Jendi Coursey

  • Feb 19 2019

    Try to Avoid Dumb “S.M.A.R.T.” Goals

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    Without goals, you have no way to answer the all-important question, “Are we there yet?”

    Goals help employees coordinate their efforts, so everyone is rowing in the same direction. Goals help team members understand how they fit into an organization’s overall purpose, fostering a sense of belonging and meaning at work. Goals also provide a litmus test when opportunities arise. Instead of being distracted by each shiny, new idea, goals allow you to ask a simple question: will this opportunity help us achieve what we’re trying to achieve? If yes, pursue it. If no, don’t.

    Some goals are better than others, both on merit and by the way they’re crafted.

    An effective goal can galvanize a team, give them something to shoot for. An ill-considered goal can be demoralizing, either because it’s out of reach, because it’s based on a wrong-headed idea, or because it’s so poorly written that it’s hard to know how to proceed.

    The idea of SMART goals is credited to a water power company executive, George T. Doran, who in 1981 wrote, “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives.” SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable (or assignable), realistic and time-bound. Not every goal must meet all five criteria, but often, the more the better.

    SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable (or assignable), realistic and time-bound.

    Unfortunately, I see people creating dumb goals just to meet the five criteria. When setting a goal, the most important consideration is this: will achieving the goal have a meaningful impact? If not, it doesn’t matter that it’s specific, measurable, achievable (or assignable), realistic and time-bound.

    Let’s say you want to reduce childhood obesity among socioeconomically disadvantaged schoolchildren in your area. A worthwhile SMART goal could be to aim for a three percent increase in the number of fifth-grade students who fall within the Presidential Youth Fitness Program Healthy Fitness Zone for body mass index by the year 2020. Once you have the big goal, you can create actions that support it.

    You might consider working with public schools that have a high percentage of students who meet the criteria for free and reduced lunches (to pinpoint the socioeconomically disadvantaged). A successful program could include age-appropriate education at every grade level about why maintaining a healthy weight is important and how to do so, and a rewards program for kids who participate in a school-sponsored walking and/or fitness program. The program may also include education for parents about the dangers of childhood obesity and practical ways to provide healthy, low-cost, nutritious meals, as well as opportunities for their children to be more physically active. By measuring the fifth-graders at the beginning of the goal period, and then periodically over time, you could tell if the actions were having the desired effect. If they were, keep going. If not, adjust accordingly. This is an example of a smart SMART goal.

    Sadly, I often see people basing a goal around what’s measurable rather than what’s important. For example, to secure grant funding, a group of people interested in reducing poverty promised to complete 125 household surveys and hold a summit to discuss poverty in the 12 months. The surveys and a summit should have been actions that supported a meaningful SMART goal like: reduce the number of homeless people in our region by five percent by the year 2020.

    It is better to have a meaningful goal than a SMART goal. Ideally, a goal can be both, but if you have to choose, go for the meaningful goal. SMART goals are an excellent way to craft goals, but if you only focus on the wrong quantitative measures or completely ignore qualitative measures, your goals won’t get you where you want to go.

    If you want help crafting goals that will galvanize your team and get everyone moving in the right direction, let us know.

  • Jan 24 2019

    Don’t Let Emotion Hijack Your Argument

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    Disagreements are unavoidable, but if you keep an eye on the prize, stuff a sock in your ego, and help your rational brain overcome your emotional brain, it’s amazing how often you can get what you want.

    As I write this, we are in our fourth week of a partial government shutdown, primarily because our president and the speaker of the House can’t seem to stuff a sock in their egos and get their emotions in check.

    When we argue about something we feel passionately about, it can be hard to remain rational. The part of our brain that controls higher thinking, the prefrontal cortex, gets clubbed by the caveman part of our brain, the amygdala.

    When we feel threatened during an argument, the amygdala has a hard time differentiating an argumentative threat from the type of threat that a saber-toothed tiger may have posed. In an effort to keep us alive, the amygdala immediately sends oxygen to our extremities so we can fight or flee. This takes oxygen away from our brains and, you guessed it, away from the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain that recognizes that your colleague’s argument is offensive but not life-threatening.

    Breathe into the Corners

    To win arguments, we must get our prefrontal cortex back in control. Focused breathing is a great start. I recommend “square breathing” or imagining yourself breathing into the corners of a box. First, take a deep breath and imagine all the air going into the upper left corner of a box. Hold your breath for four seconds. Then exhale slowly for four seconds as you imagine moving to the upper-right corner. Hold for four seconds. Then use another four-second inhale to move to the lower-right corner. Hold for four seconds, and exhale slowly to get to the lower-left corner. The first time you make it around the box, your heart will probably still be hammering, but a few times around the square and it’ll begin to slow down.

    Respond with Curiosity

    When someone is verbally belligerent, it’s hard not to respond defensively, but that response only confirms the expectations of the person attacking. “Yep, we’re arguing. I must respond accordingly.” If instead, you respond with curiosity, you change the dynamic. If you try to figure out what is causing the fear and/or anger, it can make the belligerent person pause.

    Find Common Ground

    That pause is an opportunity to look for common ground. In the current political situation, Republicans and Democrats are at war over a border wall. President Trump wants one; Speaker Pelosi does not. If this argument remains focused on the wall, we may never have a functioning government again.

    President Trump says he wants a border wall to safeguard Americans. Speaker Pelosi says she also wants to safeguard Americans but she doesn’t think a wall will get the job done. Leaving all the political maneuvering aside for a moment (politicians pandering to their bases), if this were really about safeguarding Americans, the government shutdown could be over in an hour. Both sides want to safeguard Americans–they have a common goal. 

    Kick Your Ego to the Curb

    Now, even with a common goal, arguments rarely just end. There are lots of ways to achieve a goal and during the course of an argument, people often become invested in winning rather than accomplishing that goal. Our egos are powerful and, like the amygdala, not the most rational parts of us. So if we want to end arguments and still accomplish the goal, we need to figure out how to create win-win solutions. If you can help your opponent score a win, you’re a lot more likely to get what you want.

    Will either of you get everything you want? Probably not. In most cases is some better than none? Definitely. Just ask all the federal employees not getting a paycheck right now. Do you think they’d be happy with a compromise, regardless of their political affiliations? I sure think so.

    So the next time you feel your heart racing in response to a verbal attack, breathe, put your ego in check, and remember why you engaged in the first place. If you keep your eye on the prize, you’re a lot more likely to walk away with a win.

  • Nov 27 2018

    The Importance of Bringing Your Values to Work

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    I’ve been thinking a lot about how organizations can make it easier for employees (and potential employees) to know whether their values align with company values.

    B Corps: A Force for Good

    I’m working on a project for B Lab, an organization that provides a rigorous certification process for companies that want to become part of the movement to make business a force for good–a movement that encourages companies to base decisions on more than just shareholder profits.  “The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose,” according to their website.

    To become a certified B Corp, companies must take a deep dive into their social and environmental impacts: Do they pay a living wage? Do they know their suppliers’ business practices? Are socially and environmentally responsible practices hardwired into company policies? Are employees evaluated on values-aligned goals? By measuring employee performance using social and environmental metrics, employees will have no question about whether their company is serious about these types of goals versus simply paying lip service to them.

    Dare to Lead

    Not long after I began my work with B Lab, I finished reading Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead. Brown contends that companies should choose no more than one or two organizational values and then share them clearly and consistently companywide. She compares values to priorities, saying that if everything is a top value/priority, nothing is. By narrowing company values to a core value against which everything can be compared or measured, it simplifies decision making. It reminded me of a hospital CEO who said, “Regardless of whether we’re making decisions about bed linens or expanding services, I ask one question: Is it good for our patients? If the answer is yes, we figure out a way to do it. If it isn’t, we don’t.”

    Reassurance for CFOs

    I can almost feel some of the finance folks out there cringing with all this talk of making decisions based on non-financial considerations. To be clear, none of the B Corps I’ve worked with or companies discussed in Dare to Lead ignore the numbers. They just put other metrics alongside.

    When Values Align, Everyone Wins

    When employees’ values align with organizational values, everyone wins. It feels good to be proud of the company you work for. It feels good to lead a company with a clear moral compass. When people are allowed to remain true to their values on the job, they are more likely to feel engaged or even passionate about the work they do.

    My core value is to build connection. As defined by Brene Brown, connection is “the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” Good communication is an excellent tool to build connection, but it can also be used to do the opposite. If I do my job well, I can help counteract the divisive communication that creates false boundaries between people. This feels worthy of my best efforts.

    What feels worthwhile to you? If you have to check your values at the door when you get to work, maybe it’s time to rethink your job. Here’s a list of values compiled by Brené Brown. It’s a great place to start as you define your core values and how they align with the work you do.

  • Oct 30 2018

    Why Websites are Important, Even if No One Sees Them

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    It would be great if we could personally meet with each and every prospective client and share all the reasons they should choose our product or service, but unless you have really limited ambitions (e.g., your entire target audience consists of your three best friends), that’s not too practical. So, you need a way to communicate with people through other means. These days, if you’re in business, prospective clients expect you to have a website.

    Your website should be the foundation for all your communication, public relations, and marketing endeavors, so while the goal is to have plenty of site traffic, the process of creating a great website is incredibly useful before a single person sees the site.

    If you’re a new company, working through all the pieces of a good website will force you to get clear about who you are, who you’re trying to reach, and what you offer. If you’re a company that’s been around for a while, updating your website can serve as a much-needed strategic planning or visioning session. If you don’t create communication plans, strategies and content for a living, this can feel a little overwhelming, which is why companies like mine exist to help you.

    Here are the most important things to consider.

    Branding

    The first step is branding. Branding is more than a logo, a color palette, and a tagline. My friend, branding designer extraordinaire Karen Adair at DG Creative Branding, describes it better than I ever could. I recommend reading her short but entertaining blog on branding when you get the chance. Basically, the process of branding defines who you are and incorporates that into everything you do–especially into your interactions with employees, clients, board members, and even critics.

    What are your organizational values? Should your tone be friendly or formal? What colors evoke the right emotions? What image represents your organization’s unique personality? To be successful, you’ve got to be clear and consistent about who you are as a business and how you meet your clients’ needs. Relationships are based on trust, and a consistent approach builds trust.

    Messaging

    Once you’ve gone through a comprehensive branding process, it’s far easier to define (or refine) your messages. One word of caution: the biggest mistake many of my clients make is that they come from their own perspective rather than that of their clients or stakeholders. Instead of focusing on what you do, focus on how you help others do what they want to do. The most effective messages resonate because they help clients solve a problem or reach a goal. For example, you may sell socks, but if you donate part of your proceeds to clothing the homeless, a certain segment of sock buyers will choose to buy from you rather than your competitor. They’re buying socks either way, but since you helped them align their buying habits with their values, you win their business and hopefully, their loyalty.

    Think about what separates you from your competitors and how that influences your clients, and build your messaging around that.

    Website Design

    You may think that now that you’ve established your branding and messaging, your website will build itself.

    It won’t.

    First, you must create a site architecture–figure out what goes where. The same mistake that many organizations make with messaging gets repeated in website design. I recently worked with a company that insisted a top menu item should be Departments. When I asked why, they explained that a list of departments would make it clear how visitors could find the information they wanted. The truth is, their visitors have no idea which programs and services are aligned with which departments. The proper menu title was Programs and Services.

    When you create a menu structure, it’s important to think about the problem you’re solving for your client and how your client would refer to the product or service they need. Be sure to avoid industry jargon that makes perfect sense to you and very little to your clients. For example, I’m working with a school district to reorganize their website. They want to share information about everything from school events and accolades to budget and bond measure updates. In California, the budgeting process is ruled by something called the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). Anyone in education knows this, but the families whose children attend schools in the district rarely do. “LCAP” should never be a menu item. Rather, they should use “Budget” or “Funding our Schools” or some other common term that doesn’t require insider knowledge.

    Once the site architecture is determined, make sure the site is designed so that regardless of where visitors land on your site, they can easily navigate to wherever they want to go next. If you continually think as though you’re one of your clients/site visitors, you’re far more likely to be successful. Then, test your design. Ask clients or those in your target demographic to browse around and see if they can find what they’re looking for. If there is information you want visitors to see, ask your beta testers if they saw it.

    If you get rave reviews about your website, chances are you’ve nailed the branding, messaging and web design. Now you have all the building blocks for a successful communication, public relations, and marketing strategy.

    If you’d like help creating or renovating your website, contact us. We’d be happy to help.

  • Sep 18 2018

    Getting Everyone On Board

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    How many times has a new initiative born in the executive office fizzled once it hit the ground because employees couldn’t get behind it? Sadly, this is pretty darn common. Each person is motivated by different concerns and values, and if a company doesn’t take the time to build consensus within its ranks, new initiatives can be doomed to fail. The key is recognizing that employees make decisions based on self-interest. This doesn’t make them selfish jerks; it makes them human. Think about it: how often have you made decisions intended to harm you or your family? Not too often, I’m guessing.

    Create a Culture Where Employees Can Politely Say, “WTF?”

    Before we dig into how to help people accept a new paradigm, let’s back up. Long before any new initiatives are introduced, companies first need to establish their core values and create a culture of trust. You may have heard the axiom, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” It’s true. Creating a culture where change can take root is important. One way to do so is to foster transparency and innovation–allowing rank-and-file employees to share ideas and/or provide respectful, constructive criticism without putting their jobs at risk. Companies who invest in teaching employees how to effectively communicate differences of opinion create a culture where healthy discourse can happen. Change is often perceived as a threat, so if people know they can share their concerns openly, they are more likely to get questions answered and fears allayed.

    Ask for Feedback–Then Use It

    Let’s say you, as the CEO, have created an emotionally safe working environment where employees can say what’s on their mind. This does not guarantee they’ll like your new idea. Now you must figure out how to get buy-in, but how? Well, let’s look at why you like this new initiative. Have you had any part in creating it? Do you feel some ownership? Most likely so. People typically feel more vested when they’ve had a role in creating an initiative. Is it easy to create an initiative with dozens, hundreds or even thousands of employees? No. But is it worth the effort? Absolutely.

    Before you craft every element of the new initiative, consider asking for input. Be clear about the problem you’re solving so people can share creative solutions rather than simply polishing those already offered. If critiques hit the mark, acknowledge them, even if you don’t have a way to address the newly identified problems yet. If feedback improves the initiative, share that information. It’s not enough to ask for feedback and incorporate it. You must let people know you’ve done so.

    Pay Attention to Haters

    If you have intransigent opposition, it may be worth seeing whether it is the initiative itself or something else that’s bothering people. Are they afraid of the change? Are they actually upset about something else and using this as a surrogate? Or, is the business case for this initiative simply not as strong as you first thought?

    Having consistent internal and external messaging (i.e., telling employees the same thing you tell the public) reinforces trust. If your internal audience (employees) can’t get on board, it’s probably worth slowing down the new initiative’s implementation and public roll out. When executives get excited about something, they sometimes forget to make time for the process of creating buy-in, assuming employees will agree on the obvious merits of the new direction instantly. This is a dangerous mistake, one that can cause the initiative to fail.

    What Next? A Few Resources

    Depending on where you are in the process, here are a couple books for teaching employees how to have difficult conversations:

    If you want a facilitator to help build consensus, Heather Paulsen Consulting can help.

    If you’d like to create a culture of transparency and trust within your organization, call me. I’d love to help. It’s easier than you think.

  • Aug 09 2018

    PR is Not a Dirty Word

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    I recently hired a full-time project manager, Kendyl, and it’s been interesting to see the reaction of her friends as she tells them she works for a small public relations firm. Some nod noncommittally, not really sure what a PR firm does. Others recoil a bit, as though Kendyl has just contracted a mildly contagious illness.

    I get it. PR firms can use their power for good or evil, as it were, and in this do-not-trust-the-media environment, PR firms can be viewed as spin doctors. However, those of us in the communications business with scruples can do tremendous good in the world, building community and reinforcing positive change.

    I focus on the “relations” part of public relations. I help my clients build relationships with the public, with their clients, and with their employees, shareholders and board members. I even help them improve their relationships with their detractors–by publishing factual information, at least people can form opinions based on the truth rather than rumor. While marketing depends on paid advertising to enhance credibility and popularity, public relations focuses on unpaid sources, or “earned media.” In my mind, this is a huge distinction. If you pay for an ad, it’ll get published. It’s a whole different deal when you send a press release to an objective member of the media and they decide the information is newsworthy enough to share with their readers.

    I focus on the “relations” part of public relations.

    And the media isn’t the only one source of news. Word of mouth has always been the most powerful way to spread information. These days, with social media, word of mouth can spread to thousands or even millions of people almost instantly. As a consumer, the trick is to be a savvy, discriminating reader.

    Because there is so much information out there, it can be hard for organizations to get much attention. This is where I come in. When people make the world a better place, I share their stories, so they can get the support and credit they deserve. I do my best to build confidence in our fellow man by reminding people they are surrounded by those who heal, who educate children, and who put themselves at risk to safeguard others.

    Locally, did you know that Ross Liberty of Factory Pipe donated the land at the old Masonite site for the Mendocino Complex Fire staging area, instead of charging the state the thousands of dollars (a day) that they’d have been willing to pay? Did you know that Ukiah Unified School District bus drivers and mechanics volunteered to help evacuate the Lake County Jail inmates during the fires? Did you know that over the years, Mendocino College has worked with local businesses to create programs like the Nursing Program and the Sustainable Construction Program, so we have the workforce we need to care for people and build homes in our valley? These are the stories a PR professional shares.

    Every company has a set of values. As a PR professional, I choose to work with people who contribute positively to society. You don’t have to eradicate hunger or single-handedly reverse climate change, but you can’t be in the business of hurting others or ruining the environment in exchange for the almighty dollar. I work with educators, healthcare organizations, local governments, and community-minded businesspeople. I help my clients increase their profits, so they can do more good work. Most of us in the PR world, either out of ethics or self-preservation, won’t help a client misrepresent themselves. I certainly won’t.

    If you decide to work with a PR professional, you should expect to be lead through a process that helps you define your key audiences and messages (aligned with your strategic goals, of course). The PR professional should help you set realistic goals based on your budget, timeline and ultimate endgame. He or she will use the tool of the trade, including writing press releases, speeches, and blogs; developing speaking engagements and fostering strategic alliances; and making pitches to the media and influential opinion leaders. Working behind the scenes, the PR professional can help you earn prominent coverage where it matters most.

  • Jun 04 2018

    How Costco Won Me Over

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    I live in a small, rural town in Northern California that’s been waiting for Costco to come for about ten years, and now it’s finally happening! Costco opens July 19, 2018. Some people have waited for Costco with barely contained excitement at the prospect of new jobs and enhance shopping possibilities, while others have anticipated Costco’s opening with deep concerns about the future of some local businesses. As a communications professional, it’s been interesting to see how Costco approaches the community in which it is about to open, including how its employees handle the fact that not everyone is thrilled about their arrival.

    The new store will be located south of town on Airport Boulevard and will include the warehouse products it is famous for, as well as groceries, gas, glasses and contact lenses, hearing aids, photo printing, a pharmacy, a bakery, a deli, and more. Like many big businesses, Costco does its homework. It studies an area to determine whether the population base will support its economic success. Clearly, Ukiah made the cut.

    When I first heard we might get a Costco, I felt mixed. I’d love to have more shopping choices in town. We don’t even have a Target. Local businesses who want to stay afloat cannot afford to bring in highly specialized items or large quantities of goods at discounted prices, so I have to go online or travel at least an hour away for those. On the other hand, I value the business owners in my community and I know the ones who are forced to compete with Costco are likely to lose.

    So how did Costco win me over?

    To be fair, I was never on the corner protesting against warehouse stores, so Costco didn’t have to turn a “no” to a “yes,” but rather a “maybe” into a “yes.” My personal shopping philosophy has always been to shop at locally owned businesses first, and even pay a small premium there, but not to be a slave to the shop-local dogma.

    The first thing that began to win me over was Costco’s reputation for paying fair wages and providing good working conditions.

    The first thing that began to win me over was Costco’s reputation for paying fair wages and providing good working conditions. On its website, Costco includes information about its sustainability commitment that includes things like “take care of our employees” and “support the communities where our employees and members work” and “operate efficiently and in an environmentally responsible manner.” I dig this stuff.

    Then, a month ago, they reached out to me as a local blogger and asked if I’d like to write about them. Their only requirement was to share the news that they’re opening and to let folks know they were offering special deals for people who purchased memberships early  As someone in public relations, I know they are supposed to sound fired up about their prospective opening, but it felt like they were truly excited about it.

    A couple weeks later, I was sitting in my office downtown when a team of three polite and enthusiastic people with Costco shirts asked if I might be interested in becoming a Costco member. They did not know I was writing a blog on the subject. They’d been to every business on the block and planned to continue their canvassing until they’d covered the bulk of the business district. The team consisted of two Ukiah store managers, and a membership/outreach guy. One manager was from Eureka and another was transferring from Rohnert Park, though she was originally from Sacramento. Knowing they were from Northern California somehow made me feel like they might better understand how to support the Ukiah community.

    It’s hard to put my finger on exactly why I liked them as much as I did, except to say that they weren’t the least bit pushy, they genuinely seemed to like working for Costco, and they clearly believed a Costco membership was a great thing. I asked the guy from Eureka whether they’d met much resistance, given our small-town suspicion of warehouse stores. Instead of getting defensive, he said, “I’m from Eureka. I get it.” Then he went on to tell me in great detail why he liked Costco and all about the Costco Membership options. The other guy occasionally chimed in about various things he’d ordered for his mom for Christmas through the years, and I began to wonder if there is anything Costco doesn’t sell. (Check out their grocery offerings here. I challenge you to come up with a grocery item they don’t have.)

    I opted for the Executive Membership for $120, as opposed to the regular $60 membership, because if you purchase the Executive Membership, you get 2 percent back on qualified (Kirkland) purchases and, if you sign up before the store opens July 19, Costco will give you $60 worth of Kirkland merchandise and a $20 gift card that can be used on anything in the store. Basically, there’s no downside to purchasing the more expensive membership if you do it before July 19. If the 2 percent rebate doesn’t cover the cost of the Executive Membership, you can just downgrade to the regular membership next year. Click here or visit the folks in the pop up tent in front of the store to purchase your membership before July 19.

    I know change (even positive change) can be hard, and Costco’s arrival will be a big change. I hope having a Costco in town will help a lot more people than it hurts, that Costco will bring needed jobs, increased tax revenues, and a wider variety of goods and services to our area. I believe it will.

     

  • May 29 2018

    Figure Out What Differentiates You

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    When someone asks you what makes you unique, do you suddenly feel like the least interesting person in the world, like there’s absolutely nothing that differentiates you from hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of others? If so, you’re not alone. While we can often see what makes our friends, co-workers, and even competitors unique, it can be really hard to identify what makes us stand out from the crowd.

    If you work for yourself, it’s important to identify the things that set you apart. This is central to defining your brand.

    I recently presented a seminar to a group of real estate agents. While the focus was on helping Realtors promote themselves, the issues pertain to anyone defining their own brand and marketing their own business. Here are some highlights of the day’s talk.

    Four Keys to Marketing Success

    I love it (not really) when people ask me if I can “do an ad” or “make a website” before they’ve figured out what they have to offer or what they want to accomplish. First things first. Before you jump into marketing your business, consider these four things.

    1. Brand Promise – Be clear and consistent about who you are as a business person and how you meet your clients’ needs. Remember, relationships are based on TRUST and a consistent approach builds trust.
    2. Targeted Message – Define your target market(s) specifically and create your marketing messages accordingly. “Specializing in residential properties” is not specific enough.
    3. Long-Term Goals – Set big-picture goals about what you want to achieve and how you want to achieve it: this year, next year and during the next five years.
    4. Measurable Results – Use your long-term goals to make to set short-term targets that are clear, measurable, and attainable. How much money do you want to make by when? How many hours do you want to work? What skill or knowledge do you want to obtain? What can you achieve in the next 30 days, 90 days, 180 days?

    Defining Your Brand by Writing a Bio

    In developing your brand, you’ve got to figure out what differentiates you from your competitors.

    A great exercise to help nail down your branding is to write a biography, one that shares your best attributes while explaining how you’ll address your clients’ needs.

    In the seminar, I asked the Realtors to write down words that described them. Many wrote things like “friendly, helpful, and hard-working.” These are fine, but they don’t set a Realtor apart. So as an example, we started to dig into what it means to be helpful. It was amazing how many different definitions people came up with. The more concrete they were in describing the ways they help clients, the more their individual personalities came through. One experienced Realtor said, “I really listen, so clients get exactly what they want.” Another said, “I’m super organized, so I save my clients a lot of time.” Still another said, “I’m all about getting things right the first time–I’m careful and methodical.”

    The more concrete they were in describing the ways they help clients, the more their individual personalities came through.

    The sooner you realize that you’re not going to be the perfect fit for everyone, the sooner you can start thinking about who you’re best suited to work with. If you love technology but your prospective client has a flip phone and a Gateway computer, this may not be a match made in heaven. If, on the other hand, you can geek out on the pros and cons of the iPhoneX versus the Samsung Galaxy S9, this could be the start of a fun and rewarding relationship. The point is, you will be more successful if your services, your personality, and your work style mesh well.

    If you’ve never given much thought to your brand or the attributes that make you unique, you might enjoy taking the Myers-Briggs assessment (16personalities.com) or working with a coach like my friend Marc Carson (marccarsoncoaching.com). It’s amazing what a little insight can do for you, both about your own strengths and weaknesses, and those of others.

    Once you’ve got a good overview of your personality type, it’s time to get specific.

    1. Write down at least a dozen words that describe you; then choose your favorites—the ones that describe you best or that make you stand out. For example, I’d say I’m professional, positive, energetic and genuine.
    2. Then dig into each word and see if you can get even more specific. Be as specific and concrete as possible as you come up with words or phrases that describe you. The goal here is to really define who you are as a business person. For me, “professional” means getting projects done on time and on budget. It means only offering services I know I can deliver in a way that exceeds expectations. For “positive,” I really mean that I see clients’ challenges as interesting puzzles to solve. I am incurably optimistic and believe that with enough perseverance and focus, we can do almost anything. As for “energetic,” that’s it. I have more energy than the average hummingbird, so I can take on a huge load and have a great time doing it. And “genuine” means helping clients I believe in. I can’t promote something or someone I don’t believe in. I want to make the world a better place. I love working with clients in education, healthcare, and community building. I like to work for employers who take care of their employees, pay a fair wage and honor their work. So these are my business principles, and I find clients who fit with me.
    3. See if you can narrow your list to your core traits. Select the descriptions that are most accurate and most important in attracting the business you want.
    4. Then ask friends, colleagues and others you trust for their feedback. Sometimes we have blind spots, and it’s important to hear from people who will give you the praise and/or criticism you need.

    If you’d like help defining your brand, get in touch. This is one of the things we do best.

  • Apr 17 2018

    Writing Clearly Requires Thinking Clearly

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    Whether you’re responsible for communicating with colleagues in your organization, stakeholders who share your interests, or members of the public, chances are you often communicate via the written word, using email, reports, white papers, press releases, advertising copy and even text messages to share your ideas.

    The key to good writing is to pare away unnecessary information until you are left with only the essentials—the words and ideas that lead your audience down a clear path toward your goal.

    Before you start paring, be sure to capture all your key ideas. Create a “sloppy copy” (to borrow a phrase from a wonderful fourth-grade teacher named Johanna Lopez). Get your thoughts down on paper without worrying about how you will organize them.

    Then, consider your audience. Frame the key ideas from your sloppy copy in a way that puts your readers’ interests first (e.g., instead of listing your services, explain how your services pertain to your readers–how do you help them? What problems do you solve for them? How does your message relate to them?).

    Be sure you’ve thought about how you want people to respond to your message, and include enough information so they can. If you want people to take action, tell them what you want them to do. And if you want them to visit your website, be sure to include the URL. Sounds basic, I know, but it’s amazing how often people miss the easy stuff.

    Now that you’ve identified your key ideas and framed them so your audience will find your message relevant, it’s time to organize and distill.

    First, organize. What information must you provide so people can receive the full impact of your message? Have you defined terms? Does your audience need the backstory? It’s best if you can carry people along step-by-step. Finding a way to tell a compelling story can help people do more than understand, it can help them care about your message.

    Finding a way to tell a compelling story can help people do more than understand, it can help them care about your message.

    Once you’ve created your story, remove superfluous words and phrases. Here are a few ways to do so:

    Use active voice (e.g., Say, “She threw the ball” rather than, “The ball was thrown by her.”).
    Remove redundancies. Usually, you are not driving your point home; you’re boring people.
    Watch your modifiers. Replace phrases with words and use the simplest, most powerful modifier you can.  Instead of saying, “Bill Clinton, who used to be the President…,” say “Former President Bill Clinton…”  Scan your document for the word “very.” If you find it, you haven’t used a strong enough descriptor. Replace “very hungry” with “famished;” replace “very angry” with “livid.” You get the idea. You can always replace “in order to” with simply “to.”
    Sometimes the problem isn’t the writing—it’s the thinking. Let’s take something as simple as an email to employees about keeping the breakroom refrigerator clean. You could write something like this:

    It has come to my attention that food is getting left in the refrigerator to spoil. Having a refrigerator is a perk provided by our organization, but if people keep leaving old food in it, the fridge will be removed. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    Sounds pretty snarky to me. If you write an email like this, my guess is you’ll get eye-rolling from some and righteous indignation from those who always remove their food in a timely manner. Truth is, no one wants to read a message like this. If your goal is for people use the refrigerator respectfully, then solve the problem and then rewrite the email.  How about this?

    I’ve placed masking tape and a Sharpie on the counter next to the breakroom refrigerator. Please put your name and the date on any food you put in the fridge. Each Friday, we’ll check the dates. Any food from the prior week will be discarded to avoid spoilage.

    If your thinking is muddled or ill-defined, your writing will be too. If you don’t have a point to make, no amount of fancy writing will make up for that. If you find you’re having a hard time writing, it may be that you haven’t done enough thinking. Stop writing. Push away from your computer and ask yourself, “What exactly am I trying to say?”

    If you’d like help figuring out what you’re trying to say, get in touch. There’s nothing like an objective sounding board to get you back on track.

  • Mar 28 2018

    Taking a Stand

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    As an organization or individual professional, when should you take a public political stand? What are the risks and benefits? Who will you alienate or support by your statements?

    If you haven’t done clear branding work, these questions will be tough to answer. Branding is not simply developing a logo. (That’s just an outcome.) Branding means defining who you are as an organization, figuring out who you serve, and understanding why you do what you do.  Your brand should support your mission–it’s your organizational promise.

    Taking a strong stand on a controversial political topic is risky, but depending on who you are as a business, it can be one worth taking.

    In response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida on Valentine’s Day 2018, Dick’s Sporting Goods took a stand on gun control that helped define who, exactly, the retailer wants to serve. They banned assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines, and they increased the minimum age for purchasing a gun to 21. Then they publicly urged elected officials to raise the minimum age for gun purchases; ban assault-style firearms, high-capacity magazines and bump stocks; require universal background checks that include relevant mental-health data and previous interactions with the law (requiring a database of prohibited buyers); and close the private-sale and gun show loophole.

    They drew a line in the sand. Dick’s decided who their target audience should be: athletes and outdoors people (young and old), including responsible adult gun owners who use their guns for hunting or sport. No doubt, some customers will decide to stop shopping at Dick’s to show their support for the National Rifle Association’s stance on gun control; however, my bet is that more customers will decide to shop at Dick’s to show their support for stronger gun control laws that safeguard innocents.

    Personally, I never really thought much about the difference between Dick’s and their competitors like Big 5 Sporting Goods, Pacific Outfitters, REI, and others, but now, I would go out of my way to shop at Dick’s Sporting Goods.

    Taking a strong stand on a controversial political topic is risky, but depending on who you are as a business, it can be one worth taking. When it comes to sharing your organization’s position, be sure to consider all your audiences, both internal and external. Talking to your internal audiences before you make a public announcement allows you to do two things: 1. assure that you have consensus within the organization, and 2. provide employees and other internal stakeholders (e.g., board members, community partners, etc.) with the information they need to support and magnify your position.

    If you’d like help developing your branding or deciding how to share your message, give us a shout.