Competition is a learning and growth experience. By competing, we learn from those with similar values and goals, including our customers and competitors, and find inspiration and methods to improve our own performance.
Read MoreCorporate Growing Pains can also be a valuable experience, if you recognise them and get the help you need to get through them. But there is no single right answer. The solution will vary from organisation to organisation, because the things we share, the things that are important vary from organisation to organisation.
Read MoreThere are options for the structure and make-up of senior management teams, which include: * Alignment to the strategic plan * Multiple teams to cover varying leadership areas, with some consistent members on each * Selection based on leadership skills and alignment to corporate values, not just departmental management * Including external people on your management team
Read MoreSocial media creates the opportunities for associations to implement their actions, not just their communications. Why communicate when they can "do" in such a public fashion that the communication effect is multiplied exponentially? They are failing to use the power of multifaceted relationships and not getting the benefits they should out of social media.
Read MoreAll relationships are based on communications, but you don’t just tell things to people, you also listen to them. You do this in your personal and social life, you must do it in your professional life as well. Many organisations are terrible listeners because they confuse the need to listen with the action of failing to take decisions or the perception of lack of leadership. Great leaders listen.
Read MorePutting all of your communications into the marketing category is running the risk of focusing on product to the detriment of relationships and reputation external to the product.
Read MoreWe accept media stories at face value until they are challenged by someone "in the know" or who we have a relationship with. Once challenged, we tend to favour the new version of the story because we know that "media world" is a mythical place, not the community in which we live. Short term stories rarely do the damage we believe, and are usually made ineffective by a quick, straightforward response. The real impact is on those who are the focus of the story, not the broader community.
Read MoreYour employees do a lot of your external communication, relationship building and reputation creation. And they are very, very credible. They are in essence similar to every other stakeholder and need to hear the same things and be heard in similar ways. If as CEO you want to create relationships with your employees (and you do or you wouldn't be in this position!) then you should really communicate with them in the same vein as every other stakeholder. The tools may be different, but the values, themes, relationships and reputation effects are the same.
Read More