*Passing the Baton: Relinquishing command is never easy, and may prove especially hard for baby boomers used to working hard in a fast-paced economy. Failed attempts at power
switches abound lately. J.C. Penney dismissed its COO in December after only five months because the newcomer couldn't learn the ropes fast enough to replace the vet. This month
last year, Viacom's Sumner Redstone dismissed chief executive Tom Freston eight months after his promotion.
Many aging leaders choose to move on gradually, hoping to ease the transition and protect their legacy. But even gradual shifts pose problems. According to Christina Williams, a
principal at Atiara Group, another coaching firm, how long a transition lasts "is irrelevant if the trust isn't there between the outgoing and incoming leaders."
Source: CareerJournal.com
*Managing Countries and Companies: Representing a multinational corporation is hard work, but according to a new survey from Weber Shandwick, most business leaders believe that
heads of state have a tougher job when it comes to managing their country's reputation. Here's what executives think about reputation management:
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68% of global business leaders think country reputation is harder to manage well, while 29% chose company reputation.
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57% say an industry's reputation is harder to manage than a company's, while 37% say the opposite.
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71% over 24% say publicly held company reputation is more difficult to manage than privately held company reputation.
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77% think company reputation is trickier than individual reputation, over 21% to the contrary.
Source: Weber Shandwick
*5 Integration Landmines to Avoid: So many things tend to fall through the cracks when more than one agency is involved in a project, according to Tom Hespos, president of
Underscore Marketing. He points to the following five landmines to avoid:
1. Communications Protocols: "Different clients need face time at different intervals and times of the day. You might talk with one brand manager once a month on a face-to-face
basis, while someone in marketing might require your presence at meetings a few times a week. In general, you feel this out over time and do your best to conform to whatever
expectations your client has of your account management protocols."
2. Workflow Process: "Almost every agency has a different process for delivering on the same piece of work. It's important to realize that when a new agency gets involved, its
processes might not be compatible with yours. Walkthroughs at the beginning of a project are a helpful solution, with deliverables, timeframes and dependencies clearly mapped out.
If you map out the timing of the project and discuss any perceived dependencies, then you'll spot bottlenecks and you'll be able to address them up front, saving yourself time and
headache in the long run."
3. Stewardship of Ideas: "When there is more than one agency involved, then there is more than one agenda involved. Stick to your guns. Don't be afraid to insist that your good
idea not be repurposed to serve another goal, even if it means shooting down the notion of repurposing it during one of those 'no negativity: all ideas are good' multi-agency
brainstorming sessions. You'll thank yourself later when you have clear strategies and tactics that address specific objectives."
4. Timeline Expectations: "Always specify 'by 9 a.m.' and such, since leaving it ambiguous can leave schedules open to interpretation. And we all know that project schedules
aren't meant to be subjective. One agency's 'reasonable timeframe' might not synch up with another agency's expectation of a timely delivery."
5. Specs: "A thorough understanding of specs is often one of the casualties of bringing in more than one agency on a project. Always build in some time on projects to gather
specs from Web sites and ad servers. Also, build in some time to walk agency partners through them. Otherwise, chances are greater than not that you'll end up getting something
other than what you're expecting."
Source: iMediaConnection and Tom Hespos