Blog - DGI Comm

Decisive Decision-Making and the Role of Visionary Leaders

leader (DGIwire) — People sometimes confuse “management” with “leadership.” A good manager should have some strong leadership qualities, but ultimately their job lies in maintenance. A manager has to make sure their team stays on the right path, whereas a leader is the one who creates that path in the first place—in his/her more visionary role. This said, a good leader would be nowhere without a good manager, and vice versa. Collaboration is critical for getting things done. A leader has to be able to delegate tasks and trust that their team will get them done.

But what exactly does a leader do? Assuming a leadership role, whether as owner or executive, you have implicitly agreed to become responsible for the direction of your company—and specifically the paths your team or organization take to achieve their goals. People will continuously rely on your vision as well as your decisive decision-making skills to do what is in the best interests of your company’s health and the bottom line.

Although decision-making as a leader might entail a wide array of components that can hardly be summarized in a few paragraphs, there are some basic attributes that can be observed across the board. Dian Griesel, President of DGI, based in New York City as well as the author of several books, knows from hands-on experience what it takes to be an effective leader today and what leaders need to look for in management.

“Each leader will lead in his or her own way,” says Griesel. “However, when you’re at the front of the room, and people are looking to you for the answers, there are a few basic skills that you should have in your tool kit. These include honesty and transparency, confidence and collaboration. These might seem like broad terms, but they are important enough to create a solid framework for everyone, and specific enough so that each person can put his or her own spin on them.”

It’s not enough to seem honest, Griesel elaborates, because most people will be able to see right through you. “If you find yourself approaching a task with ulterior motives, it might be time to step back and re-examine. Chances are, your team will sense you’re hiding something from them, and if they find out you’re not telling them the truth, your credibility will likely be shot for any future projects. Approaching your team with openness and honesty will prompt them to trust you more, and make them more likely to trust you in the future.”

Although it’s nearly impossible to please everyone on your team all the time, seriously considering their strengths and weaknesses—without sacrificing your own choices and opinions—will likely yield positive results and contribute to a good team dynamic. It will make the team more likely to trust you, and expedite future tasks.

Speaking of the future, it’s always a good idea to over prepare. This is more than having a “Plan B” scenario in mind, Griesel explains. She believes you should also have a good exit strategy just in case your decision doesn’t go as planned. “Flexibility will go a long way here. As hard as it might be, you need to leave your stubbornness at the door to become a good leader. Leaders tend to be strong-willed, which sometimes breeds obstinacy. A good way to do this is to view your decisions from an outsider’s vantage point. What do your team’s operations look like from above? Learning to step outside of yourself can be a very useful skill to view how others see you and remove some of your personal biases that could be keeping your team from achieving its goals.”

Many other business and thought leaders likewise believe there’s a big difference between confidence and arrogance, and that many leaders walk a thin line between the two. They warn that the moment your team senses arrogance, they will likely feel you don’t respect their opinions, which will make them lose respect for your authority. Confidence, on the other hand, is contagious. If your team senses that you are confident in your position and in your ability to make decisions, it might empower them to take on more tasks.

Even if a leader does have to backtrack on their decision, or implement a “Plan B” scenario, this shouldn’t negatively impact the leader’s confidence. Confidence transcends simply saying “yes” or “no”—it’s about having the self-assurance to admit faults or mistakes and not fall apart under the pressure.

“What it comes down to is that good leaders move the organization as a whole to achieve their tasks. This includes motivation, confidence and transparency,” says Griesel.

Although it seems like this skill is best-suited for the workplace, “leadership skills often come in handy during decision-making in every aspect of life,” she adds.

Calling All CEOs! What’s Your Company’s Morale Score?

morale (DGIwire) — One of the most difficult things for a business owner to accurately gauge within his or her own company is also one of the most important: morale. When it’s good, it’s good but when it’s bad…let’s just say you want to work on getting things good quickly.

The reason it can be so hard to gauge morale issues is because often times employees won’t share their thoughts with their employers for fear of falling in their bad graces.

The conundrum is easy to understand according to Dian Griesel, Ph.D., a 20+ year market- messaging, PR and social media expert who is also founder and president of Dian Griesel Int’l. “No employee wants to be the bearer of bad news or be viewed as a whiner or complainer. Most want to be seen as team players. But if someone is unhappy, resentment builds which certainly isn’t good.”

“Every wise boss is open to critique that includes a thoughtful suggestion for change,” she
says. “Most employers are aware of problems, so it’s accurate that they don’t want to listen to whining because they are busy. Still, leaders rely on those around them to present their
opinions along with proposed solutions. So opinions—even negative ones—offered with a plan for changing the status quo, are usually very carefully considered by smart managers.”

Want to keep improving your company’s morale? Wise managers carefully consider the following actions.

Comfort First. We’re not talking about anything fancy. Just the basics are enough to increase productivity. Suitably sized desks, ergonomic chairs, appropriate lighting, pleasant temperature, free water and coffee. A minimal investment in these essential basics will go a long way. If you wanted to take this a step further you could apply this to the office décor. Some plants and pleasing artwork have been shown to have a comforting affect on mood.

Time is Relative. Encourage employees to not only eat lunch away from their desk, but also to take short energy boosting breaks mid morning and afternoon. Provide a rebounder for them to bounce on for five minutes a day to get their blood and creativity flowing. Make sure they are also taking adequate vacation time to reenergize their mind, body and spirit. Everyone needs down time.

You Are How You Live. You can offer the perfect atmosphere for employment but it’s all for nothing if your employees are never there. Help them to cut down on sick days by instituting wellness programs. Have fruit delivered to the office once a week to help them appreciate the feeling of eating healthy. Purchase a corporate gym membership that will offer substantial discounts for employees. Do what you can to help each employee be the healthiest they can be. Any expenses you incur to promote wellness will be saved exponentially. And with less sick days, employees won’t always feel the stress of catching up on their workload.

No Strong, Silent Types! If you are happy with your employees, tell them! Two lines of praise that take you moments to say or write, will go a long way in the minds and hearts of your employees. Conversely, if you need to correct or critique an employee, express that as well. It’s equally counterproductive for someone to feel like they are doing a good job when they aren’t—as it is when someone is doing doing a bad job yet thinks they are employee of the month. Either way, communicate! Just remember to do so in a manner that affords each other dignity and the desire to want to improve. Convey your message without crushing their spirit. Encourage the same from them towards otehrs! Let them feel safe about coming to you with problems, questions or complaints.

Hallmark Moments. Keep an event calendar that lets you keep track of all your employee’s significant life dates. Birthday’s, work anniversaries, even marriage anniversaries if you attended their wedding. Small gestures like this help you show them how important they are to you and your organization.

Crisis Management: Waiting Until the Last Minute Can Be Deadly!

(DGIwire) “Crisis” is not a word to be tossed around lightly. It has become synonymous with “disaster,” “catastrophe,” and “emergency.” But “crisis” actually comes from the Greek, krísis, which means “decision, choice, election, or judgment.” In other words, a crisis should ideally be viewed as an opportunity to make effective changes moving forward. The reality is that whether you’re a small business owner, CEO of a large company or somewhere in-between, some “tricky situations” can become a crisis. The trick is to not wait around, worrying, but rather have a plan in place for such an event so that when a problem does occur, you’re ready to face it head-on, and possibly come out even better for the way you handle it.

Today corporations, non-profit organizations, and leaders themselves face a new challenge – online criticism. In this Internet age, anyone with a keyboard has the power to comment, criticize, and even attempt to undermine your company’s reputation. As tempting as it might be to respond to these criticisms it is best to either ignore them or leave it up to someone with extensive media training.

For tips on how to prepare for a crisis before it occurs, look to Dian Griesel, Ph.D. Having guided all sorts of companies, funds, not-for-profits and individuals over the past 25 years, Dian knows the ins and outs of dealing with crises. She offers these sage suggestions:

Be Aware of What a “Crisis” Would Mean For Your Company. Is it poor financial performance or product liabilities/recalls? Accidents and/or environmental problems? Perhaps it’s about responding to dissatisfaction by employees, shareholders, and consumers. Pick the one that would most likely occur, and focus on creating a plan.
Have a Plan of Action Before the Crisis Happens. Create a notification process for your internal communications systems, be conscious of media cycles, and make sure your legal and communications people talk regularly about vulnerable issues so that no one is caught off-guard.
Maintain Credibility by Highlighting Key Issues. Don’t attempt to hide your bad news in the body of a press release. If you are not completely transparent with your investors, your customers, and the media, it’s going to become immediately apparent, and make you look worse for trying to avoid the issue.
Admit Your Mistakes. Mistakes make us human. If you cannot admit to a misstep, no matter how big or small, it will likely alienate the people who you want and need on your side.
Avoid a “fortress” mentality when dealing with the media. If you treat the media as an enemy and build a figurative wall around yourself or your company, people will assume you are preparing for a battle. If you do build walls to keep the media out, don’t be surprised when they finally break through – and they always break through.

“No matter what challenges you and your company face, approach these from a positive place, be responsive in a timely fashion, acknowledge any mistakes you may have made, and explain how you will correct them,” says Griesel. “This can determine how able you will be to move forward confidently and successfully, retaining the loyalty of your client or customer base and enhancing your reputation as a company built on a foundation of integrity.”

Honesty and Transparency: The Dynamic Duo of Corporate PR

transparent

(DGIwire) — In the fairy tale Pinocchio, the wooden boy’s nose grew whenever he told a lie, and until he learned to tell the truth, he could not become human. This feature of the beloved tale has been used for decades to teach children a useful lesson about lying. However, if this happened to us in real life every time we told the slightest lie, we’d all be walking around with Pinocchio noses. Telling white lies can be a means of courtesy. If your spouse gets a haircut that they love and you hate, it might be a good idea to simply say it looks good; and there is only one answer to “Do I look fat?” However, in a high-stakes business environment, even the smallest white lie can undermine credibility.

Fortunately for consumers and investors, there’s no need for a growing nose. The Internet pulls back the curtains on just about everything. There are few places to hide the truth, which will eventually come out—especially for those who hold a prominent position in a publicly traded company.

Today getting “exposed” voluntarily or by force is common. Few who attack seem to consider, or care, whether their accusations are wholly accurate or not. The damage is done and reactions are swift–delivered through the new court of public opinion, also know as the Internet. Stakeholders—whether partners, customers, shareholders or investors feel betrayed. People start to wonder: what other non-truths could he be hiding?

For companies that are just beginning to make a name for themselves in the public eye, or for established companies wishing to repair their reputations, Dian Griesel, Ph.D., the author of the book FUNDaMentals and the soon to be released ENGAGE: Smart Ideas to Get More Media Coverage, Build Your Influence, & Grow Your Business, who is also President of Dian Griesel International, an award-winning media relations and news placement agency based in New York City, offers sage advice:

Establish the message. Before putting out a press release or giving a presentation at a meeting or conference, identify the single most important message the audience should to take away. This will provide a solid framework to build a media platform.

Emphasize the unique. The most successful companies are those that understand their corporate mission and never stray from their core objectives.

Don’t underestimate the importance of media training. This can make a major difference in how an executive is perceived by the media, at industry events and shareholder meetings, and anywhere they are representing their company. Body language, tone of voice and facial expressions can make all the difference between seeming trustworthy and having investors pass on a pitch.

Be proactive and forthright. The media add hype, exaggerate or twist a story. But if the facts have been presented accurately, there is nothing to worry about.

Answer the “Why?” It’s not enough to simply put a product or service out there. Shareholders and potential consumers will need a reason to buy what’s being sold.

“Honesty and transparency are fundamental to success,” says Dian. “This is especially important for publicly traded companies. Investors, consumers and the media can easily access corporate documents and financial filings on the Internet. If an executive and their company are as transparent as possible, they’ll be on their way to establishing a solid rapport with the public.”

Engaging With New Audiences Just Got Easier

(DGIwire) — Self-promotion is tricky. We’ve all created an online profile at some point, whether for LinkedIn, Facebook, a website bio or a speaking opportunity. Writing or talking about ourselves without sounding too promotional is harder than it seems. If writing about ourselves in the right tone is difficult, imagine having to create a unified identity for a company to present to the media, investors, customers and the world at large.

Fortunately for business owners, public relations professionals are there to do exactly what their title suggests: relay a company’s message in the best ways possible to various segments of the public. However, when a PR team is found that seems up to the job, they will need guidance on how to proceed. A good public relations campaign is a two-way street and requires commitment, perseverance and collaboration from PR team and company alike.

Dian Griesel, Ph.D., the author of ENGAGE: Smart Ideas to Get More Media Coverage, Build Your Influence, & Grow Your Business, and President of Dian Griesel International, an award-winning media relations and news placement agency based in New York City, knows just how important, time-consuming and beneficial it is to implement a solid PR plan.

“Having faith in oneself and one’s company is the critical first step,” says Dian. “It is impossible to sell anything that no one believes in, so a company’s executives must be willing to stand behind their product or service, no matter what.” Having worked in the industry for more than 25 years, Dian has seen what can make or break a PR plan. She offers this advice and more in her new book:

Give customers more than they expect. If a company promises more than it can deliver, it is setting itself up for a constant struggle with its consumers’ and investors’ expectations.

Provide milestones. Work with the PR team to create realistic and achievable milestones. Investors like milestones because it gives them something to look forward to.

Every new PR strategy should create new customers. The goal of all marketing should be to create a relationship with each customer, not just make a sale. Satisfied customers are repeat buyers or users of whatever is offered.

Publicity generates more publicity. Just because a company experiences some success in the media doesn’t mean it should rest. In fact, it should capitalize on those moments when it is enjoying media attention and continue the forward momentum.

Share the news. If a company appears in a story in a prestigious magazine, it should let its investors and other media outlets know. When they see the company has been featured prominently, they might want to cover it as well.

“Public relations is all about telling a company’s story in an interesting and effective way, and making it accessible to a wide audience,” adds Dian. “It’s all about illuminating a business.”