col’s blog

i found an awesome web site where you can make your own motivational posters. or de-motivational posters if that’s your thing: http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/motivator.php

to kick off the creativity, i give you a creation from the one and only miss laurs of team building is for suckers that made me pee my shorts:

we’ve all known for a long time that bill o’reilly is a total douche. many high profile personalities are. many are also total rageaholics to boot. i’ve known a few in my day who’ve go as far as THROW blunt objects at their subordinates. it’s ridiculous. i love when these indiscretions become the world’s business. instant karma. think alec baldwin, david o. russel. and now bill. for a full, wonderful potpourri of bill meltdown videos, be sure to visit team building is for suckers.

hat tip to miss laurs!

Ugh. The term itself makes me wanna blow chunks. There’s little value-added to the term value-added.

Question: if everyone is dealing with the same problem, wouldn’t it be advantageous to mix up the approaches you’re taking? (Hence the appeal of Obama).

I’m so tired of hearing honchos brag about the Harvard MBA’s they’ve got on the payroll. Does a Harvard MBA REALLY add that much value? You like the thought of it … the idea that you can go to the store and buy yourself the exact thing you need. You want to think that Harvard has done some good weeding out for you, more than you could do on your own. And surely they’ve done something valuable … But there are hundreds of other Harvard MBAs where yours came from. And your competitors are hiring them too. They’ve learned similar things at the same time. I’m not saying your guy is bad, I’m just saying you may need to be more creative than that. In addition to him, you might consider, gasp, finding some talented women and minorities. People from different industries, nationalities, backgrounds and cultures. Certainly it’s hard to merge disparate cultures and sensibilities, but that’s  what it takes to  get the  advantage. To compete in today’s crazy mashup world, you actually NEED diversity (as opposed to doing it because you were shamed into it). Different kinds of people, different kinds of thinkers, different kinds of ways of viewing the world. The usual suspects can only take you so far …

a few months back i was in an office with three alpha males under 40 … they nipped at eachother’s ears like frisky little puppies … it was exhausting to watch. the PR guy called the New Media guy an “executive,” to which the New Media guy took offense.

“I’m not an executive!“

labels matter. and over time i’ve come to the conclusion that New Media guy is a hollywood wannabe. a banker who wishes he were some sort of creative producer/director/shot caller. no one wants to be perceived as the type of heavy that inspires Medellin director Billy Walsh to wear his infamous tshirt. but we all want the dough and the ’safety.’

Liz Lemmon goes Corporate

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” ─ Jerry Seinfeld

Public speaking can be terrifying. I sympathize with the speakers I work with … and understand why they get so nervous before speaking at a big event. When you go out there live and in person, you are vulnerable. You don’t control everything, and you can’t brute force your audience into agreeing with your point of view. You have to seduce them, and respond to their energy.

People respond favorably to speakers who are present, authentic, and authoritative without being arrogant. And to be authoritative without being arrogant, you have to prepare. Preparing requires thinking and reflecting on what you hope to achieve with the event, and what you want to convey. You also have to understand how the audience sees the world … and how they see you. Regardless of whether their perception is “accurate,” it’s the framework you have to work within.

Even if you have the best prep in the world (i.e. having col on the case), there are wildcards that can derail your best laid plans. In those cases, the best thing you can do is stay in the moment … go with it … do the dance.

I’ve often discussed with fellow Marcom professionals how odd and cool it is that we’re the ones who actually create the strategies at our organizations. Those who do the heavy lifting on the strategy templates, the Board presentations, the communications plans know that it’s their IDEAS that are the most valuable part of what they’re contributing. Not the document, or PowerPoint slides, the binders or any other supporting form of media. Marcom people create the framework, and the framework leads to the story, and the story leads to the work − everyone’s work. In the ideal world, the Marcom folks work closely with the leaders they are supporting. When they’re too far removed, no one benefits. The best experiences I’ve had were when I was working directly with those I was supporting. I learned how they spoke, what they envisioned, what they valued, liked and disliked. When they are good, smart people, it’s a plum job. You get to learn so much, see so much, grow so much. It’s like being a CEO yourself, but on a much more livable strain.

Inspired by Seth: “Which comes first (why stories matter)“

if you hire or marry or engage with a crazy person, and treat them poorly, your business can easily become the world’s. blogs, you tube, email — it’s impossible to stop the flow of information, and to prevent a disgruntled individual from exposing intimate, embarrassing details. the lesson in all of this — be careful who you let close and treat everyone with respect.

Estranged Wife of Schubert Organization Chief Delivers Quite a Monologue

Crain’s just came out with a list of the city’s Top CFO’s ranked by compensation. Here’s how the people who brought us this brilliant model did in 2006. How’s that for fiscal responsibility!

“Trust people and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson