Tough Love

Courage in leadership is a trait I admire. It's very powerful when leaders make difficult decisions with love.

There's a new Sheriff in town in Chicago, my adopted city.  Well, not really a Sheriff - a Mayor.  Rahm Emanuel took the Mayoral Oath of Office on May 16th, 2011.  His Honor clearly loves this city and wants it to be a fantastic place to live and work.  At the same time, he recognizes the issues that have been festering and has the courage to tackle those that threaten our future.  Within his first 6 months as Mayor, he has tussled with the city worker's union and the teacher's union.  He has taken 500 police out from behind desks and put them back on the streets To Serve And Protect.  Rahm's recent budget proposal includes necessary "haircuts" and fee increases required to improve an infrastructure over a hundred years old. He takes public transportation to City Hall and insists that city workers use it too instead of claiming mileage on their expense reports.  He cancelled corporate credit cards en masse when rampant misuse was uncovered.  I admire the practical and passionate approach Rahm is bringing to Chicago politics.  Not everyone is a fan of the decisions he is making, but it's hard to argue with his logic and goals.  We are a metropolis that needs his tough love.

Imagine what could be accomplished if more corporate leaders brought tough love to their work.  Many have the "tough" part of the equation down pat.  It's the balance with "love" that is often lacking.  Love for the future of an institution...love for the people that make it successful...love for what is to be accomplished.  When difficult decisions are made and communication to constituents is cloaked in legalese, PR-speak, and marketing yip-yip, you have to question motives and desired outcomes. What is there to hide? 

Too many corporate executives are motivated by short term goals and long term personal incentives.  It takes courage and toughness and love to be profitable and ethical in business - not just in public service.

Accentuate the Positive

You've got to accentuate the positive

Eliminate the negative

And latch on to the affirmative

Don't mess with Mister In-Between

-Lyrics by Johnny Mercer (1944)

It’s easy to criticize and be a naysayer. We all do it to some degree. But some years ago I heard a speaker at a conference talk about trying to eliminate negative-speak from our everyday language, and the challenge stuck with me.

Try filtering what you say and replacing negative statements with positive re-wording. Start by raising your own red flag when you begin sentences with words like, “I can’t”, “We shouldn’t”, “Let’s not”, “I don’t think”, “Don’t”, “We won’t”, “You didn’t”, “I don’t like”… Your hackles probably are immediately activated when you hear those words.

Instead of: “I can’t do that.”

Try: “It might be better if I did this.”

Instead of: “We shouldn’t accept that behavior.”
Try: “Let’s see if we can get them to do this.”

Instead of: “I don’t think that's a bad idea.”
Try: “That might be a good idea.”

Instead of: “You didn’t do what I told you to do.”

Try: “Let’s review my expectations again.”

Negative speaking is a hard habit to break.  Using the right words is powerful, and the results are rewarding. Speak (and write) in the affirmative and build more trusting relationships, improve morale, and be seen as a constructive influence in the workplace. Accentuate the positive!

Occupation Underway-Now What?

The Occupy Wall Street movement is well underway, and gaining momentum worldwide. My interest is piqued, and I’m wondering about the longer-term implications of what’s happening right now.

This group of demonstrators has yet to clearly define their stance, goals, or wants. I have reviewed their web site at occupywallst.org, and their main Facebook Page in some detail. These are statements copied from those sites:

• “Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%.”

• “…a protest against bank bailouts, corporate greed, and the unchecked power of Wall Street in Washington.”

• “Inspired by the uprisings across the Arab world, and fueled by the feelings of anger and helplessness of everyday Americans…”

Although I am sympathetic to some of the complaints of Occupy Wall Street, I am left with this question: IF YOU WERE IN CHARGE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? That unaddressed question leaves a massive vacuum that weakens any debate.

Dick Durbin, Democratic Senator from Illinois, successfully spearheaded an effort to limit the fees that banks can charge when consumers use a debit card for purchases. Durbin’s actions, well-meaning as they were, had a woefully predictable result. Once those bank fees were capped, financial institutions looked for other ways to replace the lost revenue. Bank of America was the first mega-bank to announce increased fees to debit-card users, and the fury from consumers was immediate and vocal.

I’ll be avoiding the gatherings of protestors, although I have sympathy for the frustration and anger about the apparent greed of big business and the feelings of disenfranchisement that have led people to demonstrate. I believe strongly in anyone's right to gather and be heard, because that is one of the principles under which our country was formed. At the same time, I am disturbed by the reverse elitism and naiveté of some of those involved as well as the shrillness of some aspects of the rhetoric. I predict that being “leaderless” will result in a lack of focus that will result in their serious concerns being dismissed. I resent the attempt to label me as being either among the 99% or the 1% (“You’re either with me or against me” BAH!). I recommend that they get assistance with developing and communicating a cohesive message, including their viable wants or "demands". I expect the gatherings to adhere to local laws, in respect of civil obedience and the safety of fellow citizens.

Furthermore, I suggest that demonstrators keep their fancy iPhones in their pockets when the media is around… that is, if they hope to be viewed as one of the 99%.

I Don't Like You Anymore

It’s one thing to create a Facebook Page for your business and attract subscribers. It’s another thing entirely, and much harder, to retain your subscribers and make social media productive for you.

I’ve been active on Facebook for about two and a half years. The main value to me is the ease with which I can keep up with my far-flung friends. But I have “Liked” numerous businesses, and I have done that for several reasons: (1) To receive news about the business, (2) To obtain special discounts, (3) Because their postings amuse me, and (4) To feel a part of the brand, by commenting and contributing postings. On several occasions, my Facebook interests have resulted in me actually making purchases based on personalized marketing displayed on my Facebook home page. That’s the Win-Win inherent in social media marketing.

What I DON’T LIKE is uninteresting, boring postings by businesses that are taking up space among posts by my friends. I have recently started to “Unlike” some of the businesses with which I connected months ago.

If you don’t want me (and others like me) to Unlike your business, here’s what you need to do:

• Communicate with us in a personal way that allows us to feel like insiders. We want to be “in the know” about your business.
• Allow us, your customers, to tell stories that enrich your brand.
• Ask for our input to influence your products.
• Engage us, by soliciting postings, comments, photos, etc.
• Be very responsive to our questions and needs. We need to know that there are real people behind the Facebook curtain!
• Don’t require me to compromise my security or share my friends info (which is not mine to share), in order to be eligible for contests or giveaways.
• Make our connection personal. For example, “Meet the people behind _________” (a product, a service).
• Post content I will be inclined to share with others, because it’s so interesting or funny or helpful.
• Educate and enlighten me. Don’t just try to spoon me corporate spin.
• Never, never, never put your postings on autopilot via a contracted service!

Revitalize your business’s Facebook activity, or I won’t Like you anymore.

Losing a Customer is This Easy

Last week, my husband and I revisited a restaurant in Kennebunkport, Maine that we have enjoyed for about 10 years. The food is good, the prices are reasonable, and the casual, friendly atmosphere is right up our alley. I always look forward to their “Lazyman’s Lobster”, which they remove from the shell for you and serve in a bowl, doused in butter. Ah, what a sinful pleasure!

As I perused the menu, I realized that there was no Lazyman’s Lobster being offered. I decided to ask about it. The answer I got, “Well, we can do it if you insist… But we prefer to serve it whole, in the shell.” This was delivered with a sigh, a squirm, and a notable lack of eye contact.

I was not only disappointed, but annoyed with the response. Here was the unspoken conversation that did the real damage to our “relationship”:

HIM: “I’m really going to hate it if you insist.”
ME: “Of course you prefer to serve lobster whole, because it’s easier for YOU. But isn’t this supposed to be about ME?”
HIM: “I told the cooks they wouldn’t have to prepare Lazyman’s Lobster anymore.”
ME: “Don’t you have to take lobster out of the shell to prepare all this other stuff on the menu, like Lobster Rolls, Lobster Stew, and Stuffed Lobster? Why should this be a big deal?”
HIM: “I hate it when these tourists are too lazy to take apart a lobster themselves.”
ME: “Why didn’t I go down the street to ABC Restaurant, where they still have what I want on the menu and don’t make me grovel for it?”

It’s that easy to lose a customer. A bad decision, rolled eyes, the arrogance to ignore what your competition has to offer, and the inability to consistently make your business about delivering what your customers really want. This restaurant in Kennebunkport will probably never notice when I don’t return or recommend their establishment again, but I have to think that they are slowly and silently losing market share with this attitude. It’s a slippery slope.