If You Could Do It Yourself – You Would Already Be Doing It! Today’s Changing Business Model

Author:  Denise Keddy

Years ago you went to college, graduated, found a job and pledged your loyalty to the company.  If you were lucky you could retire after 30 or so years with a nice gold watch.  Today’s business model is evolving- partly because of the economic turmoil, party because of the ability to work any where, anytime, and partly because the new model is moving toward more collaboration. Time Magazine has an interesting report on The Future Of Work .

 The following really struck a cord with me:

“Paying your dues, moving up slowly and getting the corner office — that’s going away. In 10 years, it will be gone,” says Bruce Tulgan, head of the consulting firm Rainmaker Thinking, based in New Haven, Conn., and author of a new book about managing Gen Y called Not Everyone Gets a Trophy. “Instead, success will be defined not by rank or seniority but by getting what matters to you personally,” whether that’s the chance to lead a new-product launch or being able to take winters off for snowboarding. Tulgan adds, “Companies already want more short-term independent contractors and consultants and fewer traditional employees because contractors are cheaper. And seniority matters less and less as time goes on, because it’s about the past, not the future.”

Smart companies are changing their business model to include contractors and consultants and why not?  If you have a project wouldn’t you rather hire someone who is flexible, has the experience to solve your problems and can help you attain your goals?  After all if you could do it yourself you would already be doing it! 

What makes a good consultant?  If you are hiring a web designer undoubtedly you will have a detailed list of requirements; understands SEO – check,  can develop a secure e- commerce site- check, has the ability to design the new site so that you can easily update it – check….and so on and so on.  The true beauty with the changing business models is that you can hire people that are passionate about what they do!  What a concept! 

Instead of fighting the changing business model companies need to embrace it!  After all how many companies are struggling with their marketing and sales initiatives since they downsized the marketing department and put finance in charge of marketing? (When is that ever a good idea?)   I am sure many of us have been in the position where we “inherited” responsibility for an area in the company that we have no interest or desire to manage.   So we silently march along doing what we were told because the company told us to (O.K. so some people are not so silent about it!).

Businesses need to open up to the idea of collaboration.  Why not bring in a team that has experience solving the problems your company is facing?   One thing that does seem to be missing from the detailed list of requirements in hiring a consultant is passion.    You can  go down your check list and hire a consultant that will bring value to your company, but you must ask yourself if this is someone you can establish a true partnership with?    Just going by the numbers may get you a better number to show to the finance group but hiring someone who is as passionate about your product or service as you are will give you the extra edge in the future because they WANT to be there working with you and helping you grow your business.  Wanting to work with your company is a whole lot different than getting the remnants of the marketing department shoved into the finance department

Business is changing and these are challenging times.  I had a boss who constantly reminded us in our weekly staff meetings  “When you’re through changing, you’re through” *   funny how this has more meaning today than ever before.

I believe businesses who are quick to adapt this business model with be successful because they are surrounding themselves with people who have a common interest  and goal and who have a passion to succeed!

–Originally quoted by Bruce Barton

Crisis Communication Needs A Facelift

Author:  Denise Keddy

I was reading a book the other day and was struck by this passage “…she had a talent for seeing the opportunities that existed in moments of cultural and economic instability, in the space between where the old structures and old ways of doing business (and those who stubbornly stuck to them) disappeared and innovative new approaches took hold.”*   Although this passage is describing a time in the early 1800’s I thought the same sentiment holds true today especially when it comes to Corporate Crisis Management plans and how they are communicated.

Smart companies have already prepared a Crisis Management plan.  They have selected their crisis management team, chosen a spokesperson for the company and had them go through some tough training with the PR Team.  They have reviewed the plans with legal, prepared lists of scenarios and how to respond, planned how to communicate to their customers and employees, and have updated media contact lists etc., etc.   Of course there is much more to preparing a Crisis Communication plan, but how many of these smart companies have actually included a section on how to react to a ‘crisis’ if it is driven by social media (i.e. You Tube, Twitter, Facebook), or how to incorporate social media in their crisis communication plan?

Most companies have their Crisis Management plan filed away in a desk drawer; good companies reevaluate their plan a few times a year and make sure everyone is on the same page.  Many companies I know are saying we are too small to think about social media, our customers don’t use social media, or my personal favorites “we have no time to understand it and it is just another fad”.  Well perhaps, but ignoring social media is like…the space between the old way of doing business and the new way.

We have all read, or viewed the YouTube video of Domino’s Pizza employees stuffing cheese up their nose and then “pretending” to use it in an unsuspecting customer’s sandwich.  The Wall Street Journal published a great blog detailing Domino’s response titled Domino’s Response Offers Lessons in Crisis Management.  Although Domino’s responded, it did take some time. The Domino’s case shows how quickly your brand image is impacted by something that can be out of your control–especially if you do not take the time to understand how to use social media.

What would you do if your company were suddenly faced with a crisis like this?  Is your company prepared to handle a social media crisis?  Do you have anyone who is actively monitoring the web to ensure your brand is not at the mercy of someone who decided to post his or her prank on YouTube?

While your “customer demographics” may not fit the usual ‘social media profile” you need to be aware that the fastest growing demographic on Facebook is women over 55 years as reported by CNN  All in the Facebook family: Older Generations Join Social Networks.  We are in a time of new innovative approaches- whether we agree with them or not. Social media is here and now and necessary for you to incorporate in your Crisis Management plan if you are going to control the message you need to deliver in a crisis.

* Quoted from the book titled: The Widow Clicquot The Story of a Champagne Empire And The Woman Who Ruled It authored by Tilar J. Mazzeo.