by theEmother | Jan 5, 2009 | MEinc, so you think you're in business
Julie Ann Reynolds, CEO of tompeters!company reminds us that Tom Peters popularized the idea of Brand You. She believes it encompasses creating a brand campaign that blends your company’s and your individual employees’ brands together. Brand You brings your brand alive!connecting everyone to values, purpose, and message—from the board room to the reception desk.
The Talent Era is here. The labor market has shifted. The Brand You mindset is needed more than ever. Both companies in their hiring and employees in the way they build and guide their own professional careers must use a Brand You approach. As one Organizational Development leader described, “Brand You is a compelling and concise leadership development framework that really gets at the heart of what it means to be an effective and powerful brand. It offers practical strategies that maximize your contribution to the organization, to your customers and most importantly to yourself.” Using this methodology, employers effectively identify what a job seeker has to offer and what sets him apart from other prospective candidates. This facilitates recruiting and retaining those with whom leaders will build the future of the company.
As we know, talent is a strategic asset. Some say this is the “ME Generation.” If so, those achievers who are serious about their commitment to their professional careers are building their own brand equity. They are Brand Yous. They want to perform and be recognized! The Brand You mindset is about maximizing performance when managers align employees with work they love, about which they’re passionate. Be proactive; ask yourself “How can I manage these Brand Yous the way that a coach would leverage talent on a team?” “Stretch goals” that extend beyond the job description can build expertise, brand awareness, and most importantly, customer loyalty.
Branding is all about transparency regarding who this company is and what the company and its employees stand for. Alignment of the company’s brand and the employees’ individual brands puts the magic into corporate performance—employee engagement and memorable customer experiences.
How transparent are you?
How transparent is your company?
by theEmother | Jan 5, 2009 | MEinc
Over the last few years, there’s been an explosion of research from economists on what makes us happy as discovered by Leon Gettler.
Basically, a report by Deutsche Bank singles out Australia as one of the world’s happiest places, along with Switzerland, Canada, Britain, the US, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands. Ahead of Germany, Spain, France, Belgium and Austria and way out in front of Portugal, Italy and Greece.
The report says happy societies have 10 signs:
1. High degree of trust in fellow citizens.
2. Low amount of corruption.
3. Low unemployment.
4. High level of education.
5. High income.
6. High employment rate of older people.
7. Small shadow economy.
8. Extensive economic freedom.
9. Low employment protection.
10. High birth rate.
Regardless of whether you agree with the corporate slant to this, is it a good place to start?… do you know what makes you happy?
Any to add?
by theEmother | Jan 5, 2009 | entrepreneur trends (past & present!), MEinc
Last week, Leon Gettler looked at the growing science of Happynomics (featured on this blog 6/6/07) which has thrown up so many studies by economists on what makes us happy.
At the time, he expressed some reservations about whether these studies actually tell us that much (but then, he has a view about economists. As the old jokes go: Question: Why did God create economists? Answer: To make weather forecasters look good.
I asked questions then about what makes you happy… have you worked that out yet?
Any closer?
by theEmother | Jan 5, 2009 | MEinc
A group of singers, once defined by homelessness and disadvantage, are now known throughout Australia as The Choir of Hard Knocks.
Yesterday, a sell-out crowd of 2000 (me, my 9 year old and good buddies included) gave the choir — made famous by an ABC documentary of the same name — a rock star’s welcome as they took to the stage to perform the songs that have taken them to the top of the classical charts and rocketed them into Australia’s top 10 albums.
And what an afternoon it was. A delight to be sitting there listening to some (at times surprising) damn fine singing, and to be able to actively support the choir. I don’t know about you but when you are in a position of meeting someone you would think homeless, you don’t quite know how to support them. Apart from buying the occasional Big Issue, I think I would like to do more but was never sure how. This has given me a tangible way to do so, and taken me on a most enjoyable ride to boot!
My one fear is that it is all wonderful for the choir and its participants on the up, but as we all know, there will be a down. Whilst I’m sure the powers that be have thought about that, I would hate to think that there would be any adverse affects to this fantastic initiative but then you just never know… I guess life is like that anyway. Really it can only be good can’t it!
May the choir go forth and spread their story far and wide and add to the truly inspiring stories about ordinary folk making life work for them as best they can… and yes that includes you!!
by theEmother | Jan 5, 2009 | MEinc, so you think you're in business
I don’t know about you…but I love an eBook.
I have quite a collection already, and I imagine that collection will only continue to grow. It would appear I’m not the only one…
There are now millions of books free online. So why hasn’t the e-book revolution taken off…yet? David Adams reports.
Once upon a time, if you wanted a book you went to a bookshop or a library and bought or borrowed a paperback or a hardcover. These days, you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home to access the pages of any of the millions of books that are now available digitally.
The word “e-book”, short for “electronic book”, is the digital equivalent of a conventional printed book and covers everything from a book simply posted on a webpage to downloadable PDF files containing text, images and downloadable MP3 files (the term loosely covers audio books as well).
For years pundits have been talking about an imminent e-book revolution in Australia that would finally do away with conventional books as we know it. While early adopters may be congratulating themselves on surfing ahead of the crowd, the proposed revolution has been slower in coming than predicted.
The notion of being able to access/buy an eBook and/or a hardback is one that works well for me. Surely it’s not something that has to be “either/or”, it can definitely work as an “and”.
And you?
Have you purchased an eBook? What is your experience with them?
Have you created an eBook? How was that for you?
