A Consultant's Chronicles

'A Women's Nation:' Is The Celebration Premature

It has been a crazy week but I did not want to let it go by without commenting on a new report co-edited by Maria Shriver called A Women's Nation. Ms Shriver has been all over the airwaves promoting it. It declares the "battle of the sexes" to be finished & declared a draw leaving men & women to negotiate new rules at the workplace as well as at home because according to the report, today 49.8% of the workforce is is made up of women. This is a giant leap indeed from 1950 when women were only 29.6 % of the workforce & still significantly different from 1970 when 38.1% of women were working.  Other news in the report includes:

2/3  of the households in America have women as the primary or co-bread winner

Women are still paid only .77 or .78 cents to every man’s dollar

3/4 of the American public thinks its a good idea for women to be in the workforce, but it also viewed as a stressor in people’s lives

76% of American supported paid family leave

73% of American said businesses should provide more childcare benefits

Women control 80% of the purchasing power and making it smart business to cater to their needs

Is The Title Accurate 

Does this mean the revolution [such as it was] is complete & women are fully treated as equals in the workforce? Hardly. Call me picky but I believe that the title 'A Woman's Nation' is still a misnomer. Women are still getting paid significantly less for the same job as men. They still have to work harder, longer & smarter for any kind recognition. Furthermore, in some cases they even get blamed for succeeding. Most of all neither our culture nor the workplace as a whole seems to have kept up with the changing needs of its workforce. There are signs of hope to be sure because some companies are making significant changes that benefit both men & women but they are still the exception & not the rule. What's more, while companies know that changes are necessary, & even if they will be making them soon, it won't be without "kicking & screaming" about the cost to their "bottom line" [regardless of evidence to the contrary]. The other missing piece is that the benefits will accrue disproportionately to those with families without a balanced accommodation to those workers [male & female] who are either child-free or whose children are old enough to be on their own. Basically, I'm thinking "wake me up when we really are ready to celebrate!"  What do you think?

 

Hotmail Alert: It's A 'Phishing Scam'

This post is a warning about a 'phishing scam' circulating through Hotmail. When I opened my personal email box this morning, tucked in there between the mountains of mail was a subject title called a "Hotmail Customer Alert" [or something close to that]. I had just read that there was some successful hacking in some major IM accounts, so this got my immediate attention. It was an email stating that due to a security problem they were closing down many email accounts including mine unless they were immediately validated. Therefore to allegedly "protect my account" I had to send them my password, date of birth, & country of orIgin. I doubted the validity of the email immediately because no legitimate site asks for private data in an email in this manner. However the threat of having one's account shut down & losing all the data in it is a potent one. As I scanned the email I observed 1 critical thing: the sender was an ordinary hotmail user with a very unofficial looking account something akin to jdoe45@hotmail.com. There was no indication that it was sent from Windows Live or Microsoft. I then checked Google & there were scads of entries about the scam including posts by people who got ensnared in the trap. DON'T LET THEM GET YOUR INFORMATION! Report this as a phishing scam

Peets Barista Contest & Team-Building : The Winner Is...

Following up on a post from last week, the barista contest at Peets Coffee & Tea has finally concluded after a period of regional contests, playoffs [of sorts], & then last night, the finals. In my view, this was a cleverly disguised team-building event. The winner out of four contestants [one representing my local store], was the "odds-on favorite" Suzette Hammond. She currently works at the flagship store in North Berkeley in an area known to locals as the "gourmet ghetto" because it's a small patch of paradise for foodies. Interested in seeing Ms. Hammond [Suze to her co-workers] "strut her stuff" at an espresso maker? Click below. Based on my sources, about 200 people plus NBC news were in attendance. Ms Hammond was reportedly a gracious & humble winner so we here at Means to an End [& by extension, A Consultants Chronicles] say "well done" & congrats to all four finalists. We also once again congratulate Peets for creating a team-building exercise that garnered a lot of enthusiasm, energy, attention & lots of payback. For a fuller slideshow of the event [aside from the YouTube link below] click here.

BTW: While more typically, at about this time we'd  caution you against doing so, this time channel "your inner barista," take the challenge & try this at home...[with Peets coffee of course]!

Corrections: It has just been brought to my attention that there are 2 minor inaccuracies in my post! Whoops! No wonder the newspapers require two sources. Ms. Hammond is known as "Sooz" to her co-workers & while NBC was not there, they did run a story on the event. KTVU attended the event providing those wonderful slides.

 

Line of the Week 10-04-09

This week's line of the week belongs to one of my favorite "opinionistas" Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post. For many months now I have been writing blog posts advocating discretion when it comes to personal information people reveal about themselves online. I think the example provided by Parker in her column this week may be about the "best of the worst example" I have encountered to date. This is by no means a badge of honor anyone should want to wear. Apparently some executive wrote a "tweet" while in a board meeting about how she was in the process of having a miscarriage & how happy she was because it beats the 3 week inconvenience it would require to get an abortion. Is this degree of onine self-revelation becoming the new norm or is this a case of "TMI [too much information]?"

About this woman's tweet, Parker said:

"...The banality of twittery just out-twitted itself..."

I ask you to decide, could you see yourself writing that "tweet?"

Update: Strengthening Teams At Peets

Quick Update:

In my last post, I talked about a pending event here in the Bay Area at Peets Coffee that has had the effect of boosting morale & strengthening their teams. I have two updates to report in the service of clarity.

1- The contest in Alameda, CA is NOT open to the public. Peets has a dedicated following & well, they are just not prepared for the potential number of visitors  interested in attendng nor is it appropriate for the  contest [all the contestants deserve a fair shot].

2- At the time I published the post, the winner wasn't going to receive any kind of tangible reward but that has changed. Now the finalists will receive a two-day intensive & specialized paid training on coffee & have lunch with the CEO.

Very cool & very consistent with the overall driving force behind the event.

Strengthening Team Morale In the Workplace

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a die-hard caffeine addict & my "drug" of choice is Peets Coffee founded in Berkeley,CA where its flagship store is located a "stone's throw" from another bay area institution known to "foodies" all over: Chez Panisse [a note to all of the Starbucks fans out there: Howard Schultz of Starbucks learned everything he knows about coffee from Alfred Peet]. What business significance does my favorite blend of coffee hold other than my daily contribution to their coffers?  Currently Peets is in the midst of a corporate wide barista contest to see who is the premier barista, the best of the best. These baristas are bringing their "'A' game" too, adding special touches in design & presentation. As the contest has progressed, the buzz around our local shop has built involving the staff & the customers because a barista at my local Peets is now in the finals. 

A Boost For Team Morale

What will the winner get? Nothing aside from bragging rights  [at least as far as they know now]! However it has been sensational for team morale & business "buzz." For Peets this has been a clever way to do team-building AND encourage their employees to improve their skills in ways that are self-driven as opposed to mandated by the company.  These "little" things make the net effect far more powerful. In business as in life, "it's always the little things!" This event has created a kind of workplace bonding that would be the envy of most any business. Clearly not every business lends itself to events like this but the point is that it really doesn't take much to create a cohesive unit whether it's on the golf course, behind the coffee bar, contributing to a community event,  or a Friday afternoon Frisbee toss. What counts is getting people out of their ordinary milieu while still required to work together. When I lead team-building events, I make sure they are interesting, challenging, fun & instructive [although not necessarily in obvious ways at first blush]. These events develop skills [like communication], foster trust enabling everyone to grow both as individuals and as a group while working together to achieve something greater than themselves.

In the interest of full disclosure, I clearly have a rooting interest in the barrista at my local Peets so I figured I would use this opportunity to show his stuff! The finals will be held at the roasting plant in Alameda, CA on Monday 10/12/09.

 Sean's own special design

The Workforce Divide: What We Can Learn Across Generations

My friend & colleague Shannon Pedder whose company Brand: Creative makes her the "queen of marketing swag" wrote this piece recently as a quickie post on Facebook. I liked it so much that I asked her if I could reprint it here because I think there's serious value in it for all of us.

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ACROSS THE GENERATIONS,,, SHARING STRENGTHS AND STRATEGIES

There are currently 4 generations that make up most of the workforce:

 •The Silent Generation, born before 1945
 •The Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964
 •The Gen Xers, born between 1965 and 1981
 •The Gen Yers, born between 1982 and 1995

No matter what industry you are in, you can learn a tremendous amount from the different generations in the workplace.  Let’s start with the Silent Generation.  They finds their strength in being disciplined and trust worthy, they understand the basics and follow through.  They place high value on relationships and believe that their word is their bond.  They respect authority and take satisfaction in a job well done.  Conversely, they may feel challenged to keep up with technology and stay enthusiastic about the rapidly changing workplace culture. 

The Baby Boomers are phenomenal multi-taskers, they are naturals at peer to peer relationships and make excellent mentors.  They typically believe in playing by the rules and earning one’s dues.  One of their greatest strengths is showing the younger generations how to do the same.  Similar to the Silent Generation, they may need help with the technology that is necessary to get results. 

Gen Xers are extremely self-reliant yet also make great team players.  They are typically very techno-savvy.  They have made Facebook and LinkedIn their business tools of choice, using those platforms as a softer way to stay in touch with their network.  Gen Xers have also helped to create many recent time-saving methods.  They may need to take note from the Silent Generation and the Baby Boomers on how to engage clients one on one and follow through with personal connections like phone calls rather than relying completely on technology.  Business is about one to one relationships and technology is simply a tool to enhance the process.

Gen Yers have the same challenge as the Xers and tend to rely heavily on technology for their primary mode of communication and way of doing business.  This is a positive in that have demonstrated new ways to get results with technology as well as how to use social aspects of the internet to market.  Their challenge is to stay engaged on all levels, especially one on one relationships.  As far as style, they are innovative, resourceful, energetic and great social networkers.

Overall, these are simply generalizations and at the end of the day it’s all about people.  It’s important to learn from your peers and your mentors.  Don’t be afraid to ask the generations younger than you for advice- often they are closer to your target demographic and can turn you on to current trends.  Everyone has something to offer and it’s important to cross pollinate to create a collaborative and successful workplace environment.

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Ellen Gunty,M.A. does organizational development, training & mediation in the San Francisco Bay Area.. Her company is Means to an End www.meanstoanendca.com

Shannon Pedder is the owner of BRAND: CREATIVE, a promotional products company based in Oakland.  She has been in the industry for over 13 years and works with people of ALL generations.  You can reach her at 510.547.9400 or shannon@brandcreative.biz.  Check the BRAND: CREATIVE blog for daily updates on product ideas, trends and specials:  http.brandcreative.blogpot.com.

Reprinted with permission from Shannon Pedder, Oct. 2009

 

 

Driving Your Marketing Strategy: Are You In A Prius Or An Edsel

Regardless of the size of your business, these days it's hardly news to hear that social media is all the rage & an essential tool for inbound marketing. If you are a marketing professional, this is hardly earth-shattering information unless you've had your head in the sand for the last few years. Be that as it may, the other day it occurred to me to do an unofficial survey of some of my clients to see "who was riding the new marketing wave in a Prius vs who was still driving their marketing in an Edsel-metaphorically speaking that isl!" The results were somewhat frustrating especially in challenging economic times. Now more than ever companies have to find ways to generate new market streams and do so ahead of the competition. Understanding this, why are many of my clients still resistant to embracing these new concepts?

Is Your Business Losing Cash with Your Marketing 'Clunker'

Far too many of my clients claim that the new methods of marketing are not for them. They either maintain that they don't need it or that allegedly such a seemingly radical change [hey, I'm just the messenger here!] eitherdoesn't suit them or their clients [sometimes both]. Ironically, these are the very same people who shop online & whip out their iphone or Blackberry whenever any little factoid is needed. Somehow they can't possibly imagine that potential clients may be shopping for their services in much the same way. The bottom line here is while I understand that change is never easy & often scary, not being afraid to change is essential in a society moving as rapidly as ours. Therefore, if you are among those driving your marketing plan "in an Edsel" [a notable car in the 1950's], remember this: your business may be losing cash with that 'clunker'; at least consider trading it in for a more modern [marketing] vehicle.

 

Changes Are Coming

Ok, I've been listening to the feedback I've been getting so A Consultant's Chronicles will be going through some changes. In addition to a tiny "face-lift," I will be fully integrating my blog & website. Stay tuned!

Line of the Week 9-20-09

This week's line of the week belongs to Chris Mathews. In a discussion about how to attract attention to any person, cause, or point of view he cited a line by PT Barnum, one of the people responsible for what most people understand to be the traditional circus. According to Mathews, Barnum said:

"...if you want to attract a crowd, pick a fight..."

I have long known that in spite of all protests, we love arguing & do it for entertainment as much as trying to promote a particular point of view. In social media terms, it's the edgier blogs that seem to attract the most "hits!" In short words, Barnum "hit the nail on the head." Mathews explained that this was a winning formula for selling tickets to the circus; Barnum would engineer a fight, which would draw crowds & he would then proceed to sell tickets. It also accounts for the phenomenal success of entertainers like Rush Limbaugh & Glenn Beck.