Writing Skills
Writing Skills ...
Within the last 10 years our day-to-day conversation has changed a lot. Thanks to the technological development, we are in the position to communicate with almost everybody, everywhere and at anytime. As long as there is internet access, of course. This development needs new core competences for community leaders. On one side we need to find the right language to interact. In former times, language was not so much an issue, as communities were much more locally organized. Today, our daily life is far more global and therefore we need to improve our language skills dramatically.
The other big difference or challenge is our skill to write. To write a letter was a real time-consuming task during the days I was a pupil at school. Nowadays we communicate in writing every day. We write tons of emails, postings, blog articles and so forth as a day goes by. Unfortunately just a small number of people ever learnt how to get a message across in a written way. I am not speaking about grammatical issues, I am speaking about writing like speaking. To write in a motivating, dialog-focussed way is a special talent. It is an essential expertise when talking about grassroots movements, interaction with a larger group of people and when being responsible for community building und supporting. My conclusion there is: improve your motivational writing skills.
Grassroots goes Europe
On January 30 the Annual National Grassroots Conference hosted by the Public Affairs Council will start in Miami. You can follow the conference on twitter #grc12.
I am invited to contribute as panel speaker the European way of grassroots. I will focus on differences in culture, political system, lobbying attitude, data protection, media & internet usage and grassroots tradition in general. I am looking forward to discussing differences and similarities with my US peers. What experiences do you have with European grassroots? Especially with corporate grassroots? What is your most important advice for US grassroots experts coming to Europe?
Action Counts
By your actions, you will be recognized.....
How do you recognize genuine commitment? By observing actions! If you look and listen carefully, you will recognize your fans by their behaviour. Some clear indications for fans are e.g. using emotional language and argumentation. Quite often they have new (sometimes even crazy) ideas, proposals and offers. Or also, simply by a surprise, that no one ever expected. Fans are often very courageous in word & deed. They are ready to take a prominent stance. Fans can live with “opposing wind” - they are the complete opposite of opportunists.
You can observe all of this on a daily basis in your working environment – so if you concentrate on such behaviour, this will help you not e.g. to occupy your time with those persons, who do not want to go along, who seem disinterested or “make difficulties.“
Its exciting and insightful indeed, to focus your self-perception on exactly these details as well. How does one recognize your passion for your enterprise? By what actions, or by what particular words, can one determine your willingness to perform? We are fully convinced, that whatever you give, you will also get in return.
Whoever gives emotions, will also harvest much more emotions, more than someone who e.g. gives solely professionalism. In summary then, how does your enterprise show and/or how does your products show positive emotion? Which kind of actions do you have in place and what kind of words do you use?
Emotions
Commitment lives in the heart.
Most enterprises leave the communication of emotions to their publicity department. Showing emotions in the enterprise is generally prevented and/or regarded with caution. This is because professionals don't have or show emotions, right? The divided reality, frequently leads to the enterprise being professionally structured on the inside, and selling their emotions outwardly through posters etc. That cannot function – What is not present on the inside, cannot become visible on the outside. In the long term, this technique will not achieve much. There are certain people, who buy a product purely for reasons of common sense. But from these kind of people alone, you will not become full.
Above all, you need customers (and employees), who are fully convinced from the inside about you as an enterprise. The products of your competitor are based on common sense too – there will always be someone, who overtakes you in the “common sense” categories. However, being unique and exceptional, cannot be taken away from you by anybody. How can you gain this special constitution? A good measure of irrationality and additionally, a good measure of emotions. These are exactly the things, that fans give....
Working in a structured way with fans, will make your enterprise unique.
When talking about corporate fans, never forget about employee engagement strategies! Find some interesting details at this Public Affairs Council webinar, I recently attended.
Dig up your Memories
The way to your fans is through your own enthusiasm.
- About what are you personally proud of in your enterprise?
- What brings a twinkle to your eyes?
- What things do you rave about, when you think of your business?
You see, they are already there, those feelings, that make us feel safe.......knowing that we are in the right place, even though everyday life is not always rosy. Or have you already forgotten, what inspired you about your working environment? If so, dig up your memories, because only those who believes in their own achievements, will find others that do too. If you cannot become enthusiastic for the uniqueness of your enterprise, then you cannot count on others to do so. And those who do not believe in fans, will also not find any.
Yes, one can practice admiration The pathway to enthusiasm, results from admiration. It can be very helpful to consciously concentrate on what you can admire about other people, enterprises, organizations. You thus create the best foundation, so that the achievements of your enterprise and/or you yourself will also find admirers - or actually that the admirers find you. Train your perception for unusual achievements - in the small and large. In this way, you will quickly become very conscious of your own achievements and thus be more interesting for fans who fully appreciate performance above anything else.
11 Strategic Questions
Amy Showalter (showaltergroup.com):
11 Strategy Questions You Have to Answer Before You Build Your Grassroots and PAC Capacity
1. What are our “big picture” aspirations for our grassroots organization or PAC?
2. What are the goals against which we can measure those aspirations?
3. Across our many audiences, stakeholders, and customers, who might engage in our issue?
4. Where will we choose to play and not play?
5. In our chosen playground, who is our competition? How will we win against them? (Too many government relations professionals take knives into gunfights.)
6. Based on our playgrounds and our opponents, what capabilities do we need to build to win?
7. What management systems and reinforcements are necessary to operate in this new reality, to maintain these new capabilities?
8. How do we get buy-in at all levels? Remember – it’s about exemplars, not banners in the halls.
9. How do we communicate the new vision to all internal stakeholders?
10. How will we measure communication effectiveness?
11. What is success, and how will we measure it?
More details you will find at Amy´s great blog: showaltergroup.com/blog
appreciation is one key
Appreciation - Support earns support.
Appreciation is such a frequently used word, that it has somehow lost its sense of attractiveness. This is very unfortunate, in regard to supporters appreciation is the central basic attitude. In a nutshell, appreciation means, to meet other people in their world with respect and interest. It sounds very simply, but the well-known fact is that isn't at all.
Appreciation is feeling, not understanding.
Fans give more than their money, their work performance or an idea: they give emotions. This is because for them the “thing” (either an enterprise, a product, a person or a matter of value) is an affair of the heart. That is also the clearest difference between e.g. regular customers and fans: Regular customers buy, because they are happy to receive the best for their money subjectively. Fans do not only buy, but feel they are a responsible part of the enterprise. They are pleased with the enterprise - and suffer also along with it. They give their heart.
In our daily working life, we teach and require professionalism from ourselves and our environment. Fans however, give exactly the opposite: they give genuine love. They do not just do, what is to be done, but do what their heart tells them. There is a vast difference between professionalism and the emotion of fans. There is less on performance, and much more in motivation, which stands behind the deal. Professionalism is calculation and/or predictability. Emotions are purely an affair of the heart.
I understand you?!
Appreciation can strike the bridge between professionalism and enthusiasm at its best. This is much better by the way than understanding, which suggests an understanding of the innermost feelings of your counterpart. As a CEO, to claim to understand the world of your fans is very daring. They live completely different everyday lives, they have other information, another focus than e.g. those people who accompany you proudly in a suit bearing your company logo to a barbecue. To be completely honest: we really do not understand people with their stories and feelings. Naturally, a professional market study or e.g. a good database helps a company to see things from their customers/employees projective. But the world of your fans - those people who unconditionally believe in your enterprise or in you, cannot be grasped with numbers and your own conclusions. Manifest pleasure with the commitment of your supporters and appreciate their value. Do this audibly and visibly! Appreciation also means to show your own emotions.
voluntary instead of compulsory
Corporate Grassroots in a Nutshell
"Voluntary instead of Compulsory."
Genuine commitment for an enterprise makes the difference.
Basic Principles:
- Work with genuine fans.
- Use the commitment of the convinced ones, instead of trying to persuade people to do something.
- Fans put their heart and emotion in an enterprise.
- Emotions make an enterprise unique.
- Fans are a clear competitive advantage.
Each enterprise has fan potential, i.e. it has people who will stick to the enterprise - steadfastly and cogently. Whoever is able to identify these fans and merge them into the enterprise, will have a competitive advantage. Fans offer loyalty, dedication and readiness. A fan is more than a repeat customer or steady customer: A fan is someone, who is loyal, who is ready to commit him/herself to the enterprise, in good and in bad times.
Every enterprise (also each person or each product), which performs well, has fans. However, very few (European) enterprises are equipped to recognize their fans and work with them. Often, enterprises are primarily concentrated on themselves and lack humility, the ability to listen, and enthusiasm. What do fans expect? Peak performance, proximity, authenticity and an enterprise with character. One cannot buy fans - one must win them. This can be achieved with emotions, openness and courage.
fan stories are hero´s stories
As there is performance, there are genuine fans. It might be an interesting shift of perspectives, to highlight emotions and the personal story of your supports instead of your corporate story. You will often find amazing similarities with the archetypical hero´s stories. Let´s have a look at the structure of the hero´s journey. I found a great explanation by Melissa Osborne (actress):
A hero is often considered to be someone born with outstanding ability, courage, and bravery. But are heroes really born that way... are they superior beings? Some heroes you are familiar with have forged their strength and character through their experiences. Their bravery and courage are developed in spite of fear and human failings. Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz must travel with her companions to develop qualities of courage, heart,and brain before she can return home with a new appreciation for her loved ones. And in Titanic, Rose must learn to take hold of her own life and make it truly her own. Television has its share of action heroes and battles between the good guys and the bad guys. But perhaps you could also think of these stories and images as reminders of the heroic nature of your own individual journey-no matter how ordinary you may think your own life is.
Many artists have depicted the hero's journey as a great battle with evil or a quest for something sacred that will help their community. Other heroes must complete a bigger-than-life task. We love these stories! Gawain, Percival, and Galahad quest for the Holy Grail and Jason for the golden fleece. Hercules must complete twelve nearly impossible tasks as an act of penance.
A familiar theme in paintings is Michael slaying the dragon. In our own lives, the dragons we meet are not so much breathing fire on us as breathing fire inus. Our dragons might be an illness or a loss or a great fear. Or perhaps we have to conquer self-doubt. Slaying the dragon can be an important metaphor for our inner quest for peace, truth, love, and wisdom.
Sometimes, the hero's journey involves learning to believe in ourselves and our ability to play our part. We may even need to grow into and accept our ability to lead others, overcoming guilt or confusion--you remember Simba in The Lion King? Joseph Campbell taught that the hero's journey is primarily a journey to the center of yourself, an inner journey to wholeness and understanding.
So it's possible to see your entire life as a hero's journey. And at the end of your life, you have the opportunity to look back with wonder, awe, and compassionate understanding at all that you have learned and experienced.
Your hero's journey begins with birth and it continues through
many adventures. It's all in how you look at things.
So, whats are your companies dragons? And how are you prepared for the fight? What do you know about your supports? What hero´s stories do you encourage?
HR & Corporate Grassroots
With a little help from my friends
Was passiert, wenn ein Fan vor der Tür steht und etwas für Ihr Unternehmen tun will? Was machen Sie mit dem pensionierten Mitarbeiter, der mit Leib und Seele für Ihr Unternehmen gearbeitet hat? Wie kann jemand Ihr Unternehmen unterstützen? Ende Jänner haben sich in Florida rund 250 der US-weit anerkanntesten Experten/innen im Bereich Corporate Grassroots zur Grassroots-Jahreskonferenz des US Public Affairs Council getroffen. Corporate Grassroots ist strukturierte Fan-Arbeit in einem und für ein Unternehmen. Dabei geht es um das Ermöglichen, Sichtbarmachen und Aktivieren von freiwilligem Engagement. Und dabei natürlich auch um den Einsatz von Social Media z.B. zur Vernetzung der Unterstützer/innen.
Hier geht es zum Fachartikel für Personalisten im Magazin Training: Training
Corporate Grassroot & Social Media and the Art of Developing a Fan Basis
What happens if a fan stands before the door, and wants to do something for your enterprise? What do you do with a retired employee, who has worked for your enterprise with body and soul? How can someone support your enterprise? At the end of January, approximately 250 well-known US experts from within Corporate Grassroot, gathered for Grassroots yearly conference of the US Public Affairs Council in Florida. Corporate Grassroot can be defined as structured fan work in one for an enterprise. It involves facilitating, visualization and capitalizing on voluntary commitment. And naturally, it also involves the use of Social Media e.g. for the networking of supporters.
Cordiality needs Structure
Whoever has structure, a trusting relationship and an efficient way of communicating with their supporters, will find more persons faster, who are willing to become active in their enterprise. Many recruit their most enthusiastic supporters from their pool of employees, customers and suppliers. Do you recognize these fans from amongst your employees? How do you deal with them? What is there for your fans to do?
The Grassroots conference of 2011, clearly pointed out that the trend in mobilization, bends more and more towards setting up a permanent supporters platform. The use of state-of-the-art (communication) technology as well as professional data management are basic conditions. The use of Facebook, Twitter & Co are generally integrative components of the concept at Corporate Grassroot.
What are you actually doing with the commitment of your employees and customers?
A sensational example of Corporate Grassroot is the “Small Business Saturday” action of American Express. What is behind it: American Express used the commitment of its customers to strengthen small, regional enterprises. The 27th of November 2010 (one of the Top US shopping days) was declared for American
Express as the no.1 “ Small Business Saturday.” The goal was to raise awareness for the achievements of the smaller, regional enterprises. The result were more than 1.5 millions Facebook supporters, more than 100,000 enterprises that defined themselves as Small-Business-Day enterprise and finally 29% more revenue was made for small enterprises on that day. For American Express, this Grassroot action brought not only a lot of sympathizers (complete with data), but also huge media coverage, plus points for their image as a smart enterprise, and naturally an improvement in the marketplace for countless small enterprises.
True Love Requires Pioneers
No Grassroot program is ever alike. Process and structure are predictable, but the commitment of the fans always remains a surprise. That is what makes Grassroots campaigns so powerful.
„ We don´t show what we do. We show what our supporters are doing“. That's how a successful Grassroot manager describes it. It is hard for anyone to imagine, what a genuine supporter is ready and able to do. In the USA, Corporate Grassroot is becoming ever more the fixed component of the enterprise organization. The door for supporters is wide open. Many European enterprises are still far behind. So, what would you do, if a fan suddenly appeared at the door?
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Recent Comments
- Lisa on Emotions
- Christine Sch. on HR & Corporate Grassroots
- Martha W. on appreciation is one key