Archive for November, 2008

Who you “be”?

Published
by
Karen Belmont
on November 26, 2008
in Communications and Lifestyle
. 3 Comments

At a recent meeting of a nonprofit board I serve on, we were talking about “who” our organization is: our product, our service and whether those are unique enough to fill a need in our community. In short, our brand.

That made me think. What is my brand? And am I an ambassador for that brand? Or a saboteur?
David Ogilvy’s definition of a brand is the intangible sum of a product’s attributes: its name, packaging, and price, its history, its reputation and the way it’s advertised.

Strong brands—Target, Disney, Nike–instantly convey what they stand for, and they never waver.

I think I stand for connection, conversation, collaboration, community–relationships–with myself, my families (blood relatives and not), my friends, my coworkers, my clients.

And I ask myself: Do I walk the talk? Am I living my brand? Is my brand authentic, real? Is my brand a contributor to what is wanted and needed? Is it committed, no matter what? Is it responsible at its source? Is it intentional? Are my messages and actions consistent, reliable?

Do you live your brand? Consider promises made, promises broken. Are you inconsistent, inauthentic, lacking commitment? Are you losing faith in yourself, your abilities? Can your friends and family count on you? Or are they looking for a change? Looking for someone to inspire, to lead, to be loyal to his or her brand? Seems to me all this talk about change is really about returning to who we are.

Are you the ambassador or saboteur of your brand?

Smoke gets in your eyes (and everywhere else)

Published
by
Bruce Hetrick
on November 19, 2008
in Healthcare, Lifestyle, Politics and Workplace
. 11 Comments

A friend sent me some interesting data Sunday. First, he e-mailed a story from Los Angeles, where terrible fires were raging. It said that public health leaders had issued a smoke advisory because of the health risks posed by fine particulate matter in the air. Citing what’s called a PM2.5 reading of 226, they deemed the air quality “very unhealthy.”

Next, my friend sent a study of indoor air quality in Indianapolis prior to passage of our city’s smokefree-workplace law. It showed an average PM2.5 reading of 432—even more dangerous than the “very unhealthy” air in L.A.

Because Indianapolis made many of its workplaces smokefree, our “average” reading today would be far lower.

But because we exempted from that law such places as bars, adult-only restaurants, bowling alleys and gaming establishments, people who work in those environments still must inhale “very unhealthy” air, shift after shift, day after day, year after year.

And because many Indiana cities, towns and counties still have no smokefree ordinance whatsoever, employees in those communities have no legal protection at all.

There’s movement afoot to provide for Indiana what’s been delivered in 24 U.S. states, including Illinois and Ohio: a statewide smokefree workplace law that protects workers in all workplaces, including restaurants and bars.

My view: We’d all breathe easier if Indiana enacted such a law. And a level playing field would provide the fairest economic climate for all businesses. What’s your view?

A writer by any other name

Published
by
Steven Lemaster
on November 12, 2008
in Creative and Workplace
. 15 Comments

When I received my business cards from Hetrick, the first thing I noticed was the absence of a title under my name. This got me thinking about titles and their importance.

I am a communications writer, specifically for advertising and marketing. In my career, I’ve had the job titles “Junior Copywriter,” “Copywriter” and “Senior Copywriter.” My title has never had an impact on the work I’ve done; my basic duties have been the same for every position. I have more responsibility now, but that was earned by experience, not by attaining a new title.

Does it matter to you what someone’s title is? Do you feel better if your office is cleaned by a custodial engineer rather than a janitor? Is there really a difference in being the Director of Finance or the Senior VP of Finance? What does a title really add to our professional identities?

My opinion is that titles are society’s polite way to keep score. Since discussions of salary are often taboo in the office and at cocktail parties, we use titles to compare our success to that of our coworkers, neighbors and friends.

So tell me: what’s your title, and do you think it matters?

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