Let’s Retire “Guru” and “Rock Star” from the Workplace Lexicon

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Jim Barbagallo

If you’re in favor of blowing up “guru” and “rock star” in job descriptions or in reference to your employees and/or co-workers, then please help by retweeting this post.

Yes, I admit that I’m also guilty of having used these descriptors.  In a recent post in fact, I referred to our public relations intern as a “rock star.”  What I was trying to convey is that our intern is a high performing individual and is doing an excellent job for us.  But I guess I thought I would be perceived as hip (‘er, hipper), especially among younger readers, if I used what is still perceived by many to be a progressive way to refer to someone’s capabilities.

Looking back,  I think just the opposite is true.  “Guru” and “rock star” have become so overused, beginning in the dot.com period of the late 90’s and continuing to the present day, that they are now rendered meaningless.

I did a quick search on “guru” on Indeed, the big job site.  The search returned 6,507 job descriptions with the word “guru” in the actual job title or the word “guru” in the description.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Monster (Cable) PowerPoint Guru – The Monster PowerPoint Guru will play an integral role in ensuring that employees grasp all aspects and/or levels of the “Monster Way” and “Monster Attitude” as a means to propel our success as it relates to Monster’s vision, mission, goals and overall success

 … Not really clear to me why this candidate has to be of “guru” status.

WordPress Guru — Need to create a WordPress Project in 2-3 Days. If you are a WordPress Guru, please send me a message. I need this project done ASAP so please only respond if you have time to complete with 3 days

 ... To me, a real “WordPress guru” would be too busy to take on any project ASAP.

Outdoor Education Guru (for YMCA) — People WANTED for HAZARDOUS journey. SMALL wages, BITTER cold, SEARING heat and DRIVING rain, LONG Months OF COMPLETE madNESS, CONSTANT DANGER of actually loving your job, RETURN to previous life DOUBTFUL. HONOR and RECOGNITION in case of SUCCESS.

… Love the description, but the job hardly requires a “guru.” I think someone who has a love of the outdoors and is physically fit would suffice.

College Textbook guru — Perfect job! Shipping and receiving college textbooks, scanning, packing, sorting, etc. Need basic computer skills, great attendance and great attitude! Position requires standing for long periods of times. Must be quick and accurate. You will LOVE this job! Overtime is likely and is mandatory.

… Again, a guru. Really?  Sounds like a solid clerical job to me, but not much more.

Geez, it almost seems that if you’re not a “guru” or a “rock star,” then you might as well not even consider applying for any job or even showing up for work these days.

So an important question:  what are you if you’re neither guru or rock star, but yet you’re extremely competent at your job?  A former colleague of mine refers to these types as “Steady Eddies.”   David M. Taylor, who wrote, “Strength Zone: Discover Your Place of Maximum Effectiveness,” says “ ‘S’ type personalities are the ‘Steady Eddie’ people among us that concentrate on people rather than tasks .. place more attention on others than on themselves. These people are the ones that you can always rely on in any situation. These are the Florence Nightengales of this world, the Barbara Bushes, the Mother Teresas. They love to help other people and work hard to create a stable environment at work and at home.”

Hmm, sounds more like a “rock star” to me.

Sad to think Florence or Mother Teresa wouldn’t quality for the thousands of “guru” and “rock star” jobs available these days, isn’t it?

Oh, and I did search “Steady Eddie” on Indeed. Yeah, nothing.

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(One of) The Best Job Descriptions Ever

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Jim Barbagallo

Like a few other PR agency professionals I know, I occasionally look at the online job boards to see if any new business development targets are recruiting for senior public/media relations executives.  A job posting like that is sometimes a signal that the company is building out its internal staff and that other changes may not be far behind — like a search for new PR agency partner.  One of the first tasks a newly hired corporate PR executive tackles is to measure the effectiveness of the company’s PR agency. Paying attention to who is moving where can pay off sometimes.

The other thing I look for when reviewing job postings is to see how companies communicate to prospective employees.  Are they using corporate speak?  Are fallen leaders talking about themselves like they are still the be-all and end-all of their industry – when everyone else knows they are not?  Are they drinking, and selling, the corporate Kool-Aid?

You can tell a lot about the communications culture of a company,  I believe, by its job descriptions. Is the company trying to attract a Gen Y candidate? If so, are they talking to a Gen Y, or a Gen X or to a senior executive candidate in a manner that their target candidate can relate to?  More importantly, are they being transparent with the real opportunities and challenges of the position for prospective candidates.

While looking at some of the online job boards earlier this week, I came across this one from Royal Philips Electronics (aka Philips), the large “health and well being” company. It isn’t clear if this is a new position, or if they are replacing someone.

But from what I have seen in recent years, it’s one of the better job descriptions (ever) — at least from a transparency perspective.  The descriptors are representative of a company that is being honest with itself. I’m not referring to the typical descriptors you see for an opportunity like this (i.e., working under tight deadlines), but the ones suggesting that this company is admitting its shortcomings and is reaching out for help.

In the posting, Philips points out that its senior executives don’t place a ton of value on speaking with the media, that its brand awareness is low, and that its competitors (like GE) place a greater value on the communications function and therefore have been “highly funded and active for several years and are far ahead.” The posting also points out that U.S. media outlets are reluctant to cover Philips regularly because it’s headquartered in Europe (a common challenge, but eminently navigable, for companies like Philips).

Another shortcoming of Philips’ communications program may be in how it views its relationship with the media.  One descriptor says “consolidation of media makes all aspects of media manipulation problematic.”  I know media outlets who cover Philips wouldn’t appreciate the company’s use of the word manipulation in this case.  But thanks to a truthful assessment of the opportunity by the employer, candidates will walk into the interview process with eyes wide open.

2012 is on top of us, and that means more jobs will be posted than any other time of the year.  Companies should borrow a page from Philips’ recruiting handbook by communicating honestly about who they are to prospective employees.  Employer and employee are sure to benefit in the end.

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The “No Strings Attached” Christmas Card

Posted on December 16, 2011 by laurendigeronimo

Not to sound too much like Andy Rooney (who, before there were even blogs, used his pulpit to expouse his beliefs, rants and share his views), but I have a few things to say about Christmas cards. In this case, not the personal kind one receives from friends and family, but those sent by colleagues and companies.

My belief as a person and recommendation as a communications professional, is that there should be no strings attached. What do I mean? Here’s an example.

Yesterday I received a holiday greeting from one of my favorite online music sites, letting me know that, “In the spirit of the season, we’re offering holiday discounts on our premium subscription…” While I know Christmas has pretty much become just another way to sell products, I don’t like that what was really an ad, was masked as a holiday greeting. The subject line of the email was, “Happy Holidays!” after all.

This music site is not alone in turning what should be a nice way to connect with customers and thank them for their business into an ad. A week ago I received an email from a firm that does consulting with the subject line, “Happy Holidays from…” When I opened it up, I was surprised to see that this too, was aimed at building business with the words, “we look forward to helping you address your business challenges in 2012.” This was followed by a visual of their services and links to their upcoming conference and social media assets.

Holiday greetings and new year’s wishes should not be about promotion. This is the one time of year when the focus of a company’s communication should be thanking their customers for their business. If they want to give them something – with no strings attached – then that is fine. But rarely is their such a thing as a free lunch.

When in doubt about what kind of message they are sending, a company should ask, “am I getting or asking for something in return?” If so, then your message is wrong. Start again. The best message is a simple one and of course, one without strings attached.

Postscript: I just received a very nice Christmas card from an ad rep at a Boston-based magazine (irony not lost here). It wishes me a Merry Christmas, is hand-signed, and even has a little recipe inside to add a little fun. He knows that Christmas cards are about building and solidifying long-term relationships – not for selling. That can be done in the new year.

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Agencies Aren’t Seeing the ROI in Social Media Advertising…Yet

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Jim Barbagallo

What’s that story about the cobbler’s children?  Apparently, the story applies to public relations and advertising agencies as well, especially when it comes to lead generation via social media channels.

Demandbase and Focus reported a couple of months ago that new business development executives (across industries) can rely on their company’s website to generate a significant percentage of leads.  But not as many as through personal referral.  Social media pulled up the rear as the third most effective way for a company to generate leads.

Now, a new report seems to validate these findings, at least in the world of advertising and public relations.  While public relations and advertising agencies help clients navigate the dynamic social media marketing universe, few agencies are leveraging the full power of these networks for their own lead generation efforts.

According to the study, sponsored by digital marketing agency lonleybrand, a minuscule 17 percent of the senior agency executives polled say they buy ads on social networks to complement their lead gen efforts.

Deciding to advertise an agency’s services is not an inexpensive undertaking.  Generally, it’s the larger agencies who regularly buy print ads in the likes of PRWeek or ADWEEK, O’Dwyer’s and other PR and advertising industry publications.  The data from lonelybrand suggests the same holds true for agencies purchasing ads on social media networks.  Not a big surprise.

For example, 23 percent of the agencies who are using social network advertising are spending more than $10,000 each month on ads.  $10,000 per month is a big nut for anything less than a major agency.  The smaller (and harder working) independent agencies are pretty much excluded from that playing field.  But they can at least participate, albeit on a different playing field for now, through tiered buying — whereby smaller agencies can test the social media advertising waters by purchasing ads in small increments to compliment their digital marketing efforts.  Not a bad place to start.

Even then, once a prospect clicks on an agency’s ad on Facebook or LinkedIn or Twitter, their next stop is either a landing page or the firm’s home page.

Given the substantial increase in competition among integrated marketing agencies, digital agencies, inbound marketing agencies, social media agencies, public relations agencies, advertising agencies, blended agencies, specialist firms and boutiques (how many categories am I leaving out?), in 2012 we could see a dramatic jump in the social media advertising numbers among agencies.

Smaller firms — and smaller companies in general — may be forced to get in the game eventually, and as long as they are seeing some ROI, they’d be foolish to not at least consider it.

By the way, when was the last time your firm got a qualified new business lead other than through a personal connection or referral or because your website came up in a Google search and the prospect liked what they saw?

 

 

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Employee Engagement is a Two-Way Tweet

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Jim Barbagallo

I glimpsed a headline today that read something like “Many companies wish social media would just go away.”

I bet.  I don’t think the folks at the regional wrap and smoothie chain, Boloco, would be among these companies, except for one day earlier this week when an employee tweeted that her job “sucks” only to be publicly fired a short while later — via Twitter — by CEO John Pepper.

Another Twitter learning moment.  Think before you tweet.  Understand the potential ramifications to your job and your reputation.  And if you screw up, move quickly to repair any damage.

Subsequent to his faux pas, Pepper did all the right things.  He apologized to the employee he fired, reinstated her, said she wouldn’t even be reprimanded and that he’d try “to help her find more things to enjoy” at Boloco.

So is all well at Boloco these days for Pepper and his employees?  Time will tell.  But since we move at Twitter speed, the brouhaha over the specific incident has been sufficiently bulldozed to the Twitter archives.

With that said, there’s a lot companies should learn from incidents like this one and I’m not talking about social media policies and having a quick Twitter finger.  I am talking about employee engagement and employees as brand ambassadors.

My colleague Aimee Charest wrote about employee ambassadors and leadership earlier this week.  Her key point is that employee empowerment and engagement is developed through better employee communications by leaders who treat staff as true stakeholders — and not order takers.

It’s hard to admit some days, but the employment market has been turned on its head.  Unemployment remains at a lifetime high in many parts of the country, and at the same time employers are pulling their hair out about the lack of skilled employees for many of the job openings that do exist.

A study just released by Ranstad, the staffing and human resources services company, predicts that 2012 will be another tough year for the employment market.  While Ranstad officials say more and more jobs will become available as the economy continues its recovery, the firm also reports that 76% of employees don’t think they’ll receive a promotion and at the same time many see their benefits and pay being slashed.

The challenges of keeping employees engaged — whether they are rolling burritos, selling insurance or building websites — is tough work but never more important.  “Companies want to successfully engage as many employees as possible to maximize productivity, and they need to particularly focus on those workers who are most engaged and, thus, the most valuable,” said Joanie Ruge, SVP and chief employment analyst for Ranstad U.S.

It’s that time of year again, when employees and employers alike take stock of the year that is quickly closing and build plans and set expectations for the year ahead.

How will leaders alter their employee communications programs so that staff is inspired to do great work and to tweet about the positive difference they are making?  The tweet from @AllHailMaryJane may turn out to be an isolated incident.  Employees also should try to understand that making any company a great place to work is a two-way street — employees and employer making an effort to do so.  On the other hand, any incident like this is a great opportunity for senior management to take the pulse of their employees at-large — the engaged and the disengaged.

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Leadership: The Gift that Keeps Employee Ambassadors Giving

Posted on December 7, 2011 by aimeecharest

Over the next few weeks many of us will be crossing off items on our holiday gift lists, closing the books on a long 2011, and getting together with those most important to us.  Blood pressures will run high, but so will the merriment.

During this dreaded beloved holiday season, the inevitable “what do you do again?” will come up in conversation.  If you are guilty of not knowing exactly what your uncle/mother/cousin/partner does with his or her life, join me in raising your hand.  It’s not disinterest; it’s just that many struggle to articulate exactly what they do for 40 + hours a week.

That struggle likely stems from, at least in part, from uninspired employee communications and lack of pride and excitement in what one’s organization actually does.  Beyond our close relatives and friends, this lack of understanding about one’s professional purpose could rub off on customers the wrong way.

Think about your own interactions with a company’s customer service department.   Who hasn’t commiserated with a salesperson about “those people” behind the “ridiculous” fine print/contract?   Or overheard the grumblings of employees talking about “the man” while on shift where they work?  Unfortunately, these cases are all too common and reflect poorly on a company.   But the frustration is understandable; knowing or feeling left out of something you put time and effort into can lead to major dissatisfaction – and this is true for CEOs as much as cashiers.

One terrific example of employee brand ambassadors: Apple's "Geniuses"

There are several case studies where great internal communication directly affects a company’s bottom line.  Social media marketing expert Paul Gillin recently offered a few examples of these companies, as well as his own rules for creating great employee brand ambassadors.  In a way, creating employee ambassadors is about leadership.  It might be likened to teaching an illiterate person to read and write.  Basic, yes, but tools that are incredibly helpful and empowering in one’s daily life.  By keeping a “brand army” informed and in the loop with a company’s mission and new business initiatives or products and services, you are empowering them to feel more knowledgeable of the organization’s mission.  Knowledge is power, and enabling future “leaders” is directly linked to self-esteem and job performance.

So this holiday season, employees and employers alike should think about how to make 2012 the year of  employee empowerment through better internal communications.  If you are in a leadership position, think about what you could share to make your employees more excited to talk about their job at the next holiday party. If you are an employee, think about recommendations you can make to your employer.  Make it the year where everyone remembers what you do and who you do it for.

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Public Relations’ Next Generation: Walking the Talk (video)

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Jim Barbagallo

Professor Steve Quigley in action at Boston University

Professor Steve Quigley is a bit of a legend among past and present public relations students at Boston University, where he has been teaching for 12 years.  His boundless energy, smarts, sense of humor, humility and passion for public relations has earned him the respect, admiration and friendship of countless students and colleagues, as well as the business community.

Professor Quigley is a professor who walks the talk of this next generation of public relations.  If you are connected to him on LinkedIn (nearly 800 of us are); or follow him on Twitter (almost 1500 of us are); or are among his 400+ friends on Facebook; or you have attended one or more of the PR panels and events he participates in (he’s speaking tonight on a branding and entrepreneurship panel), then you already know this to be true.

He makes sure his students know what needs to be in their PR toolbox in order to be successful upon graduation.

It’s for these reasons, and others, why Professor Quigley, APR, was recently recognized by the Public Relations Society of America as the 2011 Oustanding Educator of the Year.

In making the announcement, Rosanna M. Fiske, APR, PRSA chair and CEO said:  “The considerable impact Quigley has had on the next generation of public relations professionals has helped advance the profession in profound ways. This honor highlights his achievements and dedication to helping to prepare the future leaders of our profession.”

This isn’t the first significant award for Professor Quigley, who previously worked at a Boston PR agency.  Five years ago he was honored with the John J. Malloy Crystal Bell Award (for lifetime achievement and contribution to PR). Last year he received the Diane Davis Beacon Award for lifetime achievement by PRSA Boston.  And his employer bestowed upon him the Boston University Lyndon Baines Johnson Student Advisor of the Year Award, the Boston University College of Communication Advisor of the Year Award and the Boston University Student Activities Advisor of the Year Award.

Industry and peer recognition is rewarding.  It’s great for the resume, and ego, too.   But you get the feeling that the greatest reward for Professor Quigley is when he makes a difference with one of his students, like he has with our rock star student intern, Emily Wienberg — a senior at the university majoring in public relations.

We thought it would be informational, and a little fun, if Emily put her Morrissey & Company hat on and turned the tables on her esteemed professor by asking the questions.  So we did just that:  Emily takes on Professor Quigley and the future of public relations. Please let us know what you think of what the professor had to say.  We’ll be sure to post your insights.

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Posted on December 2, 2011 by Jim Barbagallo

Reputation Management Critical in Every State of Business Growth

“A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.”

The quote is attributed to an English bishop who lived some 600 years ago. But I’m certain it resonates today with many organizations that have lived through the various stages of business growth as defined by the “Greiner Curve” and other sources.  There are few companies, if any, who didn’t trip and perhaps fall along their path to success.  Along the way, it’s likely their reputations were blemished, at least somewhat.  Still, there are many others that failed miserably, perhaps after enjoying some success, only to once again reclaim relevance during a business renewal phase.  Apple certainly comes to mind.  And Ford too.

We like to talk about reputation as the enduring essence of an organization. When we meet with clients, we reinforce the point that reputation influences every aspect of their organization.  A healthy reputation keeps an organization whole through times of crisis.  Likewise, a healthy reputation enables a company to flourish more than the competition during times of prosperity.

In recent years, reputation has moved to the forefront as a critical success factor for companies at every growth stage.  The Internet has helped fuel this, but corporate reputation officers and firms that view communications through the reputation lens existed long before the proliferation of online reputation management tools and firms that try to expunge negative online news about a company, person or issue.

Many start-up companies, for example, are often more concerned with developing and delivering effective solutions to their customers – and getting off to a fast start – than they are with building a healthy reputation from day one.  How many new companies are you familiar with that have tripped, or imploded, because they didn’t begin with the right people, or burned through their cash, or failed to focus on core competencies, or were inhaling their own exhaust? Hundreds of such companies did just this during the dot.com bubble, and more are poised to do the same in other industries.  The alternative energy industry comes to mind.  Solyndra has gone belly up and A123 Systems recently laid off more manufacturing personnel.  Its stock price is near its 52-week low.

Recovering and rebuilding a company’s reputation can be an excruciatingly painful and costly process, especially in today’s unforgiving business environment. But newer companies who manage to stay alive during this formative period by demonstrating their viability get to “pass go” and advance their reputation into the next stage of business growth – the survival stage.

Survival stage companies may experience a period or rapid growth but have yet to enjoy true business success.  However, they have done many things right, be it increasing production to meet customer demand, recruiting the right talent and focusing (or re-focusing) their marketing. It is at this stage, as the employee base grows and increased demands are made of everyone (versus the early stage where it’s all about the founder and his/her energy level), when a company begins to reinforce its corporate culture and sharpen its focus on what it stands for.

At the success or mature stage of a company’s business lifecycle, it’s all about living the high life, right?  Well, maybe not so much.  During this period of growth, strong financial performance may be offset by unsustainable growth and a complacent company culture.  Also, success stage companies may be publicly traded, which invites more scrutiny from key stakeholders like investors and the media.  Senior management missteps, such as not providing accurate guidance for the Street or being late to market with a promising new product, will not go unpunished.  The sharks on Wall Street may forgive — but they do not forget.

These success stage companies often become trapped in the decline stage, a period when they are hit by unforeseen, outside influences that can damage their reputation.  A company in the decline stage, but still with a respected reputation, can better withstand the onslaught of newer and more nimble global competitors (and subsequent falling prices), increased operational costs, and underutilized employees.  They’ll enjoy the so-called halo effect. When a company and its reputation have been seen in a favorable light over a sustained period of time, it is difficult to cast a shadow upon it.

Again, Apple comes to mind as a great example of a company whose reputation thrived, survived, and then thrived again. Many were writing Apple off before Steve Jobs returned to the helm in 1997 to rebuild and reshape the company’s tarnished reputation. This was during Apple’s “revival” stage of business growth and today its reputation is among the strongest of any global company in any industry.

While it remains to be seen how Apple’s reputation will hold up over time, one has to like its chances given the company’s near-maniacal approach to reputation management.

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Holiday Shoppers Go Mobile

Posted on November 30, 2011 by laurendigeronimo

The holiday shopping season is officially upon us.  If you’re like me, you avoided the mêlée that was Black Friday and instead, shopped for deals on your holiday goodies from the comfort of your home or office on Cyber Monday.  Not surprisingly, more and more shoppers are using not only their PCs, but their mobile devices, including iPhone, iPads, Droids, etc. to scout out and find the best deals.  Indeed, as my colleague Jim noted in his blog a few weeks ago, mobile retail traffic will more than double this holiday season compared to last year.

Together with our business partner, Modapt, Inc., Morrissey & Company released the results of a holiday shopping survey today that shows that holiday shoppers are not only making more purchases on their mobile devices, but also using them as tools in their holiday shopping arsenal.  Here are the highlights:

More than half of respondents report they are making purchases using their mobile devices, and nearly a quarter have used mobile devices in the past to purchase holiday gifts.   The results also show that during the holiday season:

  • 56 percent of respondents had made a purchase from their mobile phone;
  • 58 percent of respondents will use their mobile phone to compare prices while shopping;
  • 48 percent will use their mobile phone to find store locations that carry the products they seek;
  • 90 percent of those who had made a mobile purchase said that convenience was a major factor, and 47 percent said ease of use was a primary reason they had made a purchase.

In addition, 66 percent of the mobile users said they will be enticed to use their phones to make purchases if retailers offer mobile incentives, and 46 percent said better price offers would convince them to make a mobile purchase.

Clearly, mobile phones will be a major tool in shoppers’ arsenals this holiday season.

 

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Ten Steps To Managing Your Company’s Reputation

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Jim Barbagallo

From Joe Paterno to Penn State and now Bernie Fine to Syracuse University, reputations once thought of as impenetrable are falling faster than the leaves in my back yard.  As a result, individuals and the organizations who sign their massive pay checks are scrambling to defend their now tarnished reputations before the damage becomes overwhelming.

Every second that these entities — and many others who have been in similar situations in the academic and corporate worlds (the latest being Olympus Corp.) — spend reeling from what feels like a sucker punch is time that should be spent putting their reputation management plan into action instead.

If only they had one.

In many instances, a simple and straightforward organizational reputational assessment would have provided them with what they need to take immediate corrective action.

We like to tell our clients that reputation is their company’s most valuable asset.

And we agree with Dave Logan, a USC faculty member and author of Tribal Leadership, who says:  Remember that your reputation is about you, but it isn’t your property.  It’s owned by the tribe around you. So when you ask about your reputation … you’re asking about something that isn’t yours.

We developed an assessment tool that helps clients evaluate how their organization is managing, protecting and advancing their reputation.  And we encourage you to use it.  No charge.

The tool helps answer 1, how well your company currently manages its reputation, 2, how important reputation is to your company and the market you serve, and 3), what areas your company can improve to advance performance.

  1. Does your company know who their primary stakeholders are?
  2. Does your company know what drives its reputation across stakeholder groups?
  3. Does your company make an effort to monitor customer satisfaction?
  4. Do the decision making leaders of your company consider the impact their decisions will have on the reputation of the company?
  5. How well does your company leverage key executives with media to raise their profile/the company’s reputation?
  6. Does your company have a structured approach to identifying, evaluating, managing and reporting issues and events that impact your company’s reputation?
  7. Does your company currently monitor its reputation through social media forums?
  8. Do employees understand the company’s overall mission, vision, business strategy, and their respective impacts on building reputation?
  9. In the next two to five years, do you see your company’s reputation becoming more of a business priority, less of a business priority, or its level of significance remaining the same?
  10. What is the most important aspect of communication to your company (reputation, branding, public relations, investor relations, other)?

In light of recent events, and those that are sure to follow, you can be sure many organizations and their leaders are taking a hard look in the mirror. If they don’t like what they see, then there’s no time like the present to address what needs to be fixed.

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