Perhaps contrary to popular opinion, defining and exercising your organizational values is one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal as a leader of your organization. Workplace values set the tone for your chamber or association’s culture, and they identify what your organization, as a whole, cares about.
Who Needs a Strategic Plan?
You might hear, “strategic planning doesn’t work because things are moving too fast.” Or, “we’ve operated just fine with no plan so why start now?” And finally, “you can’t plan 3-years out with the pace of societal change.” No matter the reasons, a volunteer driven organization needs the buy-in, commitment and a check on its relevance. Without a plan how will alignment with finances, committees and staff be checked?
What Am I Looking For When I Build My Next Workplace Team?
Teaming can be this big word, especially if you’re new at it. Really, it's just a group of people getting together working a problem, right? As a new leader you may be called upon to form your next team, perhaps your first one?! Here is where I would start if I were to build a very adaptable, high level, results-oriented team:
Using the CAMP Method of Motivation to Motivate and Retain Your Staff
This past week, wearing my other hat as chamber director for southwestern Vermont, I had the pleasure to present at the Vermont Tourism Summit in Burlington, Vermont. My topic was on “Building Your Brand With Local Talent.” Now, because of my job and my background, the presentation was heavy on marketing tactics. However, I was able to weave in some of my other passion - motivating teams.
Right, makes sense! With all the strategy and tools to get the marketing job done, we still have the fundamental challenge of human beings leading the charge. We still need to make sure our staff, teammates or freelancers are happy. This is where I often weaved in our CAMP Method of Motivation.
Developing Best Business Practices During Chaotic Times.
How do we find our way out of this tunnel of uncertainty and change, or at the very least, learn how to ride the rollercoaster while still continuing to develop business? As Drucker points out, albeit simplistically, if you want to predict what’s ahead, your best bet is to create it. How do we go about creating a model that can handle the chaos of today, react when necessary, and attack with precision and purpose? Here are some thoughts…
Founder, Creator, Entrepreneur: Welcome To The Stage Generation Z!
At The Heart of True Innovation are Trust and Vulnerability
Innovation, or the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, unarticulated needs, or existing market, has a lot to do with the tasks, processes, and smart people! However, true innovation relies more on the ability to trust and be vulnerable in the incubator stage of an idea or innovation.
False innovation can be defined, if we borrow some language from vulnerability author Brené Brown as, “the absence of honest conversation about the hard work that takes us from lying facedown in the arena to rising strong has led to two dangerous outcomes: the propensity to gold-plate grit and a badassery deficit.”
White Paper: Millennials, Brands and Trust - FREE DOWNLOAD
Based on a presentation given at NYC Relate Live Conference, this 10-page white paper digs down into the concept of the Beloved Brand Triangle that author Matt Harrington created and showcased at the conference. Learn how Millennials, trust are all intertwined and walk away with key questions to ask your organization and customers to build a more beloved, Millennial-friendly company.
Part 3: How "Narrative Belonging" Should Define Today’s Brands for Millennials
Let’s build out the Beloved Brand Triangle with thesis #3. The final point on our triangle is narrative belonging. Narrative Belonging is the ongoing effort by a brand to tell the story continually of how a customer that uses the brand will have a sense of belonging to the product and service that will greatly enhance the customer’s existence and experience.
Why Millennials Need Authentic Trust in Their Products
The challenge for many companies is that the Millennial generation will hold you to your sales pitch. The days of the “snake oil” salesman are dead. For many companies, who are not entirely truthful, who lack competency and character in their business practices and product, they will rue the day that 93 million Millennials find out that they are in fact not telling the truth. This generation, who has a rigorous demand for excellence, will hop on their social platforms and announce to the world that you are now deemed untrustworthy.