The Engaging Brand

Show # 107 - Symphony of Leadership

Show 107 of The Engaging Brand  podcast is ready just for you. To subscribe or listen on your PC now - both for free, I have written some instructions at the bottom of this post. No downloads are necessary if you are new to podcasts.

I am so excited about this interview with Jason Heath. Jason is a double bass player and can be found at the Double Bass blog. Jason has posted a video of his work at The Engaging Brand facebook group - well worth checking out.

I wanted to talk to Jason as I believe that there are many lessons that leaders can learn from the way musicians come together in a morning and play a wonderful concert on the night. Jason gives a fascinating insight into

• How you can encourage the talent around you
• How to convey emotion not just the message
• How to collaboration is about trust and respect.
• What makes a great "conductor of people"

I loved this interview - I hope you do too. If you enjoy the show then you can always Juice it at Blubrry!

 

If you have feedback on the show or want to contribute to the new leadership tip section then record an audio message by clicking on the recorder on the side of the blog or e-mail me at anna@theengagingbrand.com. Also, you can join the conversation over on the Facebook group for The Engaging Brand.

How can listen to the Engaging Brand

1) You can listen on your PC now without downloading any software just click here and it will take you to the podcaster news page. Then press the play button!

2) You can subscribe to the show via iTunes or

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How the Web is Influencing, how you lead talent

People talk about the tools that are now available to build your employer brand externally but it is also about the effect on talent internally. Talent outside work have the ability to connect, collaborate, join communities - it is shaping their life experiences. To engage people you need to be able to deliver an employment experience that at least matches if not exceed their expectations.

Think about the tools that people use outside work, think about what that is telling you about how to engage people internally. Here are some terms and how you can use it to attract talent to your very personal leadership brand

1. User Generated Content - At work, do you give them freedom to think and create for themselves? Do you TRUST them to create?
2. Community - At work do you find and attract people of similar values? Do you allow them to interact, to share stories, to collaborate on ideas? Do you actively encourage a community feel.
3. Visual and Audio - People are used to receiving information now in short, fun ways - are you embracing this technology that appeals to their senses, in your communications?
4. Micro Information - People are now used to IM, texting, to Twitter, to short videos etc They receive and give short messages, small chunks of information. Have you evolved your progress reports etc to mirror the way people feel comfortable receiving/giving information?
5. Join the Conversation - People expect to be able to comment, be free to express their opinion, that is normal...that is expected. Expression does not mean lack of respect, it means two way respect.

Your leadership brand depends on leadership line extensions! You need to flex your style to each team member...not your values, but the way you interact. Flexibility of style can engage different generations, different personality types.....Why, should you be flexible? Because

Flexibility leads to Engagement leads to Productivity leads to Profit leads to pay rises for all!

Show # 106 - Micro Persuasion

Show 106 of The Engaging Brand  podcast is ready just for you. To subscribe or listen on your PC now - both for free, I have written some instructions at the bottom of this post. No downloads are necessary if you are new to podcasts.

Today is an interview with Steve Rubel, Senior Vice President at Edelman and a wonderful blogger at Micro Persuasion, which looks at how technology is revolutionising marketing, media and public relations and is in the Top 100 blogs at Technorati.

Steve talks about why companies should be embracing technology, how micro global markets are changing company landscapes, their marketing strategy and gives examples of how companies are connecting their on line and off line brands. Steve recommends the book The World is Flat which is a superb read on how globalisation is changing the world and the rules of business. Remember any books that are mentioned on any of the shows you can find in The Engaging Brand bookstore.

Also in the show is a comment from Sallie Goetsch, a long term listener and who shares her view on Starbucks which was covered in the last show. Do you agree with Sallie or do you have a different view?
 

If you enjoy the show then you can always Juice it at Blubrry!

If you have feedback on the show or want to contribute to the new leadership tip section then record an audio message by clicking on the recorder on the side of the blog or e-mail me at anna@theengagingbrand.com. Also, you can join the conversation over on the Facebook group for The Engaging Brand.

How can listen to the Engaging Brand

1) You can listen on your PC now without downloading any software via Blubrry or

2) You can subscribe to the show via iTunes or

3) If you use a different podcatcher then you can subscribe using the following  http://www.podcasternews.com/feeds/enbr.xml

4) You can even listen by phone! Just ring this US number - +1 (360) 227-5607

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The iManager

It seems to me that the web has not only evolved to allow the conversation but also to reduce intermediaries. iTunes has stopped me from visiting records shops, sites like Froogle have stopped my never ending retail search for the best value.

As people get used to this in their private life I wonder how long it will be before Apple "thinks different" and events the really smart manager phone. The one that replaces the manager. This smart phone would be able to
1) Answer their questions based on the leaders building a database of strategy, budgets, terminology.
2) Play motivational messages - actually saying hello in a morning would be a step forward for some organisations!
3) Allow collaboration through web based wiki's
4) Match vacancies with job applicants based on a human search optimisation program developed by Google.
5) Be available 24 hours a day...365 days a year to manage globally.
6) Play podcasts for todays priorities
7) Performance manage through a combination of twitter and the employee inputting their work.

It may sound far fetched...but unless managers add value through their "humanness" I can see a world created by the newer generation of leaders who collaborate through open source management.....now that would be a true upwardly "mobile" manager

Developing Talent

I remember once being told that I "had to change" by a boss. Soon afterwards I said that I had taken his advice....I did need to change ....my boss.

You see I don't believe you can demand someone to change, to "make" them change. It is up to them, it depends if they want to.
My boss said that I had to change my collaborative style, my walkabout style...he wanted an FD who was in their office the whole time - toilet breaks ONLY allowed. That was not me, that was not my strength - I actually don't believe it is the best way to improve financial results but that's another post!

Humans do not easily embrace change. Remember when our parents told us to be tidier, when our teachers told us to do homework, etc etc.... Telling does not work...people need a compelling case for change.
So instead of saying "CHANGE!" give them a "Choice". Choice is a word that is less threatening and it gives the person the power. When faced with a choice you are more willing to think objectively about it, and then accept the reason for change. To do this ensure that you don't confuse....provide a clarity around the choices. the implications of both choices, so they understand the full implications of their decision.

I prefer  "Here are the choices open to you, over to you...."

If they choose not to develop then that is when A CHANGE must happen for you both

10 Mysteries of Work

You know how people wonder where the other sock disappears to in the washing machine...well here are a few mysteries that I wonder about at work..

1. Why can leaders work out strategy, debt calculations, mergers....but not solve a paper jam on a copier?
2. Why do leaders think that going off site for a meeting, won't panic the whole of the organisation?
3. Why does your PC go slow when you need to access a document quickly?
4. Why does you inbox never go down no matter how hard you work?
5. Why do we produce 500% more on the afternoon prior to our holiday?
6. Why announce someone has left to explore other career opportunities?
7. Where do all the pens go ...is it with the sock?
8. Why does standing at the coffee machine glean more information than a management or board meeting?
9. Why does saying this is confidential guarantee full communication?
10. Why do those people who moan and who are constantly leaving, never leave...only the good ones?

Mysteries or is the mystery that some of these are allowed to happen...any to add?

When limited budget is fantastic news!

Sound strange...nah, limited budgets can be fantastic...whether it be for branding, recruitment, marketing, no matter what the topic they can inspire you....

1. Limited means that you have to be creative, you have to think hard on what will create the most value. Anyone can merely spend money, but not everyone can create value....
2. It means that you have to review how you spent money in the past....often with large budgets you just keep doing something because "you have always done it" not because it is still the most effective spend. When limited you have to continuously review, update, ensure that it is still relevant. This helps to keep everything fresh.
3. It forces you to think about how to disrupt people's thinking...how to engage in a short period of time rather than boring people into submission by excessive advertising!
4. It gets you thinking about how you can use other social connections - community, colleges, university, facebook, blogging.....in fact it forces you to engage with people!
5. It is much more satisfying when you create success, because you had to work at achieving it....you created the value, therefore you have just added value to your role and potentially to your pay check.

Don't let budgets restrict you, with all the tools on web 2.0 there is no excuse...key is to think differently, think what you can do, rather than what you can't do.....(When I was stuck, I used to play the can-can to inspire me! But don't tell anyone...that's between you and me!)

Show # 105 - Creating a Consumer Experience

Show 105 of The Engaging Brand  podcast is ready just for you. To subscribe or listen on your PC now - both for free, I have written some instructions at the bottom of this post. No downloads are necessary if you are new to podcasts.

Today is an interview with C.B.Whittemore who is the Director of In Store Innovation at Solutia Wear Dated Carpet Fiber. She talks to us about how to create an environment that expresses your brand and also engages the consumer. She talks about how we need to think about culture, colours, display and also how to walk in the consumers shoes. C.B refers to the book The Experience Economy which you can review here. Check out C B's blog - Flooring the Consumer for more wonderful insight.

C.B. is also a co author of the Age Of Conversation a book that I contributed to, that brought ideas from around the world (100 bloggers) on all areas of conversation. All profits will be donated to the childrens charity Variety. To order a copy now click on the link at the side of the blog or visit the website Age of Conversation.

If you enjoy the show then you can always Juice it at Blubrry!

If you have feedback on the show or want to contribute to the new leadership tip section then record an audio message by clicking on the recorder on the side of the blog or e-mail me at anna@theengagingbrand.com. Also, you can join the conversation over on the Facebook group for The Engaging Brand.

How can listen to the Engaging Brand

1) You can listen on your PC now without downloading any software via Blubrry or

2) You can subscribe to the show via iTunes or

3) If you use a different podcatcher then you can subscribe using the following  http://www.podcasternews.com/feeds/enbr.xml

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4 Tips on Information Overload

We are surrounded with data - email, spam, twitter, facebook, direct mail....oh how as leaders do we help our teams, break through this communication overload? Well, in the past your team often needed you to find the answer, now they can often find that through Google or their social network.....now they need you to help them find the relevance of the answer, the importance of it to them and the organisation.

Information and facts are now open to all. It is often the understanding is often missing...

D = Distill the core of the message. What is the one critical aspect of the information or message that they need to understand,try and sum it up on one sentence for clarity.
A = Ask which areas could be moved to a wiki. Great for arranging meetings, projects, events.
T = Trim your own e-mails - if they don't add value, don't devalue other people's inboxes.
A = Arrange regular sessions to discuss issues, communications, objectives....hold them informally not with your direct reports but their direct reports. Find out what messages have got relayed, what has not....where communication is not working. Work with the team on how they want to be communicated to rather than doing what is easiest to you.

Show # 104 Managing Your Reputation Online

Show 104 of The Engaging Brand  podcast is ready just for you. To subscribe or listen on your PC now - both for free, I have written some instructions at the bottom of this post. No downloads are necessary if you are new to podcasts.

Today is an interview with Andy Beal who is a Internet Marketing consultant and writes the popular Marketing Pilgrim blog which I find invaluable for tips on how to grow your internet presence. Andy talks us through what is a leadership brand, how you can manage it on-line, the importance of article writing and also how to create a successful blogging platform. Managing your career is so much more nowadays than keeping your resume up to date and Andy explains how to ensure that your talent gets noticed on the internet.

If you enjoy the show then you can always Juice it at Blubrry!

If you have feedback on the show or want to contribute to the new leadership tip section then record an audio message by clicking on the recorder on the side of the blog or e-mail me at anna@theengagingbrand.com. Also, you can join the conversation over on the Facebook group for The Engaging Brand.

How can listen to the Engaging Brand

1) You can listen on your PC now without downloading any software via Blubrry or

2) You can subscribe to the show via iTunes or

3) If you use a different podcatcher then you can subscribe using the following  http://www.podcasternews.com/feeds/enbr.xml

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“Online Meetings Made Easy with GoToMeeting Try it Free for 45 days use Promo Code Podcast”