Archive for the ‘JS Cultivation’ Category

If your message is important, be direct

Aug
31

Written by: Trudy Kremer

A friend and client of mine recently linked me to a Nightline story about shock-and-awe PSAs.  The story is about how PSAs are getting grittier to get your attention.  I have to admit — the one about teen texting and driving stuck with me.  It graphically depicts teenagers in a car accident.  Blood and glass flying everywhere.  I cannot shake it.  Watch it.  You won’t be able to shake it either.

The Georgia Meth Project is taking a similar approach. Have you seen the billboards around town or the ads on TV?  They have a big goal — to stop thousands of people in Georgia from ever trying meth.  Can they accomplish it without a big dose of reality?

As we raise the bar on what and how we communicate, I often wonder if more subtle forms of communication are getting lost in the clutter.  Can we still roar with a whisper?  Can we motivate change without telling it like it really it is?

The other day I was driving (OK, so now you know where I get most of my ideas), and I drove under a digital sign that said “Smog alert — Use alternate transit!”  I drove by this sign all summer and thought nothing of it.  But later I thought what if it said, “You are polluting — get on a bus!”  Or better yet, “If you want your child to be able to breathe — carpool!”  That’s right.  Go ahead point your digital finger at me.  Maybe I will make a change.

I had an opportunity to visit a homeless relief center called City of Refuge in Atlanta and meet the director, Bruce Deel.  He uprooted his family to move them to the zip code synonymous for crime in Atlanta.  The highest number of murders, rapes, drug deals happen in 30314 every day.  He has been robbed more than 40 times.  He did not sugar-coat the story.  He did not just tell the nice parts.  He told it like it is.  And he has motivated change where there was no change in Atlanta.  They provide shelter, job training, rehab programs and are building an enormous medical center on a site where there was desolation before.  I suspect a lot of this progress was through Bruce’s ability to persuade, be genuine and tell it like it is.

How do we motivate change through words? When we don’t motivate change, is it because we are beating around the bush?  How direct is too direct?

In a world where there is value placed on 140 characters to communicate, is the best route to go straight for the jugular?  In the blink of an eye, I am already over my character limit.

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Leaked Toyota memo brings attention to crisis communication

Apr
9

Written by: Jackson Spalding

Caroline Duffy spent part of Thursday afternoon with WSB-TV reporter Jim Strickland.

Jim wanted to understand what steps a company should take during a crisis to communicate with the public. Of course, he also wanted to know if Toyota’s reputation has been damaged by the disclosure of the leaked memo.

The memo regarding acceleration problems says, in part, “We are not protecting our customers by keeping this quiet .”

We were honored that Jim thought of Jackson Spalding when he needed a professional opinion on crisis communication.

Watch the WSB-TV video here or download the full memo as a PDF file here.

There’s a lot more we can say about crisis communications that doesn’t fit in a local news report, so send us your questions or keep reading JS Thinkstand.

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The simplicity of one

Mar
11

Written by: Trudy Kremer

Three months ago I was driving in Atlanta near 14th street. I looked up at a bilboard. It was stark white and had only black letters that said, “Google Puppy Mills.” No images, no paragraphs, just three words. Right in the middle of Midtown’s suits, starbucks and skyscrapers — a simple message that beckons a call to action.

That was three months ago and I have been thinking about it ever since. And I don’t have a dog. Heck, I don’t even have a pet. It was something about the simplicty of message that cuts through the clutter and made me stop to think. I don’t have to Google the words “puppy mills” to create a horrifying image in my mind.

In our daily communications as business leaders, we tend to clutter our messages, cram too much information in, to paint with a big fat heavy paintbrush and not a fine-pointed Sharpie. And our message gets lost.

Traditionally we have been told to stick to three points. Why not a single point? A single image? A single word? If your main message does not fit on a Post-It note, you are probably saying too much.

I Googled “Puppy Mills.”  Believe me. You don’t want to. But you don’t have to. You got the message in just three words.

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Vision comes in many forms

Mar
3

Written by: Pat Hill

Mike Hanson

Mike Hanson

Today, a blind hiker started up the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail – solo. Mike Hanson will use GPS to tell him where he is and what’s around him and a white cane to tell him about obstacles and hazards. That’s it.

This guy’s got guts.

I logged onto Mike’s site, www.blindhiker.com, to learn about his journey, only to find a surprise: Not only are Mike and I the same age, we had very similar births: both born premature. In Mike’s case, he lost his eyesight due to receiving pure oxygen, which destroyed both his retinas. In my case, I lost my twin  brother, Paul. How different life can be, in an instant.

It took Mike over a year of preparation to get to today. Imagine if we, in our daily lives, had the same vision for the future, then boldly strode forward on our own journeys.

Today, be the blind hiker.

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Give DTUs, not IOUs

Mar
1

Written by: Glen Jackson

DTUs are the antithesis of IOUs.

DTU is my shorthand for Do the Unexpected, a rule that I’ve committed to follow in 2010.

When you have an IOU, you do it because you have to — it is simply expected or required. “I’m going to the basketball game today with a client because he’s a big Hawks fan. Duty calls.”

When you have a DTU mindset, you act because you really want to. You genuinely want to perform a selfless act the right way and make a lasting impression.

Companies that are preeminent always do the unexpected. When you do the unexpected, your client very rarely forgets it. Often they tell others about what happened and word spreads. More importantly, relationships deepen.   “Our client was surprised to find a jersey signed by hometown hero Josh Smith in his office before tonight’s game.”

Unfortunately, in many businesses today, doing the unexpected is a lost art. I tend to blame the leaders of these organizations. Leaders are teachers. If they don’t lead with a DTU mindset and fail to teach others, the IOU mentality sets in.

Here are DTU opportunities to take advantage of today:

  • Write thank you notes by hand and deliver promptly
  • Remember client anniversaries and celebrate significant milestones with them
  • Offer your office conference room to a key VIP business or community contact who needs to meet off-site — surprise the contact by picking up lunch for her and her team
  • Provide a gift for new clients for the first meeting
  • Take part in a service activity with a client or make a donation to a non-profit supported by your client.

Make 2010 the year of the DTU. You won’t regret it, and your DTU recipient will never forget it.

Do the unexpected and you will receive the unexpected.

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Opportunity: See it! Seek it! Seize it!

Feb
28

Written by: Glen Jackson

At my house, sometimes to the chagrin of my youngest daughter, especially during the winter months of the school year, we call the alarm clock the opportunity clock. When it goes off for the day, opportunity knocks.

I think the opportunity formula is simple. See the opportunity. Seek the opportunity. Seize the opportunity.

See it! Seek it! Seize it!

See the opportunity is the identification phase.   How does it start?  It begins with reflection, conversation and direction.  Take time to reflect on what opportunities you see in your firm or business. Really reflect and dig deep. Then, once you have seriously thought about the opportunity you have identified, get outside perspective. Ask people inside and outside your organization whom you trust what they think about what you’ve put your finger on.  Listen to their comments and advice. Ask them for direction. This is a kind of “what would you do in my shoes” moment. From there, nail down some goals and hold yourself accountable.

Once you see the opportunity, seek it with all you’ve got. This is the action phase. More than anything else, it requires pursuit and patience. Every opportunity worth waiting for requires patience. One of the constant themes in successful business careers is the person achieving his or her goals stayed resilient in their pursuit and kept on moving forward slowly but surely. The bottom line is to keep your nose to the grindstone as you work and pursue your opportunity with stamina. Don’t give up hope. Stay focused. Remember what you reflected on and keep your chin up and keep looking ahead.

So see the opportunity and then seek what you see. The next step is the breakthrough phase. Lots of attributes are needed here. Two in particular stand out  — leadership and risk taking.

Leadership and risk taking are complementary traits. Leaders see resistance and are determined to fight through the inertia they face. Risk taking is reward receiving. It means getting outside your comfort zone to stretch and grow.  Take risk to receive rewards. When you do, you will grow as a leader and you will seize the opportunity.

What happens if you don’t seize it the first time?  Keep trying.

Last week while on a flight to Washington D.C., I sat next to a sergeant in the Marine Corps. He did three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.  We struck up a meaningful conversation.

Before we landed, he reached into his wallet and said, “I want to give you this, sir, before we land.”

He gave me a small, worn card.

“I have had this with me for all my tours. I want you to have it now, sir.”

Printed on the card is the Marine’s prayer. As you would expect, this prayer is moving, very powerful. Two sentences in the middle of the prayer remind us never to stop seizing:

“If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith. If I shoud miss the mark, give me courage to try again.”

See it! Seek it!  Seize it!

Opportunity knocks. The opportunity clock sounds.

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CEOs seek honest advisers

Feb
17

Written by: Glen Jackson

If you were to select only eight words that you would like others to use when describing yourself as a leader, what would they be?

Honesty is one of the eight to put on your list. We recently had three CEOs in our office speak openly and honestly about leadership. They were asked questions such as how is managing and leading different, what traits do they look for in their inner circle, whom do they admire as leaders, what do they do in their quiet time to recharge and how are they building up within their organizations the next generation of leaders.

It was a rewarding, refreshing discussion. All three of the CEOs faced and cleared formidable economic hurdles n 2009. They met this turbulence head on, they were courageous in their decisions and did not waver from their principles.

A common thread in the answers was the importance of honesty.  The best leaders are willing to to say “I messed up” on that particular decision. They don’t hesitate to say “I don’t know” when asked a question they truly don’t have an immediate answer for at the time.  They don’t try to resolve every issue but let others work things out when there is a difference of opinion.

They listen, listen, listen. They encourage, encourage, encourage. They communicate, communicate, communicate.

The candid answers reminded of a saying that goes like this;  “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”

I will always remember the thoughts shared by these real-deal leaders who spoke from the heart. They were so honest in their answers. We can all learn from this transparency as we ponder our eight words for 2010.

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Three tips to improve listening skills

Feb
15

Written by: Glen Jackson

When leaders fail as communicators, in large or small settings, they fail for many reasons. Common mistakes include talking too much or talking down to the recipient. Sometimes a speaker may fail to really drill down on the audience they are addressing. Often, it’s simply a matter of not heeding advice they receive from trusted advisers on ways to improve their message, communications style and conversational tendencies.

In the end, it all boils down to poor listening skills. Speakers often forget to listen.

Everybody can become better listeners. Try doing these three things to become a better hearer:

  1. Ask
  2. Acknowledge
  3. Act

When engaged in genuine conversations, ask more questions than you think you need to ask.  Push yourself to ask one more question than you think you need to ask.

Acknowledge to the person you are talking to that you hear them. You can do this very simply.  Repeat back to them what you think you heard and get acknowledgment that you heard correctly.

Finally, take action.  In other words, follow up with what was discussed and agree to take action to fix what needs to be fixed, set another date to discuss progress or perform any other tasks.

Ask. Acknowledge. Act.  Listening is that simple.

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EQ: Trust your intuition, control your emotion

Jan
25

Written by: Glen Jackson

I have been studying emotional intelligence over the last few months and drilling down into various definitions. My overall conclusion is I don’t like the academic definitions I have read about or heard from various folks.

So here is my takeaway on what I believe emotional intelligence is at its core: It is trusting your intuitions, controlling your emotions and factoring in your observations to make timely decisions and take timely action.

In any service business, you have to depend upon your gut at times to make a decision. A lot of this goes back to just having a keen sixth sense on situations. This is what trusting your intuition is all about as part of the EQ definition/formula. Reading people or the situation the right way and then trusting your intuition to do what needs to be done.

Now to do this right, you also have to control your emotions. Lose your emotion and you lose your respect and eventually your credibility. People with a high EQ very, very rarely get upset. They remain calm and carry on. They avoid unnecessary drama.

Finally, one must factor in observations. When you factor in what you are seeing, observe something that needs fixing and then do it, you are leaning on your EQ skills. I have seen such “factoring in” totally change the tone and overall chemistry of a meeting. People with high EQ do these things naturally.  It is like riding a bike for them. Others around them see it and recognize it and want to know more. It strikes them as a brilliant move while the high EQ person just did what she or he thought was natural.

This leads me to the final piece of the definition.  The EQ moment really materializes when you make a timely decision and take timely action. This is the secret sauce. Trust your intuition, control your emotions factor it all in and then – boom – make the decision and take the action that is needed.  That is magic. This is the difference — oftentimes a lasting difference.

So can EQ be learned?

I have asked this question to people who have extreme emotional intelligence. The consensus is it can be learned in some ways but in other ways you either have it or you don’t. But for those people who want to improve their EQ skills, they can move it up a notch or two.

How? Pick someone who has a high EQ and study them. One of the EQ leaders I study is Dr. Tim Elmore, CEO of Growing Leaders. Watching Tim use his EQ gifts is like watching Ted Williams swing a baseball bat. It is poetry in motion. I have learned a lot from Tim, mainly to strive to be a genuine student of the art of business and relationship building. Business is both art and science. The art part still matters perhaps more than ever today in these tumultuous times.

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Best CEOs ‘hear between the lines’

Jan
4

Written by: Glen Jackson

The most effective CEOs have an uncanny ability to “hear between the lines.”

They are always one step ahead and understand the importance of motivation and inspiration in their leadership role.

One company that is blessed with exemplary leadership is Chick-fil-A.  Truett Cathy built his $3 billion company by leveraging his first-rate instincts, staying true to himself and Biblical principles. Truett factored in various marketplace observations to make timely decisions and take timely action. His inventing of the chicken sandwich and the loyal, deep-bench team he has built inside the company exemplifies his keen emotional intelligence and his resolute belief that companies don’t fail, people do.

In the book How Did You Do It Truett, there are many examples of the CEO’s emotional intelligence at work. But it’s Perry Ragsdale, senior vice president of construction for Chick-fil-A, who sums it best when he says, “Truett hears between the lines. We’re talking about different aspects of business and his questions show remarkable insight about where we are and where we are going. He sees through to the reasons about why things are happening and brings a unique business insight.”

Hear between the lines.

These four words sum up what it means to be a leader who fully capitalizes on his or her emotional intelligence.

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