Monument Graphics Blog

Ok, I had to pass this blog post on…we certainly have talked about this in our office and among other agency owners…not the part about speaking in front of audiences, and perhaps boring them to death…but being upfront and brutally honest with clients, even when it means possibly loosing the work. I think we would be more successful in leading them to positive results. I love the client that gives you the opportunity to really tell them what is needed, to do creative workshops to address all the issues, not just a small piece…kudos to them, and for the others…Well, I’ll try and work on this for 2011.

How to get fired on-stage, Steve Martin-style

It’s not every day that I can say that I know exactly how Steve Martin feels. But reading about a recent incident involving the noted comedian, author, and musician had me shaking my head in empathy.

Martin was being interviewed at New York’s 92nd Street Y, a prestigious venue for lectures and interviews. During the conversation about Martin’s recent novel, presumably sensing that the audience was not engaged in the session, someone from the 92Y handed the interviewer a note: “Ask him about his interesting career.” The audience applauded loudly, and the rest of the interview covered more popular aspects of Martin’s work. This was surely difficult for Martin, to have his interview derailed so abruptly and publicly. (Later, wit still intact, he posted an offer to erase any signatures from books he signed at the event.)

The incident brings back memories I have of a certain event. I once gave a presentation to a room full of executives about the importance of listening to customers. Rather than simply talking about the listening process, I brought an audience member up on stage to walk us through their customer experience, live: an unscripted, authentic depiction of how they used a particular service day-to-day. The plan was to run this session, then one more audience member after that, to give the executives a taste of how customer-centered “listening labs” quickly begin to reveal significant patterns and learnings.

I never got that far. Now, the first session went great. The first respondent showed his customer experience with the service, pointing out both positive and negative aspects, as they occurred. The audience was strongly engaged, responding with laughter, groans, or applause, depending on the moment. A slam dunk, I thought.

Immediately after I thanked and dismissed the first respondent, and prepared to call the second respondent on-stage, one of the organizers scurried on stage to hand me a note. “Go to wrap-up.” They wanted me off stage, and fast. I was confused and a little concerned: was there breaking news that they needed to announce? Why cut short a lively, engaging session?

The reason became clear when I left the stage and the organizers called a coffee break. The head organizer, a senior executive, marched up to me – visibly angry – and told me that the general manager of the service featured in the listening lab was in the audience, and might have disliked hearing negative comments about the service. I explained that the session design had been specifically requested and approved by the organizers, but no matter. The existence of any negative feedback was grounds for immediate termination of the session.

A followup email from the organizers later made an even stronger case, saying that “the audience was a bit too enthusiastic in pointing out [the service's] failings.” Even the audience was culpable, apparently, by enthusiastically observing a real live customer experience.

It’s clear that the senior executive wanted to see a customer on-stage giving nonstop praise to the service. In the world of press releases and corporate spin, negativity is the enemy and must be stamped out. Even more dangerous is the loss of control of the message.

What made the executive most uncomfortable, I think, is a simple lesson. Customers will tell the truth, if you ask them to. Depending on your perspective, that’s either the most disturbing or the most valuable possibility: that someone will tell you the absolute truth about the product or service that you create. Being open to that truth requires losing “control of the message” and, yes, being ready to hear the negative alongside the positive.

As for my own experience being handed the note – much like Steve Martin got his on-stage note recently – it’s painful, but I know it’s not about me. I’m just the messenger. The real question is, do the people in charge want to hear the truth?

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source: Good Experience

Sample Social Networking Policies

Below are some suggested policies that you can incorporate into an official company policy:

The following is the company’s social media and social networking policy. The absence of, or lack of explicit reference to a specific site does not limit the extent of the application of this policy. Where no policy or guideline exist, employees should use their professional judgment and take the most prudent action possible. Consult with your manager or supervisor if you are uncertain.

1. Personal blogs should have clear disclaimers that the views expressed by the author in the blog is the author’s alone and do not represent the views of the company. Be clear and write in first person. Make your writing clear that you are speaking for yourself and not on behalf of the company.
2. Information published on your blog(s) should comply with the company’s confidentiality and disclosure of proprietary data policies. This also applies to comments posted on other blogs, forums, and social networking sites.
3. Be respectful to the company, other employees, customers, partners, and competitors.
4. Social media activities should not interfere with work commitments. Refer to IT resource usage policies.
5. Your online presence reflects the company. Be aware that your actions captured via images, posts, or comments can reflect that of our company.
6. Do not reference or site company clients, partners, or customers without their express consent. In all cases, do not publish any information regarding a client during the engagement.
7. Respect copyright laws, and reference or cite sources appropriately. Plagiarism applies online as well.
8. Company logos and trademarks may not be used without written consent.

Remember that this is only a sample and framework for social media policies. In developing policies and procedures for your company, you should tailor the language to reflect the culture and the company environment. Depending on the usage of social media, policies should be more or less explicit, particularly in defining terms.

by Nancy Ruspil, MGC

A good friend just celebrated the 15th anniversary of her business. Ever since she was a little girl, she knew she wanted to run her own business. Now she manages a successful firm that does fundraising and strategic planning for nonprofits. Fifteen years ago, she had no idea if such a business could survive, let alone grow. All she knew was that this kind of work was deeply important to her and worth every effort she could give it. Today her company is thriving, and she’s constantly grateful for its success.

Easier said than done, you might think. Not all of us are able to craft a viable business around our passions, or to find a job that involves our biggest interests. But if you pay attention to the things that light up your mind and your soul, you’ll gravitate toward work that keeps those sparks alive. Whether it brings you great money – or just enough – is beside the point. The point is that you will know your success by how you feel. Does your work intrigue you? Does it feel worthwhile? Are you happy when you’re working?

Howard Thurman said it well:  “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.”