Acres of Diamonds

Someone I’ve not met in person who resides in the United States is the subject of this post. The individual's name is Joseph Skursky and I was fortunate to come into contact with Joseph using the popular social utility LinkedIN. 

Joseph through his networking has made connections in my part of the world here in Ottawa Canada. I’m not clear how the initial link I made with him started but that resulted in Joseph becoming part of my network. I'm fortunate however circumstances made that happen. Subsequently we got into a telephone conversation about his business associates. Associates specifically located in the city where I happen to be operating my organization.

My thought process goes as follows.

1. Geographic location is not a barrier today when forming your network. (This is fairly obvious but when people like Joseph call you up you appreciate the potential today for working at a distance ) 
2. I admit my skepticism puts a great deal of repellent effort toward those who we have limited background on or who may be calling in without having some prior knowledge of what they're offering or other references.
3. The profile about Joseph was quite impressive including his extensive connections.
4. My curiosity drove me to take his call and determine what potential opportunities may unfold.

OUTCOME

Joseph introduced me to people in Ottawa who are now playing a central role in what is expansion in the broadcast and digitization media space. His tactful counsel and introduction to some very insightful experts has opened opportunity to my organization and those whom we have been introduced. More importantly the introduction will result in an upside for our clients as a result of Joseph initiating a new partnership and collaborative forum. The collaboration will drive value to the clients in support of their specific aspirations and intentions to communicate to their audiences.

The idea around Earl Nightingales “Acres of Diamonds” couldn’t be more apt to describe the connections you have within the Social Utilities you build today. One has to be proactive and take or make the call to enjoy the good things from introductions online

A final note: I have Joseph’s Blog linked here “Keys 2 Business Growth” this is the highest ranking entry point of traffic to my blog. This illuminates the importance of establishing allies in the blogosphere who value and compliment your specific interests. THANKS JOSEPH!

Cross promote locally or internationally a great way to start the day.

I welcome your links and your comments. Have a great weekend!

Five Steps to getting your Brand revitalized

1. Form a team within the organization. The team must have direct access to the CEO. Having objective third party partners on the team ensures an honest approach to brand building. We have formed brand counsels including key contributors on larger enterprise brand development assignments.

2. The team’s first task will involve making guidelines that set criteria. This step begins by defining the core constructs today of what your organization is, or aspires to become in the months ahead. You’ll need to facilitate sessions that involve inputs from stakeholders and others who can provide you genuine honest observations about the nature of your organization. Competencies for setting criteria that belong on your team include two skills. a.)You require someone with strong research and analytical skills. b.)You require brilliant creative writing, specifically writing with a strong business/design thinking bent.    

                                    

3. Develop the story make it persuasive. Use carefully chosen words and establish an identity framework. The intent here is to create with words a foundation or “vessel” that can be used to properly sustain your organizations brand. Your team will eventually launch this upon the organization as a whole and beyond to your external market channels. The story “vessel” once crafted can be fitted with visual treatments including word marks, symbol design or other visual language. Design competency today is a minimum imperative for organization's serious about brand management.

4. Take the new identity to market. Launch into a sustained outreach campaign. Assess what response the new brand triggers. Judge the robust nature of your new identity's impact on various communities of interest. The organization will have to establish a plan on sustaining the brand through both paid media and investment in business media online. Brand Management involves a concerted effort to ensure the organization brand remains vital and engaged. This step includes opportunities to extend into your unique stratospheres of influence. Choose what those areas of influence are and pursue them leveraging innovation and design thinking. Social media is an obvious opportunity, trade fairs, networking opportunities, internal functions among the organizations staff. This step is only limited by the organizations budget allocation for brand building and perhaps the lack of willingness to take risk trying new techniques.                               

                                         

5. Analytics and measurement along the way will ensure a degree of reliability about the new brand's position in the market. Surveys, conversations with clients and a myriad of useful tools and tactics exist that will assist you building the brand's presence in the market. Course corrections may be required while you’re underway. Auditing the brand's impact at different touch points will provide an understanding of the organization's investment. Make a corporate commitment to measurement. Focus on how your identity is yielding response's and increasing brand equity. These activities will indicate you're on the proper course. Proactive measurement is essential while navigating toward your organization’s goals for growth and prosperity

Living Architecture

Living Architecture

Remaining cool when the pressure is hot

Misplaced asset, sudden notice and arrival of an "event" combined with course

correction on major engagement all within a 24 hour period monday morning. Thatʼs the way the week begins. These types of circumstances test management ability, patience and leadership.

These hot issues may set the tone for how the day unfolds or specifically how well we get on with the tasks at hand. Hot issues can be diversions when we need to be completely alert and focussed on core priorities. The art of management is to keep charging forward as a team despite what might be perceived as a set back or negative situation. These issues test both the organization and individuals.

I think of Ridley Scottʼs “Gladiators” one of my all time favorite movies. One scene comes to mind when actor Russell Crowe enters the Coliseum. He's portrayed as the leader among a diverse group of personalities. He takes charge of the situation by ordering everyone regardless of what comes they must stay together. One of the Gladiators in the event clearly looses control pissing himself among the line of men about to go into the ring. Immediately upon the gate opening another is smacked in the face and falls. 

"What ever comes out of these gates we have a better chance of survival if we work together"

The situation unfolds once the gates open. The film portrays a clear disadvantage to the Gladiators who come up against chariots pulled by horses with Archers. The Archers yoked on their fast moving platforms shoot arrows into the Gladiators specifically Gladiators who aren't grouped together. All of this makes for great theatre for the Romans but eventually the Gladiators show their strategy. They remain together as tight units. Their united prowess against threats and adversity successfully overcomes what is impossible odds, the Gladiators win.

Gladiator the movie defines great lessons for those interested in organizational

dynamic. 

I've seen it a half dozen times. 

The team today has grown to over seventy staff members. We're a multidisciplinary media house with business activities going on in quarters across the platform. The organization has entered a new phase of growth where no longer does one single outcome set the tone for the day. Weʼre doing amazing things. Things including meeting deadlines, enterprise web launches with stakeholders joining remotely across the country. They join in celebration of their new brand. We fulfill events where our team pitch new design or attend functions weʼve organized and fulfilled. Our team completes proposal submissions, sponsorship arrangements, client brainstorming sessions, outbound calling engagements and a myriad of activities weekly. These activities define who the organization is today and how weʼre perceived by our clients and stakeholders.

Staying together an intelligent response to hot issues.