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JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and we’re here at Counselors Academy. We’re joined by Alan.

Alan, will you please introduce yourself?

ALAN COHEN: Absolutely. My name’s Alan Cohen, and I’m president of Acts of Balance Executive Coaching and Training based out of New York City. And I work with public relations executives and PR firms to help develop more effective leaders, and I work a lot with communications skills and team-building.

BURKE: Great. Alan, you did a session on tough conversations for PR practitioners and agency owners here. Can you give us a couple of your insights as far as how people can set up and then have those tough conversations?

COHEN: Absolutely. One of the most common things that I see in my practice is people really avoiding having those tough talks. And in avoiding them, they actually make the situation even bigger and more volatile. We largely like to be people pleasers, and so we avoid having the conversations that may be unpleasant, may provoke some strong emotions. But what I do is really help develop people to think, to plan in advance, to go through a multistep process to really think about how they’re interpreting the situation, to really align their values with having the conversation and to really, really plan it out so that the conversation will develop into a real win-win-win; a win for the individual having the talk, the–a win for the person who’s being spoken to, and really a win for the relationship overall. It’s really about a collaboration. So as leaders, we need to have the courage to have the difficult conversations. And leadership is not always easy, but it’s important that we stay in integrity by really addressing the situations that are causing us discomfort.

BURKE: Alan, thank you so much. Where can people connect with you online and in social media?

COHEN: I’m at actsofbalance.com, and my Twitter handle is actsofbalance.

Or you can join my Facebook fan page, also Acts of Balance.

BURKE: Thank you so much, Alan.

COHEN: Thank you.

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JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and we’re here at the PRSA Counselors Academy. I’m joined by Lisa.

Lisa, will you please introduce yourself?

LISA GERBER: Yes. I’m Lisa Gerber. I’m the chief content officer for Spin Sucks and Spin Sucks Pro.

BURKE: Excellent. You know, this is a blog that a lot of those in the PR community actively read and use as a great resource. Can you tell me about how writing for the blog and how managing the blog helps your business?

GERBER: Sure. It’s huge. We–you know, the blog started a couple of years ago. Gini Dietrich had started it. And it takes a really long time to grow, to gain followers, to gain subscribers and build a community. But now we are at a point where we just have this incredible local community, lots of great comments and discussions, and usually a lot of the–a lot of the gold is in the discussion and the comments section of the blog posts. We really welcome that and try to nurture that. In terms of what it does for our business, it just, it–a lot of things. It gives us a lot of credibility, and when we’re working with our clients and trying to show them and help them with their blogs and get them out there we’re able to show that this–you know, we actually do this and show as an example.

BURKE: And I think it’s a great example and, you know, a true testament to practicing what you preach.

GERBER: Right.

BURKE: And I mean, I love the manifestation of that in all of the posts and in the community that you’ve built. So congratulations on a job well done.

GERBER: Thank you.

BURKE: Where can people connect with you online and in social media?

GERBER: They can find me at spinsucks.com. I blog every other Wednesday. And on Twitter I’m @lisagerber.

Transcript –

JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and we’re here at Counselors Academy with George Rosenberg.

George, will you please introduce yourself?

GEORGE ROSENBERG: Hi, I’m George Rosenberg. I’m an adviser and consultant to owners of public relations and integrated communications firms. It’s great to be here at Counselors.

BURKE: Great. And, George, you just talked about giving tips on energizing your firm. Can you share some of those high level tips with the people here?

ROSENBERG: There–yes, I can. Thanks, Johna. There are three major areas that suggest that maybe your firm needs to hit the refresh button: you’ve lost your way as a leader, you’ve lost your enthusiasm for business, and you’ve lost your momentum as an agency. So develop a sales plan, commit to spending 75 percent of your time with sales rather than marketing, make sure you have a business plan and keep going. Take the next six months to develop your business plan, develop a budget for your agency. Think about how you reinvigorate yourself as a leader. It’s a great–it’s a great lesson. If you’ve lost your enthusiasm for the business, something’s wrong. If your agency’s not growing, something’s wrong. So think about reinvigorating, refreshing your business through sales, through marketing, and maybe through new management teams challenges.

BURKE: Great takeaways, George. And can you tell people where they can find you online and in social media?

ROSENBERG: Georgerosenberg.com is my website, my Twitter handle is prcoach. And I look forward to hearing from people.

BURKE: Thanks so much, George.

Transcript –

JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and we’re here at Counselors Academy. And I’m joined by Joseph.

Joseph, will you please introduce yourself?

JOSEPH THORNLEY: Hi, I’m Joseph Thornley. I’m the CEO of Thornley Fallis Communications in Toronto and Ottawa, Canada.

BURKE: Joseph, you know, here at PRSA Counselors Academy, I know that this takes a weekend out of your life and a lot of time, and so it’s obviously very important. Can you talk about how you work your own professional development into your day-to-day, and how you encourage your staff to do that as well?

THORNLEY: Sure, absolutely. I think–I’m 59, and I was saying to my wife last night, because she’s here at the conference with me, that I’m still learning every day. And that’s what makes me know that I’m still alive. And I learn a lot by reading things online. I’m a big believer in RSS. I can find the people that I really care about and I can read what they have to say and I can learn, I can write about myself. But I come to conferences—I probably come to more conferences now than I did 20 years ago because I’m very often meeting the people I’ve been reading and I’m getting engaged in discussions with them, and it’s a true learning experience. What I look for in a conference is a session where I can have one actionable takeaway once an hour. And if I get that, it’s a tremendous success for me.

BURKE: Fantastic. Now, where can people connect with you online and in social media?

THORNLEY: They can connect with me, I’m thornley on Twitter and I’m—my blog is propr.ca, P-R-O-P-R.C-A.

BURKE: Thank you so much.

THORNLEY: OK. Thank you, Johna.

Transcript –

JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and we’re here at PRSA Counselors Academy. We’re joined by Martin.

Martin, will you please introduce yourself?

MARTIN WAXMAN: Yes. Hi, Johna. It’s Martin Waxman from Energi PR Communications Digital based in Toronto, Canada. We want you guys to come to Canada.

BURKE: We want to come to Canada, too.

WAXMAN: We need you.

BURKE: So, you know, Martin, you just did the session on Inside PR, and you do the blog, and there’s so much valuable resources that go into that for the PR professional. How did you decide to be involved with this program and to really help this PR network evolve and develop so much?

WAXMAN: Well, “Inside PR” started about 250 weeks ago, about four and a half years ago. Because I know that, we’re on show 252, 253. And it started by two people, Terry Fallis and David Jones, who actually work with one of the co-hosts, Joe Thornley. And they started “Inside PR” really in the early days of social media as a chance to get out front and talk about where PR fits into the social media mix. Fast forward to show 100, the two of them were getting a little bit tired, so they brought on a number of new co-hosts. I was one of the co-hosts, there were two others. And then after about six months, I was the only one that stayed on. So the three of us stayed on until show 200. Dave and Terry decided to retire and I thought, you know, I know Gini Dietrich, I know Joe Thornley, I thought the three of us might be a really good group and have some interesting things to say, hopefully, on “Inside PR.” So we got together and we’re having a great time recording the shows. We actually record them separately from our own offices or homes, and then the tracks are produced together. So being at Counselors Academy, it’s really great to be able to be face-to-face and also to meet people while we’re doing it. And we appreciate, you know, sponsors like you guys who help make this happen.

BURKE: Great. Well, thank you so much. And where can people connect with you online and in social media?

WAXMAN: You can find me at “Inside PR,” which is www.insidepr.ca. You can find me on Twitter @martinwaxman, or you can find me on my blog, and it’s martinwaxman.com.

BURKE: Thank you so much, Martin.

WAXMAN: Thank you.

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JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and we’re here at the PRSA Counselors Academy. I’m joined by Dana.

Dana, will you please introduce yourself?

DANA HUGHENS: Hello, I’m Dana Hughens with Clairemont Communications in Raleigh, North Carolina.

BURKE: Dana, you did a great presentation on the three P’s, kind of the pillars that you use to build your successful business. Can you share those with the audience here of PR practitioners and communicators?

HUGHENS: Sure. The first P is promise, and it’s all about defining your promise or pinpoint your promise. And that’s promises that you make to other people, and also you have to think about the promises that you make to yourself. And those promises tie to principles, which are your founding principles and your guidelines for your agency.

The second big P is potential. And what I like to say is purpose plus passion plus possibilities equals potential. So you have to think about your purpose. Why are you doing what you’re doing? Go back to the original thought of why did you start you agency, or why did you accept the job that you’re in now? And then you have to think about the passion, and the passion that you have for that, and how you instill that and nurture that with your other team members. And with those things, what are the possibilities, where can you go with that? Be willing to be open to possibilities and open to take a risk.

And the last P is people, and there are three P’s under this P. And it’s preference. Think about how people prefer to get information from you, and work with them and give them the information in the way they like to receive it. The next one is predict, and that is really just predict that there are a lot of things that you can’t predict when you’re dealing with communicating with people. The last P, and perhaps the most important, is plain and simple.

And this just goes back to a general rule about communications that the more basic that we can make it and the more straight-forward, the easier it will be for people to receive the message that we’re intending to communicate.

BURKE: I think it was a great session. I was there. And I think the power of plain language is always the strongest hook at the end.

HUGHENS: Thank you.

BURKE: Because, you know, we get so caught up in industry jargon, and then information that just doesn’t convey to our audience. And so, Dana, where can people connect with you online and in social media?

HUGHENS: My Twitter IM @blah2voila. You can also connect with Clairemont Communications on Twitter @ClairemontComm. Clairemont Communications is also on Facebook, and you can visit our website and blog at clairemontcommunications.com.

BURKE: Thank you so much, Dana.

HUGHENS: Thank you.

Transcript –

JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and we’re here at Counselors Academy in Las Vegas. I’m joined by Gini.

Gini, will you please introduce yourself?

GINI DIETRICH: I’m Gini Dietrich. I own Arment Dietrich in Chicago, and I’m also the author of Spin Sucks and Spin Sucks Pro.

BURKE: Fantastic. Gini, you know, there’s a lot of talk about ethics with some of the current news events going on, and I would just like to get your perspective on how you educate and work with your clients and with your staff on how to be ethical in all of their activities.

DIETRICH: Yes. So, you know, I mean, one of our values is ethics, and being very ethical and being very honest. And of course, Spin Sucks is the fight against destructive spin, so it’s very integrated into our culture and into our values. We actually have one client who will say, `Why won’t you let us do that?’ And we always say, `Because it’s not ethical.’ And he’s always like, `But why?’ And so, you know, we have a really good rapport with him in helping him understand why certain things are ethical why certain things are not. And it’s really an ongoing education process because there’s so many bad examples in our industry. So we just keep educating and just keep talking about it.

BURKE: Gini, thank you so much. I think holding that line will continually elevate and educate those about public relations and all the value that can bring. Where can people connect with you online and in social media?

DIETRICH: So Twitter is Facebook–or not Facebook–ginidietrich. Spinsucks.com is the blog, and then facebook.com–facebook.com/armentdietrich is our page.

BURKE: Thanks so much, Gini.

DIETRICH: Thanks for having me.

On Friday, May 13, I had the pleasure of attending the session, 20/20 Hindsight: Timeless Truths for Effective Leadership lead by Mimi Meredith, Goodness Grows, at the annual PRSA Counselors Academy.

Everyone makes mistakes – particularly when it comes to building and forging relationships. These can be any sort of relationship, but it is equally true for PR and communications professionals looking to connect with their business associates and audiences, as well as great leaders.

Obstacles to Great Leadership

• Assumptions
• What you understand
• Who you understand

Often when building relationships we allow our assumptions to get in the way. We self-project on individuals (“I think therefore you are”). This saves us time, but we never really get to know people. Since we were children we were told to “treat others they way we want to be treated” and it has become the platinum rule for business and employee engagement.

Great leaders don’t equate understanding with agreement. They speak to be understood.  They learn by assessing what people already understand, limit by taking the ‘me’ or unnecessary information out of the conversation, look by checking out body language and test to see if you are getting through by asking “what do you think?” or “what are your takeaways?”

Great leaders don’t treat employees like they themselves want to be treated. They move beyond preconceptions of people. In essence, great leaders allow people to be beyond what we label them.

What do you see as being some the obstacles of great leadership? And how do you suggest moving past them? Please share your thoughts with me and the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.

Janet Tyler, APR, president, Airfoil Public Relations, recently led a breakout session at this year’s PRSA Counselors Academy. The discussion focused on “Value Driven Leadership” and how agency leaders can translate personal values into strategies for business growth.

Our values come from a number of different places, including family, culture, religion, technology, peers, education, and The Media. By the time we’re 15 most of us have formed solid beliefs, then values. These values are developed according to our beliefs. 

Values are important; if you don’t know your values or who you are you can’t be true to yourself. Our values give us authenticity, harmony, guidance, boundaries, and fulfillment. And they also provide an opportunity for influencers of organizational values and culture.

Here are some key takeaways from the discussion:

• Internal collaboration: employee connects their values to a company and wants a sense of belonging, purpose, and identity.
• Engage: know your vows to your values and share them with someone.
• Vision and Values: make them a competitive advantage for you.
• Live: Bring your values system to life through your actions.
• Values + Vision = Mission.
• People + Process = Performance.

In order for our values, both as managers and employees, to translate to the core business and successfully impact the bottom line we need to create individual action plans and collaborate as a team. We need to understand who we are accountable to and be willing to teach each other and learn from each other.

Tyler’s firm listed their values as collaboration, accountability, learning, leadership, service and fun.  What are your values and how are you incorporating them in your organization to meet the needs of your employees, clients and business? Please share your thoughts with me and the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas. 

*Bio: Colleen Flood has been a sales consultant with BurrellesLuce for over 12 years and is eager to become a more integrated part of the social-public relations community. She primarily handles agency relations in the New York and New Jersey metro-area. She is not only passionate about work, but also about family, friends, and the Jersey Shore. Twitter: @cgflood LinkedIn: Colleen Flood Facebook: BurrellesLuce

On May 13, 2011, Jay Silverberg, senior vice president of Xenophon Strategies, lead a breakout session – Crisis Proofing Your Agency and Client Support – at the annual PRSA Counselors Academy.

As a journalist you have to be prepared to cover any story. After all, bad things happen!

Silverberg explained his experience of a major crisis situation firsthand. He was at Candlestick Park for the third game of the World Series when an earthquake hit.  He said a few media organizations had emergency plans and emergency generators, but many media organizations in the area were not prepared for the crisis and did not have an adequate plan in place. Media coverage that day in San Francisco ranged from the unexpected to atrocious.

PR and communications professionals, along with the businesses they represent, must also be prepared for times of crisis. This will not only help with business continuity – the ability for your business to continue operation in times of crisis – but also keep The Media on its toes!

So how can PR practitioners start crisis proofing their agencies?

1. Brainstorm. Come up with several crisis scenarios relevant to your agency and its clients. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Some examples might include: IT emergencies; prolonged office closures because of fire, power outage, flooding, etc; senior staff or management unavailable because of prolonged illness, missing persons, death, etc.; client crisis, or some other internal issue that might affect the operation of business. 
2. Responsibilities. Create a check list and prepare an internal guide for your employee handbook that outlines duties and responsibilities and what is expected of employees.
3. Business Continuity: Set the expectation for your clients. How are you going to keep the office open and operations running smoothly to minimize impact and return to normal as quickly as possible?
4. Process: Outline procedures. If it is an IT emergency what measures could you put in place before, during, and after the crisis? For example, employees may be required to have two backup email addresses. All employees may be required to have access to a VPN and Internet at home.

Examples of Additional Backup Procedures:

• 24 -36 hour backup of emails in Outlook
• Cell phone with a separate area code from where you do business normally
• Access to landline in case of emergency, including emergency contacts
• Private Facebook pages for companies
• Know what backup systems your monitoring service has in place
• Purchase additional domains
• Scripts or changing voicemail
• Coordinate conference calls

Of course you will want to set the expectation during the hiring process, as well as write down your plan and revise it as needed. The key is getting staff involved from start to finish so that they understand the process.

Got any other great tips for handling a crisis? Be sure to share your thoughts with me and the readers of Fresh Ideas. 

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*Bio: Colleen Flood has been a sales consultant with BurrellesLuce for over 12 years and is eager to become a more integrated part of the social-public relations community. She primarily handles agency relations in the New York and New Jersey metro-area. She is not only passionate about work, but also about family, friends, and the Jersey Shore. Twitter: @cgflood LinkedIn: Colleen Flood Facebook: BurrellesLuce

Recently I had the pleasure of attending the PRSA Counselors Academy of which BurrellesLuce was a sponsor and Johna Burke, SVP-marketing, was one of the speakers. Over the course of several days, I got to listen and learn from some really great speakers. Periodically, I will be sharing insights from the event, here, on Fresh Ideas.

One breakout session, lead by Jim Joseph, president, Lippe Taylor Brand Communications, focused on Integrating the Brand Experience.  Jim started by asking attendees to name the one brand they could not live without.  It was interesting to hear the different brands mentioned as adding value to our lives.  Some of the brands were: Huggies, BMW, Weight Watchers, iPhone and Nordstrom. 

The discussion continued with the idea that most PR professionals don’t see themselves as marketers. However, both marketing and public relations have responsibilities that directly tie back to branding and the business. In order for branding to be successful both must work together as a team.

Flickr Image: captcreate

As marketing and communications professionals we need to create personal experiences that individuals can associate with our brands. We must identify and create needs while fulfilling on those brand promises. But with more consumers consciously choosing to include brands in their everyday life, this is sometimes easier said than done. Marketing and PR professionals need to understand the thought process that consumers put into their purchases, work as a team, and update their strategies and tactics accordingly. For many, this comes down to creating conversations and truly listening to what consumers want and need.

Some takeaways:

Need vs. Want

• Consumers want products that make them feel good.
• Most products fulfill a need – but only one brand satisfies a consumer’s want. So you want to get to that “want” status.
• There is an emotional connection to the products we buy.
• Consumers want brands that are “like them.”

Branding and Social Media

• Use social media tools to promote brands and to give them a voice. Without social media, brands become outdated and appear old school.
• Social media is part of the total user experience and should be baked in with everything else.
• Branding is about the users, not the branding itself. Don’t become a social media stalker or think it is all about you.
• PR should handle social media and learn to leverage and share with influencers.
• Customer service effects branding. Sites like Twitter help promote brands and engage users as a customer service vehicle.
• Incorporate share button to enhance engagement and encourage the expansion of dialogue/key messages.

Examples of Companies Integrating the Brand Experience

• Amex – social media currency
• Best Buy – Twelp Force for customer service
• Clearasil – joins the social media community
• Hard Rock Hotels – demo a guitar
• Lady Gaga – total social media and branding package
• Pepsi – Social Vending (buy a drink or gift a drink) combines physical location with virtual

In addition to some of the tips and examples provided above, the discussion also lent itself to building a consumer profile. Who is it that PR and marketing professionals truly want to reach? When we create these profiles we must move beyond assumptions, allow our people and consumers to be more than just the labels we create for them.

How are you integrating your company, client, or product’s brand experience? How do you see the evolution on technology and online/social media affecting branding in the future? What are some additional ways that marketing and PR professionals can come together as a team? Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

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 *Bio: Colleen Flood has been a sales consultant with BurrellesLuce for over 12 years and is eager to become a more integrated part of the social-public relations community. She primarily handles agency relations in the New York and New Jersey metro-area. She is not only passionate about work, but also about family, friends, and the Jersey Shore. Twitter: @cgflood LinkedIn: Colleen Flood Facebook: BurrellesLuce

THE 12 ESSENTIAL TALENTS OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS LEADERSHIP…AND OTHER LESSONS LEARNED FROM HARRY POTTER

REGISTER NOW http://budurl.com/uxym

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We’re all familiar with the old brain-teaser: “If a tree falls in the forest and no one’s there to hear it, does it make a sound?”

A question that’s much easier to answer – and more relevant to effective leadership practices – is: “If an employee offers an idea, and no one pays attention, does the employee stop participating?”

In most cases, the answer is a definite yes. Ignore a staffer’s input, and he or she will feel put out, turned off, alienated, and discouraged from offering suggestions in the future.

It’s no surprise that one of the biggest challenges to leadership today – perhaps the biggest – is that of employee disengagement…staff members feeling they are not being heard, a feeling they translate into not being valued and ultimately not part of the creative team. So they tune out and stifle themselves from offering potentially valuable contributions in the future.

 It’s not much different from the man who complains to his psychiatrist, “Doctor, everyone ignores me.”

The doctor responds: “Next.”

The opposite side of the disengagement coin is that, at some of the nation’s most successful public relations firms, employees at all levels are inspired to present ideas, no matter how far out of the proverbial box, and encouraged to question ideas of top management. And their challenges of these ideas are not only tolerated but even applauded. 

When I was publicity director of the Scholastic team spearheading the publicity campaign for the Harry Potter book series, we all knew our mission and were committed to it. But at the same time, we welcomed the questions from everyone on the team, even when they reflected healthy skepticism.

Like the best elements of brainstorming, everyone was encouraged to present free-flowing ideas, confident there’d be no snap judgment articulated, no scoffing or rolling eyes or turned-up noses. Everyone’s idea was listened to, encouraged, and amplified. And as a result, we were all strengthened with everyone feeling he or she had shared in moving the team and its mission forward.

Some team leaders need to remember that it doesn’t diminish the boss’s luster to have an idea from a lower-level employee implemented. In fact, it rebounds favorably. Part of leadership is identifying and implementing good ideas, whatever or whoever the source.

An employee’s willingness to present possibly controversial ideas or to challenge those of higher-ups emerges only in a company culture that encourages it. That culture develops only when the leader is willing to identify employees’ hidden assets and potential and helps develop those qualities. The results: greater individual contribution and professional growth.

Leaders who understand this welcome employees who think differently from themselves. Rather than clone themselves, they don’t limit those they hire to “yes-men or -women.” Rather, they seek out even “no-people,” individuals who aren’t negative for the sake of it, but rather who aren’t intimidated about pointing out flaws in the boss’s thinking or who will sometimes take a contrary position, a la devil’s advocate.

A good balance to strive for: while demonstrating he or she is in charge, the boss realizes the possibility of being wrong, and thereby demonstrates an open-mindedness that encourages risk-taking for the ultimate good of the team.

Beyond this, forward-thinking bosses maintain an open-door policy, literally and figuratively, encouraging employees to share not only professional but personal matters as well. This means being a good, attentive listener, an often forgotten component of good communication, whether with an employee or a client.

You may have read recently of the first wedding to take place in space. When the capsule came back to earth, reporters hurried to interview family members. One reporter cornered the groom’s grandmother.

“How was the wedding?” he asked.

“Beautiful,” she said.

“The ceremony?”

“Fine.”

“The music?”

“Fine.”

“The food?”

“Fine.”

The reporter said, “All your answers are positive, but there’s something in your tone that suggests everything wasn’t ideal.”

“Well,” said the grandmother, “to tell you the truth, there was no atmosphere.”

Yes, atmosphere matters. We’re in a serious business, but that doesn’t mean the environment has to be solemn. A wise leader put a premium on fun, light-hearted moments that help foster camaraderie and provide a pleasant cushion for the inevitable long hours and hard work.

They can also reflect the positive – contagious – energy that filters down from top to bottom in a thriving company, one where employees feel engaged and connected.

The plus factors are numerous, not the least of which is what a current Employment Engagement report by Blessing White (http://ow.ly/3vT4h) has found: engaged employees plan to stay at their firms for what they give; disengaged stay for what they get.

 The company’s survey also found that “executives appear to struggle with key leadership behaviors, especially what’s required to create a high-performance culture.” It also points out that managers have to understand each individual’s talents, interests and needs, and then match those with the organization’s objectives…while creating personal trusting relationships.

Blessing White emphasizes the importance of leadership focusing on engagement, “creating the dialogue, stirring up participation and driving people to focused, purposeful action.”

It urges the adoption of a “coach approach” as a means of transferring disengagement into “high-energy buy-in motivated employees and strong results.” By focusing on “what is working” and the strengths and individual needs of employees, the report contends, the odds of success are increased. The report notes that recognizing that each individual is motivated differently (seldom by money), will help create opportunities that mesh with individual needs.

The company strongly recommends self-evaluation to determine how open a leader is to engaging in a dialogue even with someone with a contradictory perspective, without feeling the need to prove anything about the leader’s point of view…and flexible enough to accept and implement someone else’s better idea.

All these goals are attainable, starting with listening – really listening – to that employee offering a potentially super idea.

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 Alan Cohen, president of Acts of Balance Executive Coaching (http://www.actsofbalance.com/) and a PRSA Counselors Academy member, is an executive coach, trainer and brainstorm facilitator with more than 25 years of experience in business, including public relations and human resources. 

Download a free copy of “The 12 Essential Talents of PR Leadership” at http://ow.ly/3vT7d

Flickr Image: lapolab

When I am making decisions or working with decision makers I am often reminded of the PRSA Counselors Academy conference back in May.  During the breakout session, “The Emotional Context of Rational Thought,” led by Carol Schiro Greenwald, I learned about how the brain works and how emotions influence the way we hear and process information.  This in turn influences our decisions, as well as those our clients make.

Greenwald was informative, filling us in on facts about the brain: 

1. it weighs 3lbs.
2. is 7-10 million years old
3. it does not fully develop until we are approx. 20 years old. 

These facts were interesting, but what Greenwald went on to say got me thinking.  She explained that we can only do one thing at a time!  Despite our best efforts, we cannot multi-task – I guess this why she would not let us tweet during her session. 

She explained that the mind is linear and has not evolved…yet.  Perhaps future generations will evolve in to doing more than one thing at a time since they will be raised in a multi-tasking society with all the new technology.  (So for now, stop trying to do other things and stick to one thing at a time – like concentrating on reading this blog.) 

Greenwald said we can only retain 7-10 pieces of information at a time and we forget 95 percent of what we know.  She also explained 80 percent of brain thoughts are unconscious!  Therefore, for good decision making it is important to “underload in the society of information overload.”  How can we do this? 

• Begin with a big idea and add the details later.
• Tell a story. We learn through visuals, pictures – so make it real.
• Don’t overload the consumer.  Over thinking shuts out emotional context; it cuts out all the knowledge.  Whatever you think is the proper length, shorten it Greenwald says. 
• Provide all the need to know information rather than the nice to know. Again shorter is better.
• We see what our brain tells us to see. Keep it lively.
• Memory is a creative product of our encounters. Make sure you make an impression.

What emotional connections do you see influencing seemingly rational choices or decisions with your clients?  In the workplace? Please share your thoughts with me and the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas. 

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*Bio: Colleen Flood has been a sales consultant with BurrellesLuce for over 12 years and is eager to become a more integrated part of the social-public relations community. She primarily handles agency relations in the New York and New Jersey metro-area. She is not only passionate about work, but also about family, friends, and the Jersey Shore. Twitter: @cgflood LinkedIn: Colleen Flood Facebook: BurrellesLuce

Keeping with this theme, I am offering some of the other best tips (under 120 characters or at least 140) I learned.

Blogging and Social Media

• Use your #blog to showcase expertise in particular areas so you can win business. (@bgindra)
• Lesson learned-get the video on 1 take, even if you have to record it several times. It’s easier than editing on computer. (@jaybaer)
• Google wants to provide multi-media search results, so post some video. (@jaybaer)
• Digital is not about knowing the answer; it’s finding the answer. (@jaybaer)
• 4 degrees is the new 6 degrees of separation thanks to #SM. (@Brianna)

Engagement

• Give people something to talk about to help elevate the brand. (@kalbritton) Example is @lenovo photography contest.
• Every company has a 1% Group of core active customers…you need to engage them. (@jaybaer)

Green Initiatives

• The grammar of green: Clear, Credible, Consistent & Compliance.
• Praise companies for doing what is right with being #green instead of looking at all the bad things they have done.

Messaging

• The new KISS: Keep it simple & share. (@briansolis)
• QR (Quick Response) codes are great for sharing information, like at a trade show or games.

Strategy

• The new CEO = Chief Editorial Officer. (@briansolis)
• Don’t give community management to an intern.
• Every company should have a social media crisis plan. (@jaybaer)
• Set goals and objectives before you start social media monitoring.
• Interesting way of looking at the #SM conversations – what are people saying about my company & is it in the right context & with the right influencers?

For more great information from this conference, checkout, my BurrellesLuce colleague, Colleen Flood’s latest Fresh Ideas post, “Are You Shifting Marketing and PR Plans Based on Hispanic Demographic Trends?,” as well as the PRSay blog, Jay Baer’s blog and others.

Have you learned some new ideas you can share from a recent industry event? What do you think makes an influencer?

Hola, como estan todos?  Es un placer de estar aqui. Estan todos disfrutando la conferencia? 

This is similiar to how David Henry, founder and president of Telenoticias and co-author of Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations: Understanding and Targeting America’s Largest Minority, started the session “A Sleeping Giant” at the PRSA Counselors Academy Conference, which BurrellesLuce sponsored, this past weekend. Henry switched back to communicating in English and asked if we understood what he had just said. Only one or two hands went up in the group. He then related this to what Hispanics understand when they are marketed to in English.

The current marketplace in the U.S. is comprised of a diverse group. There has been boom over the past few years and by 2050, it is estimated that 30 percent of the population will be Hispanic. This is a population with a purchasing power that is progressing 50 percent faster than non-Hispanic groups. (In fact, BurrellesLuce first began writing about these trends in a 2007 newsletter entitled, “Top Five Tips for Reaching the Growing Hispanic Market.”)

This is the “sleeping giant,” according to Henry, since Hispanics seem to be more of a brand-loyal and relationship-driven community. Even though U.S. Hispanics speak English, in the home many of them are only speaking Spanish and are making buying decisions and vacation choices in a family setting. Henry explained that not enough companies include Hispanic outreach as a core part of their PR and marketing plans. If we are not communicating in Spanish or speaking to their values how are they interpreting what they will purchase? 

Henry also insists that Hispanic consumers need to be engaged via online and social media. They are the fastest growing in terms of online usage in the U.S. and to dispel any myths, Henry explained that 82 percent of Hispanics do have computers.  Fifty-eight percent of the total Hispanic population is online and 55 percent are using Spanish language sites – this is up 41 percent according to Henry. Companies who engage with Hispanics will have success – social media is perfect for the Hispanic market.

Henry offered some ways to reach Hispanic audiences:

• Adapt to your market. Research the culture and garner an understanding before trying to market it. (This also applies to other consumer groups and niche markets as well.)
• Take a bilingual approach. This will help to send a consistent, effective message.
• Understand core values.  The family dynamic plays an important role in purchasing decisions, among other values.
• Get involved in the community. Partner and communicate with Hispanic organizations.
• Employ a fluent Spanish language spokesperson. Some larger agencies even have dedicated teams.  Just because you know some Spanish, does not mean you know the Hispanic market or their communication preferences.

How are you marketing en Espanol? What about in other languages or to other non-English speaking groups or niche communities? What are some of your tips for communicating and marketing to an increasing diverse group of influencers and constituents?

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*Bio: Colleen Flood has been a sales consultant with BurrellesLuce for over 12 years and is eager to become a more integrated part of the social-public relations community. She primarily handles agency relations in the New York and New Jersey metro-area. She is not only passionate about work, but also about family, friends, and the Jersey Shore. Twitter: @cgflood LinkedIn: Colleen Flood Facebook: BurrellesLuce