Black Belt Dojo

Would you stay in your job if you won the lottery?

My neighbour was joking today that her other half loves his new job so much she couldn't tear him away if they won the lottery.  Conversely it made me think about the survey Lee Smith talked about recently that said almost half all British workers want to move into a more fulfilling second career by age 45.

If all 6 numbers came up on Saturday night, would you turn up at work on Monday?  Do you yearn to be a yoga teacher, a charity worker or an animal welfare person (some of the top more fulfilling careers on people's minds according to the survey Lee quotes)? Or does internal comms do it for you?

Two things have made a difference to me in the past week thanks to people who were passionate about their work. On Thursday I saw Billy Elliott on stage. I loved it - it made me laugh, it made me cry and I came out on a real high. I wondered what it must feel like to have audiences standing on their seats cheering every night and thought about the people you see on Any Dream Will Do that get so emotional because they want the chance to perform so much.

On Sunday I went to church. Usually I'm half focused on stopping my 1 year old godson eating the hymn book or untangling his hands from my hair. But this week I was on my own and what the vicar said hit home and made me think - hard. By the time I walked out I'd realised some things about myself I hadn't thought about before. I found myself thinking what an excellent communicator he was and trying to work out why. I decided it must come from believing so much in what he was saying and wanting so much to make us think.

So am I passionate about internal comms?  Actually, yes - I've done lots of soul-searching this year because I want to really believe in what I do and I don't want to spend time on things I don't honestly care that much about. I've narrowed my focus and I pass some of the things I used to do onto other people. And I've cut down my hours. It's hard to be passionate when you're sleep-deprived and stressed, and I wanted some free time to write a book - something else I feel passionate about.  So comms actually does it for me ... but I've had to make a few changes in focus.

Personally, I don't think you need to find a cure for heart disease or find the solution for world peace to make a difference or feel fulfilled.  I think it's about knowing what really matters to you, wondering whether you're doing those things, and if not, deciding what changes you're prepared to make.

So what do you reckon?  Can you feel 'passionate' and 'fulfilled' in an internal comms job ... or is that pushing it a bit far?

Sue 

 

Making engagement engaging

Just found this blog post by David Zinger about how to make ideas more real and believable and breathe life into dull statistics.  He quotes Stephen Covey's way of bringing to life some fairly dismal stats about employee engagement, by relating them to a football team:

'If a soccer team had these same scores, only 4 of the 11 players on the field would know which goal is theirs. Only 2 of the 11 would care. Only 2 of the 11 would know what position they play and know exactly what they are supposed to do. And all but 2 players would, in some way, be competing against their own team members rather than the opponent.'

Read the post to see the original stats - but it makes the point a bit better than a graph on a PowerPoint slide, don't you think?

Sue

Cold and wet in Manchester!

I'm at a bit of a loose end today, bank holiday Monday, so I thought what shall I do?

Should I tackle one of my many projects like putting my Vinyl onto my itunes or start a new book "SEND" or tidy up my inbox?

I decided on non of the above and thought I would go an research the Company that I am to join in June The Co-op Financial Services. This was a pleasing find for me.

The Co-operative Bank have joined the wonderful world of ‘online social networking' with the launch of its ‘green' MySpace profile to celebrate the 15 th Anniversary of its Ethical Policy.

MySpace, founded in 2003 and originally designed for unsigned bands to promote their music, has quickly become the world's fastest growing networking website with approximately 80 million profiles at the last count.

The social site is currently the world's fifth most popular English-language website and has quickly become an arena for registered users to voice their opinions on a wide range of subjects - from what they had for breakfast to the global impact of climate change - with ‘ethical and environmental' profiles and blogs becoming increasingly popular.

‘Green' orientated profiles created by individual users like ‘Pimp my Plantpot', ‘Tree Hugger' and ‘Stop Global Warming' give eco-minded people the opportunity to exchange information/hints/tips with their ‘friends' via blogs, groups, voting and forums with top searches on MySpace regularly including the keywords ‘ green, environmental and climate change'.

For every new ‘ green' friend added to its profile The Co-operative Bank will donate 20p to the Children's Society**. To become a ‘Co-operative Bank friend' visit www.myspace.com/goodwithmoney and request to be added for the chance to make it into the bank's ‘top friends' list, whilst ensuring a donation to a good cause.

So share this site with your friends and colleagues and lets see it grow!!

All the best

Sarah x

here's one I prepared earlier...

So has this ever happened to you?

The head of IT security wanders into your office and says "we need to do an awareness campaign about security issues because our human firewall is our biggest risk".

And you say "errr what?"

After a few minutes you work out what he's on about...and you are getting ready to discuss objectives, measurement and all the normal stuff when he says...

"You don't need to worry about all that because we've bought a ready-made comms programme from the tip top experts in the field - all you have to do is insert it in the magazine/post it on the intranet/stick up the posters for me..."

If it's not happened to you...stand by it's coming your way soon.  And not just for IT security.  It's clearly quite a good wheeze

Now some of this stuff is probably quite good and contains some sound advice.  Others are frankly dreadful (would you buy anything about communication from an organisation that has the worst sort of 1980's stock photography on its website???).

But how do you feel about the practice???  A bit sniffy I bet...

I was talking the other week to a chum who said he's had some good experiences but only because he put a lot of work into making it work for his organsaition.  What I saw looked like an excellent product and an interesting approach if you're looking for something a bit different and don't want to bring in a consultant. But my chum had bought it precisely because it was adaptable and, I suspect, he'd be acknowldged as the professional who'd introduced the supplier...

But...how do you handle the conversation when the supplier is imposed upon you?  And what if the supplier clearly knows lots about the specialist subject but sweet F.A. about your organisation, your people and your communications needs?

There's an old story in advertising about the first ready-made cake mixes.  When they first appeared they didn't sell apparently because housewives thought it was slovenly to resort to quick fixes in cake making - that most essential duty of love in a home.  So what did the marketeers do?  They designed a mix that you had to "mix in your egg" - in other words contribute some essential skill that made your cake a wholesome, nurturing home-made product...

I'd hate to think that I wasn't open to new ideas, but I bet the ready-made IC products industry would really take off if they could find the equivalent of adding your own egg...

Liam

PS wish me luck this weekend - it's my final qualifier for my mega cycling marathon and it looks like rain!

I’m all conferenced out…(so it's a long post!)

It seems to be conference week for me – which is good given that I rode in an event at the weekend and my brain is definitely best switched to receive mode… There's an even longer one I'm doing on Saturday so don't bother trying to get any sense on me for most of next week!

On Tuesday I was at an event on brands and employees – where I learnt the new phrase “brandwashing” – meaning to bombard staff with brand messages in the hope of creating zombie-like ‘brand advocates’.

What struck me was the fact that there seems to be a shortage of practical examples often at these events.

For example someone talked about the phenomenon that is Magners Cider (if you’re in the UK you’ll know what I’m on about. Five years ago, the brand didn’t exist. But by careful market analysis and patient marketing the brand has been driven to redefine the category). So if marketers can create a brand from scratch, can’t HR people create employer brands from a zero baseline?

I’m sure they can, but the examples don’t always come out at conferences which are often long on theory and short on real ideas that you could actually apply in your own workplace.

By contrast, at the Melcrum Engagement conference yesterday morning, Mark Blundell of McDonalds talked about the practical steps that they are taking to retain and motivate staff. He illustrated his story with press cuttings and told a fascinating story about how they are creating a diverse workforce. He also gave some thoughts about how they use online communities to build the confidence of their staff (their model is that confident staff are better performers but many of their employees enter the workforce with development needs – needs that the company invests in).

Annette Ware of Vodafone kicked off with a couple of really strong stories about her personal life as a commuter – a great way of drawing you in. And then she backed it up with lots of fascinating detail on how they use they use survey data and research.

Debbie Whitaker from Standard Charted blew me away with her use of data to test her hypothesis that line managers made a difference. – she’s definitely going to be a case study when I refresh the line manager session of Black Belt!

And it shows in the questions that people ask. Mark Blundell was asked dozens of questions on topics that ranged from the theoretical through to some quite detailed practical points. Ditto with Annette – lots of “how did you…?” questions.

As my chum Monika Stafford would say, they showed that people were actively processing in their minds what they are being told – rather than switching off at slide 2.

Ironically, when I got home last night I found an email from the organiser of a conference that I’d chaired a few months ago containing an analysis of the delegate feedback. Guess what…people said “give us more practical examples please!!!!!!!!! – enough of the theoretical waffle!”.

I’ve been reading an excellent book which uses the development of psychiatry as its backdrop…It explains how, at public lectures, the great founders of the profession posited theories but supported them through case studies and demonstrations. OK, Freud made up a lot of his case studies (allegedly) but at least there was a recognition that we learn about our world through practical testing of hypotheses.

I think I've said on here before that as a profession we need to be more critical.  I'm all for a bit of free-thinking and energy but Sue quotes someone who always used to say “In God we trust – everyone else brings data…”

Liam

Does his tum look big in this?

Very excited (as am now social media expert extraordinnaire) to get an email yesterday from Robin Crumby inviting Liam and I to be the first external beta testers on Melcrum's new social networking site, The Communicators Network. It's been in development for months, and is set for launch next week, so we're getting on there early to have a look around and set up a Black Belt group.

So I'm having a look around the menus and checking it out until I'm interrupted by an email from Liam:

'Which photo should I use???

• recent one of me looking magnificent at X client (although tummy looks a bit big)
• On bicycle
• Old one from BB brochures

??'

Think "what's he talking about?" and ignore it, until am swiftly interrupted by another headed 'quick question'. Two photos attached (exhibits A top left and B below right) and just one line: 'which one of these should I use on the Melcrum site?'

Light dawns that whilst I'm checking out the site and trying to work out how to set up our group, Mr Fitz is focused on that all important question of his profile picture!

Which is, admittedly, an interesting question. It's social networking but it's kind of a business site. Do you go for corporate pic? Or My Space style out of focus pose in shades with half your head chopped off? Something in between - kind of an equivalent of smart casual? Or even a cartoon? Do these things have a dress code??

As for Liam's pic, what do you reckon? Looking dashing in the snow? Or all masterful and authoritative in the classroom? (Don't even suggest the cycling shorts ...)

Sue

Networking know-how

Here are two helpful posts about using business networks.

One from Kay Luo on Linked-In's blog. I like this post in particular, but if you use Linked-In, the blog looks good overall for giving you hints and tips on how to make the most of it.

And one (courtesy of Kay!) from Jory Des Jardins on blogher

Sue

It's non stop!

Have you ever had one of those weekends that you never stop?

Today I can hardly move my arms, and when I sit it is with great discomfort. I have played over six sets of mixed doubles.

I have also travelled extensively around Europe this weekend with my two young cousins, stopping off at Barcelona, Paris and Rome. The uncanny thing is we didn't step outside a front door at all. It was all done with the modern joys of technology with a Nintendo Wii and Google Earth.

Are we an age that has gone to far?

As a child I lived for the outdoors. Mum would put me out first thing in the morning with some juice and some sandwiches and then shout me in early evening for our family meal. I would have been climbing trees, on a bike ride, played a spot of Tennis or Cricket and maybe down to the river (what a safe place Cheshire was in the 70s)

As a modern stepmother I want for all the above, but it's not going to happen.

In the evening my new dysfunctional family sits in the living room. India playing on her laptop on Club Penguin chatting with her school friends, she's 10. Sam sits playing with Photoshop and I with my Apple book in Itunes or Myspace.

We don't say five words to each other. But in the 70s would these laptops have been books?

Have I gone to far by projecting a 6ft google earth screen into our living room allowing me and the family to travel around the world. Should I leave this to the classroom or the living room?

Let me know your thoughts

Sarah

I'm afraid, very afraid...

Sue and I have been talking with some actor friends who run a training business about how we can develop courses which add value to internal communicators.  And as part of those conversations Ms Dewhurst is attending a session next week to see how they work for herself.  Unfortunately its one of thier public courses on....assertivness.

Anyone who knows my partner will know that she is no push over (although she likes to make out that she's all sweetness and meekness).  I only hope that she observes rather than participates at the session.

Why do I say this?

Well I just got an email from her reporting on her rail trip back from a series of meetings we've been at in London.  To give you an insight, I quote:

Do you think there’s some law that says there must be at least two people in a ‘quiet carriage’ who spend the ENTIRE journey talking at a higher speed than you thought possible and are totally oblivious to the signs on the windows and doors TELLING them that they’re in a quiet zone?

And do you think there’s another law that says they have to be sitting immediately in front of, behind, or opposite me?

Oh, and do you think there’s a final one that says they must be hugely noisy eaters and have lots of food with really noisy wrappers?

I can’t think why I begrudge so much the £126 for a ticket to suffer this every time …"

I may have to alert the Transport police that she's travelling on the 1847 from London Euston on Tuesday night in carriage D...

Liam

The best laid plans

I caught up with Sam Hodlin at Centrica for coffee earlier this week. As is normal when I'm on the hunt for case studies for the latest Melcrum research report he had to suffer 20 questions along the lines of 'so, what are you doing to commmunicate with remote workers?' 'Got any examples of super fast translation?' 'How do you manage your comms network?'

When I asked how he co-ordinates messages and plans across the global group (Sam's head of group internal comms) he pulled out an excel spreadsheet. It showed all the major comms events for the months ahead on one A3 page. If I wanted to know when the next company magazine was due out, he could tell me. If I wanted to announce my vastly exciting project to the world in August, he could advise me not to - there were other equally exciting projects being announced and my messages would be drowned out.

I asked how the comms team keeps up to date with it all.  He pulled out another one pager - an A4 copy of an email - showing me the planned communications for the next two weeks. All the operating companies send in content for the main plan, and Sam pulls it all together and makes sure everyone knows what's on the near (the fortnightly summary) and far (the A3 spreadsheet) horizon.

Finally, he pulled out another sheet showing me the group communications objectives for the year and explained how every entry on the excel sheet was coded according to which objective it linked to. 'So', he said. 'If I look at this objective here, we're suppose to have delivered XYZ by June.  And if I look across at the plan, we're on target - here's the linked activity'.

The funny thing was that he was really apologetic because it was all so simple. Nothing hi-tech or on-line, just a couple of excel spreadsheets, an email and regular dialogue across the team and with the business.  They obviously work and get used day in, day out. He didn't know I was going to ask about them - he always carries them with him, so when anyone asks about forthcoming activity or wants to plan something in, he knows exactly what else is going on. And in case you're thinking 'I'd never get everything for MY audiences on an A3 spreadsheet', his audience is about 34,000 people.

Maybe I'm just a simpleton, but I like simple answers, so that one's going on my list. Thanks Sam, and sorry for the grilling!

Any other good planning tools anyone wants to share?

Sue

PS Sam's also been arranging CIPR Inside's Managing Internal Reputation Event on 22nd May - it's a good line up and there's still time to book!