Welcome International Social Marketing Association
We are pleased to welcome the International Social Marketing Association (iSMA) as a client for 2012. The iSMA is the world’s first global association dedicated to the advancement of social marketing research, teaching, and practice.
Please visit them at http://www.i-socialmarketing.org to learn more.
Four Rules of Work – Part 2
Rule 2: Only do business with people who are pleasant.
I remember Patricia Aburdene drilling this into me. Now, when I meet with a prospective client, I share this rule of doing business with them. Invariably, I get a smile or a chuckle. After they have worked with me awhile, I many of them ask if they can “borrow” my rule of pleasant. Since I don’t own it, it’s no problem for me to give it away.
Introducing pleasantness as a ground rule in a business relationship is disruptive. It helps us remember that working relationships do not have to be about which of us wields the metaphorical whip. It helps us keep our emotions in check, our blame game on the side lines, and our best side facing front.
Is it so hard to say please and thank you? Is it difficult to say, “I really need this now,” rather than “You need to do this now.”? Can we own and express our frustrations instead of taking them out on a collaborator? I think so, and when I express those expectations early in a working relationship, it is rare that those expectations aren’t met.
Of course, I make a commitment to being pleasant. It is not always easy. Like everyone, I get frustrated. I feel betrayed sometimes, or undermined. I get angry with others. But I keep the business relationship pleasant.
And if it can’t be a pleasant relationship? I “fire” my client. Yes, we can fire clients, just as clients can fire us. Keep this in mind, and you’ll see your business in a different light. Is that arrogant? No, it’s business. When a client or colleague is unpleasant, it drains you and your team of energy, motivation, and creativity. It affects not only your business with that person, but your entire capability to work with other clients. An unpleasant business relationship is an unprofitable one, for all parties involved. And the best solution to an unpleasant relationship that can’t become pleasant is separation.
I often hear my friends and acquaintances complaining about how nasty their colleagues, clients, and constituents can be. I wonder how and why we put up with folks who forget their manners when they are working. I recommend that they only do business with people who are pleasant.
Coming up next:
Rule 3: Work to make a difference, not a dollar.
Rule 4: Ask for help. Share the credit.
Four Rules for Work – Part 1
I started working when I was 13 years old, and I’ve been working ever since. Over the course of four decades, I’ve adopted four rules for myself to help me keep a happy, productive working life. I don’t always follow them, but when I do, I look forward to the beginning of the work day more than the end. Hope you enjoy reading them and sharing your own rules and comments:
Rule 1: THINK BIG. start small. Act Now.
I credit Phyllis Tilson Piotrow with teaching me this great mantra. By following it, I’ve found myself ahead of the curve by three to five years in innovations. It’s so simple and powerful at the same time. Thinking big means to me that we should allow ourselves to envision great victories. And when we do, it naturally gives us general directions. Starting small means to me that one can afford to make mistakes at first by testing different approaches to achieving the greater vision. The investment is not so great that it creates barriers, and the exposure is not so daunting to us. Act now means to me that we should take our small steps without engaging in excessive planning, policy-making, and preparation. Certainly, we should start doing these right away, and they are very important to long-term success. But acting now allows us to create a feeling of momentum that excites, motivates, and focuses us on our work.
Coming up next:
Rule 2: Only do business with people who are pleasant.
Rule 3: Work to make a difference, not a dollar.
Rule 4: Ask for help. Share the credit.
Excel Modeling
I’m working on an excel model to help public health managers understand how to cost a cervical cancer program.