Transitions - so many meanings ...

Transitions is a bit of a cathartic word for us at WeUsThem Inc. - one of my latest ventures. We have as a group moved from focusing primarily internationally to focusing more on clients within our local market. We have come to the realization that there are some great projects to be had here as well and although we will continue to serve our clients internationally, we plan to push further with enticing clients with our level of work, here in Canada, and more specifically in the Atlantic region.

As we transitioned from where we had our focus and the type of work we did, we also took a bit of a transition into what has turned out to be a phenomenal piece of work and an equally impressive client. We have recently worked with TeenMentalHealth.org & Dr. Stan Kutcher in revamping what is a seminal resource for students & youth alike transitioning from schools to universities that is truthfully a resource that can be used both pre and post that transition point.


Transitions, as the resource is called, is the first of its kind nationally and will make its way to the hands of educators, health care professionals, parents, counselors, concerned citizens and of course the youth in short order through a variety of mechanims, be it within their schools, at the universities, not for profits, directly from TeenMentalHealth.org or a variety of partners that I'm sure will want to ensure they can facilitate its delivery.

The rumour mill tells me that there will be an official launch forthcoming for the resource and there are quite a few interested parties that will be both endorsing and supporting the resource. It is no surprise that this resource has received this level of attention & feedback, as the subject matter is being delivered by an expert in the field. Our role in bringing the content to light through imagery, visualization and contextual placement through layouts, design & illustrations have only added to what is leading edge evidenced based content.

What is impressive about this entire experience is the level at which the material has been written, which is a healthy blend of evidenced based subject matter, written for their target demographic, the youth. The fact that there has been a clear understanding that at times large resources like this are hard to carry around, and therefore a pocket/passport version of it has been created as well is a key indication of understanding the pulse of the audience.

Upon Dr. Kutcher's insistence, it is noteworthy that the resource is being offered at no cost online on the TeenMentalHealth.org web site at: http://teenmentalhealth.org/resources/entries/transitions.The Apple App Store App, which is both interactive & informative providing even for a self assessment, is being offered at no cost at: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/transitions/id662728487?mt=8.
In addition to the free versions, a minimal cost for print versions are being offered through Amazon at:
Large Version: http://www.amazon.com/Transitions-TeenMentalHealth-Org-resource-transitioning-universities/dp/1490961879/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374016986&sr=1-1&keywords=transitions+teenmentalhealth
Pocket Version: http://www.amazon.com/Transitions-TeenMentalHealth-Org-resource-transitioning-universities/dp/1490962379/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374016986&sr=1-2&keywords=transitions+teenmentalhealth
Ironically, Amazon has taken it upon themselves to provide this at a further discount as well.

In addition to all the mediums above, the resource is also being made available as an eBook/iBook through the Apple iBookStore at: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/transitions/id662273977?mt=11.

A recognition that the print version no longer is the only method for obtaining such education & information is a clear indication of the modalities of learning being applied at TeenMentalHealth.org. Health information presented & delivered in a fashion that is holistic, yet accessible is uniquely unavailable these days and to see one beating the norm is certainly a laudable pursuit.

Congrats to TeenMentalHealth.org, Dr. Kutcher & their team on Transitions and we do appreciate being able to partner with them on this fabulous initiative.

Social Pariah or Messiah

Disclaimer: This post is a bit controversial & is not in tune with what the social media theorists & gurus talk about or recommend.

For quite some time now the whole notion of social media, the prevailing networks & the parochial ones on the periphery have me seeking out answers that some can give, some choose not to and some avoid based on anecdotal evidence that frankly is irrelevant.

I pride myself in showing value, business requires this and without identifying what a consumer benefits from at the end of the day, one cannot implement a strategy on a whim. If they do, there needs to be a measurable sense that can be evaluated post the implementation of that whim or a gut feeling.

So here is the thesis of my argument; social media and how it is "sold" is based on the # of Likes, the # of Followers, the # of ReTweets or Shares or Pins; identifiable figures no doubt, but none that can tie to direct Return on Investment evaluations.

We talk about buyer intention and consumer purchase as a mechanism of funding startups these days that lead to sales, and the hope is to once again evaluate the intention, identify the behaviour but is there truly a mechanism to show that in relation to the sales an entity takes in? Can we tie social strategy to a sales strategy and can we show a true connect without some gimmicky notion of "if you saw us on Facebook let us know and we will give you a 5% discount" or "if you liked us" or ..?

I know this is not phenomenally a new concept, but the question continues, not necessarily on a commercial scale, but perhaps on a personal one. Personal brand building is the buzz these days, connect, connect, connect is all we hear. People talk about engaging with folks on the social networks and creating CoC's (communities of conversation) as I like to think of it. To build a CoC though, you need to first build yourself, build your own brand, build your own network and how pray do you go about doing that? Well, if you hear what some of the gurus have to say, they talk about:
1 - Follow those who follow you regardless of quality.
2 - Favourite your own posts.
3 - Try to engage with social influencers so you have your content shared through their network.
4 - Invite people within your contact directories across platforms.
5 - Promote social influencers.
6 - Buy your initial set of followers (a few hundred or a thousand) and let the network do the work for you. etc. etc.

When I think of social networks I try to equate that to social interactions & behaviours in the real world and what I find is that we are now mimicking the same clique mentalities in the networks as we have in the real world - those of us who are out remain out although we may have a measly representation of a set of followers gained by social network logistics than content creation. Those of us who are in, continue to grow our following as our clique helps us do so.

I further think of all the tips, techniques & rules put out there around generating a large following and sometimes I wonder how people end up with a large network? I simply ask this question as a purist who believes in the organic growth of a network as opposed to "gaming the network logistics".

What I come back to is delivering value and regardless of a corporate or an individual brand you need to show value to your consumer (whether it is a paying or a non-paying consumer). I revert back to my notion of a CoC which I believe you can develop organically and build on as you continue to identify the value you deliver to the consumer. Inherently these strong organic networks are far better than the haphazard ins/outs of people through the network of liking/disliking/following/unfollowing you. What would be phenomenal is if the networks understood the notion of what they were creating - a social space that replicated what we have in the real world.

Consider the next iteration - what if we could have a breakup mechanism replicated within our social interactions so as to know when people unfollow or unlike something? What if they dislike it? Breaking up as a notion may be painful, but in the social space, it could give direct feedback to the individual you were unfollowing let's say, on why you were doing & could perhaps better that brand. It would give direct feedback to that brand (personal or not) what is missing from that social relationship/experience.

What about the next evolution of social networks - could we have a SCommerce, a Social Commerce experience where I would not only participate in the CoC, but also purchase a product no matter the network with a click of a button. Could I for example, while following Nike on Twitter, buy a pair of shoes and attribute those earnings directly to returns invested in the social experiment? Would I then be able to tie social strategy to the sales strategy? The logistics of that purchase, be it pickup in-store, digitally or via postal mail would be irrelevant, yet the driver to that purchase would be identifiable to the social space, while also identifying when, perhaps even why that user came on as part of that CoC.

Regardless of my random thought processes around what social networks should evolve to, my point is, can it be more than it is, either for the personal or the corporate brand? Can it be more about organic social interaction that is truly measurable, even actionable, than what we have today? Can it be more than simply counting the # of followers or the # of likes and truly evoke brand loyalty without some gimmick? Can it be a true social experience or will we continue down this path of creatively either gaming the system for more followers and/or prettying up the interface to lure folks into it?

Parting thought: I find myself in good company when I recently discovered a quote by David Ogilvy who once said "If it doesn't sell, it isn't creative". This to me is not simply about the monetary mechanics of "selling" but also speaks to campaigns we are developing today to build our brands, yet cannot truly equate emotional intelligence to economical value. We need change, we need it fast and we need honest brands building honest CoC's that will last a lifetime and not be just another passing clicking fad.

What kind of Leader are you?!

No this is not a personality profile survey or a test; its a simple question around what kind of Leader are you?

I have always been identified as the type of individual that perhaps works too much, is a night owl and perhaps lives by the postmasters "neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night.." unofficial pledge.

In the day & age of smart phones I can be seen walking down hallways, carrying my coffee, my signature little notebook and hammering away at my BlackBerry (yes I still use one of them). I have been known to review documents, provide for my insight, outline our initiatives for the next year, plan for our new budget cycle & even respond to correspondence when at least half of us earthlings are asleep, usually the ones in the half I happen to be in at the time.

A recent dictum coming out of Leadership learning is that the more you perform in this fashion, i.e. through nights, weekends, holidays & dare I say vacations, you set expectations that people that you lead need to do so as well. This concerns me deeply as I would never want anyone to follow in my footsteps at a detriment to themselves. I am clear about this in my communication and usually preface my e-mail with when I would look for a response in relation to when I would think they would next view my note.

I have been recently thinking however, as I write communications this Christmas Eve morning, how I may be perceived sending across communique either today or tomorrow. I'm not the grinch by any stretch of the imagination, but have been a creature of quiet, when a lot of work does get done. With the hustle & bustle of a day through meetings, conference calls, driving to & fro, etc. I find needing time that I can actually achieve "desk work".

I guess what doesn't help it all is, I love my work. I have always been very frank about my career choices & never have I once taken on an opportunity that I did not find the love for. Life is too short & early on in my career I made a decision that I would love what I did or not do it at all. Sure I have tough days like everyone, but the bottom line is I love what I do, be it in as it turns out currently is healthcare, or education which is a part-time hobby or passionately pushing the agenda on my charitable activities or being an entrepreneur which I have been genetically prepared for.

As I put together all these thoughts of why I do what I do and consider it in-line with how it impacts those I lead, I come down to one fundamental principle, as much as I need to look after the interests of everyone, I need to look after mine as well. I recall the principle in aircraft safety that requires parents to put their oxygen mask on themselves first, before they attend to their child. Fundamentally I always had a problem with this part of the safety presentation, but understood the logic behind it as I grew up. Family, friends & colleagues have similarly shared their thoughts on self-care being needed to serve the needs of my health first, usually to be sleeping through the nights & taking a break through vacation, but the thought still holds. It maybe naive, but self-care in my opinion extends to how I believe I function best rather than being forced into a corporate cube.

So regardless of what kind of leader you are, its fine to work as you see fit. Culturally you need to ensure this fits with what's expected & recognize that as you look to working on your own terms, you need to be able to accommodate the work terms of those you lead. At the same time, it is ok, to be unique, an individual, as you yourself are a crucial cog of your team.

Being a Leader is an actualization of thought & practice. Although there are standards for what we should & should not do as Leaders, your unique flair is what makes you a unique authentic Leader. That above else, will allow you to succeed as a Leader, as the notion of "Be Yourself" can not be any truer than as a Leader. The people you lead need to able to experience your "authentic self" as the textbooks call it these days, not a forced clone of what is perceived to be the right Leader or with the right Leadership qualities.

And with that, Happy Santa Claus day in advance everyone.

The Big "HR" Phenomenon vs. The Leadership Social Action - Level 2

I have had the pleasure of working with colleagues from all spectrum's and walks of life, located in an international marketplace. This diversity in thought, ideologies and cultures only furthers my perspective on what I believe is the big "HR" Phenomenon that seems to be spoken of in a variety of capacities & mechanisms.

Too often the notion that our advisers, neigh partners in our Leadership action are hindrances to our continued push for excellence has led to disappointing results in our pursuit for building perhaps even nurturing, a dynamic team. Finger pointing for these failures, be it in recruitment, onboarding, training, development, appraisals, etc. etc. are commonplace and is the traditional mantra chanted in organizations large & small alike.

My call to the Leadership Social Action for Level 2 requires the Leader to take ownership of the individuals they bring to bear within their fold. I propose that the big "HR" Phenomenon needs to be more to the little "hr" support mechanism we truly do require in our quest for excellence. This requires a fundamental shift in how we do a variety of people leadership & yes, even management activities within an organization.

Recruitment: I will be writing about recruitment in greater detail at a later stage, as I do believe we need a new methodology that permeates the various sources of recruit sourcing, "real" interviewing & employee development. In this action however, I believe Leadership within an organization needs to take the reins back in the recruitment process and take a greater ownership from the start to the finish. I do not suggest that we should take to the Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer (http://www.businessinsider.com/marissa-mayer-is-reviewing-every-single-new-hire-at-yahoo-2012-9) methodology of involving ourselves in every bit of recruitment that occurs within the expanse of the organization, however, those that fall within our immediate purview requires our due attention. Too often we rush through the recruitment process only to regret later that the fit we may have hoped for does not exist. Recruitment is a Leadership accountability and should have due attention from the day a job is listed to the day the multiple levels of screening occurs, to the interview process, to the day a recruit is brought in for onboarding into the organization. In our diverse marketplace, there is talent out there that may not fit within the square peg of a job description, but certainly could be the innovative force or the worker extraordinaire we so desperately seek.

Training & Knowledge Management: Training, professional development & in today's nomenclature of knowledge management from a learning perspective is traditionally seen as a HR function. The more we look to ensuring our staff have the learnings they require, the more they are attuned to the needs we have within our functional & strategic realms. This to me cannot be assured through a central HR function, albeit there are certain global aspects of training & learning that can be managed through that vehicle.

Assessment: Performance reviews and assessments are a Leadership function that are brought forward as a to-do at regular intervals. The mechanisms in how we do this have become a template that cannot be attributed to the function as well as to the individual within the function. To often than not, it is HR that requires Leaders to conduct these assessments rather than ensuring it is a Leadership accountability to provide for continuous relevant feedback to support, both the organization as well as the individual growth within their own spheres of influence.

Reward Mechanisms: Rewards need to be meaningful, timely and substantial. This should not be dictated by central mechanisms but identified as a way of a Leader uniquely recognizing his/her teams and/or individuals in the fashion that best suits them. Certificates for example are used as a common mechanism to recognize individuals, but lose meaning when they are awarded for minuscule tasks that are meant to be part of the role & responsibility of the individual. Reward mechanisms should involve the individuals in selecting how they would like to be recognized and yes, even time off and/or increases in pay need to be considered in shrinking budgetary complements if we are to compete and innovate across industries & sectors. Reward mechanisms could also involve peer recognition as a component of the decision matrix that identifies the nominee of choice.

This blog post is not meant to be a rant on whether or not Human Resources (today popularly also referred to as People Services or a derivative thereof) or Leadership do what they are supposed to, but more of an understanding that we are actually doing our people a disservice by pointing fingers at each other. This debate causes anxiety, stress & at times frustration within staff complements. It is our job to alleviate these challenges but we tend to use each other as crutches nonetheless to further our own defensive posture.

My hope & dream would be for Leaders to continue to be accountable for their own actions, as they alone are responsible for what their teams & staff colleagues experience, while having a dynamic Human Resources advising body that adapts to the unique nature of the function, business, organization, culture and very simply the diverse environments we tend to work in today. That said, the action I am calling for is to have Leaders take it upon themselves to engender this change and perhaps look for mechanisms to change the status quo to one that is ever changing rather than one that remains stagnant at its core indoctrinated in the early 20th century.