Management Archives

Yes, Twitter Is Still Relevant! Here’s Why…

Twitter is dominating the news lately—possibly even more since its 2013 IPO at a whopping $24 billion valuation. The sudden surge of interest is largely related to two factors getting significant media exposure: First, discussions in the financial and business world over whether the company will reach profitability by monetizing its 317 million active users worldwide. Second, whether this microblogging platform may have been instrumental in helping a well-known New York-born businessman become the most powerful person in the world.

Since its inception, Twitter has sparked debates, discussions, laughter and skepticism. The idea of cofounder Jack Dorsey—to launch a social media platform that only allowed 140 characters, including the letters and spaces, while naming these mini-news bleeps “tweets”—was, by any standard, a reach. Yet doubt as we might have, Twitter and tweeting were quickly adopted by people around the world. For many, it became, and still is, their go-to source for quick, searchable headline news, whether global, regional or local. It’s been credited with starting social revolutions—both literally and figuratively.

Twitter is the originator of the hashtag, that “#” sign in front of a phrase, word or acronym. The conceptual value of a hashtag is priceless in that it can be used to search for news about anything. This can include world events, gatherings, topics of personal interest, corporate developments, financial news, celebrity-watching, entertainment and more. The hashtag truly holds a “sky’s the limit” potential. There are hashtags for anything and everything imaginable, and people use them to find what interests them. For example, there was #Election2016 and there’s still #PokemonGo, #Brexit and #MotivationMonday along with #MondayBlues—plus things like #GameofThrones and #SelfieSunday! Many brands launch by attempting to create a trending hashtag and often this strategy aids their success.

When I started a Twitter account in 2007 as the platform first launched, it was due to the hard sell by my head of IT, who was confident that this would be “big.” What started out as a one-follower-at-a-time process for my companies and myself has grown into our own mini-news outlet that benefits me personally as well as our clients and friends, whom we often highlight in our tweets. But still I often wondered: Is the audience real?

I could see that our followers included some high-profile reporters from big news outlets. We also have “personalities” following us—ranging from none other than Mad Money’s Jim Cramer to Little Steven of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band! Then, of course, there are my friends, coworkers and clients—and recently, my 88-year-old mom. But who were the other multiple thousands of “followers” who keep adding daily to our growing cumulative audience? To answer this, we conducted TwitterAudits of my personal and multiple corporate accounts. I was pleasantly surprised—shocked, really—to learn that 93 percent of our more than 106,000 followers were “real” people! This is outstanding in a world where “followers”—albeit fake ones—can be purchased just to make someone feel or appear relevant (although this is not at all a recommended strategy).

While questions might abound regarding Twitter’s ultimate viability—the platform seems to be trailing in popularity with millennials behind Instagram and Snapchat—there is still a lot of value for those savvy enough to understand its worth.

Here are my five main takeaways for your consideration along with a last piece of advice regarding Twitter:

1) Twitter allows a direct line of communication. Anyone can see your tweets, and more of the people you seek to reach will find them if you learn to use hashtags together with your main messages. Think of the hashtag as a way you can categorize news in a noisy universe of more than 6,000 tweets per second; 350,000 per minute; and 500 million tweets per day.

2) You can directly reach your exact audience by searching their names to find their Twitter handle which looks like this: @X and is otherwise known as their Twitter address. For example, my Twitter “handle” is @DianGriesel. You can “tag” those you want to reach and fill the Tweet with a link to your content or send them direct messages. Either way, the followers of @DianGriesel (as per this example) will also see what you tagged me with.

3) The 140-character limit in the Twitter world aligns with overall attention spans. Did you know the average television commercial is only 15 seconds long? The point is: Learn to get to the point.

4) Choose your words carefully. Your audience will be trying to assess your mood. Speech experts have been able to determine whether a tweet came from the boss (or the President himself…) or from a social media manager assigned the job.

5) Overhauls—and overthrows—can occur in days versus years. Think about how quickly we are watching management teams at companies comply with or concede the need to listen not only to their customers but to the “CEO” of the United States as well. An unhappy online crowd or a single powerful voice—whether known as POTUS or advocate or influencer—can get resoundingly loud rapidly, if related counterparties aren’t carefully listening to the complaints and responding.

Now for my parting advice: Think very carefully before tweeting. Although you might be able to delete a hasty, ill-considered tweet from your feed…a strong likelihood remains—due to #RT (re-tweet) and #MT (modified tweet)—that it is still roaming around the Twittersphere.

The Twitter platform has G-Force potential, which helps explain why it still seems to be the preferred communication platform of that same New Yorker who harnessed its power to win the most powerful position on Earth.

May the Twitter force be with you. Use it wisely.

Dian Griesel, Ph.D. is an author, strategic visibility expert and President of DGI Comm a public relations firm that can help build corporate and/or personal thought leadership status.

How Successful Leaders Listen

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(DGIwire) — When it comes to being a good leader, effectively communicating your ideas, vision and knowledge undoubtedly contribute to your success. You need to be heard. But there are some times when you just need to listen. More often than not, people undervalue the art of listening. Being an effective listener can help you solve many problems and may even help prevent them in the first place.

Listening allows you to see things from another person’s perspective, one you may never have had access to. Once you’ve gained that perspective it can help you to develop empathy and understanding. While you may not always agree with that person’s perspective, knowing it lets you assess the “big picture” and can help your business move forward as a team.

Dian Griesel, PhD, a recognized crisis expert, offers the following suggestions to improve communication through better listening skills.

1. Be attentive. Keeping eye contact with the person lets them know that you are engaged in the conversation. Let them know that what they are saying is important to you.

2. Don’t rush it! Instead, focus on asking questions that bring value to the conversation. Take any extra time that might be needed for the person to express what is on his or her mind.

3. Free your mind. Don’t start the conversation with a pre-conceived opinion or outcome. Be open to what the person is saying and how it might relate to you as both a leader and an individual.

4. Watch that body! Pay attention to your body language. Look attentive and “present.” You don’t want to make the person feel like you have anywhere else that you’d rather be.

5. Two Way Street. Body language goes both ways. Read what their body is saying and respond accordingly. By reacting to what you see, you can facilitate the flow of conversation. An understanding nod or smile can do wonders to put the person at ease.

6. Acknowledge. You might not agree with the message but something as simple as, “I hear you.” or “I understand” can make a world of difference. Let them know their viewpoint was heard.

7. Exercise humility. Be willing to be wrong. Show them that you really took to heart what you heard and that you will take the time to reflect on the conversation as it pertains to the betterment of the company.

What’s Your Corporate Crisis Management Style?

(DGIwire) — The Boy Scouts of America have the best and simplest motto that can be translated into all aspects of good PR and Crisis Management: Be Prepared.

Years ago, if a company was involved in any type of crisis, big or small, it was much easier to take control and minimize damage. You had time to react, regroup and respond to whatever negative message, true or false, that was being circulated. You most likely could accomplish this without having a full-blown crisis management plan in place.

Today, things are different. We live in an increasingly skeptical and unforgiving society. Coupled with the fact that in just a few keystrokes, the general public has easy access to an overwhelming amount of information about you, your company, your employees and even in some cases your personal life. It can take minutes for information to disseminate and go viral. It doesn’t matter if the information is true, half-true or even blatantly false, once the information is out there it can be difficult to control, never mind erase.

Smoke Detectors

“Good Crisis Management is about preparation,” says Dian Griesel, PR and Crisis Management guru and CEO of DGI Comm in NYC. “I’ve had companies come to me mid-crisis, in the midst of their fire, looking for help. They definitely would have been better able to navigate the issues if not avoid them all together if they had incorporated crisis management into their business plan.”

Here are 4 tips that Griesel recommends that will help your company strengthen it’s position in good times and in bad:

Know thyself. Know your company’s strengths and weaknesses. Make an honest assessment of any risks, weak links or potential problems. Identifying these areas will help you to be prepared to handle them if they arise, if not eliminate them altogether.

Respond quickly. Have a spokesperson ready and versed to address issues and answer questions. Ideally, this would be the President or CEO. Make it your internal policy to have no one but the spokesperson speak on behalf of the company. Mixed messages can sometimes do greater damage than no message at all.

Recover. Damage repair is as important as damage control. Learn from the crisis and take measures to ensure there will be no repeat episodes. Use the crisis as a way to grow your company even stronger.

Ongoing PR. If you are too small to justify a full time PR specialist on staff, then by all means hire a good Public Relations firm. The cost of a good PR company pays for itself quickly, not just monetarily but in peace of mind.

Copyright-free content by DGIwire.

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 DGI Comm. “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.

Consultant or Sycophant? How to Tell If You’re Getting the Best Advice

(DGIwire) — Many leaders and managers surround themselves with yes-men, butt-kissers, devotees and others who are excellent at praising powerful people. Having been on the receiving end of accolades, I can certainly validate that hearing others declare your ideas brilliant can feel absolutely wonderful. I’m the first to say I much prefer praise to criticism. It’s nice to bask in the glory when others are recognizing your greatness, talent and smarts…but it’s only a fool who wouldn’t also realize that sometimes such adoring cheers are dangerous, could be part of someone else’s personal agenda and, consequently, may actually prevent your ultimate success in real time.

Separating truth and fiction while recognizing sincere versus self-serving advice from consultants are crucial management skills. So how do you learn to recognize the sycophant consultants, those who flatter to keep fees coming in their direction, from those who actually have you and your company’s best interests at heart?

In theory, a consultant is supposed to always have the client’s best interests at heart. Yet money is involved, so this fact alone can skew intentions and actions. A consultant has bills to pay and every client is actually another “boss.” It’s not easy to tell your boss that they are wrong—regardless of your role in the food chain. But this is what good consultants must sometimes do, even when there is a high probability of losing the client and fee if the advice does not seem like what a “team player” might propose.

Most executives that I have had the opportunity to counsel already have their own answers in their hearts and guts. If not, they wouldn’t have risen to their coveted leadership status and be running the show at their respective companies or departments. Others seek and openly want guidance. This said, I believe overall that what most executives want, and maybe need, is to be able to converse with someone they can trust: a sounding board, counselor and advisor who can be relied on to be thoughtful and probing. A consultant who positions herself as a devil’s advocate, who is removed from whatever the situation is that requires advice and counsel while providing perspective from a 30,000-foot level.

A good consultant helps clients think reasonably and works hard to eliminate emotion from their advice. This ability comes from taking the time to understand the client company, its positioning, needs, challenges and advantages—as well as how its business fits into the overall competitive landscape. Good consultants should be able to emotionally distance themselves from the immediate, close-up problems and/or concerns while also offering alternative perspectives and possibilities. A good consultant recognizes that the final responsibility for the ultimate decision is the executive’s. Yet by observation and distance, a good consultant can help identify the nature of large problems, various scenarios and counsel through their observations, analysis and proposed solutions.

It is not the job of a good consultant to always agree. I certainly know I’ve annoyed clients due to my lack of agreement at times—and that’s probably putting it mildly. Still, it remains the job of a good consultant to point out assumptions, objectively see facts and provide all-sides-of-the-equation scenarios whenever possible. This certainly might involve saying what needs to be said and raising issues that need to be assessed—even if and when it becomes uncomfortable, unpopular, seemingly unsupportive or confrontational to the general discussion.

Although it’s nice to be “yes-ed”—the best advice that any of us can ever receive forces us to think and question our decisions, hopefully before they are cemented. A good public relations consultant will often advise counter to the advice of those closest or most impacted by any given situation. A good PR consultant may also recommend seeking the advice of others. A good PR advisor does not have all the “answers” but they should have lots of questions. When strong advice is offered, it is not because the PR expert is trying to be difficult. Instead, it is often that they are best able to emotionally distance themselves, bring years of experience gained from similar situations from their past work history, offer a high degree of practical common sense, understand strategic visibility in the media and possess an understanding of human nature that enables them to serve as valued and trusted “consiglieres.”

Dian Griesel, Ph.D., is president of DGI. Dian and her trusted team of visibility strategists are retained as the marketing and public relations execution team for a variety of companies, brands and select individuals. Dian’s most recent book is ENGAGE: Smart Ideas to Get More Media Coverage, Build Your Influence & Grow Your Business. For more information about DGI’s consulting and professional services, contact Dian Griesel at 212.825.3210.