Where Do You Stand?

In a July 21 article titled “Flexible schedules work best when thought out, detailed,” Chicago Tribune reporter Barbara Rose looks at the pros/cons of flextime in the business world. She points out that rising fuel prices may be spurring some organizations to be more flexible about - flexibility.

I’ve been flexing at Standing Partnership since 2002. I generally work four days a week and try to work from home a couple of days out of the month.

The key words are “generally” and “try.” In order for this to work for my employer, clients and me, I have to be flexible too. That might mean taking a call or an assignment on my day off, or adjusting my days to meet a client need.

Making sure this works for my colleages is equally important, so once a year we survey all employess (about many things) and include questions about how flex schedules are working.

We also make sure that our office hours are covered during normal business hours. Today, that means a colleague and I have volunteered to answer the office phones since we have the option (during summer Fridays) to allow the staff to leave early if they have compelted their assignments and are not otherwise needed.

What are some ways your business is adding flexibility to its work week?  What’s working? What’s not?  Gotta run - the phone’s ringing!

InBev continues to advocate for its offer to buy Anheuser-Busch, the last big beer brewer firmly planted in the United States.  In an op-ed in Tuesday’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch, InBev CEO Carlos Brito promises to keep the beloved Clydesdales and Grant’s Farm, and repeats previous promises to promote Budweiser and keep A-B’s 12 U.S. breweries.  Brito is also making the rounds on Capitol Hill, where Missouri’s U.S. senators are among his vocal opponents.

Meanwhile, St. Louis’s new on-line newspaper, the Beacon, published an interview with former A-B marketing exec William Finnie.  It highlights the fact that change is coming no matter where things go from here.

• A-B can sell to InBev.  InBev will cut costs to help pay the $46 billion price, although InBev argues they’ve created 12,000 new jobs since their company was formed in 2004.
• A-B can buy the other half of Grupo Modelo, the brewer of
  Corona, which would derail the InBev plan.  Modelo’s owners are in a good position to drive a hard bargain and A-B will have to cut costs to pay the price.
• Or, A-B will have to come up its own compelling plan that offers shareholders enough value to reject InBev’s $65 per share.  Whatever else that might involve, it will include cost-cutting.

Cost-cutting is the common theme in all of these scenarios. Markets inevitably recognize weakness and opportunities, like the ones created by several years of flatter earnings and stock price at a company where double-digit earnings growth used to be the predictable norm.

There is speculation that InBev might be persuaded to sweeten its $65 per share offer, though Brito says, “It’s a fair price, a full price, that’s it.” For the kind of institutional investors who own most stocks, a substantial premium in hand may be compelling enough. However, InBev continues to court other stakeholders through Brito’s op-ed, legislative visits and a Web site, www.globalbeerleader.com.

To get the deal done, Finnie speculates InBev might be persuaded to move its global headquarters to St. Louis and call the combined company by the proud, historic name of “Anheuser-Busch.”

If St. Louis winds up with the world’s largest brewer under a familiar corporate name, it could turn out to be a lot less change – and pain – than some of the other scenarios might bring. The menu of choices is tough, but all involve change. Unfortunately, the options don’t include the status quo that Anheuser-Busch successfully defended … perhaps too long.

A year ago, one of our clients, The Doe Run Company, asked our opinion about an opportunity they received to invite employees to participate in keeping a day journal for consideration of an upcoming book. We advised them to participate with authors Joni B. Cole and B.K. Rakhra, who together had authored two earlier books chronicling the many different roles and careers of women across America. For their third book, “Water Cooler Diaries,” Cole and Rakhra solicited day-journals from more than 500 women who each chronicled their day on March 27, 2007. The result is 35 full-day diary entries and dozens more diary excerpts from women 23 – 64 in careers that span the spectrum from rancher to actor.

Our team was thrilled that three Doe Run employees took the challenge: a mine geologist, a metallurgical engineer and a technical service engineer. From their entries the authors selected one full day diary entry and one excerpt for inclusion in the book.

Our client could have simply said thank you to the three employees, purchased a book and moved on. Instead, our client contacts asked, “what can we do to fully celebrate the participation of these three women?” In short order the pr team (our client and our firm) prepared a full strategic communications plan that supports the client’s position as a leader in the industry. The Result: Joni Cole and our client were featured on TV, radio and print; invited to speak before 300 business leaders for the Winning Women organization; participated in a company event celebrating the efforts of all three Doe Run employee diarists; and hosted local Girl Scout troops to a special event at the Missouri Mines Historic Site at which the author and the three Doe Run employees educated young women about diverse careers.

A year ago, when the opportunity first presented itself, our client could have seen it as too much work and too slim a chance to receive any value for the effort involved. Instead they took the time to look for the opportunity behind the assignment and found a bigger picture that’s worth framing.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has added patient satisfaction data to its Hospital Compare Web site.

A quick search of a few of the St. Louis region’s hospitals found patients gave a 54% - 86% satisfaction rating in 10 different areas, ranging from percent of patients who reported that their nurses “Always” communicated well to percent of patients who reported yes, they would definitely recommend the hospital. 

A few of the St. Louis hospitals with rankings include: Barnes Jewish, Missouri Baptist, St. Anthonys, St. John’s Mercy, St. Lukes and St. Marys The survey has some in the health care industry very nervous.  However, the survey results actually provide a great opportunity to drive home the importance of customer service and communication for health care employees who work with patients. 

A HealthLeaders article explores the future impact these surveys will have on hospital marketing and communications.  

I don’t get much out of the one-hour luncheon or breakfast seminars that PR/communications trade associations offer.  So, I’ve turned to reading business books, which provide a more in-depth look at challenging organizational issues.   Now, I’m sure many of you are thinking, “I don’t even have time to finish the novel I’m reading for my book club.  How could I possibly have spare time to read business books?!?”  You’d be surprised!  Many business books take into account readers’ busy lives and, therefore, are a far cry from the long, dry text books we were required to read in college.   In fact, the first book I’m reviewing is written like a novel, with plot twists, conflict and a bit of humor (see mentions of the green banana).   

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni gives you a “fly on the wall” perspective of how Kathryn Petersen ─ a fictional, but very realistic CEO of a tech company ─ helped DecisionTech move past a major obstacle in the way of its growth – getting a group of high-level managers to work together as a team. The book explores how to overcome:

1. Absence of trust (caused by invulnerability)
2. Fear of conflict (caused by artificial harmony)
3. Lack of commitment (caused by ambiguity)
4. Avoidance of accountability (caused by low standards)
5. Inattention to results (caused by status and ego)

Easier said than done, right?  Luckily, there’s a section in the back of the book that provides exercises that can build team members’ skills in each of these areas. I especially like the sharing of one’s single biggest strength and single biggest weakness in terms of contributions to the business as a way to embrace vulnerability and build trust.  Whether your leadership group needs a teamwork overhaul or just an infusion of new energy, this book is a quick read that won’t disappoint.

The Associated Press recently published a story about friendly non-business-related chatter in the workplace. At one point, the article states: “The camaraderie that comes out of workers sharing a little fun, meanwhile, can go a long way toward their feeling like they’re part of a team. It’s well known that when staffers are happy, they work better.” Opponents of workplace chatter worry that an inappropriate conversation can sometimes make workers feel the workplace is a hostile environment.

At Standing Partnership, Cathy has “fostered a positive, collaborative environment.” This means feeling comfortable sharing our perspectives on topics beyond just public relations. When there’s a concern, we address it as a team so that we can all learn and move forward (often at our monthly staff meetings that Mistie recently posted about).

What do you think, should a business be just that, business? Or is there room for friendly colleague banter? How much is too much?

I recently had the opportunity to watch my nephew play a Peewee hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta – home of Wayne Gretzky. Besides noticing the obvious – eleven-year old boys in Canada can really skate – I noticed something more. I noticed the tenor on the ice each time a goal was scored. At the end of the first period my nephew’s team was up three goals to one. But in the beginning of the second period the momentum shifted and the other team scored. Not to panic, the defensemen (including my nephew) gave their goalie a soft swat across his backside with their stick and a word of encouragement. This happened not once, but two more times. What was going on, I wondered. It was as if each player was going out of their way to take some of the responsibility for the scored point off the shoulder of the goalkeeper.

By the third period my nephew’s team was back into scoring goals. I wondered, would the other team encourage their goalie in the same way? They did not, and in a matter of minutes my nephew’s team had won the game. I was so impressed with how the players on the winning team had encouraged their goalie, that I mentioned it to my husband (former hockey great that he was). He said, “yeah,” as in ‘duh, that’s what you do.’

That got me to thinking: Is there a goalie on your team that needs some encouragement? Someone that is always there to back you up, protect your net, keep the action at the other end of the ice? There are several at Standing.

So here’s to Susan Z; Sharon; Linda; Jenny; Gretchen; and Dennis - thanks for making great saves, day in and day out!

There’s a new study out that claims profantity in the workplace has a postive impact on morale and motivation. On first glance it seems like a load of ____ [the study doesn’t say if cursing is appropriate for a company blog], but perhaps I’m overlooking the merit behind this long-overdue research project. 

Letting fly with a good F-bomb every once in a while can be cathartic, but there’s always a time and a place. If you’re around your peers or co-workers you’re extremely comfortable with, perhaps it’s OK. But in front of a client? I don’t think there are many instances where a potty mouth is appropriate. 

Here’s the Budweiser take:

What do you think?

Lunch with Jadea and Patrick was a bit different than lunch with Beth and Maria. Firstly, we went to a restaurant where wearing denim is highly discouraged. This significantly cramped Patrick’s style—even when he wears a tie and dress shirt, he wears jeans and Converse sneakers (it’s true that one gets their best work done when comfortable). Secondly, I had been in my new position for a few more weeks and had a fairly concrete understanding of what my account coordinator duties would entail; so our conversation consisted of the best ways to assimilate to the Standing office culture.

I was told to really embrace the company’s culture. Be myself, smile a lot, be willing to help, hang out, attend office social events. In our field, it’s important to be surrounded by companions; in an agency, especially ours, we have people who have strong talents at very different skill sets. While I enjoy making use of technology and social media to further my clients’ goals, my coworkers may be skilled in media training, pitching, speech writing or strategic planning. In addition, many people in the office have years and years of experience and can lend support to ensure the final package we present lives up to our STANDards (sorry for the pun).

It’s all about teamwork. By understanding individual strengths, we can delegate assignments (“managing across,” as we like to call it) based on these skill sets and do the best possible work for our clients.

As a new permanent team member and former Standing intern, I was encouraged by my mentor (Marijean) to arrange a series of lunches with other former interns where we could discuss the transition from intern to account coordinator. The office is chock full of employees at all levels who began their careers at Standing Partnership as interns: Beth, Jadea, Maria, Patrick and now Kathleen and I join the ranks.

During the lunch hour one Monday, Beth, Maria and I prepared our lunches in the Standing kitchen and took them to a nice outdoor patio behind our building furnished with shaded tables for dining. Between bites of my microwavable, healthy-brand frozen entrée (Beth had the same one), I asked questions like, “what can I expect from my first review,” “how can I gain client trust,” and “how do I prove that I’m ready to take on the account coordinator position?”

What did I glean from our lunchtime chat?

I should use my first several months in this new position as an opportunity to grow: As a new employee just beginning a career, I should take calculated risks so that I either do better work or learn through trial and error how to do better work. Maria provided me with a great metaphor to prove this point. At one time Maria had the goal of becoming an Olympic skier and took a trip to Colorado to train with other skilled skiers like her. After completing the downhill of a double black diamond without falling, Maria was gleaming; after all, she was the only member of the group other than the instructor who didn’t fall. The instructor, however, was uninterested in Maria’s self-perceived accomplishment and instead seemed more pleased with the skiers who had to tuck and roll down the slope. He told her that she was never going to build her skills without taking risks and making mistakes; he would have been prouder if she had fallen. From Maria’s metaphor, I more greatly understand that I need to take some time to fall down the mountain (hopefully not too hard) so that when I finally do make it down unscathed, it’s well-deserved.

Client trust is more easily lost than gained and to this end, I shouldn’t expect to be the first person to contact a client or be the first person a client contacts. Instead, I should lay low, do a good job at what I’m assigned, and when it’s time, assimilate myself to the team. I do good work; I was hired because of it, but it takes time to get to know a client and for a client to get to know me.

Next time, sitting down with Jadea and Patrick…