“Battlefield Earth is like taking a bus trip with someone who has needed a bath for a long time. It’s not merely bad; it’s unpleasant in a hostile way.” –http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/battlefield-earth-2000 

To each of us who aspire to lead high performing teams, let’s take a moment to remember Roger Ebert and consider offering feedback his way-with clarity, honesty and when possible, humor.  Not that we should strive for Ebertian prose but that we begin the conversation with an understanding that employees deserve feedback that provides enough detailed information so that the observation can be wrestled with long after it is shared.

Tongue and cheek aside, most of us have had enough bad experiences giving and receiving feedback that we often conclude that no one appreciates it or does it well. Some companies have however discovered that engaging critics in creating a solution can alter the otherwise negative dynamics that hamper problem solving.

Maybe the secret really is in the movies. Pixar developed an idea called “Plussing,” which requires that as people criticize the work under review, that criticism must always contain a new idea or suggestions for strengthening the original idea-it must contain a “plus.” “Plussing” allows for “both pointed critique and positive feedback simultaneously,” according to Peter Sims, author of “Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries.” The approach builds on the positive by using praises like “I like what you done here what if you also do this.”

Maybe “Plussing” can provide a middle ground for mangers between Ebert’s sometimes prickly directness and the voice of our parent’s lament “that if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all.”  Thus, making us all part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

For a comprehensive primer on feedback refer to:http://humanresources.about.com/cs/communication/ht/Feedbackimpact.htm

Share your comments about the employee feedback process and let us know how we can partner with you to create more productive communication in your workplace.

Have you ever heard of Snapchat?  If you are like most of the world over the age of 25, probably not.  Unfortunately, just because you do not know about it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t being used in mass by your kids, nephews, nieces, and so on…

Snapchat is a new social media that functions a lot like text messaging.  A user can send a message, pictures, and the like with this app on any smartphone.  So what is the difference between Snapchat and regular texting? The Snapchat app only allows the receiver to have the message for 10 seconds, then POOF, the message disappears forever.  Remember Inspector Gadget?  This message will self destruct in 5, 4, 3, 2…

If only this technology had been around when Kwame was in office, he may not be singing the prison blues.

So, what implications does this have for you?  Well, if you are a parent, you may want to find out if your child has a seemingly innocuous app with the Ghost icon you see in this article.  If they do, they know what Snapchat is, and they are certainly using it.  The beauty of Snapchat to a youngster is the illusion of privacy.  They (falsely) know that there is a level of privacy from any eyes that they would not want checking their messages.  They also (falsely) know that if they send inappropriate pictures to their friends, significant others, or strangers, that their image will be gone in seconds, and thus there is no harm…

Problem is, some tech junkie whiz kids have figured “hacks” around the system.  There are also simpler ways, such as taking screen shots; standard on droid and IOS phones.  Snapchat even acknowledges this breach in their FAQ:

What if I take a screenshot?
Screenshots can be captured if you’re quick. The sender will be notified if we detect you have taken a screenshot.

But…how many kids read the FAQ or privacy statements?

As a sidebar, what does notifying the sender really do?  Message. Delivered. Saved. Uh-Oh.

As a parent, uncle, aunt, relative, friend, etc. the potential calamity is terrifying.  If you are unaware of the app, you may not have any clue what your minor is up to.  Actually, you may have a clue, you just may not like it.

Snapchat claims to not be able to access the messages either.  I am not sure how that will play the first time a legal case is brought against a pedophile who engages in their perversion via Snapchat with the knowledge that it is, theoretically, a safer medium for devious messaging.

Snapchat has some words of advice to offer wary parents:

In most cases once the recipient has viewed a message, it is automatically deleted from Snapchat’s servers and cannot be retrieved by anyone, for any reason. 

Snapchat is unable to provide parents with access to their children’s messages. 

Parents wishing to monitor the messages their teen receives through Snapchat should instruct their teen not to open Snapchat messages until they are able to view them together.

Go ahead, tell your teen that they have to wait for you to open their Snapchat.  I am sure that is a winning strategy, particularly when the teen knows that there is no way for his/her parent to get the messages from Snapchat.

We can all hope that kids (and adults) that are using Snapchat are not using it to devious effect.  But, then again, if they are not, then why not just use a text message?

Hope this helps,

By challenging many of the sacred cows of philanthropy Dan Pallotta’s Ted talk reached over a million views in the first two weeks of its posting.

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong.html .

So why has his perspective on charity raised cheers from the social sector and beyond? Simply put, he feels that charities could be having a greater impact on curing cancer, ending hunger and cleaning up the environment, if they had access to the same resources as for-profits.  He characterizes the double standard that benefits for-profits and hampers nonprofits as, one getting to feast on robust marketing budgets, personal financial incentives, access to capital, assumed incubation time, and encouraged risk-taking, while the other is sentenced to begging and risks termination for dabbling on the dark side.

I would also add capacity building (e.g. employee learning and development) to the list that advantages for-profits and is virtually nonexistence in the social sector.  American businesses spent a staggering $125.9 billion on employee learning and development in 2009, according to the American Society of Training & Development’s 2010 industry report.  Foundations, corporation and donors don’t like to fund nonprofit capacity building. Consequently, it is very hard to come by statistics for the same kind of employee investment by the nonprofit sector, as several researchers have noted there is a lack of formal training and development at many nonprofits. “One particular obstacle faced by nonprofit leaders is that they often fail to receive the necessary support and training needed to successfully manage their organizations.” (K. Corder, 2001, Comparing Nonprofit and Public Sector Agencies)

Although, Dan Pallotta’s critic will be viewed as blasphemy by some charity board members and philanthropists its application may help to move the needle on society’s most stubborn economic inequalities.

WorldLink Communication is a leader in creating high performing teams in the nonprofit sector, for more information on this topic please contact us, connect with us, and comment to us!

In a recent nonprofit retreat that WorldLink facilitated, I was reminded of the critical space that senior management occupies for influencing employee satisfaction.  As internal measurement specialist, Angela Sinickas has noted “the single largest driver of employee engagement is the strength of the communication link between employees and supervisor.”  Indeed, the results from our employee survey demonstrated that the employees who attended the retreat feel valued – that their opinions matter.  Organizations that rely on Gallup’s famous Q12 Index will be well served by capturing an accurate picture of their work environment:

1. I know what is expected of me at work.
2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work
5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.
7. At work, my opinions seem to count.
8. The mission or purpose of my organization makes me feel my job is important.
9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
10. I have a best friend at work.
11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

The retreat once again proved what we’ve all heard many times: employee’s relationship with their direct supervisors is the single most important factor in producing job satisfaction.  Managers that remain attuned to employees’ moods and emotional needs will meet success in negotiating the tension between continuity and change, that are the hallmark of the workplace.

Satisfied employees tend to do better work and stay longer in their jobs. This statement makes intuitive sense. Thus, the final takeaway–successful nonprofits are led not just by visionary Executive Directors but by a senior leadership team with well-honed interpersonal development skills.

A few members of the WorldLink team recently kicked-off an employee workshop with an ice breaker asking the participants to describe qualities that they look for in friends. Within minutes, the employees listed eight; next they were asked whether any of these adjectives described their nonprofit.  Many employees thought several words did including loyal, honest, compassionate and responsible.

Certainly this characterization is high praise for the organization and according to recent research these adjectives could be mirrored to drive higher philanthropic donations.  Jen Shang, Ph.D. who specializes in the psychology of giving has identified a handful of words that prompt donors to give more.  In a recent New York Times interview, Dr. Shang replied as follows:

Q. You write that nonprofits can increase contributions “by changing a handful of words in a solicitation.” What are those magic words?

A. There are nine adjectives Americans use to describe a moral person: kind, caring, compassionate, helpful, friendly, fair, hard-working, generous and honest.

Q. What words in solicitations prompt men to give more?

A. The adjectives that male donors used during our focus groups include strong, responsible, and loyal.

The participants at the WorldLink workshop identified four out of twelve adjectives to describe their nonprofit – not too bad!  Maybe the next time their development office sends a donation letter, they should use a few of the words endorsed by their staff.  After all, according to Shang, women have been found to donate 10% more when these adjectives are used.

Congratulations to the Traverse City Central High School debate team for a clean sweep this past weekend – winning both the varsity and junior varsity divisions of the Detroit Country Day School’s Yellowjacket Invitational.

Over thirty teams competed in the first tournament of the year on the topic:

Resolved: the United States federal government should substantially increase its transportation infrastructure investment in the United States.

Teams supporting the resolution presented arguments in favor of numerous plans including offering loans to Native American developers to improve infrastructure on reservation lands, improving security at our nation’s ports through offshore docking, and investment in high speed, energy efficient rail systems. Teams negating the resolution presented arguments and reasons why the affirmative plan would cause negative impacts to society and the world-at-large.

The Michigan debate circuit continues in mid-October with the Pappas Invitational at Wayne State University. If you get the chance, check out a high school debate tournament – these students work extremely hard to prepare for these events –you may be surprised at the depth of knowledge and level of presentation skills that participants demonstrate…you might even be entertained.

You can learn more about debate and forensics options for Michigan high school students here.

Here’s your sports public service for the week.  SI.com has released its list of the Top 100 sports related Twitter feeds – including news, information, and entertainment. The list contains the individual’s name and relation to the sports world, number of followers and a link to join, and for some, a sample Tweet.

As the public continues to demand instant and complete access to celebrities lives, this is a great resource to further that effort.

Enjoy!

WorldLink Communications is pleased to announce that we will be leading the marketing and public relations efforts for the national Tier One Elite Hockey League.  Tier One includes teams from coast-to-coast, and is the premier amateur youth hockey league in the United States. Players compete against the highest talent in league games and showcases, which are scouted by organizations including minor league hockey teams, the NCAA, and the NHL. Tier One is proud to offer exceptional coaching and skill development to help players reach their maximum potential.

WorldLink will be responsible for on-going content development and execution of a comprehensive strategy to increase league visibility and recognition. We are excited to begin the effort!

The recent decision by Google to block YouTube access to trailers of the controversial movie, ‘The Innocence of Muslims’ in Libya, Egypt, India, and Indonesia following attacks on U.S. embassies tests social media’s role in preserving First Amendment ideals on a global scale, and its new found  responsibility as an unwitting player in international affairs.

A short background: ‘The Innocence of Muslims’ is a full-length, anti-Muslim film allegedly produced by American filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, and held in almost universal contempt by critics. Graphic scenes from the trailer portray Muhammad as a womanizer, child abuser, and homosexual. Despite condemnation from leaders of all religions, the trailer’s released sparked violent protests around the world, including an attack on the American embassy in Benghazi, Libya that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three staff members.

Which brings us to the question: Do social media outlets have a responsibility to censor its product in situations of likely or actual violence?

YouTube Community Guidelines restrict promotion of things like death threats, sexually explicit content, underage drinking or drug use, and how-to’s such as building explosives. Furthermore, submissions that are deemed as calls for violence, or are intended to incite an audience are banned. But what about the ‘Innocence of Muslims’ trailer? One could argue that although horribly bigoted and ignorant, it does not violate any of the terms and conditions of use. Is it YouTube’s (and ultimately other social media outlets) responsibility to pick and choose what may be inflammatory – not only in the United States, but around the world?

These choices, at least in YouTube’s case, will have to be made within a stated approach of having a “bias in favor of free expression.” Therein lay the challenges, and the ultimate balance that must be found between social media’s responsibility towards the First Amendment, and recognition that the rest of the world does not operate under the same freedoms that we enjoy. Pushing the envelope too much may result in extremist backlash against symbolic representations of the offending group, and as in the case of Benghazi, unintended consequences..

This is clearly an area that will require much analysis and planning, rather than evaluation on a situational basis. YouTube does acknowledge the difficulty in the approach in their free expression and content guidelines, “In some areas it’s obvious where to draw the line. For example, we have an all-product ban on child pornography. But in other areas, like extremism, it gets complicated because our products are available in numerous countries with widely varying laws and cultures.”

Recognizing differences is the easy part. Now what?

WorldLink Communications is pleased to announce the delivery of a workshop sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce entitled, “Small Business: Unlocked – Networking 101,” on September 27^th from 4 – 5:30pm at the Sheraton in Romulus, MI.

This entertaining and informative training will be presented by Jay Johnson, Partner at WorldLink, and focus on ways to enhance networking opportunities and build stronger professional connections.

The Small Business: Unlocked series is open to Chamber members only. For more information, please check out the Small Business: Unlocked section of the Chamber website at: http://detroitchamber.com/participation/Events/694-small-business-club