*Best of the Blogs: Whether you're Tyra Banks or a celebrity executive, a blog can be an excellent way to build your brand and communicate with readers and competitors alike in
an informal setting. It's a fun and productive marketing tool, and can provide an easy way to get a feel for how you are perceived in the public eye. However, celebrity blogs
range from great to truly awful, so keep these factors in mind when maintaining your own:
-
Authenticity: Are you sharing your real experiences or just posting a stream of press releases? A blog is much more meaningful if you write it yourself, and while
editing is acceptable, it's still less personal and honest.
-
Consistency: Do you update your blog enough to keep readers coming back? A good author needs to engage with his/her readers.
-
Interaction with fans: Do you answer readers' questions, clear up rumors, etc.? Is there an open forum where fans can post? How involved are you?
Source: FastCompany.com
*What Workers Want: Countless studies conducted over the years have reached similar conclusions about office culture's effect on morale. A key research paper by Terry Bacon,
president of Lore Institute, identifies such a commonality: from age 20 to 60, employees think they deserve respect. But are leaders paying attention to such studies? There aren't
too many studies about actual leadership responses to these issues.
Ask yourself: Are you inspiring your staff or simply motivating them? Yes, there is a difference. One is sustained, and energizes people to do their best all the time, while
the other is task-oriented and expensive. Motivation comes from an external influence like the promise of a raise or bonus, or the threat of a deadline. Inspiration comes when a
staff feels that leadership actually cares about them and notices their work. People want real recognition from other human beings. Take, for example, a policy that shows staff "I
caught you doing something good." Leaders should let staff know that not only did they notice them, but they went to the effort to tell them they noticed. It's not about prizes,
or about endless studies, it's about creating sustainable and positively contagious leadership.
Source: FastCompany.com
*Out of Touch: A new survey conducted by marketing consultant Robb High yields some interesting info regarding relationships between Marketing/Communications firms and client
decision-makers:
-
76% of Marketing/Communications firms have no regular (more than 3/year) outbound communications directed to client marketing decision-makers;
-
68% of client decision-makers cannot name more than 5 agency brands (aside from their current agency/agencies);
-
59% of those who know 5+ brands rate their depth of familiarity as "agency brand name only;"
-
68% of MarCom firms with outbound communications send to a list of fewer than 100 companies, even though only one in 16 clients conducts a review in any given year;
-
79% of MarCom firms with an outbound communications program use only land mail; and,
-
97% of decision-makers select email as their "preferred" form of business communication.
*Job Fair Etiquette: Returning from the National Association of Black Journalists Convention, Time Inc. recruiter Nadira A. Hira offers these tips for anyone heading to a job
fair or into an interview:
-
Calm down: Enthusiasm is good, but you don't want to come off as over-aggressive or obsequious. Take an honest look at yourself and try to weed out any tendencies that
could frighten or annoy your recruiters.
-
Templates aren't everything: Recruiters read plenty of letters beginning "This letter is to express my interest in..." Clarity is key, but if you want to stand out, get a
little creative.
-
Not all advice is good: Everyone's eager to offer their tips on the job search, but make sure you do some independent thinking, too. If it sounds wrong, it might be. Don't
get too caught up in following everyone else's "rules" for the process.
-
Prepare answers: There are at least a few questions you can count on getting. When someone asks you what you want to do, "Anything" is not a helpful answer.
-
You're not interviewing for CEO: There's nothing wrong with ambition, but for now, concentrate on the job your recruiter is offering, and don't come across too eager to be
in charge.
Source: TheGig.Blogs.Fortune.com
*The Workplace ... 10 Years From Now: A BusinessWeek poll of 2,000 executives and middle managers, covering a variety of topics, tells us that some big and unexpected changes
may be in store for the workplace in the coming decade:
-
54% of people in small companies (under 50 employees) like their jobs, vs. 44% in big companies (1,000+)
-
9% of people are on a first-name basis with someone in India, vs. 32% in 10 years (projected)
-
30% of people 25-34 agree that workers under 35 tend to be slackers, vs. 49% of those 35-54. 49% of those with a household income under $75,000 agree with the same
statement, vs. 35% with an income $150,000+.
-
52% of men chose China as the thing that scares them the most, 27% said Wall Street, 11% said their spouse, 6% their boss, and 4% their computer. Of women, 46% chose China,
35% Wall Street, 7% their boss and the same number their computer, and 5% their spouse.
-
90% of managers think they're in the top 10% of performers in their workplace.
-
36% say people got more done before the age of email.
-
When asked who they'd most like to be their direct boss, 62% of whites chose their current boss, 29% chose Oprah Winfrey, and 9% chose Donald Trump. Of non-whites, 44%
chose their current boss, 48% chose Oprah, and 6% chose Trump.
-
Places people would most like to work, in order: the government, Google, my current job, Goldman Sachs.
-
6% of respondents under 30 say they have accidentally called their boss Mom or Dad.
Source: BusinessWeek.com