Category Archives: Public Relations

From the Mind of Dave Kerpen – 9 Timeless Leadership Lessons from Baseball

I love spring – greenery and flowers budding, warm sunshine on your skin, a cool breeze blowing, and the start of my favorite season, baseball season, that is. I love baseball season, and I love how many authors have developed widely applicable lessons from the all-American game. I recently ran across an article by Dave Kerpen, author of Likeable Business and Likeable Social Media, CEO of Likeable Local, and fellow baseball fanatic. I may love the Cincinnati Reds, and he may be crazy about the New York Mets, but we both agree on the lessons he presents in his article, “9 Timeless Leadership Lessons from Baseball”. It’s a great read, and while I’m not into reblogging what others have written, I felt this was a really wonderful article and definitely worth sharing – I hope my readers enjoy it as much as I did:

1) You can’t hit a home run unless you swing for the fences.

Leaders must think big, and act big. You can’t accomplish huge things unless you go for it. Of course, in baseball, with two strikes, you should choke up, and just try to make contact – and in business, there is a time to settle for less. But always start by thinking big.

2) The best players aren’t afraid to get their uniforms dirty.

Leaders must live by example, and that means demonstrating they can get “in the weeds” and handle basic, menial tasks when necessary. As CEO of a startup, I know that we’re too small to have too many defined roles at the organization. If I have to take the garbage out sometimes – that’s okay. Sometimes getting your uniform dirty inspires others to work that much harder.

3) Measure everything that matters.

Billy Beane ushered in a new era in baseball with the 2002 Oakland A’s. Made famous by the book and movie Moneyball, Beane demonstrated that by measuring statistics such as on-base percentage, he could field a competitive team for less money than the teams who relied on gut instincts alone. Great leaders use all of the data and analysis they can get their hands on to make smart, informed decisions.

4) It’s more about the team than about any one superstar.

In baseball, more than in any other team sport, individuals make less of a difference than the whole team. Even a dominant pitcher only plays once every five days. The best leaders recognize that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and while it’s great to have top talent – it’s the whole organization which must perform in order to succeed.

5) Don’t go down looking.

It’s important as a hitter to be patient and wait for your pitch- but with two strikes against you, you’ve got to swing the bat. (Mets fans will recall, we learned this the hard way with Carlos Beltran in 2006.) Great leaders have strong convictions, and they don’t go down without a fight for what they believe in.

6) Keep your eye on the ball.

Hitting a major league pitch is one of the most difficult tasks in sports, if not the most difficult. In order to succeed, players must be laser focused on the ball coming at them at 80-100 miles per hour. In business, it’s also essential to stay focused. Great leaders know at any given moment what their top priorities are for the day, month, quarter, and year. The best leaders are focused even on a 3-5 year plan.

7) Hit em where they ain’t.

Willie Keeler, one of the greatest hitters of all time, coined this phrase, which essentially means, it doesn’t matter how hard you hit the ball, just hit it where the opposing players aren’t standing, and you can get a hit. In the same way, great entrepreneurs realize that as long as they can find a market need, and solve an existing problem, they can build a successful organization. It doesn’t have to be sexy, and you don’t have the build the next Facebook to be a great leader.

8) Be ready for a curve ball – or a change up.

You can be a great fastball hitter, but unless you can hit a major league curveball and change up, it won’t matter. Isaac Asimov said, “The only constant is change.” Great leaders are responsive and adaptable - they know that in order to succeed, they’ll have to ready their organizations for anything and everything. Key players can knock a fastball out of the park, but are also prepared for the unexpected.

9) Talent wins games, but team chemistry wins championships.

You can have the best players in the league and the smartest, most strategic manager and coaches – and that might even win a lot of games. But if the players don’t get along well – if the team doesn’t gel – if the entire group doesn’t have great chemistry – they won’t win a championship. Famed management expert and author Peter Drucker once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” The best leaders recognize that more important than any vison or strategy is building a team that believes in each other and in the organization.

Opening Day reminds us of all that can be great – it’s a fresh start for 30 baseball teams, and their millions of fans. It’s also a fresh start for you. Whether you’re a CEO, entrepreneur, manager, entry level employee or student, you can apply these simple lessons to become a better leader. Hope does, in fact, spring eternal.”

For the full article, click here. For more articles by Dave Kerpen, follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter – you can be sure I have! Hey, maybe I’ll even spot him at a Mets game this summer! ;) Thanks again for the insight, Mr. Kerpen!

Do More Than Network on LinkedIn

I think you would have trouble finding many other undergraduate students who enjoy utilizing LinkedIn as much as some of the public relations students at Ohio University do, myself included. In the words of my good friend and the current Hugh M. Culbertson PRSSA chapter president, Heather Farr, “You know you’re addicted when you use most of your free time to browse updates your LinkedIn iPhone app.”

All joking aside, I would like to take a moment to encourage all of my fellow undergraduates to learn more about the benefits of LinkedIn. The site offers much more than networking. Just some other great uses available to LinkedIn members include:

  • LinkedIn Today
  • Groups
  • Polls
  • Reading List by Amazon
  • Ability to Follow Companies
  • Job Matches
  • LinkedIn Events
  • SlideShare

LinkedIn Today

LinkedIn Today is great for keeping up with business news, as well as finding great reads about company cultures, learning to foster a pleasant work environment, facing challenges in the workplace, and a plethora of other trending topics. Just one example of the sorts of great content you will access through LinkedIn Today is an article sent to me earlier today, “8 Rules For Creating A Passionate Work Culture.”

I found this article very insightful and inspiring. It is great content because it is applicable to a wide range of professionals. Companies looking to hire new talent should be well aware of the importance of hiring the right person, and how a hires personality can influence the overall work environment. People on the job search need to understand that they need to have passion for what the company stands for, instead of applying to any number of jobs just for the sake of applying to get hired anywhere that will take them. A great piece of advice I recall hearing from a PRSSA meeting my sophomore year was “when looking for a job, don’t apply because you want A job, apply because you want THAT job.” Overall, the article is simply fantastic, and presented philosophy I think many companies strive to live up to, just take a look at Red Frog Events in Chicago. They have been recognized by the Chicago Tribune and Experience as one of the best places to work, and by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as Small Business of the Year! I can say from my own personal experiences touring their office and they definitely live up to the work hard-play hard mentality, hiring the right candidates, being ambitious, and creating the space. In summary, I read the suggested articles by LinkedIn Today, they’re fantastic!

LinkedIn Groups

Groups is probably the second most commonly used feature, following the standard connecting/networking with individuals. Groups are great for a number of reasons: they create communities of individuals who share similar interests, goals, and are looking to discuss trends in their industries. Groups you can join range from ones of professional orientation to social outreach, and they provide a great source for insight and frameworks for thoughtful discussion and outreach.

Polls

I find polls on LinkedIn very interesting, especially when voters reply to the survey with an explanation on why they voted the way they did on a topic. I’ve explored polls examining everything from hiring techniques used by search committees to interoffice dynamics and attendance at trade shows and conventions. The information provided by these polls can be useful to a variety of people, including students on the job hunt, managers, company leadership, and HR.

Reading List by Amazon

I love to read. Previously, my choice novels primarily included leisure reads such as The Hunger Games trilogy and works by David Sedaris. In the past year I have ventured out to reading books to help improve my professional skills in writing, public relations topics, event planning and execution, crisis communication, and higher-level management and coordination, among other things. Reading List by Amazon allows you to explore what your network, as well as thought leaders in your industry, are reading.

      

Subscribing to Company Pages

The ability to follow companies is great, especially if you’re interested in working with that company in the future. The company page shows public updates and posts from their current employees, as well as any college alumni and connections who currently work for the company or have in the past. Contacting people in your network to pass along your resume to the right set of eyes is an important part of getting your foot in the door at your dream company, so you can begin your journey toward that dream job!

Job Matches

Maybe you’re not even sure which company your dream job exists. Well, LinkedIn has a solution to that as well: Job Matches. Job Matches sends job opening alerts directly to you via email. Companies post openings, then, based on your settings and site algorithms, LinkedIn sends openings in your industry and areas of interest to you. For as many large corporations that are posting job openings, I’ve noticed almost as many posts from smaller start-ups. These companies are definitely worth checking out, maybe they just created a position that is the dream job you never knew existed!

Events

Events on LinkedIn are great for two reasons, one, you can promote your own events, making it easy to publicize it and invite your connections. Secondly, you can browse events in your area, or an area you are looking to relocate to for networking opportunities, conferences and workshops.

SlideShare on LinkedIn

SlideShare is a tool I’ve only recently began exploring. During this past winter quarter I was enrolled in a course taught by Dan Farkas, a visiting instructor at Ohio University and media extraordinaire. He introduced me to SlideShare, as he posts his course PowerPoints on their server. This was certainly helpful in a instructor-student workspace, but I see other advantages to posting content to SlideShare as well. First, as you post content it sets you up as a thought leader in the topics you’re posting about. Additionally, SlideShare can help increase brand awareness, people can share your files through email or social media sites, it can help drive traffic back to your company’s website, and it might be a great option for featuring portfolio work, as the slides can be featured on your LinkedIn page. Interested in learning more about SlideShare? Check out this article from PR Daily: “5 reasons PR pros should use SlideShare“

So there you have it, just a few more reasons you should be actively engaged with your LinkedIn account. There are a number of other features on LinkedIn I still have yet to discover myself, did I miss mentioning one of your favorite features? Let me know in the comments!

Friday Finds: 11 May

This Friday, instead of telling you what I’ve found on the web, I am going to talk about what I’ve found somewhere else…

Generosity and the Human Spirit

The past few weeks I’ve witnessed amazing things. I have been working with two talented videographers to collect content for The Gathering Place, to be featured on the 2012 Project C site launching May 28. The Gathering Place is a community support center in Athens, Ohio where adults with metal disabilities and conditions can feel safe, supported, and at home.

Planters in the sunroom, where some of The Gathering Place members hope to grow herbs. 

Jim McAuley {upper right} and Andrew Thomas {lower left} filming on-location at The Gathering Place.

My experience discovering the generosity and kindness of people everywhere is about more than meeting and building relationships with the workers, volunteers, and members at The Gathering Place. In addition to working as a content producer for Project C, I am the Public Relations Director for the project. With that title comes a variety of responsibilities, and one of my main focuses the past few weeks has been to raise funds for the Project C donation pot. Last year the team raised $1075, this year we are aiming to raise $2000 in donations from generous individuals and organizations.

Where those Funds Go

All the funds that are raised go into a pot, to be split among the four nonprofits being featured in the 2012 edition. From the time Project C launches on May 28, for five days through June 1, site visitors will be able to vote twice daily for each of those five days. At the end of the voting period the funds raised will be allocated to the four nonprofits, depending on the percentage of votes each organization gets. For example if The Gathering Place receives 22 percent of the total votes, they will receive 22 percent of the fund pot. If we reach our $2000 goal, that means they will be given $440.

Amazing Individuals

Like I said before, the generosity and kindness I have witnessed these past few weeks have come from a lot of places: the Project C team members I’m working with, the workers and volunteers running The Gathering Place, the members who benefit from the safe zone offered by the GP, and, especially, the amazing individuals who have donated what they can to help the nonprofits selected for the 2012 edition of Project C [The Gathering Place, United Campus Ministry, Rural Action: Watershed Restoration, Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action].

To date, there are 30 individuals who have donated to raise a combined total of $1,355! Online donations can be made for 3 more days!

I am reaching out to all of you. Please, help make Athens, a small town located in the appalachian foothills of southeast Ohio, an even more beautiful place, filled with greater opportunities and a true sense of community. Help people who want to help Athens. Donate to our online account today: www.IndieGoGo.com/clickingcreateschange. IndieGoGo is a secure, third party crowdfunding platform.

So, instead of spending $3 on a cup of coffee tomorrow morning, or $10 on a movie ticket this weekend, invest that money into Athens through Project C.

Thank you all for reading, please feel free to re-blog this post and help us spread the word! Also, be sure to explore the 2011 Project C features, the Project C blog, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Prosperity in Event Planning

Planning an event can be exciting and fun, but failing to plan is a plan to fail. If you want to hold a successful program that will really make an impression, extensive preparation, organization, and detail-orientation are key. A few months ago the ImPRessions account I work with for our client, Cardinal Health, hosted “Pull an All-Nighter with Dose of Reality” at Café Bibliotech in Alden Library at Ohio University.

This event was part of “Dose of Reality Week,” a week aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of prescription drug abuse on OU’s campus. The event was a success! Weeks of planning went in to the production and running of the event. It is vital for public relations specialists to understand how to plan and manage an event. The essentials to planning a successful event can be broken down in eight steps:

1.     Brainstorming

Events need to be fresh and creative. One of the best ways to uncover a great idea is by working with your associates. Bounce ideas between each other; do not be afraid to voice your thoughts and ideas. No matter how outlandish an idea may seem at the time, it could very well be the anchor of thought that leads to the next great event for your client! Be cautious however, because one problem you can run in to with group brainstorming is anchoring bias. Anchoring bias is a mental shortcut whereby people use a number, value—or in this case, a suggested idea—and tend to rely too heavily on the “anchor” when making decisions, or in our scenario, when thinking up fresh proposals. While an anchor may lead to the best idea, it can also hinder your group from discovering new options for events. One way to avoid this is to have each associate write down a few ideas before anyone voices their event ideas out loud. Once the brainstorming session begins, work together, and be honest, kind, and sincere with the feedback you give to your associates.

2.     Client Approval

So you have your event concept, fantastic! Now it is time to get the green light from your client. Be aware of the chain of command operating in your clients’ office. This will help your team organize a time line for approval and event planning accordingly. Not only will you need client approval for the event idea, but you will also probably need some sort of budget. When writing a memo regarding the event for your client, be sure to include a budget worksheet. The memo needs to be comprehensive in outlining the logistics of the event as well as any expenses for space and materials.

3.     Secure the Space

Once client approval is secured, booking the event space early is a must. Space reservations at Ohio University fill up fast, so procuring the location should never wait. For most events at OU, bookings can be made at the event services office on the third floor of Baker Student Center. A reservation request form must be submitted, which can take up to two weeks to process, before any finalizations can be made. While the Baker Event Services office takes care of most requests, some events, such as “Pull An-All Nighter with Dose of Reality,” which was held at Café Bibliotech in Alden Library, have different protocol. When securing the space, make sure you are talking to the right people for approval. In the case of the “Pull an-All Nighter” event, Kelly Broughton, dean of the library, was the appropriate contact.

4.     Line up the Logistics 

What materials will you need for your event? Will you need a tech service team? Will food or drinks be served? What approvals do you need for serving food? What about volunteers to work the event? Is there entertainment? Promotional items? Who is going to clean up once the event is over? These are just some of the questions that should be carefully considered. I find lists are especially helpful in keeping track of logistics. In the memo for client approval you should have already listed materials you will need for the promotion and program itself; therefore, referring back to the memo and budget spreadsheet is a good starting point for material logistics.

“Pull an-All Nighter” offered free popcorn and cotton candy to patrons, in addition to the promotional items such as awareness wristbands, informational handbills, and a display board. It was important that the Cardinal Health account had approval from OU culinary services to distribute food to students. In an effort to increase awareness they also negotiated placing their logo and intended message on Café Bibliotech’s coffee sleeves so students getting their late-night caffeine fix would be reminded of the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Contacting and confirming all agreements is important, whether it is a contract for entertainment or approval for vending, confirm!

Every event needs volunteers or workers to run the program. Schedule participating staff for reasonable shifts during the program. Also be ready, anticipating any needs that may arise. If your event involves airing a video, viewing a webcast, or having a musical performance, be sure to have tech support on hand.

The most important thing to remember about lining up logistics is to be organized and remain flexible.

5.     Promote. Promote. Promote.

The bottom line for hosting any event is to get people to attend. Be creative in your approach towards promotion. Of course, do not neglect conventional means to get the word out about your event, such as distributing news releases to the press, hanging up posters, creating a Facebook event page, and Tweeting.

You can really let the creative juices flow when planning an event on a college campus, as there are a number of unique, creative, and low-budget promo spaces. Chalking on campus sidewalks, writing on classroom white boards, designing table tents that are displayed in the dining halls, painting the designated campus graffiti wall on Richland Avenue, hanging a banner on college gate, and distributing handbills are all low-cost ways to drive traffic to your event and spread awareness about your cause.

The designated graffiti wall at Ohio University on Richland Avenue.

The ImPRessions account for Cardinal Health used these cost efficient promotional spaces to drive traffic to their Twitter handle [@DoseofRealityOU]. The tweets sent out not only gave more detailed information about the event but facts about their cause—prescription drug abuse dangers.

 6.     The Event.

It is finally here, the big occasion! All your ducks are in a row and it is time to go, right? It is not quite that simple. Just because you have worked tirelessly, planning each detail, it does not imply that now is the time to relax. Through out the event you will want to continue anticipating the needs of your publics and remain flexible, as it is highly likely [OK, almost guaranteed] not everything will go according to plan.

Be friendly and open to the attendees. Talk with them about your cause, answer their questions, and encourage them to take action. During “Pull an-All Nighter,” account associates distributed informational fliers and awareness wristbands with the free food they were offering. Associates actively engaged with attendees, discussing statistics and dangers of prescription drug abuse in the Athens area. During the event you also want to be accommodating to media outlets. You want coverage of your event. Pay attention to the media! Take some time to sit down for an interview, let them mingle with attendees, take photos and video.

If your event is held in a public area you should also expect that not everyone in the vicinity would be expecting the event or understand why it is going on. This is a great opportunity to make an even bigger impression for your client. Get up and connect with these passer-bys. The Cardinal Health account dispatched post-its, approved by the library, all around the area. The post-its were informational and also helped to drive traffic to both their event, and their twitter handle, where they were live tweeting about the event.

 7.     Fitting Follow Up

The event is over, but the work is hardly finished. First, show your appreciation by sending hand-written thank you cards out to all those who helped: account associates, vendors, volunteers, hosting committee, event services, etcetera. Gracious gratitude is always in style. Be sincere and timely in delivering thank you cards. Sending out thanks in the form of Tweets to new followers and connections is also a courteous touch.

Follow up also requires compiling an event summary for your client. How many impressions did you make? Set up news alerts for your event, keep track of interactions on social media, include the number of attendees at the event. Prove to your client that your work is worthy.

8.     Rethink & Review 

This step is often overlooked, but event reflection is extremely beneficial. Start on a high note, what did your team do well? What would you do again? Improvements begin with a critical analysis of the event. Do not wait too long after the event before reflecting, you want the program fresh in mind in order to accurately detail the successes and failures. What could be improved? What steps should be taken next time to improve any blunders? Document the analysis so it can be reviewed and an even more successful event can be planned in the future. Always continue striving for excellence.