Character, Values & Integrity

I've spent a great deal of my career counseling clients in the area of crisis communication - both in the preparation phase and in the heat of dozens of crises themselves. While it's always interesting to look at the various to-do-lists which attempt to offer guidance for managing a crisis successfully, I've found that what separates the best from the worst in crisis responses comes down to character, values and integrity.

When I was a kid, I remember someone describing integrity as what you do when no one else is watching. For example, would you cheat at solitaire and tell others you'd won even though no one could ever prove you wrong? What I've learned is that integrity isn't about what you'd do when no one is watching, it's what you will do when everyone is watching - your employees, the news media, shareholders, etc.

In 1943, before Johnson & Johnson went public, Robert Wood Johnson authored the famous credo that serves to define J&J, not in terms of what they do, but who they are. More recently, Michael Dell spearheaded the drafting of a document titled The Soul of Dell, which sends a clear message that "how" Dell achieves success is just as important as realizing success itself.

If you really want to prepare for crisis, take a close look at the character, values and integrity of your organization and its leaders. While it may be politically more inviting to offer a checklist of "what to do if...?", resist the easy route and take a page from Jim Collins' book Good to Great - look at WHO before WHAT!

Sam Arthur, The Perfect Character

Who is Sam Arthur you ask? He's my favorite character from Robert H. Thompson's book, The Offsite - A Leadership Challenge Fable. I'd like to tell you about Sam, but my leadership challenge is to do so without giving away too much about the book or revealing what we discover about Sam as the story progresses. Suffice it to say that Sam is the gardener, or as he would call himself, "the groundskeeper" at Tucson, Arizona's La Mariposa Resort & Spa - the location of the offsite meeting which brings together hi-powered teams from two competing pharmaceutical companies.

So of all the colorful players featured in the book, why do I like the gardener? Consider for a moment that the author could have given Sam any job at the hotel - manager, bellman, concierge, etc. Sam's the gardener because Thompson offers us a perfect metaphor for leadership. Sam sees to it that the soil is healthy. He makes sure the plants get enough water and sun, and that their environment is free from weeds and pests. The plants are given everything they need to succeed on their own. Sam knows that if he creates the right conditions for growth, his gardens will flourish. One would hardly imagine Sam yelling at the flowers to grow faster or fuller. While that kind of behavior is clearly not Sam's nature, he also understands that it doesn't work. Sam's approach to nurturing his garden is the same approach great leaders use to build and grow successful enterprises.

(Don't get too caught up in being compared to a plant. If most CEOs treated their employees as well as Sam tends to his garden, you shouldn't mind at all.)

But Sam is not simply defined by his job or the associated leadership metaphor. Sam teaches us about jumping to conclusions about the people we meet in all walks of life each and every day. He reminds us of the importance of having real passion for whatever we do because, more than pay, the joy we bring to others should serve as the true reward for our life's work. Sam also redefines the meaning of the word "perfect." Interestingly enough, it's not about perfection at all.

Pick up a copy of The Offsite. Find out how Sam uses the word perfect and discover your own favorite character. There are some great ones, but to me, Sam is...well...perfect.

Client Service And The Offsite (Part 2)

The more I think about (Part 1) of my review of The Offsite, the more I realize that while I covered one of the major threads found in the book, there are certainly many, many more.

For today, I want to share my favorite story as told by the fictional, but admirable CEO Gordon Murphy in the chapter titled: Embrace the Struggle.

"One day when I was just a kid, I found a cocoon dangling from a small tree limb. I was going to cut it down and put it in a jar so I could watch it hatch, but then I decided to go back and check on it every day instead. I did this for a few days and nothing happened. But one day, I noticed a small hole at the top of the cocoon and I was so excited because I could see the future butterfly wiggling around a bit inside. I tried to be patient to wait for the bug to emerge on its own, but curiosity got the better of me and I thought I would help him get out, so I used my pocketknife to cut a bigger hole. It seemed to be working because the butterfly moved around even more. So I got excited and cut the cocoon all the way open. I couldn't wait to see him spread his wings and fly. But then the saddest thing happened. The butterfly flopped out of the cocoon onto the dirt below, and as it struggled to open its wings, it just gave up and died. Do you know why?...It turns out that the struggle to emerge from the cocoon is actually part of the growth process for butterflies...If they don't push against the boundaries of their casing, their wings don't develop the strength they need to fly."

The message is crystal clear. (And no, it's not "never give a young boy a pocketknife!") It's of course a powerful metaphor for our own struggles and just one of several wonderful stories shared in this book.

Read the book and discover your own favorite story and favorite character. You've read my choice for story, and my favorite character is Sam. You'll learn that of all the jobs he could have had at the hotel, it's no accident that he's the gardener.

Client Service And The Offsite (Part 1)

One can hardly engage in a meaningful conversation about client service without taking a hard look at topics like leadership, listening, relationships, and trust. Angie Chaplin was kind enough to send me a copy of Robert H. Thompson's book, The Offsite, A Leadership Challenge Fable. I'm proud to call Angie a colleague, as she and I serve as members of the Instructional Team for Seton Hall University's MASCL program. Angie is also a certified facilitator for Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner's time honored Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, first introduced in The Leadership Challenge 25 years ago (now in its fourth edition).

Thompson's fictional account of an offsite meeting uses Kouzes & Posner's five practices as its foundation. The book not only offers a terrific illustration of the five practices, but also reminds us of the importance of finding greater meaning in our lives both personally and professionally. It makes me think of the story of the two stonecutters who were asked the question: "What are you doing?" The first answered, "I'm cutting stone." The second stonecutter replied, "I'm building a great cathedral."

Thompson offers us Gordon MacKenzie's line from the book, Orbiting the Giant Hairball, "You have a masterpiece inside of you and if you go to your grave without painting your masterpiece, it will not get painted. No one else can paint it...only you."

So it may be fair to ask yourself, "Am I working on that masterpiece or not?"

Clients and customers can always tell the difference between people who are painting their masterpiece and who regard the significance of their work as greater than the task at hand, and those who are just doing what they've resigned themselves to do. They can smell it a mile away.

I encourage you to read Thompson's book. Take a few hours to enjoy the fruits of an offsite meeting in the comfort of your own home. (When was the last time you got to do that?) And reflect on how you can take the lessons from the book and implement them in your own life.

You'll most certainly identify with the characters who participate in this offsite meeting. I'm sure you've met many of them. In (Part 2) of my look at The Offsite, I'll recount one of the many profound stories Thompson's characters share with us.

Control Versus Leadership

In my last post Are CEOs Playing Chess?, I compared the game of chess to the challenges CEOs face in running their organizations. I suggested that chess is far easier because you can control the moves of the pieces. In chess, knowing what to do is enough to win. In running an organization, inspiring your stakeholders to achieve your goals requires more than just knowing what to do. It requires true leadership skills.

Ed Lee agreed that playing a game of chess where you only lead your pieces versus control them could be very entertaining and challenging. Howard Steiger (fellow MASCL grad) hinted that people can operate successfully outside the rules if given the freedom to do so. In the initial post, I looked at how control may quell individual mistakes or rogue behavior. But you also have to concede that control also limits an organization's true potential.

Leadership is harder, but the rewards can be far greater. Control may be enough to win at chess, because let's face it, the best you can do is win. In life, the possibilities for success, growth, and relevance can be far greater than a simple "win." Because of this, the last thing a leader would ever want to do is control his/her employees. A great team can help you realize the unimaginable - exceeding a CEO's greatest expectations.

That's why great leaders don't try to control their people; they create environments that unlock their limitless potential.

"An Unbeatable Combination"

When it comes to achieving excellence in client service, it's our duty to challenge our leaders, and it's their responsibility to listen to the professional judgment of subordinates.

As Warren Bennis explains, "The most important characteristic may be a willingness to tell the truth. In a world of growing complexity, leaders are increasingly dependent on their subordinates for good information, whether the leaders want to hear it or not. Followers who tell the truth, and leaders who listen to it, are an unbeatable combination."

At Seton Hall University's Learning Leaders Symposium, I offered ten keys to speaking truth to power:

1. Trust yourself


2. Consider it your responsibility to share your professional judgment


3. Know your audience


4. Prepare by understanding your point and anticipating any questions you may receive


5. Make your point succinctly


6. Do so in the broader interest, not self interest


7. Persuade – don’t take ceremonial positions


8. Be patient - let the information sink in


9. Understand that bad news is better coming from you than from the outside


10. Trust your leadership

Consider sharing your story of when you had to speak truth to power.

Life or Death?

Last month, I spoke at Seton Hall University's Learning Leaders Symposium in Phoenix on a topic I covered on this blog several months ago regarding our responsibility to speak truth to power in our organizations - to question our leaders and offer our professional judgment even if it conflicts with prevailing opinion. In my next post, I'll share the ten keys to speaking truth to power successfully, but before I do that, I want to share a story I heard about from Todd Defren.

It comes from a post titled Entrepreneurs and Leadership, where Richard Branson shares a brief anecdote about the importance of questioning our leaders. If you don't think it's a life or death issue. Guess again.

Convention(al) Wisdom on Leadership

Convention season in the US offers us a wonderful opportunity to watch some eloquent speakers wax poetic on their vision of the world; while admittedly, they also work to demonize the opposition as either un-American or out of touch. But if you love language, it's entertaining to listen to a speaker turn a phrase or paint a picture to make a point regardless of whether you may agree with it.

Of all the great passages I've heard over the past few weeks, (and I'm sure they'll be many more by Thursday night), I was particularly struck by a phrase Bill Clinton used last Wednesday night. It wasn't a partisan potshot, but a profound statement about leadership. And one that's as relevant to business as it is to politics. In speaking to the role of the United States as a world leader, he said (and I'm paraphrasing), the world has always been more impressed with the power of our example than by the example of our power.

James Kouzes and Barry Posner, authors of The Leadership Challenge, were likely beaming at such a remark. Among their five leadership practices, they advocate the importance of modeling the way. "Leaders set the example by behaving in ways that are consistent with shared values."

Everyone knows that staying true to one's values is easier during good times than during difficult times. For whoever becomes president, I hope he takes the concept of modeling the way to heart. Our standing in the world depends on it, and it will also serve as a model for the leaders with whom we work each and every day.

Reading Blogs

For me, reading blogs is where my education in social media began in earnest. (And where it continues today). Though I was interested in the idea of writing a blog, I considered that similar to writing a book, I should probably read a few first before I attempt to author one. So I did.

I spent several weeks reading blogs from colleagues at Collective Conversation, and then I ventured into other blogs about PR as well as those about politics, entertainment, journalism, etc. In most cases I found the writing to be refreshing. Informal, but direct. And more often than not, quite intelligent.

The lessons for "traditional PR" were hard to miss - most especially the bad habit of PR people to drift into corporate speak. That's a no-no off line and online. That alone, made my foray into blogging worthwhile.

Tomorrow, I'll talk about diving in to write my first blog.

The New Economics of Service

In the July-August 2008 issue of Harvard Business Review, Putting the Service-Profit Chain to Work not only provides great advice for any professional services firm, but also offers a window into client service priorities and expectations for the future.

The "new economics of service" is a line from the article, originally published in 1994. Its substance is as relevant today as ever. Maybe more so. Probably why it was selected among the Best of HBR! It's time to read this article again for the first time!

Also, in the piece The Uncompromising Leader, Campbell Soup CEO, Doug Conant delivers this truism, "You can't talk your way out of something you behaved your way into. You have to behave your way out of it."

"Be Yourself" May Not Be For Everyone

Editor and author Thomas Masson once said, "Be yourself is the worst advice to give to some people."

He has a point. But the anonymous quote makes sense too. So now what?

Well, Masson did say just "some" people.

While I remain a strong advocate of being true to yourself when it comes to pitching business and serving clients, Masson notes clearly that being yourself may not be the best course of action for everyone. The question is: Are you one of those "some," or are you one of the rest of us? ; - )

Client Service Insights...(CSI/Season 2) Just Getting Started

When I stepped back in to the blogosphere after I concluded Season 1, I promised myself that if I were going to get started again, I'd be in it to stay and have even more fun than I did the last time. The former will serve as an ongoing commitment, and I am enjoying my blog more than ever. I hope you are as well.

While my posting pace may pale in comparison to some of the uber-bloggers out there, I'm pleased to have reached 100 posts in just inside of four months - March 21, 2008 to date. I tell people all the time that a blog is a bit like a plant, you have to water it regularly for it to remain healthy and grow. What's more, you have to use good water. I try to provide quality content with each and every post. It's the least I can do when I consider the quality of the blogs I most enjoy reading. I do my best to return the favor, and I take that commitment very seriously.

During Season 1, I celebrated 100 posts as a milestone. Today, I know enough to simply note it as a foundation for offering new, fresh content for the future. That said, if you like what you see here at CSI/Season 2, I humbly ask you to spread the word. Invite your friends, link to your favorite posts, engage in the conversation with your comments, subscribe to the RSS feed, and most importantly, tell me what you'd like to talk about in this forum.

I look forward to inviting more special guests, celebrating International Talk Like A Pirate Day (a valuable client service skill BTW), and bringing back CSI's Halloween contest, where you recount your scariest client service story for a chance to win your favorite scary movie DVD to watch on Halloween! Will Lauren Vargas win again? Or will your scary story prevail?

Thank you all for everything. Your generosity is what makes this fun!

Client Service Group at PROpenMic Up to 40 Members!

Kelli Matthews was kind enough to introduce me to PROpenMic, and I've truly enjoyed participating ever since. Among the many opportunities to get involved, I started the Client Service Insights group in an effort to offer a forum for practitioners, students, and faculty to engage in a conversation about client service - a conversation that transcends the limits of this blog and offers the opportunity for others to lead the discussion. The group now numbers 40 and is growing strong.

That said, PROpenMic is a robust, global community. If you haven't visited, please do. Join the community, join a group, and join us at CSI!

Truth To Power

Back in late March, I wrote a post called Client Service And Idi Amin. It was essentially a tale of speaking truth to power and managing some of the issues that arise when we're faced with such a situation and their relevance to client service. I used a scene from the movie The Last King of Scotland to illustrate the point.

Today at Talentzoo.com, you'll find my guest column titled Truth to Power, based in large part on that blog post and expanded to cover issues that arose from the resulting comments and conversation. Let me post the first three paragraphs of the article. If it intrigues you, I invite you to go to Talentzoo.com to read the piece in its entirety and offer your insights and comments either there or back here! Thanks!

Truth To Power

In an article by USC Professor Warren Bennis titled Followership, he notes: "In a world of growing complexity, leaders are increasingly dependent on their subordinates for good information, whether the leaders want to hear it or not. Followers who tell the truth, and leaders who listen to it, are an unbeatable combination.

"Movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn seems to have had a gut-level awareness of the importance of what I call "effective backtalk" from subordinates. After a string of box-office flops, Mr. Goldwyn called his staff together and told them: 'I want you to tell me exactly what's wrong with me and MGM, even if it means losing your job.'"

Let's face it, the same holds true for outside counsel of any kind advising a client. The only question we have to ask ourselves is: Are we selfless enough and courageous enough to speak truth to power? Is it enough just to speak truth to power, or do you we have to actually be successful at it? How far can and should you push your point of view?...

Wise Beyond Their Years

I've been reading Richard Edelman's blog for quite some time now, but I have to agree with Todd Defren that this may be Richard's best post ever. In The Old Lions Roar, Richard offers highlights from a luncheon organized by PR Week that brought together the founding fathers of the public relations profession: Harold Burson, Dan Edelman, David Finn, and Al Golin. He notes that all of them are octogenarians, with the exception of Al Golin who's a spry 78. I ask that you read Richard's post regarding the luncheon, but I have two stories I'd like to share.

First, back in the late 1990's I had the pleasure of meeting Al Golin. It was at a private party organized by Paul Holmes at what was then the CIPRA Awards (now SABRES). I owned a small PR agency at the time in Jacksonville, Florida. Among our clients was a McDonald's franchise group. That's all Mr. Golin needed to hear. We must have spent 30 minutes talking about PR, McDonald's and a host of other topics. He could have spent that time with much more important people, but seemed rather content just to chat with me. I was impressed by his intellectual generosity and his kindness of heart.

Second, and although not an octogenarian either, there's my experience with Dick Hyde. Now Dick has been with Hill & Knowlton for 45 years and counting. He's among the world's foremost crisis communications experts and one of the finest people I've ever met. I had the distinct pleasure of working with Dick on a project during my time at H&K. I shared several dinners with Dick on the west coast (though we were both based on the east coast), where it was just the two of us talking about business and about life. I consider it among the highlights of my career.

All these men share at least three common traits; First, they are passionate about their work; they love what they do. Second, they're extraordinary listeners; it's among the reasons they're so brilliant. Finally, you'll find that they are forward thinking; these men aren't stuck in the past, they are our window to the future.

It would appear Richard Edelman also shares these traits. I've never met the man, but his commitment to weekly (substantive) blog postings and responses to comments should offer us evidence enough that the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

What's Love Got To Do With It?

Well, everything actually. Seems Jim Mullen's book has inspired a theme this week. It's a theme that also stood tall during my strategic communication and leadership graduate studies at Seton Hall. The best leaders, the best followers, best employees and best people for that matter are those who really care about what they do and who they serve.

My graduate program introduced me to dozens of scholars and executives who espoused their theories and practices on leadership. But in the end, the themes of caring, passion, and yes, even love were consistent among them. The more we care about what we do and about the people around us (colleagues, clients, friends, family, etc.), the better we lead and serve.

Years ago, one of my employees at the agency I owned in the mid to late 90's came to me and said that she was having difficulty securing a particular vendor to handle part of an important client event. I suspected it was more about the effort than the difficulty, so I simply suggested she imagine for a moment that she was planning this event for her parents and their friends and to give it one more try. Within the hour, problem solved. If you think about it, I simply asked her to care more. To imagine she was trying to achieve something for people she loved rather than a client with whom she did not have such emotional attachment.

When it comes to serving everyone in our lives, love can have everything to do with it.

Love Is All You Need

James X. Mullen wrote a book published in 1995 called The Simple Art of Greatness. I read the book on Friday and truly enjoyed the stories and philosophies he shared - stories that reflect his Jesuit education and life experiences beyond the world of advertising, including competitive sailing and race car driving.

Our founder tells the story (an anecdote arguably less exciting than some of the others I could have selected) of when he was in college and how indifferent most of the other students were to the cafeteria staff. He wrote, "I treated them like queens knowing that the size of their serving was usually proportional to the generosity of my smile...The moral of the story is that the world is underloved. Make people feel special and they will do special things for you."

Mullen not only extended that philosophy to his employees in building the agency, but also offered this advice to clients: "I tell every client two secrets to getting the best out of our company: form personal relationships with the people who have hands-on responsibility for your ads; and when these people do something very well, thank them publicly, preferably in a note with copies to all the top agency executives and senior management."

Jim Mullen reminds us that client service excellence and achieving great results is a two-way street. As clients define expectations for their PR agencies, as discussed in the post How's Your Current PR Agency Doing?, it's also important that they formulate expectations for themselves to maximize the relationship. As a client, when was the last time you publicly praised your PR firm's good work or asked, "Is their anything more I could be doing for you?"

You may not need a new PR agency, the relationship could just use a little more love.

Are You A Client Service Super Hero?

Dude...What's with the cape? Have a great weekend!

Guest Blogger Week at ToddAnd

Well, starting tomorrow it's Guest Blogger Week at ToddAnd - one of my favorite marketing blogs. And...since I've been invited to be among the guests, I'm really looking forward to it. I plan to share a wonderfully entertaining, very creative video. When you see it, you'll probably say to yourself, "I've thought of doing that." The only difference between you and the person who produced this creative spot is that he did it, and you or I didn't.

The video is tailor-made for the ToddAnd audience, but touches on a recurring theme here at CSI/Season 2. Whether it's client service, creativity etc., often times it's not about doing what no one else can do, it's about doing what anyone can do but just doesn't.

So after watching the video, come back here and read about Scott Baradell's Online PR Agency Assessment Tool. (Scott's another one of my favorite bloggers by the way). It should be an action-packed Thursday. Have a great day!

Client Service Heaven?

Timothy Parcell at relentlessPR ran a terrific graphic in his post The Brand Experience from David Armano that could just as easily have been titled The Client Service Experience. Of course in many respects, it's difficult to separate the two. Let me know what you think!