.00 with raise shortly
Bonus potential: $40,000. This is a conservative estimate based on prior history: It is 15% of base (at the higher level you will be at within a matter of weeks). Of course, you must be currently employed at the company to collect this amount and it is normally awarded in February. (Other components may be added such as stock based upon overall company performance.) This suggests that either the offer makes you whole via a signing bonus if you leave before you can collect the $40,000, or you sit tight until you collect it.
Annual Performance and Salary review: $12,500 increase. The increase is due (let’s assume) in late October in conjunction with your performance review. Stock awards may also be granted for outstanding performance. Prior raises have been in the order of 5% along with restricted shares of stock and options. Your company has a history of counter offers so you can estimate that your normal raise of $12,500 will be accelerated and increased most likely on the order of another 5%.
Stock: what you will leave behind? Like many companies, your stock is vesting on a formula where no matter when you resign; you will lose a portion of the value. Depending upon how well the company is doing, particularly in these times, the value of what you leave behind can be from $25,000-$75,000 or more. (Conversely, the stock could be underwater now with better prospects later if you stay.)
Vacation: four weeks. As a senior officer you have a four week vacation benefit that you will not normally receive in your new position. Generally, you can negotiate for three weeks but you will need to ask for it.
Special Benefits: how to value them? At many companies, there are benefits that are unique to the organization. They may be in the form of health programs, special events, company trips for spouse, etc. Attach a dollar value to them since they will not translate into what the new organization offers.
401K contributions and other company funded benefits: will you lose them? If you leave in the middle of a year, do you lose the company’s contribution? When will your new employer begin contributing to your 401K? Will there be a gap and a loss of benefits? (Hopefully not, but it is worth asking.)
Having done your research, when a potential employer asks about compensation, here is what I would suggest. First, do not presume to ask for a particular figure; you are simply presenting factual information that will help the hiring organization understand what your numbers are. This is a non-threatening, reasonable approach. Second, put the information in writing and simplify the figures.
Base Salary: estimate your new salary and do not give a current figure. Say, “As of late October, I receive a normal raise bringing my salary (that I estimate) to: $262,000.” Promise to provide the precise number as soon as you know what it is. Do not state your base salary of today if you are within weeks of a raise.
Bonus: “My bonus award is conservatively estimated at 15% of base which I will receive in February. I will be notified of the precise amount in December.” (If that is the case or whenever the precise figure is known.) “I estimate the award at approximately $40,000.”
Stock: “I will receive stock awards in conjunction with my bonus and raise. While it is hard to put a precise value on the stock, I will leave behind approximately $xxxxx should I leave the company in February of ’09” (for example).
For you and the hiring organization, these are compensation figures that give a more complete picture and allow for accurate comparisons. Also, right at the beginning of the process, you have set realistic expectations about what the compensation numbers would need to total for it to make any sense to proceed.
Once you know you are a finalist, there is another point to consider depending upon what you require for a base. Some organizations offer a comprehensive compensation package with excellent long-term incentives that over time will be very lucrative. However, they do not offer salaries that are particularly attractive. Their point is if you are loyal and look at the long term, you will make a great deal of money.
It is important during the course of negotiations to indicate what, at a minimum, you would need for a salary that would cover family living expenses while you are earning these longer term benefits. In some instances, once this figure is on the table, the hiring organization provides a signing bonus to close a gap.
This approach should avoid the pitfall of answering the wrong question that has no good answer, which is: “What is THE number?”
By Judith Cushman, The Cushman Report October 2008 To subscribe: Email info@jc-a.com with “SUBSCRIBE” in the Subject line
- Don’t assume that everyone has time to meet over coffee. Networking contacts are doing you a favor. Please take into account their free time and schedules. Ask them what is best for their schedule.
- Once you have an appointment, don’t break it! If you must, explain to your contact why you must cancel the meeting. Leaving a message saying you are busy or something just came up, doesn’t cut it. These people are just as busy and don’t have a lot of time.
- Once you have the appointment, be on time. If someone is putting you into their schedule be respectful of their time.
- If you asked for 15 minutes to ‘pick their brain,’ don’t take an hour, don’t take more than the time you asked for or were given.
- Call the contact on the phone. Many companies, particularly those in the financial services area, have their emails monitored and are asked not to work on personal emails in the office.
- Be prepared. Have a list of questions about the industry or firm. You’ve made the appointment to gather information so know what you want to ask.
- Your networking connection can help you with specific information. They can’t help you decide what you want to do or solve the problems of the world.
- If you want to make a career change, ask you contact if they can help you in advance. Don’t make an appointment and ask for something the contact can’t or doesn’t feel comfortable giving.
- If a contact gives you additional names, let the person know that you have contacted them, met with them etc. It’s common courtesy and will also keep you in touch with your contact.
- Keep in touch with your contacts. A short note advising someone of good news, interviews within the industry or current freelance work that might be of interest will keep you in your contact’s thoughts.
By Marie Raperto, Cantor Executive Search Solutions
Stop and LISTEN. To be a successful communications professional means you are an exceptional listener. The more you listen, the more you learn. The less you listen, the less you learn.
When you consider the role of a communications professional, we better be doing a lot of real listening. We need to be aware of and understand the needs and goals of our internal clients and each employee audience subgroup — different generations, different functions, management vs. non-management, c-level and more.
From one-on-one meetings to interviews, focus groups to department meetings or townhall to board meetings, listening is key. So how much listening are you doing? Media guru Roger Ailes, author of You Are The Message, says people should strive to listen 60 to 70 percent of the time and talk 30 to 40 percent.
Here’s Roger Ailes’ tips for becoming a better listener:
- Relax and clear your mind so that you’re receptive to what’s being said.
- Never assume that you’ve heard correctly just because the first few words have taken you in a certain direction.
- Don’t overreact emotionally to speakers’ words or ideas, especially those that are contrary to your views.
- Before forming a conclusion, let the speaker complete his or her thoughts.
- Listen for intent as well as content.
- Try to listen without overanalyzing.
- Remember that human communication goes through three phases: reception (listening), processing (analyzing), and transmission (speaking).
- Being a good communicator is a natural skill for only a few people. Most of us have to work at being good communicators and learn to observe not only how we speak and listen, but also what kinds of unspoken messages we send to our colleagues.
My tip. The next time you meet with someone, make a mental note of how many times you’re silent. Remember, silence is golden.
What I have below is clearly not exhaustive, but they are the ideas that really resonated with me as a recruiter. Also, as we all know, many vital corporate communications skills are clearly timeless and I’ve tried not to put too much overlap of them here.
Increased Importance Of Ethics And Corporate Social Responsibility Considerations.
The concept of transparency as it pertains to the modern enterprise is relatively new and hugely transformational. Because of current and future technology, our organizations are going to be transparent whether we like it or not. We’re all living, or will shortly be living, in glass houses. As a result, it’s going to be largely up to the top communications leaders within the company to make sure this fact represents an opportunity and not a restriction. The silver lining of the existence of the challenge posed by transparency from the communications person’s point of view is that, if it’s within her purview, it gives her a lot more leverage for influence internally — and should mean even greater access to and cooperation from C-level executives.
Greater Flexibility In Writing And Speaking Style.
My PR friends tell me that in many cases the press isn’t the primary audience for their press releases anymore. More often they’re writing them for the end users, or they’re presenting the information in a short, web friendly video. As a result the savvy communications pro is very careful about balancing the use of conversational-style writing and speaking with the more formal, “professional” style. Use of the proper voice and tone in the company’s various channels of communication is key, and while it’s a task that in and of itself may not be that hard on a case by case basis, we have to remember that it all has to be integrated seamlessly with the overall messaging and marketing activities.
More Metrics And Quantitatively Oriented.
There is clearly debate about the extent to which lead generation and lead nurturing could and should play a role in what PR people are going to be asked to do in the near future, at least as it pertains to their role driving social media initiatives for their companies. What’s really not debatable is that the need to analyze what people do on the web (and how much they do it) will continue to grow. That means looking at numbers, data, statistics — web analytics. There’s no escaping it. Communications experts are going to need to know their stuff here, especially if they want to gain respect and get more influence with top management.
A young communicator interested in consulting asked me recently “how do you know what to charge?” It occurred to me that this is an important skill for all communicators, not just those in consulting or freelancing. If you don’t know how long it takes to do things, setting the expectations of internal clients may be impossible.
Paying attention to how long it takes to get things done is your first step. Even before I became a consultant, my team and I would track how much time we spent on certain activities. How many hours does it take to get the mid-year series of six focus groups done? How many hours does it take to draft content for the newsletter? The more you track, the more you learn.
Some go so far as to document the hours so they can look them up from an old project next time they get a similar request. Planning and scoping projects for your internal clients becomes much easier.
There are two important reasons to do such documentation of hours. Knowing how long it takes to do communication tasks
- Helps you plan a schedule and calendar for projects, making it easier to set timing expectations with clients
- Provides insight into the value of your team’s time and effort as compared to external resources
You know you and your team offer tremendous value to the organization, but can you prove that ROI to company leaders? Can you point to what it would cost if they went outside for help? Track the time, document it, and you’ll find yourself better able to plan, communicate, anticipate and prove your value.
Stacy Wilson, ABC, is president of Eloquor Consulting, Inc., in Lakewood, Colorado
Since stress is all about the future, the real cure for stress is to live in the present. Here are some suggestions for doing this:
1. Meditate or pray every day.
When done correctly, meditation and prayer place your thoughts in the present. When you’re focused on your breathing, the energy flowing through your body, or the presence of God in your life, there’s no opening for stress to get inside you. These activities not only create a respite from stress, they help train your mind to remain “mindful.”
2. Set aside a daily time to plan.
Achieving goals is impossible without planning–and planning, by its very nature, involves imagining the future, including possible setbacks and problems. Limit your “future thinking” to a set time every day–and then spend the rest of your time executing the steps in your daily plan.
3. Detach yourself from results.
Though it’s true the business world is all about getting good results, such results are usually achieved through the execution of a well-thought-out plan. Therefore, once you’ve made a plan, put your attention on the steps, not on the outcome. Until events prove otherwise, trust that you’ve created (and are now executing) the best plan possible.
4. Observe what’s working (and what’s not).
As you take action, note which actions seem to be leading toward your goals and which seem to be leading you further away. Rather than getting stressed about your “failures” while they’re happening, use these notes to adjust your plan during your next planning session.
Do these steps take some practice and discipline? Absolutely. But the benefit–a largely stress-free working life–are well worth the effort.
My second job was in a large corporate environment, and I had been given the responsibility to produce the employee magazine. I was writing a typical article about a committee’s planning efforts so that everyone in the organization had a feel for what was happening. I asked what the team was doing, who was on the team and when they expected to finish the work, and I got a blank stare from the manager who was my source. She said she didn’t want to put a date out there because the team might be held accountable to that date.
That’s when I first learned the truth about truth: it’s a moving target. And it’s why so many brands are so bland. When there’s no truth – no authenticity – there’s no focus, there’s no goal, there’s no accountability to the brand.
It’s happened time and time again since that day…a client, for example, will boldly make a claim that is different and relevant, only to back down when it’s put in writing for all to see. “I’m not comfortable with that” is the common response (usually during the second or third round of the approval process, just before the piece goes to print) because they realize they can’t guarantee the claim operationally.
As communicators – as brand warriors – we have only one choice: speak up, loudly and often, and demand our co-workers or clients be true to the brand. It’s the T in a D.I.R.T.Y. brand. And it’s what will help us move out of the tactical conversations and be part of the strategy conversations in our organizations.
A few years ago, I was facilitating a brand discernment process with a group of employees at a small bank client, when the receptionist asked if she’s supposed to hold the vice-president accountable to the brand. I said “absolutely” and the whole room went quiet. A smile slowly crept over the face of the vice-president, a quiet man who completely bought into the premise, and he said “yes, you should.”
It’s difficult to demand authenticity across an organization. If the brand is understood by everyone, positive brand management examples are shared with everyone, and there’s buy-in at the top of the organizational chart, however, it’s easy to be a brand warrior.
And there’s nobody more empowered to be the brand warrior than the communications professional. You can use your skills to:
• thoroughly explain the brand,
• demonstrate how others are living the brand,
• help the leadership craft a brand story and
• take it to the market.
And keep telling the story so others know how to tell the story, too.
By Mark True
Don’t forget Baush & Lomb… head back into this earlier article to see updates.
Also —
Here is some additional information that may interest you as we follow this communications case.
Take a look at what some business school profs said about this
case in BusinessWeek Online in April
“Bausch & Lomb: Crisis Management 101”
http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/apr2006/pi20060417_741558.htm
News Analysis
By Phil Mintz and Francesca Di Meglio
Visit http://www.bausch.com/en_US/ep/general/general/backgrounder.pdf
Here you can review Bausch & Lomb’s own summary of their communications response to this issue. This lengthy overview is in pdf format.
Deloitte LLP has posted its third annual chairman’s Ethics and Workplace Survey. I say that there are serious implications for the PR professional.
The intro to their news release reads:
NEW YORK, May 18, 2009 — According to the third annual Deloitte LLP Ethics & Workplace survey, 60 percent of business executives believe they have a right to know how employees portray themselves and their organizations in online social networks. However, employees disagree, as more than half (53 percent) say their social networking pages are not an employer’s concern. This fact is especially true among younger workers, with 63 percent of 18–34 year old respondents stating employers have no business monitoring their online activity.
The release continues:
“With the explosive growth of online social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, rapidly blurring the lines between professional and private lives, these virtual communities have increased the potential of reputational risk for many organizations and their brands,” said Sharon Allen, chairman of the board, Deloitte LLP. “While the decision to post videos, pictures, thoughts, experiences and observations is personal, a single act can create far reaching ethical consequences for individuals as well as employers. Therefore, it is important for executives to be mindful of the implications of this connected world and to elevate the discussion about the risks associated with it to the highest levels of leadership.”
Well, okay… how does that apply to PR, you say? I say plenty. It’s about our reputations!
The release goes on to say, “employees appear to have a clear understanding of the risks involved in using online social networks, as 74 percent of respondents believe they make it easier to damage a company’s reputation.”
“One-third of employees surveyed never consider what their boss or customers might think before posting material online,” Allen continued. “This fact alone reinforces how vulnerable brands are as a result of the increased use of social networks. As business leaders, it is critical that we continue to foster solid values-based cultures that encourage employees to behave ethically regardless of the venue.”
How about these specifics from Deloitte’s survey?
- 74% of employees surveyed say it’s easy to damage a company’s reputation on social media. 34% said they rarely or never consider what their clients would think. 15% said that it their employer did something they didn’t agree with, they would comment about it on line.
- 61% of employees say that even if employers are monitoring their social networking profiles or activities, they won’t change what they’re doing online.
And finally, consider this from the study:
“Fifty-eight percent of executives agree that reputational risk and social networking should be a board room issue, but only 15% say it actually is. How are executives working to mitigate the risks of social networking media?”
1) “Our executive team regularly discusses how we can best leverage social networks to our advantage while mitigating risks.” 27%“
2) My company has formal policies that dictate how employees can use social networking tools.” 22%
3) “Our senior leadership team addresses issues related to companywide social networking.” 22%
4) “My company has a program dedicated to monitoring and mitigating risks related to social networks.” 17%
The Deloitte conclusions include this advice:
“Therefore, attempts to mitigate reputational risk in these online communities should include an emphasis on culture, values, and ethics within an organization. By reinforcing these fundamental elements, business leaders will have the opportunity to encourage good decisionmaking in virtual social networking environments.”
What are you doing about educating your employees about their use of social media sites?
Deloitte LLP has posted its third annual chairman’s Ethics and Workplace Survey. I say that there are serious implications for the PR professional.
The intro to their news release reads:
NEW YORK, May 18, 2009 — According to the third annual Deloitte LLP Ethics & Workplace survey, 60 percent of business executives believe they have a right to know how employees portray themselves and their organizations in online social networks. However, employees disagree, as more than half (53 percent) say their social networking pages are not an employer’s concern. This fact is especially true among younger workers, with 63 percent of 18–34 year old respondents stating employers have no business monitoring their online activity.
The release continues:
“With the explosive growth of online social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, rapidly blurring the lines between professional and private lives, these virtual communities have increased the potential of reputational risk for many organizations and their brands,” said Sharon Allen, chairman of the board, Deloitte LLP. “While the decision to post videos, pictures, thoughts, experiences and observations is personal, a single act can create far reaching ethical consequences for individuals as well as employers. Therefore, it is important for executives to be mindful of the implications of this connected world and to elevate the discussion about the risks associated with it to the highest levels of leadership.”
Well, okay… how does that apply to PR, you say? I say plenty. It’s about our reputations!
The release goes on to say, “employees appear to have a clear understanding of the risks involved in using online social networks, as 74 percent of respondents believe they make it easier to damage a company’s reputation.”
“One-third of employees surveyed never consider what their boss or customers might think before posting material online,” Allen continued. “This fact alone reinforces how vulnerable brands are as a result of the increased use of social networks. As business leaders, it is critical that we continue to foster solid values-based cultures that encourage employees to behave ethically regardless of the venue.”
How about these specifics from Deloitte’s survey?
- 74% of employees surveyed say it’s easy to damage a company’s reputation on social media. 34% said they rarely or never consider what their clients would think. 15% said that it their employer did something they didn’t agree with, they would comment about it on line.
- 61% of employees say that even if employers are monitoring their social networking profiles or activities, they won’t change what they’re doing online.
And finally, consider this from the study:
“Fifty-eight percent of executives agree that reputational risk and social networking should be a board room issue, but only 15% say it actually is. How are executives working to mitigate the risks of social networking media?”
1) “Our executive team regularly discusses how we can best leverage social networks to our advantage while mitigating risks.” 27%“
2) My company has formal policies that dictate how employees can use social networking tools.” 22%
3) “Our senior leadership team addresses issues related to companywide social networking.” 22%
4) “My company has a program dedicated to monitoring and mitigating risks related to social networks.” 17%
The Deloitte conclusions include this advice:
“Therefore, attempts to mitigate reputational risk in these online communities should include an emphasis on culture, values, and ethics within an organization. By reinforcing these fundamental elements, business leaders will have the opportunity to encourage good decisionmaking in virtual social networking environments.”
What are you doing about educating your employees about their use of social media sites?
I’ve quoted my friend and mentor, David Berlo, numerous times in this column. Here’s one of his more curious gems. “The key to being effective is sincerity,” he said, “and if you can learn how to fake that, you’ve really got it made.” He was joking, of course. But like the old saying goes, there’s a bit of truth in every joke.
Key to Leadership
I was reminded of David’s quip recently when I attended a presentation on a report entitled “The Authentic Enterprise.” It was published two years ago by the Arthur W. Page Society from a study that examined the role of senior communicators in the 21st century.
Based on comments from numerous CEOs and chief communications officers, the report summed up the study’s pivotal finding like this – “In a word, authenticity will be the coin of the realm for successful corporations and for those who lead them.” The report goes on to say, “Demands for transparency are at an all-time high, and give no sign of ebbing.”
Reality is Fabulous
Perhaps it’s not surprising that businesses have struggled with the elemental need to be straight shooters. It’s certainly not new – just look at what Henry David Thoreau wrote in Walden more than 150 years ago …
“Shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while reality is fabulous. If men would observe realities only, and not allow themselves to be deluded, music and poetry would resound along the streets. Let us settle ourselves, and work and wedge our feet downward through the mud and slush of opinion, and prejudice, and tradition, and delusion, and appearance, till we come to a hard bottom and rocks, which we can call reality.”
Despite the apparent yearning for greater authenticity … or sincerity … or reality, some skeptics think it’s mostly a hoax. They argue that when stakeholders – inside or out – say they want more authenticity, all they’re really looking for is consistency. I guess they haven’t run into as many consistently inauthentic “spinners” as I have.
A Choice and a Voice
Still, the remark made me examine what I mean when I use the word authentic. It was easier to grasp its significance by describing what I mean by IN-authentic. Here are some words and phrases that come to mind – doubletalk … misdirection … sanitizing bad news … glamorizing good news … manipulating the truth … distorting the facts … empty jargon … phony platitudes. It’s rarely an outright lie – just an artful shading of reality. Sound familiar? From where I stand, that’s a whole lot more sinister and unsavory than merely being inconsistent.
Professional communicators have a choice and a voice. We can play along and help our organizations engage in “shams and delusions” that strain credibility – or we can be champions of authenticity. Promoting the latter, the Page report says, “If we choose this path, we can transform our profession, open up new and meaningful responsibility and learning, and create exciting new career paths for communications professionals.” Now that’s something to look forward to – sincerely.
Les Landes, Landes & Associates
Buy Les’s webinar replay: Getting to the Heart of Employee Engagement
Finding your passion is an essential ingredient of winning armies, companies, and individuals. It is not a soft nice-to-have, but a strategic requisite.
How can you rapidly connect to your passion and purpose?
Want It
Carl von Clausewitz talked about the strategic power of passion and Sun Tzu underscored its importance as well. Soldiers who care about their cause fight harder. Their passion invites support. They turn the world on their side.Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the psychologist who coined the term “flow,” describes it as “the feeling of total engagement in the activity so that you don’t notice anything outside of what you’re doing.” Finding flow reduces stress, increases happiness, and improves mental health.
Paul Graham, founder of Y Combinator, argues that entrepreneurs out of touch with their passion do things for “prestige.”
“Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy,” said Graham. “It causes you to work not on what you like, but what you’d like to like.” If you pursue what others are passionate about, rather than what you love, you will always be second to market.
Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, puts it best: “If you’re into kite-surfing and you want to become an entrepreneur, do it with kite-surfing. Look, if you can indulge in your passion, life will be far more interesting than if you’re just working. You’ll work harder at it, and you’ll know more about it. But first you must go out and educate yourself on whatever it is that you’ve decided to do–know more about kite-surfing than anyone else. That’s where the work comes in. But if you’re doing things you’re passionate about, that will come naturally.”
Find It
So, hopefully you want it now (I do!). How do you find it?I found 14 short, practical exercises you can use to connect to your passion. I also created a workbook to walk you through the exercises. Click here to download a copy, or email outthink@kaihan.net.
1. Build your portfolio
Randy Komisar, technology legend and now a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, thinks looking for your one-and-only passion will paralyze you. Instead, think of a portfolio of passions and use those passions to guide you. You don’t have to choose just one!2. Write three lists
Sit down and write out three lists: everything you are good at, everything you enjoy doing, everything that gives you a sense of purpose. Then look for the common themes in these lists. (Source)3. Recall flow states
Sit me down in a library with a stack of old books and mission to produce a blog or paper, and time stops. I blink and three hours have passed. Flow states occur when you mind is so engaged in your activity that it lacks the mental capacity to notice other things. It means you are loving what you are doing. Sit down and think back from childhood to today and put together a catalogue of activities that put you into a state of flow.4. Explore the “four aims of life”
A Buddhist framework suggest there are four aims to life: (1) physical health and pleasure, (2) wealth and things and family, (3) becoming a perfect person, and (4) finding your greater purpose. Think of and write down three potential passions for each of these aims.5. Ask yourself
Deepak Chopra suggests you meditate for a few minutes to reach a state of deep relaxation, then, “Ask what your heart deeply desires and yearns to express and listen quietly for an honest response … don’t fixate on one response.”6. Create space
President Obama dedicates 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. each night, while Michelle and his girls sleep, to work, read, and write. I find my think time while cooking a midnight meal in a quiet kitchen, when everyone else is in bed, or on long flights. When is your think time?7. Write until you cry
Steve Pavlina suggests you write down the answer to “What is my true purpose in life?” Then, write another answer. Keep writing until you cry. “This is your purpose.”
Cartoons Archive
Copyright, Grantland Enterprises. |
Copyright, Grantland Enterprises. May not be reproduced. |
As I prepare to head west for this year’s IABC World Conference and then east for the Communitelligence conference, I am thinking a lot about networking and follow up. At this stage of my career, networking is the main reason I attend conferences.
Networking also continues to be a primary reason people join associations and other groups and attend conferences. Yes, the programming is important and recognition of excellence is good. But, finding colleagues who know stuff – well, that’s the real prize.
Where I sometimes, like others, fall short is in the follow through. So, here are some tips for those of us heading off to conferences in the next few weeks.
- Get their business card – don’t rely on the other person to follow up with you to acquire their contact information
- Ask if they are using Twitter or LinkedIn or another networking tool where you can connect
- If you decide to add them to your contact list, add a note about where you met and what you discussed in that first meeting
- If you send them an invitation to connect from something like LinkedIn, customize the message – you won’t appear to have tried very hard if you use the default message alone
- If they are on Twitter, follow them for a while – maybe they’ll follow you back
- Send a personal note (handwritten is very nice but uncommon, making e-mail the preferred choice these days) about how much you enjoyed meeting them
- Include a link to an interesting article in your note
- If you committed when you met to call (“I’ll give you a call…”) then call – don’t commit and then bail out
- If you committed to follow up at some time in the future, put a tickler in your calendar so you don’t forget
Networking is important for communicators at every career stage. Obviously, right now it is really important if you’ve lost, or are at risk of losing, your job. But we should always be looking out for those new great connections. Always building our catalog of talent we can turn to in a pinch.
If you’re a consultant or independent, you know these chance meetings can turn into new clients. If you hire sub-contractors, that new acquaintance may be the next perfect person to add to your team. If you work in an organization, you might have just met your future boss, or a future co-worker, or a consultant who can help make your next project shine.
Last tip: never go anywhere without a couple of business cards in your pocket. I even hike with them.
Stacy Wilson, ABC, is president of Eloquor Consulting, Inc., in Lakewood, Colorado
Comments |
RE: Great networking is all about diligence |
Great comments! Agree that you should always have business cards on you. For example, in a casual conversation with one of the humans at the dog park, I learned that her best friend worked for Great Places to Work. At the time, I was wanting to connect with someone there. The dog bond, aided by a card, made it very easy! |
Posted on Sunday, Jun 07, 2009 – 05:58:00 AM CST lizguthridge |
Another thought |
One thing I should have added to this is that new contacts often turn into great resources of information. This just happened to me last week. A new contact turns out to have just the information I need for a client project. If it hadn’t been for all the networking last month at the Council of Communication Management conference, I wouldn’t have all the information I really wanted. Stacy |
Gordon MacKenzie was interviewed by John Gerstner for the August, 1991 issue of IABC Communication World. MacKenzie, now deceased, was then “Creative Paradox” of Hallmark Cards, Kansas City, Missouri. For more insight into the mind of Gordon MacKenzie, get his cult classic Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace published in 1998.
What other employee in the corporate US has a den instead of an office, a room that is a melange of art, antiques, sculpture, cartoons and bric-a-brac, including a roll-top desk, drawing table and a wonderfully painted chair with wings hanging from the ceiling? Who else could seriously describe their job as, “inviting fellow employees to come out on the thin ice with me.” Who else has the job title creative paradox?”
Gordon MacKenzie certainly is one. As the only official creative paradox at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Mo., he is also perhaps the only creativity consultant in the US who is working to subvert corporate stultification from the inside. His title may be an inside joke, but it is a serious one.
“Large organizations are like giant hairballs,” he says, with a characteristic twinkle. Every decision adds another hair. There is existence but no life in a hairball. You have to expend creative energy to avoid getting all tangled up.”
When MacKenzie isn’t stirring up corporate creativity at Hallmark, he’s out on the lecture circuit, using overything from mirth to meditation to put audiences as large as several hundred people into a kind of surreal, creative trance.
After which he asks the audience to write a poem based on a randomly chosen noun and adjective. The brave ones volunteer to read their creations aloud. Many of the Poems are amazingly heartfelt and moving.
“Everyone has a masterpiece within him from birth,” says MacKenzie afterward. “When we are young, society draws pale blue lines, as if your life were a paint-by-numbers kit. The message is: If you stay in the lines your life will be a masterpiece. That’s a lie. You have to constantly battle to be nobody but yourself. If you go to your grave without painting your masterpiece, it will not get painted.”
MacKenzie is a small man prone to big, hearty laughs, especially after similarly deep and insightful digressions. (“I’m really babbling now,” he chides himself.) He also has the somewhat disconcerting habit of occasionally blowing air as he speaks. “I do it to stay in touch and keep from shutting down,” he says.
Interviewed at Hallmark, in what he insists on calling “My Room,” MacKenzie dances around the subject of corporate creativity like a dervish … reading a poem from “The Awakened Eye” by Frederik Frank … talking freely about his recovery from alcoholism … confiding that it took him 20 years to find the courage to do a pirouette in the hallowed halls of Hallmark,
MacKenzie believes in letting go, having fun, enjoying the “ecstasy of living.” As if to prove the point, he happily and without hesitation agreed to pose for the camera while wading in the company reflecting pool.
“I wish I had your job,” a fellow employee teased as MacKenzie was testing the corporate waters. MacKenzie just flashed a huge grin.
JOHN GERSTNER: Why are most corporate environments so sterile, so corporate?
GORDON MACKENZIE: My guess is it’s control. Large organizations feel a deep need to control, and that extends to the physical environment.
JOHN GERSTNER: Do you think this desire to control is sinister?
GORDON MACKENZIE: No, I think it’s just a responsibility to the customer and to shareholders to try and deliver the best possible product. To do that entails a certain need for predictability, and to get that one is often drawn into a need for over, controlling the situation. I understand creativity to be a manifestation of the unconscious. We can’t know ahead of time what’s going to come up. It seems to me the way around this is to let creativity flow and pick through it to find the things that can be exploited for positive gain. We tend not to do that.
JOHN GERSTNER: Why?
GORDON MACKENZIE: Our society is threatened by people having too much access to that limitless creativity within our unconscious, because it might raise uncomfortable questions and there is stuff in there that looks insane. Therefore, society discourages creativity in an incredible variety of ways.
JOHN GERSTNER: This must be a very unusual corporation.
GORDON MACKENZIE: Remarkable.
JOHN GERSTNER: How do you mesh with the accountants at Hallmark?
GM: I don’t think we understand each other. I think a lot of us are reluctant to understand each other. So we mesh with a lack of mutual understanding to a certain degree.
JOHN GERSTNER: Healthy misunderstanding?
GORDON MACKENZIE: Tolerance. Knowing at some level that we need each other, but wishing that we didn’t. (Laugh.)
JOHN GERSTNER: Tell me about your job at Hallmark. Creative paradox?
GORDON MACKENZIE: I don’t have a job description. I’m doing it right now. My job is to put myself out in front of you or whoever and risk to grow. Really to risk and stretch and walk out on some thin ice and say, “I wonder if I can stand here.”
I try to do this with workshops and brainstorming sessions where I try to offer some non-ordinary ways for people to get at the limitless resources that they have inside of them. Creativity, more than anything else, is gaining access to what we already have.
JOHN GERSTNER: Do you think there is a penalty for exhibiting creativity as you do inside a corporation?
GORDON MACKENZIE: Could we say “price” instead of “penalty?” Yes, there’s a price, but there’s a price for everything. It comes down to what each of us as individuals will honor. How much courage will we find to honor the things that we cherish? If I cherish personal freedom, but I don’t have the courage to pay the price of having that freedom … because there will be a price for it … then I will live in a kind of frustration, a wimpy world that longs for the freedom but isn’t willing to suffer the pain to get it. We can end up wishing our life away. If we can find the courage to confront an issue that is causing chronic dull pain, we can get through and beyond it.
JOHN GERSTNER: So if out of fear, you wore the business suit to work instead of the T-shirt, you would suffer that dull chronic pain.
GORDON MACKENZIE: Yes, a sense of loss, a little death.
JOHN GERSTNER: That you weren’t being true to yourself?
GM: Yes, not being true to the creative, childlike spirit that is inside me and everyone. Unable, as Frederik Frank, an artist and author, puts it in one of his poems, “to discover one’s own little song and dare to sing it in all variations, unsuited as it may be for mass communication.” Every time we choose not to sing our own little song, it’s a little death.
JOHN GERSTNER: Do you think the people you meet in corporations are stifled, or unhappy, or do you have any sense of that?
GORDON MACKENZIE: One of the things I have learned from my therapist is not to make judgments about other people’s life situation. There’s no such thing as “immaculate perception,” he says. But I know many working people are shut down, frustrated, and locked in a desperate situation they don’t know how to get out of.
JOHN GERSTNER: In a box?
GORDON MACKENZIE: Building one and having it built. It is a communal effort in which the resident of the box is an active participant.
JOHN GERSTNER: How do you get in touch with the muse when you’re in a hectic business environment where creativity may be viewed as more of a luxury than a priority?
GORDON MACKENZIE: Creativity is an essential, not a luxury. As soon as it’s seen as a luxury, it goes to the bottom of the corporation’s list of priorities. Ecstasy of living is an essential. I was late for this interview this morning. The reason I was late was because I was with some people and it was working. We were having some authenticity. And there was an energy there that deserved not to be interrupted. I miss airplanes a lot for this reason. So I pay a price.
JOHN GERSTNER: Discipline … where does that fit in when tapping into your creativity? There’s such a rush today to do what you have to do.
GORDON MACKENZIE: Can I share with you something else I learned in therapy? When you use you talk, you’re telling me what I have to do. And we do that too much in our society. When we say you, you, you all the time, somebody else owns it. When are we going to look after ourselves and say I need to do such-and-such, instead of saying you need to do such-and-such? If I can say “I” more, then maybe I will take more responsibility for where I am, for my frustrations, and for the things that are limiting who I can be. But as long as I say you, it’s someone else’s problem, and I can continue to be a victim, which is not very demanding.
JOHN GERSTNER: What advice can you offer on helping people become more creative and true to themselves inside an organization?
GORDON MACKENZIE: Learn to let go. Search for every way possible to let go, and find the courage to be yourself. This may mean maintaining a support network … a group of people you work with with whom you can truly share your deepest fears. People you can be intimate with spiritually and emotionally. People you can trust.
JOHN GERSTNER: In other words, take off the mask, whether it’s physical or mental.
GORDON MACKENZIE: Yes, the change in physical appearance will simply happen on its own when it’s ready. I think the dress for success syndrome is superficial manipulation and plays to dishonesty. If I have a need to change the way I express who I am, that change will surface, and I won’t need any instruction or hints from any publication or workshop or person.
JOHN GERSTNER: But appearance is very important, isn’t it? If you look at the board of directors of any large company, every one will be wearing a white shirt and dark suit … even the females.
GORDON MACKENZIE: Sure, but now we’re talking about conforming, adapting, and being appropriate … we’re not talking about creativity. If the goal is to reach the board of directors, there will be manipulation, cleverness, skillful politics, right moves, but creativity will not be a primary ingredient. If I set my mind on a reward and focus on that reward, the path to it will not be an authentic path. If I focus on the path, there will be rewards that I would never have dreamed of.
JOHN GERSTNER: Does this mean one shouldn’t have goals?
GORDON MACKENZIE: I hope I haven’t said should or shouldn’t. I have goals. I’ve started to write a book on what we’re talking about. I want to travel to Morocco. I want to reduce my compulsion to control other people and situations. My goal is to be not attached to outcome.
JOHN GERSTNER: In other words, just be free form?
GORDON MACKENZIE: Yeah. This has been a delightful interview, thanks in part to your willingness to let go of your questions. I was just reading this book called “Free Play.” It’s about improvisation. The author talks about somebody going to make a speech. If that person goes to a podium and delivers a written speech, everyone will have the low-energy experience of being read to. But if the speaker will write the speech, go before the group and throw his notes away, everybody knows he is coming from a place that is risky and improvising, but is not unprepared-and the energy will be high. My sense is you’ve decided to conduct this interview in the latter style. You have come prepared but you have not been shackled by your preparation. I celebrate that.
JOHN GERSTNER: So if you want to be creative inside a bureaucratic organization, you should .. let go … you said?
GORDON MACKENZIE: Do I sense you are trying to distill this down to a recipe? I would caution against that. My sense is that this article will not have answers, but will have hints of places to look within oneself. Most of us look for steps one and two. The pitfall in this is that it leads us away from the essence of creativity which is not a how-to process. It’s a letting go, a hanging loose.
I will share with you that it took me 20 years before I dared to skip down the halls of Hallmark. “Anticipatory grief ” kept me from skipping. I am mindful that I kept myself from it, but I try not to be judgmental of myself.
There’s a real difference between mindfulness and judging. judging keeps you from letting go. Instead of judging, how about being mindful of where the employee is, what the employee’s magic is, and what the employee’s blocks are that are keeping that magic from manifesting itself?
JOHN GERSTNER: That sounds wonderful if it could happen.
GORDON MACKENZIE: It is happening. Can you imagine a conversation like this, and a writer seriously thinking about writing an article-if in fact you are still seriously thinking about it-10 years ago? Where would you get it published? Maybe the Whole Earth Catalog. But not for a mainstream “legitimate” publication.
No way.
JOHN GERSTNER: Is this a typical business day?
GORDON MACKENZIE: What is a normal business day? I have … I wonder what abnormal means .. I want to look it up. I love to look up words in the dictionary. Even though I think I know the language, I don’t. Abnormal: “Deviating from the normal, the standard or a type, markedly irregular or unusual.” All my days are abnormal.
Isn’t it funny that my connotation of abnormal is that it is not OK? So there could be people in this corporation who think I behave in an abnormal way, and they might have a negative connotation of that, as I do.
My job title is creative paradox. Here’s a definition of paradox: “A statement contrary to common belief. A statement that seems contradictory, unbelievable, or absurd, but that may actually be true in fact. A statement that is self-contradictory in fact and hence false. Something inconsistent with common experience or having contradictory qualities. A person who is inconsistent or contradictory in character or behavior. The synonyms are: contradiction, enigma, mystery, absurdity, ambiguity.”
All of these things are connected to creativity. And this is connected to abnormal, unusual. Wouldn’t it be wonderful … I think it would anyway … if paradox was recognized as normal?
Want to have the best workday ever? Day after day? It’s not as difficult as you think.
These 10 tweaks to your everyday behavior will virtually guarantee you a day that’s not just enjoyable but allows you to get more done than you ever thought possible.
1. Start with 15 minutes of positive input.
It’s easier to achieve and maintain a positive attitude if you have a “library” of positive thoughts in your head, so you can draw upon them if the day doesn’t go exactly as you’d prefer. Start each day by reading (or listening to) an inspirational book to ensure that you have just such a resource at hand.
2. Tie your work to your life’s goals.
Always remember that there’s a deeper reason why you go to work and why you chose your current role. Maybe it’s to support your family, to change the world in some way, to help your customers, to make a difference: Whatever the deeper motivation, remind yourself that this workday–today–is the opportunity to accomplish part of that deeper and more important goal.
3. Use your commute wisely.
Most people waste their commute time listening to the news or (worse, especially if they’re driving) making calls, texting, or answering emails. In fact, your commute time is the perfect time to get yourself pumped up for the day, and there’s no better way to do this than to listen to music that truly inspires you and gets you in the right mood. Don’t depend on a DJ: Make your own mixes!
4. Stick a smile on your face.
It’s likely, if you followed the first three steps, that you’ll already be smiling. If not, stick a smile on your face anyway.
It doesn’t matter if it feels fake: Research has shown that even the most forced of smiles genuinely reduces stress and makes you happier. Does this mean you should be grinning like the Joker in the Batman comics? Well, yes, if that’s the best you can do. But something a bit more relaxed might be less alarming to co-workers.
5. Express a positive mood.
When most people are asked social greetings–questions such as “How are you?” or “What’s up?”–they typically say something neutral (“I’m OK”) or negative, like “Hangin’ in there.” That kind of talk programs your brain for failure.
Instead, if anyone inquires, say something positive and enthusiastic, like: “Fantastic!” or “I’m having a wonderful day!” It’s true that there are some people whom this annoys–but these are people you should be avoiding anyway.
Our society places a premium on intelligence. While we’re in school, we have it drummed into our heads that book learning and a high IQ are the necessary tools for success. Honors and attention are bestowed on the academic achievers while the majority of the people are relegated to the ever inflating ‘average’ tag. When we finally get out into the real world, it doesn’t take long to notice that being an academic high flyer doesn’t necessarily guarantee a successful or happy life.
So fine, grades and diplomas don’t guarantee success and we all know other people who weren’t the best students in school but who have found great success in their chosen career and have a wide circle of valued friends and acquaintances. We’ve all met highly intelligent people who have limited social skills. Why is this? Is something else at play?
Researchers have studied this paradox and in the past decade have begun to question the correlation between IQ, success, and happiness. They’ve found another type of intelligence, one that has to do with emotions, may be a more important determiner of overall success in life.
IQ vs. EQ
The term “emotional intelligence” first received widespread attention in a 1995 best-selling book by psychologist Daniel Goldman titled Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognize, understand and manage your emotions and the emotions of others.
Part 1 of 2
So many of you ask how to crack the code to get hired at employers of choice. How close does your background really need to be to stated position requirements? How much initiatitive is admirable and how much is a turn-off? We posed some questions directly to communication hiring managers at organizations with established infrastructure and regular hiring activity in this area.
In this piece, we speak with Tracy McKee (TM), Head of Internal Communications at Aetna Inc. and Alison Davis (AD), President of Davis & Company, a national employee communication consultancy founded in 1984.
Communitelligence: Is there really such a thing as a “created hire,” when the perfect person walks in the door and you somehow find or shift funding to make a hire happen?
AD: Yes, at least for a small firm like ours. There have been several occasions in our 20-year plus history when we met someone we thought would add value to our firm and created a position just for them. We’ve also had a couple of occasions when two finalists for a position were so good that we didn’t want to choose – so we hired them both.
TM: Yes, some of the best jobs evolve this way. The beauty is that these kinds of roles often work out very well for the individual and the hiring company. It takes imagination and courage on both sides – I’m impressed with a candidate who really understands her strengths and career goals and isn’t afraid to describe a “perfect fit” role that looks different from the one on the table.
Communitelligence: How do you feel about candidates who take the initiative and call you directly? Is this an annoyance or a point of differentiation?
AD: If we have posted a job, with a clear process for applying, and someone calls me directly, I do find that annoying – it means the candidate is not respecting our process and is trying to make an end run to reach me. I’m less annoyed is someone sends me an e-mail because it’s less intrusive: I just reply quickly and forward the info to our HR manager.
TM: Perseverance is a funny thing; you want to see it in a person once they have the job but too much of it before an offer feels like pressure and if anything, can have a negative impact. Do your homework before the interview and you’ll set yourself apart from everyone else. Trying too hard to close the sale after the interview but before an offer is too late.
Communitelligence: What do you believe is the right balance between probing and selling the candidate during the interview process?
TM: If it’s a bench strength role, I do a lot more probing and listening than selling in the initial conversation. I would never sell someone on a role that isn’t a fit and I don’t know that unless I really listen to what they say. On the flip side, if they’ve done their homework and they are clear on their own goals, they’ll be probing to see if I have an opportunity that could add to their personal portfolio of skills and experience. If they aren’t asking equally insightful questions, then that tells me a lot about their confidence level and personal clarity.
AD: My role in interviewing is 50 percent sales (“you should work here”) and 50 percent probing (“what would you bring to the party?”) Other people in our interview process are focused almost completely on probing, so I rely on them to judge the candidate more than to sell him or her on the merits of the company.
Communitelligence: If you could give candidates just one piece of advice to present or interview smarter, what would it be:
AD: Be prepared to convey specific stories/examples as case studies: the challenge you faced, the approach you took to meet that challenge, and the results you achieved. That brings your experience to life and gives your potential employer a sense of how you think.
TM: Do your homework…I once had a candidate ask me before his interview to send him all kinds of information that was available on our public website. I canceled the appointment.
Also, know what you are good at and what you want to do. When you are asked about these things, don’t give a long list of accomplishments – try talking about what you learned and what you got out of it and how that relates to the kind of work you want to do. It sounds soft, but it proves two very important points: 1) you actually did the work and 2) you have a passion for it. Otherwise, how do I know it was really your accomplishment?
By Janet Long, founder and president of Integrity Search, Inc
In our next installment, Commuitelligence will speak to: Christopher Mykrantz at Watson Wyatt Worldwide, Lisa Jarmoszka at Buck Consultants and Thomas Hill, who is currently engaged by Chevron.
Bausch and Lomb has some savvy PR folks cranking out the message these days. As a contact lens wearer myself, I was very surprised to find this:
Important message about ReNu(R)
in my email inbox.
May 15, 2006 |
|
CEO: Safety is Our No. 1 Priority | |
Chairman & CEO Ron Zarrella announces Bausch & Lomb is permanently taking MoistureLoc contact lens solution off the global market immediately. Runs: 2:10 |
How’d they know where to find me? Oh, I remember. I ordered that new lens solution over the web — the one that is being tied to eye fungus and is all over the news. Well, here’s what the B & L Chairman and CEO Ron Zarella told me personally in my email.
Dear loyal ReNu consumer,
As indicated in our previous email, we stopped selling our MoistureLoc® formulation more than a month ago. Despite exhaustive testing, we are unable to eliminate the possibility of a link to an apparent increase of a rare eye infection. Therefore, we will not reintroduce the MoistureLoc® formula. Follow this link to view a video message from Bausch & Lomb CEO, Ron Zarrella. Our goal is to provide you with the most reliable information so that you have a clear understanding of how this situation affects you and the Bausch & Lomb ReNu solutions you use. |
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We want to make following your eye care professional’s recommendations easier. That’s why we created the Bausch & Lomb Wear&Care™ Program. This program provides you with the information and products you need for healthy contact lens wear, and best of all it’s FREE — so get started today.
If you have not yet requested your coupon for a FREE 12-oz. bottle of ReNu MultiPlus solution, please follow this link. So, this is terrific… a streaming video message straight from the CEO and they created this Wear and Care “club” (healthy contact lens care program) just for consumers such as ME! Wow! They’ve got my attention. They are giving me lots of free eye stuff. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Then, I’m watching television the same night and there is Mr. Zarella giving the same video message I’d just heard on my computer that afternoon. My first reaction was, “Hey, I know that guy!” You can read this message by visiting a pdf document on their website at http://www.bausch.com/5_15_message.pdf A quick Google news search on May 18, shows all of this reaction to the B & L issue. It will be interesting to follow this case and see what editorials pop up later on. It’s a classic PR case in the making, for sure. Tricia Bishop is covering this for the Baltimore Sun. A sampling of other coverage is linked below.
MORE NEWS ON THIS CASE POSTED AUGUST 7, 2006 One Wall Street Journal article by Sylvia Pagan Westphal, boasting line graph entitled “Eye Sore,” reveals that studies showed as long as nine years ago that there might be problems related to serious fungal eye infections in the U.S. and Asia because of multi-purpose solutions. The author claims that then the manufacturers downplayed concerns, blaming problems not on the product, but on how it was being used. So, do you think the company has an obligation to push proper lens care more fervently than it already did back then? Where does personal responsibility come into play? Okay, so what else is new with this case? The August 1 issue of the Wall Street Journal includes a compelling story by Zacahry M.Seward, headlined “Contact Lens Wearers Seek Solutions.” Great pun in the headline, there. The subhead reads: “As infection worries widen, dorctors offer some safey tips; a hydrogen-peroxide solution.” So, as the science confuses more than resolves the infection issues, doctors are recommending a return to the old days. Much is made about personal efforts and hygiene to keep these lenses CLEAN. Isn’t that common sense? The American Optometric Association weighs in: “We’re seeing much more vigilance, and patients are asking what they can do to prevent these infections.” While the Bausch & Lomb incident created some alarm, most wearers simply switched brands without waiting to understand that it’s not Bausch & Lomb that’s at issue — it’s multi-purpose solutions and cleaning habits. The case continues to unfold. |
- When contacted, ask the individual how you can be help them and what they expect from this meeting.
- With this information, be honest as to how you can help.
- Decide how/when/and for how long you want to meet. Let the individual know you can meet on Tuesday mornings for 20 minutes over coffee.
- If you can’t help them, tell them.
- If you don’t like to give out referral names but are willing to share information about your company or industry, tell them.
- If you think that someone you know might be a better contact, explain why and give the contact’s information.
- When you meet, run the meeting like a business meeting. It’s your time so take control.
- If you have names or information you think might be helpful, have it handy.
- If you think of a name or contact but don’t have the information, let the individual know you will call/email them with the information or ask them to follow up with you as a reminder.
- If you want/don’t want your name used with any contact, be specific with the individual.
- When the meeting ends, let the individual know if you want to hear from them again or not. Let them know to ‘keep in touch’ or ‘wish them well in their quest.’