The Engaging Brand

Imperfection - The New Black?

In developing any brand (Employer, personal, leadership, product) you can be caught out if you are looking for perfection. Beta is now a part of the successful company's ethos. Imperfection is a huge part of your evolution!

• Be willing to try new ideas...test them, try them, see if they work -  if not, you can always change it.
• People love to be part of a company, a team that are willing to embrace new ideas, encourage new thinking....they can forgive imperfection, they rarely forgive slowness or apathy.
• People who work with you want to work for a human being, part of being human being is making a few mistakes. As long as you own up, as long as you are honest...people will stay with you. Imperfection can be engaging!
• When you are wanting to move forward, you will need to take risks. If you spend too much time looking for the perfect answer...then in the meantime, the question will probably have changed!

The more you push the boundaries, the more you increase your creativity to your work, the greater the chance of success...and the occasional mistake. But the alternative is lagging behind and not differentiating yourself against the competition. Yes, you need to manage risk.....but the greatest risk is not experimenting or evolving in a world that does not embrace blandness.

Thank you, Advertising Age

I was delighted to see that The Engaging Brand blog has entered the Advertising Age Power 150 blogs!

Wow, not the most professional response I know but it is how I feel!

I often write about recognition and this is living proof that acknowledgement from others can really lift spirits. Thank you to each person who reads this blog....your readership means the world to me.

I started this blog as a way of honouring my fathers memory, I wanted a way of sharing his thoughts and his words that has helped me have a successful leadership career....so really this recognition is Dad's...thanks Dad !

The Value of Connection

Today I had the honour of speaking to Dave Ulrich, for me one of the most influential thinkers on leadership and all things HR in present times. You will be able to hear the conversation next week on The Engaging Brand podcast.

When I was waiting to call him, I could feel an excitement inside of me. It reminded me of what people used to say, when I walked around talking to people. They used to say "People are happier, you have no idea how much it means to people, to talk to you...for you to be interested in them as people" I used to laugh as I thought they were having me on!

In truth though, leaders have an impact...leaders who give their time, give a little of themselves make a difference in the lives of those who work around them. Never forget the impact of your presence, never forget the effect you can have on the morale of people around you. You may not see yourself as anything special - but others do, as you are the sense of future, the person who inspires and helps them achieve their potential.

Respect that power by respecting the value of others. Respect your position, respect that the position does not give you the power...the people give you the power by wanting to follow you, by believing in you as a leader....that always has to be earned.

Leadership is not about presentations, leadership  is earned day in day out....

The Conversation Comes of Age

I am proud to be part of the charitable venture of 103 authors contributing to a book called The Age of Conversation, which is an excellent read. All authors gave their time freely and all profits go to the charity.
Apparently the proceeds raised for Variety have just moved passed $10,000! Wow....I also hear that the organisers will be putting up three soft cover copies of the book to the 199th, 200th and 201st members of the Age of Conversation Facebook group.

The title of the book is fantastic for me...

• Conversation spans the ages. Different age groups may use different tools from letters to texting, but each person has a basic human need to be part of a conversation.
• Age is a word that makes me smile....is conversation new, I don't think so. The old days were built on conversations - people talked for entertainment, talked to find out information, talked to nurture the family. What is new is that the conversation has become global rather than family based or local.

Conversation is such a powerful tool and the fantastic news for leaders is that it is FREE. A free tool that can motivate, inspire and engage people at work. The important difference to talking, is that it is 2 way. When you are having a conversation, forget rank.....it is about creating value for the other person, it is about valuing the other person, it is about showing your values.

So a conversation comes of age when value is created

Congratulations to all the authors.

Show # 110 - Wait Marketing

Show 110 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's show is discussing Wait Marketing with Prof.Diana Derval . Diana discusses the 6M strategy of communicating to potential customers. Diana explains how people are becoming impatient with waiting and often they are very open to receiving marketing messages to entertain them during this downtime. We discuss the marketing concept from an external brand perspective and also how leaders could use wait marketing internally, to engage employees.

Find this book and others that I recommend at The Engaging Brand bookstore.

Remember to hop over to The Engaging Brand facebook group - and add your thoughts to the conversation! If you enjoy the show then you can always Juice it at Blubrry! or review on iTunes

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.

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

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

4) Or if you don't want to subscribe, just want to listen to this show as a one off the go to the podcast page and click download to save to your computer.

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Magic Tricks for Great Leaders

When my nephew was growing up he loved magic and learned how to be a magician....at the age of 13-14 he could bamboozle a whole room of adults with an array of tricks. He left us inspired, entertained and intrigued. I always felt there were some lessons for business

M= Magicians are not born they "become great" through practice, from studying their skill. Great leaders constantly develop their thinking, their coaching skills, communication techniques and understanding of the world. Just how you cannot produce magic tricks by reading a book, you cannot lead without practice and learning.
A= Audience participation. Magicians draw people in, by incorporating them into their show. Great leaders "draw in" employees by including them in the strategy, the discussions of ideas, talking about the future - by including them, they feel part of the show.
G= Get close to the audience. The great magicians do not hide away from the audience. They have close ups, they walk around, they spin the props around......Great leaders do not hide in their offices. They are constantly talking to their employees, they are visible in the company, they are open in their thoughts to show they have nothing to hide.
I= Ingenuity. Magicians do not do the same show all their lives. They continue to surprise the audience, they change their style, their content...they keep the audience guessing. I think this is true for great leaders. They find new ways of communicating the message, of explaining the goals, of keeping people engaged with the vision.
C= Cherish the values. The magic circle has boundaries, people are only admitted to the circle if they adhere to the values - like not sharing how the tricks work. I think leaders can learn from this approach. Cherish the values of the company, choose people that can live by those values...when those values are compromised then deal with it quickly and strongly.

Great leaders create a magical corporate environment that engages employees - they inspire people to achieve what seems the impossible. They understand that they need to inform, entertain and engage their audience.
In reality there is no magic to leadership, it is about treating people like the human beings that they are!
In reality when you treat people like human beings, magic happens...they are engage and believe the impossible is possible. Spread a little magic today...

Leaders and Truth

When faced with a problem we are often looking for the truth....but from whose point of view?

The truth from your point of view?
The truth from your teams point of view?
The truth from the customers point of view?

Sometimes as leaders we forget that sometimes there isn't just one truth, the truth often depends on our situation....as a leader we need to find and understand ALL the truths and find a way of communicating a solution that explains the truth to each and every person that we interact with...

Show # 109 - Engaging Web Strategy

Show 109 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's show is an interview with Jeremiah Owyang, author of the blog,Web Strategy by Jeremiah, a blog that I read daily. Jeremiah is at the forefront of how to use the web as a marketing tool and has also a thought leader on the area of engagement. (Link to Social Media Measurement White Paper mentioned in the show)

I wanted to talk to Jeremiah to help me understand why measuring engagement is needed - after all we never measured objectively the water cooler conversations! Also to help us understand how to engage people in an environment which has a short attention span. Jeremiah's blog is a superb read for anyone wanting to think about how the different tools can be used as part of your talent marketing strategy and also how it is changing your future employees or consumer behaviour. Enjoy the "engaging" conversation.

Remember to hop over to The Engaging Brand facebook group - and add your thoughts to the conversation! If you enjoy the show then you can always Juice it at Blubrry! or review on iTunes

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.

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

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

4) Or if you don't want to subscribe, just want to listen to this show as a one off the go to the podcast page and click download to save to your computer.

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

How to Retain Employees - Carnival

Here is this months carnival of articles on how to retain employees. Retaining talent is such an important part of being a leader, so I hope these help!

MabelandHarry presents If It Ain't Broke.....Fix It! posted at MabelandHarry

Meredith Mathews presents Top 10 Ways to Turn Around a Bad Day at Work. posted at Lemonade Stand.

Phil B. presents The Right and Wrong Ways to Boost Morale « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, "I think morale has reached an all time low where I currently work, and I would guess that the same is true where you work too."

Health Chaos presents Admitting Mistakes posted at Health Chaos.

Warren Wong presents Be A Good Manager By Letting People Learn And Grow posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, "Information on the common mistakes an new manager makes and tips on how to be a good manager."

Tupelo Kenyon presents Integrity Through Self-Reliance posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency."

Ant presents 5 Ways To Not Get Your Point Across posted at The Beef Jerky Blog.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Brain Fitness Program 2.0, MindFit, and much more on Brain Training posted at SharpBrains, saying, "Review and commentary on several New York Times articles related to "brain training"...when will companies start adding these tools to their training initiatives?"

Cade Krueger presents Don’t Get Frustrated About Employees or Customers posted at Write To Right.

That concludes this edition.  Submit your blog article to the next edition of how to keep employees using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Great Speeches in History

I have been reading and listening to some of the great speeches in history, I have been amazed at the similarity between the speeches, not in terms of content but in terms of structure.

• All of them start slowly and build in intensity, build in speed, build in emotion.
• All of them are emotive, all of them use emotive words. It is the words that make the speeches powerful...Would "I have a dream" been as powerful if it was called "I have a strategic project!"
• All the speakers share something of themselves - they have an element of humility, an element that allows you to connect with these great leaders as human beings.
• All of them give people hope, painting a picture of what the future will look like...

As I sometimes say, tools may change...communication channels may change but great communication stands the test of time.