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I recently counseled a client through a difficult human resources issue. Like most human issues, it was not cut and dry.  I spent weeks evaluating, assessing and analyzing expectations, responsibilities, processes and performances. What I discovered is that while there were very clear issues, the exact cause of them was unclear. Hearts were in the right place, but there was still an insurmountable disconnect.

To help me get to the root of the issue – to uncover the exact point of disconnect – I tried to break  down the process of constructive criticism reception and resolution. Here’s what I came up with.

Resolution Process

1. Sincere listening and open-minded reception of concerns.
2. Sincere desire to understand expectations related to those areas (e.g. “What do I need to do differently?”) and resolve any disagreement or ambiguity.
3. Initiative to seek tools and counsel that help equip the individual for making changes related to areas of concern.
4. Raised consciousness and heightened sensitivities when operating in areas of concern.
5. Humility and ownership of mis-steps along the way (e.g. sincere apologies, “I’m working on this and appreciate your help and patience”).
6. Solicitation of and gratitude for counsel and feedback throughout the process.
7. Although resolution of the concern areas may never become second-nature to the individual, he or she demonstrates an awareness of blind spots and a reflexive adjustment that helps compensate in a healthy and positive way.

After outlining this process, I was able to pinpoint exactly where the breakdown was occurring. The employee in question was receiving the constructive criticism positively; that was not disputed.  But the train derailed quickly after that.  The employee showed little to no initiative in seeking tools or counsel to help equip her to make the changes expected and required for her to be successful.  Her colleagues expected her to operate in the territory of Steps 4 and 5, but she never progressed past Step 2 in the above process. The result was a tense and emotionally-charged workplace.

Takeaway:

• Sometimes in order to identify the cause of a problem, we must first put the problem in the greater context of a process. Pinpointing exactly where the breakdown is occurring in that process allows for a surgical solution.  Surgical solutions are more efficient and effective (and tend to result in less pain and bloodshed).
• I have long said that Initiative is not something you can teach another person.  People either have initiative, or they don’t. Those who demonstrate initiative typically make exemplary employees; those who don’t tend to be a drain on an organization. Discerning initiative should be a top priority when interviewing prospective job candidates.

Carol Reeve, strategist
Girl on the Roof

I am saddened by the statistics I have heard recently about today’s teenagers…specifically about how the average cell phone bill of a teenager would reflect zero minutes of talk time. It’s all about texting. I heard a quote from a teenager recently who said, “Talking on the phone is too personal.” Wow. I remember talking for hours with girlfriends and boyfriends on the phone. Yes, it’s personal. That’s the point, isn’t it? Psychologists are quick to report the harmful long-term effects of such a mentality… that today’s teenagers will grow up to be adults who cannot communicate face-to-face, cannot carry on a conversation, cannot expound on a topic for longer than 140 characters.

Whether those fears are grounded or not, we have to understand and adapt to this generation’s communication style. Even if these kids aren’t your audience now, they will be someday. Since I shout from the rooftops about knowing your audience, I have assembled (albeit a tad sardonically) a list of 12 quick marketing tips for start-ups, all of which are under 140 characters. Feel free to text these to the ambitious teens in your life.

12 Quick Marketing Tips for Start-Ups

1. Lay a strong foundation. Define who you are (and aren’t), what you do (and don’t), who you serve (and don’t). Do an honest SWOT analysis.
2. Write a positioning statement that identifies your services, your audience, your unique selling point and the personality of your business.
3. Be consistent. Use your positioning statement as the basis for all of your marketing efforts to ensure consistency and bang for your buck.
4. Invest in a professional logo. If your logo looks professional, so will your business. Use it consistently, everywhere you can.
5. Invest in a web site. It’s the 1st place people go to see if you’re legit. You don’t need high tech, but it needs to look professional.
6. Know your target audience. What motivates them? Where do they get there information? How do they make decisions?
7. Listen to your clients. Don’t assume you have all the answers. You can build goodwill, establish trust and increase the opportunity.
8. Offer introductory rates. As an unknown, you can’t charge what an established firm can.
9. Thank your customers. They are taking a risk hiring a start-up. A hand-written note and some goodies from a local bakery show gratitude.
10. Underpromise and overdeliver with both time and money.
11. Help others grow their business. Connect people, refer and recommend others. What comes around goes around.
12. Identify a mentor. Welcome him or her to “get in your business,” provide honest counsel and encourage you when you doubt.

Carol Reeve, marketing strategist
Girl on the Roof

I recently had an opportunity to submit some content to the author of a book on advice given by mothers.  I’m sure there are far more that touch me daily, but there are two specific instances where my mother’s voice routinely transcends through time and space.  To this day, I still apply these words regularly.

The first was from grade school, when I was one girl in a group of three close girl friends.  My mother continually cautioned me about groups of three: “In a group of three friends, someone always ends up with hurt feelings, so you need to be extra careful.” She was right. Today, at the age of 37, I am again one in a group of three close girl friends.  It would be very easy to have hurt feelings when I hear the two of them went shopping or lunching without me (even though I do the same).  But when I remember my mother’s wise words, I am grateful to have the good friends that I do.

Another memory of my mother’s counsel is from my college years. I had a very tough major in college (microbiology), and I lived in a house with 10 other women off campus.  I recall at one point in my junior year, when faced with two major exams (biochemistry and microbial physiology) and a lab report due the following day, I called my mother sobbing from stress and disappointment.  My housemates had all just gone out dancing, and I was left alone to study, most likely through the night.  Knowing this was not the first time I had found myself in this situation (nor would it be the last), my mother got teary with me and said, “All I can tell you is that the hard work will pay off.  I don’t know how or when, but all of this will be worth it some day.” Although I knew that she was just saying what a mother was required to say in a moment like that (what else could she have said?), it did comfort me. And she was right; those tough moments taught me to prioritize, focus and deal with stress. Further, my career accomplishments reinforce that, although it may not always yield what I thought it would, hard work does pay off.

I realize that some of you, instead of getting sentimental at this point, are asking, “A microbiology major?  Doing marketing?”  My response is simple:  “Hey, I graduated with honors in 3.5 years from one of the toughest undergraduate programs in the country.  I’m a tough, smart, hard-working chick who is scientifically minded, strategic and creative.”  If that doesn’t work, I say, “As a sophomore in college, I developed a creative series of experiments that resulted in my discovery of an organism that could degrade carbon tetrachloride, a priority pollutant with the EPA.”  That usually shuts them up. (Thanks, Mom.)

Carol Reeve,
marketing strategist and Girl on the Roof

Yesterday I received a phone call from someone selling placement and banner ads on Google. After asking to speak to the person making the marketing decisions for Girl on the Roof, he launched into a breathless pitch about how he could provide me with a good deal on banner ads and Google placement for Knoxville roofers.

What was that? Did you say “Knoxville roofers”?

I started laughing hysterically, but he didn’t notice because he was talking so quickly, trying to convince me that I could grow my roofing business through Google. I began talking over him, through my laughter. I said, “My company is not a roofing business, and if you had done a quick Google search yourself, you would have discovered that immediately.” I literally had to say this twice because he had not stopped talking, even for a beat, to hear me.

Finally there was a slight pause, followed by a defensive toned, “But the name of the business is Girl on the Roof.”

I desperately wanted to respond with bitter sarcasm, but I sort of felt sorry for the guy. He had broken the first and very obvious rule of marketing: Know Your Audience. He had done no research at all before placing a call to me. Then he broke the second rule by not listening to what I was saying.

He stammered briefly then resumed the chatter, just as quickly but with less confidence. Finding no pause in which I could respond politely (though, admittedly, I was amused by the entire conversation), I finally just spoke over him. I am quite sure he did not hear my response, but I was not going to hang around long enough to wait for another pause. Still, for posterity, and since the phone call may have been recorded (“for training purposes”), I said the following before hanging up: “Dude, thanks for the laugh today, but I am not interested in working with you. Next time you should do your homework before making a call.”

And my thanks were sincere. I laughed about it the rest of the day.

Yours truly,
Girl on the Roof

Over the course of my career, I have served actively on seven nonprofit boards in Cincinnati and Knoxville. Some of those organizations have had a pretty high profile, which enabled me to make some professional connections that helped strengthen my own business and expand my client base.

When people used to ask how I grew Reeve Communications (my former business, in Cincinnati) to nearly 50 clients in three years, I would give credit in part to the community work I had done. The next question was predictable: “Do you have some suggestions for how I could get on some boards?” Um, yeah, get involved with the organizations you care about; get your hands dirty. That answer didn’t typically go over well, because most of the time the asker was looking for a short cut. Read the rest of this entry »

I had lunch earlier this week with a gentleman who runs a reputable production company in Knoxville (see www.doublejaycreative.com). We happened upon the subject of communication and its unfortunate demise. He said that he recently posed the following question to a classroom of MBA students: “Who in this room has hand-written a letter in the last year?” Only one student raised her hand.

For those of us who still believe in hand-writing thank-you notes and snail-mailing birthday cards, it is saddening that so many of our future leaders scoff at such efforts, considering them trivial and inefficient. No matter how well intended, a text message doesn’t pack quite the same punch as a hand-written note from a friend; and an e-card doesn’t reflect the same thoughtfulness as a well selected greeting card signed by a loved one. Zeroes and ones are as easily deleted as they are written; but a card is savored, even displayed, with lingering sentiment. Read the rest of this entry »

As we approach February 14th, it is inevitable that you will hear your local cynic claim that Valentine’s Day is a scam created by Hallmark. Long amazed that a corporation could accomplish this feat simply through marketing, I decided to do some digging.
Read the rest of this entry »

What do ink jet printers, Corn Flakes, chocolate chip cookies and penicillin have in common?  Click the link below and listen.

Writer’s Almanac

(Here is the written transcript if you prefer to read v. listen.)

I’ve long been a fan of Garrison Keillor. I remember many summer evenings, sitting on the sun porch of my childhood home, listening to Prairie Home Companion with my dad as he worked on a ship model.  My college boyfriend worked the Saturday evening shift at the NPR station in Lexington, and I would help him switch over from the satellite feed of PHC to his local jazz program. To this day, my husband and I consider it a treat to happen upon a broadcast featuring Guy Noire, Powdermilk Biscuits (heavens, they’re tasty) and the Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band (if they can’t do it, the Girl’s band can). There is something about the voice of Garrison Keillor that soothes even the most stirred-up soul.
Read the rest of this entry »

A couple of years ago we were visiting some friends in Cincinnati. My daughter, at four years old, was finally old enough to experience one of my favorite childhood activities: sledding.  Our friends had a plastic toboggan and a saucer.  Both were fun, but if you’ve ever been on a saucer, you know that it can be a bit disorienting.  Not only is a rider unable to steer a saucer; you can’t even control the direction you face.  You can be spinning like a top as you head down the hill.  Naturally it can be hard to see where you are going… or what’s ahead of you.

Social media can be like a saucer ride.  It may be entertaining, and you may see some cool stuff along the way. But if you can’t control your vessel – or keep it pointed in the right direction – you may find yourself doing more harm than good.  You know, like knocking down a toddler.

Carol Reeve, Girl on the Roof
(yes, the child was fine)