The Cathryn Sloane Firestorm-Where Are You Ms. Sloane?

The technorati are not amused over recent college graduate Cathryn Sloane's blog post that all social media managers should be under 25. I wont enter the fray on that argument; suffice to say that in my experience, usage of social media for personal interactions does not equal qualifications gained over time managing a brand. (One of the complaints I often hear from Marketing and Communications Directors who have young staff working under them is that their team excels at understanding how new media tools work, but they don’t always know why they should be using the tools in the context of brand management.)

What fascinates me about this story, is that more than 500 people commented on Ms. Sloane’s article and numerous folks took the time to write articulate rebuttal articles, and even linked back to “prebuttals” such as this one. In short, it’s been a veritable link fest, engendering the kind of response to a piece of content that most of us who work in social media hope, and work hard for. Yet the crowd that she so successfully engaged has received nothing but radio silence from Ms. Sloane since the article was posted. She even went so far as to block followers on her Twitter account who had a dissenting opinion to her article. 

This is a problem.

I tell my clients to compare "engaging" on social media to going to a large, in-person networking party. There’ll be important people there that you should get to know, as perhaps they could be the key to the particular nut you’re trying to crack at the moment. You may know a few people already, so you shouldn’t ignore them, but you also have to have conversations with people you don’t know–whether it’s by listening in on an existing conversation to see where you can add something of value, or approaching a stranger and striking up a dialogue. And you have to do this in a respectful way; you have to be smart, interesting, funny and a really good listener and someone who can keep a conversation flowing. You must also hold people’s interest, so they feel a connection and start to see something in you. You never know who’s going to be there, and what role they could have in your life and career, so you wouldn't go to this party dressed in a risqué outfit, you wouldn't share intimate and inappropriate details about your personal life and you certainly wouldn’t start throwing out incendiary remarks to get attention unless you really had a good reason for doing so, and were prepared to defend them.

What Ms. Sloane did was the social media equivalent of dropping a politically incorrect bomb at an important cocktail party, then making a run for the door. While the dropping of the bomb itself might have been a strategic move to encourage link bait, her response seemingly was not. Not only did she not explain her position further–something anyone who has taken an undergraduate critical thinking class knows is, well, critical to credibility–she also missed a golden opportunity to engage and continue the debate with her detractors which could have created meaningful dialogue and provided a lot of value across the Internet. The fact that she eschewed such rigorous discourse is more damaging to her reputation than her actual article because we have to surmise that she’s either intellectually lazy or thin-skinned, and maybe a bit of both–it certainly doesn’t help her argument that young people just “know” how to be social, better than their older counterparts, because they are digital natives who’ve been using social media from a young age. Ultimately, the fact that she hasn't yet stepped up to the plate to take responsibility for and address the impact of her provocation, makes her look, at best, inconsistent and certainly not someone you’d want to be in relationship with–which is still a lot of what being in business is all about. 

The mind boggles as to what exciting things may have come her way–interviews, speaking engagements, job offers, book deals, etc., but I hope that no-one offers Ms. Sloane a job in social media–at least, not yet, anyway–until she’s learned (or displays) better etiquette. Her behavior is the antithesis of how networking and making real connections works, whether it’s in person or on the Internet. In professional settings it could seriously damage relationships and ultimately a brand’s reputation. In any case, it’s behavior that shouldn’t be rewarded.

And that’s true, no matter how old you are.

Natalie Zensius is a marketing communications strategist with experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Learn more about Natalie at http:www.linkedin.com/in/nzensius.

May The Burning Bridges Light Your Way

It’s always been true that success in business is predicated on one’s ability to build enduring relationships.  And people’s reputations have always followed (or preceded) them. But now, as the walls between our personal and professional lives continue to crumble due to social media, we’re still connected online socially to people we no longer work with, which makes relationship and reputation management an ongoing concern.

It’s not only easy to trace a person’s path and network of relationships online, it’s even easier to draw conclusions about whether to recommend someone do business with them from how they conduct themselves there.

Take note of people’s behavior online, because according to a recent study, it's very likely consistent with who they are offline.

Natalie Zensius is a marketing communications strategist with experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Learn more about Natalie at http:www.linkedin.com/in/nzensius.

Non-Profit Shouldn't Mean "No Money" - 15 Ways Non Profits Can Create Economic Sustainability

These aren’t easy times for non-profits. External pressures from the economy are compromising the philanthropic sector and most non-profit leaders report that there just isn’t as much money to go around anymore.

Like the small businesses that are weathering this economy, non-profits are saying yes to projects but not necessarily yes to more staff. Small business owners and non-profit leaders alike are rightly nervous about adding more fixed costs, but one essential difference between non-profits and small businesses is that even in good economic times, most non-profits revenue sources are inherently break-even, or worse, losses. How many small businesses could stay in business by providing a product or service, which routinely cost them more than they were paid to deliver? Not many, yet this hand to mouth existence is the norm for many non-profits. No wonder their leaders are also dealing with the internal pressures–such as burn out and high turnover–that come with trying to do too much with too little, especially when community needs are higher than ever.

Being funder/donor driven means most non-profits have historically had a lack of agency over what they could say no to. It’s hard to stop doing things with expenses to worry about, even when there’s a huge amount of work involved in getting a donation or grant. One Executive Director I know wryly notes that there is often an inverse relationship between the size of an award and the amount of staff time that has to go into getting it. But the old screen of: “Is it on mission?” “Is it funded?” doesn’t work anymore. Just because a project has a funder attached to it, doesn’t mean it’s sustainable.

Not surprisingly, there’s going to be a dearth of non-profit leaders in the next 5-10 years. It’s tough out there, but the good news is that times like these present opportunities for non-profits to rethink how they do business.Whether funding is restricted versus unrestricted isn’t really the question or the issue anymore – now it’s about working to get beyond break-even and aiming for modest profitability.

Granted, it’s hard to report a cash reserve to funders without them saying, “you obviously don’t need our money”, but struggling to get by no longer works – there needs to be change in how business is thought about and conducted in this sector so it can thrive. This will happen when non-profits start evaluating the opportunity cost of every project and say “no thank you” when it’s appropriate. What does this change look like? Here’s some ideas to take back to your organization: 

1. Understand that foundations are trying harder than ever to spread the wealth.
   Mobilize around this and decide to agree not to take on any projects that will pay less than the time you have to put into securing them. 
2. Realize that profit is not a dirty word.
   Think about the language you’re using. Are you really about no profit? Is that inherently sustainable? What alternative terms would be more powerful and accurate for you and your funders? 
3. Get better at saying no, by not making decisions alone.
   Listen to your staff; not just through financial metrics but also in how the delivery of service is going. 
4. Discard the notion that saying no means resources will go away, (but be ready if it does).
   Foundations might have been pulling you along because you’ve been in their portfolio. Re-shifting is happening with everyone right now. 
5. Look at the bad habits/ assumptions you need to eradicate going forward.
   Don’t be afraid to sit down and talk about what’s not working. 
6. Abolish financial illiteracy.
   There are four or five things about a non-profit balance sheet that you should know. CompassPoint has excellent fiscal literacy classes for non-profits. 
7. Embed economics into your strategic plan.
   What kind of stuff did you say yes to this year that hasn’t taken your organization where you want it to go financially 
8. Build clear revenue goals into your operational plan.
   If you haven’t hit your revenue goals for May, re-evaluate your budget and plan for the rest of the year. 
9. Create 3 budgets – optimal, maintenance and contingency.
   Use values-based decision-making in your approach to budget cuts. If you don’t have the cash it takes to do the work, and be modestly profitable, it’s not sustainable.
10. Stop thinking of your organization as a pass-through for other people’s resources.
    If grants require you to be break even, round things out with donations or earned income. A hybrid business model is key.
11. Make financial surplus a line item in the budget.
    Talk to funders transparently about wanting to have a surplus to be sustainable. Economic sustainability means you can be around for longer to do the work. 
12. Work towards modest profitability.
    Aim for at least 3 months reserve in the ban 
13. Understand which funders see you as being core to their strategy.
    Deeply understand how they think about their impact and whether you are central to that impact in their eyes. 
14. Stop writing grant proposals, start interviewing clients.
    Share your client’s stories with funders. It’s not about your organization and what it can do; it’s about the impact you’re having. 
15. Be clear about your purpose and be passionate about it.
    People naturally support leaders. If you’re engaged, excited and not burnt out, or worse yet, bored, they are more likely to support the cause you’re stomping for.

In good times or bad, social change and economics shouldn’t be at odds in this sector – they’re intrinsically connected and critical to its success and sustainability. 

Natalie Zensius is a marketing communications strategist with experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Learn more about Natalie at http:www.linkedin.com/in/nzensius.

What Marathon Running And Business Have In Common

Barring some life circumstances and various states of injury I've been a devoted runner my whole adult life. Until recently, a half marathon was the longest distance I'd ever run; I'd always had my sights set on a marathon but couldn't commit to the time needed. Once I sent my youngest kid off to college a year ago, I began serious training and completed The Marine Corps Marathon with my friend and running partner, Amy Keller, in October. 

It's often said that the hardest part of running a marathon is training for one. It's also said that the first 20 miles on race day are just a warm-up for the last 6.2. Both of these truisms were definitely the case in my experience. There’s no faking it–you have to pay your dues and put in the time and discipline and run to the training schedule. Ultimately that's the only way to get good enough and strong enough to complete the race. And on race day it takes both smarts and determination to get over the finish line.

There's a lot to be learned when we physically push ourselves in this way. The strength and confidence gleaned from stretching to accomplish extraordinary things carries over into how we live up to the challenges of our professional lives; lessons learned from athletics can just as easily be applied to business. Some days the job is easy, other days extremely painful. Knowing when to conserve energy and when to go for broke is a key skill whether you're participating in endurance events, trying to ship a product or ensure a non-profit's sustainability. In all cases it's important to keep your eye on the future and your longer term goal in mind while preventing burnout in the present moment. In business, just like long distance running, you need people you can trust will be there for you when you're losing steam and you need to be there for people, even when you may want to zoom out ahead–teamwork is important, even for solo endeavors. And once a particular race is over it's not possible to rest on your laurels because you have to get out and run again or risk falling back on what you've gained.

Someone who understands all of this well is ultramarathon runner and businessman Dean Karnazes. Dean has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits: he ran 135 miles nonstop across Death Valley, CA in 120°F temperatures, and ran a marathon to the South Pole at −40°F. He completed a feat that is staggering to comprehend for ‘normal’ marathon runners like myself: running 50 marathons, in all 50 U.S. states, in 50 consecutive days, finishing with the New York City Marathon, which he completed in three hours and thirty seconds. Most recently he won the 4 Deserts Race, a series of 7 day ultramarathons across some of the harshest conditions on the planet. 4 Deserts has been called the ultimate test of human endurance. Needless to say, he’s a very inspiring person.

Earlier this week I attended the excellent North Face Speaker Series to hear Dean talk. Here’s a few fun facts that Dean, who Men’s Fitness magazine called “quite possibly the fittest man on the planet” shared with us:

•    Researchers found that he is, quite literally, made to run–his biomechanics are perfect and his body pushes out lactic acid (the bane of any endurance athlete’s existence) the more he runs
•    Unless he’s running or sleeping he stands. He finds sitting “tiring”
•    He can sleep while running if he has to
•    His idea of a good day is to run a marathon distance before he makes breakfast for his kids and takes them to school

The guy is clearly in a league of his own. But, Deans asserts that he’s just an ordinary guy doing extraordinary things.

Not surprisingly, Dean isn’t just good at running; he’s also a successful entrepreuner who holds graduate degrees in Science and Business. He’s worked for Fortune 500 companies and startups and founded a natural foods company of which he remains president to this day. Like many famous athletes, he’s put his celebrity to good use and has founded a non-profit organization. It’s called Karno Kids and raises awareness about childhood fitness and activity. I’m guessing that this philanthropic venture benefits greatly not only from his business acumen, but from his proven ability to excel in a competitive, and often challenging world.

Natalie Zensius is a marketing communications strategist with experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Learn more about Natalie at http:www.linkedin.com/in/nzensius.

How Sport Is An Important Part Of Business

Image: Randy Chiu

What do baseball and football (or any other sport for that matter) have in common with business? They're fail-safe things you can talk to your colleagues and customers about.

Your work most likely takes you around this great country to various organizations where you no doubt meet and interact with people of all stripes. When you sit down with your clients or vendor partners for a meeting, in the first few minutes there will invariably be two types of people in the room: the ones who are talking and the ones who have nothing to say. Why? Because before you get down to the brass-tacks of business (and while you're waiting for stragglers to arrive) the ice-breaker is more often than not, sports. Some people feel that sports is beneath them and so don't deign to follow which means they can't participate in this important part of the business ritual.

According to this study, college educated women enjoy sports as much as their male counterparts but men watch more sports than women and have a greater grasp of sports trivia. Sadly, there are still more men than women in leadership positions in the U.S. (source: Catalyst research) but the chances are, for your client or colleague of either gender, sports is a great water-cooler topic to chat about. The same holds true for vendors, regardless of whether they have a college education or not. Plus, it's much safer ground than politics, or religion, or what kind of car you drive.

I'm not just talking about sports, really. Think communication, connection and preparation; all things you need to be good at to make it in business. If you really care about your various stakeholders and you want to forge a strong bond with them, or strengthen an existing relationship, demonstrate that you care what they care about, be prepared and spend some time reading up on their sports teams.

Go Giants!

Natalie Zensius is a marketing communications strategist with experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Learn more about Natalie at http:www.linkedin.com/in/nzensius. 

Management Lessons From Healthcare

Image: Ezra Klein

I just finished reading Letting Go, the latest treatise by surgeon-cum-writer Atul Gawande, which explores the ambiguities of end-of-life care. There is a lot to be learned from the study of healthcare. It helps us gain “insider” information that can not only empower us as healthcare consumers, it can also be instructive as we think about our own work.

As Drs. Leonard Berry and Kent Seltman point out in their book, healthcare customers are unique in that they are usually sick or injured and under considerable stress; medicine requires them to bare themselves–emotionally and physically–to doctors and caregivers to a far greater degree than any other industry. Healthcare providers must continually perform well together in the face of vulnerable customers, known human error, system failure and vast amounts of technology to provide the intangible service called health and well-being. It goes without saying then, that there's much to be gleaned from the individuals that serve us in this unique–and often life altering–way.

More than 70% of Americans now earn a living in the service sector, which encompasses everything from health, law, telecommunications and entertainment to retail, finance and beyond. The chances are high that we will all work in a service job at some point in our career. And the notion of service has applications for all industries. Management guru Tom Peters believes the concept of "servant-leadership" is critical for success no matter what business you're in. At its core, service is inherently about performance so medicine is a great place for management to look for insight about how to improve service for both their internal and external customers.

Gawande has found a theme in trying to understand human failure and imperfection and studying how individuals, teamwork and process can be improved against a backdrop of dizzying technology and massive amounts of information. What he also shows us along the way is that excellence isn’t innate; it is an ingrained practice borne out of learning from mistakes.

In his first book, Complications, Gawande recognizes that medicine, even with all of the latest technology, is imperfect and asks how we become even remotely competent at something that’s inherently flawed. What he discovers time and time again, is a powerful truth applicable to all of our jobs: excellence in anything is never just about the science; and even with “perfect” science, or well-established process, or advanced levels of education and experience, fallibility is a constant. Excellence in service, whether it's for our customers, colleagues or business partners is about accepting failure when it happens and moving on from it quickly to improve. In Letting Go he teaches us that it’s also about artistry–the human touch, collaboration, generous acts, personal courage and core values that guide decision-making and inspire extra effort.

He is arguably one of the best healthcare essayists for the medical layperson to read.

Natalie Zensius is a marketing communications strategist with experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Learn more about Natalie at http:www.linkedin.com/in/nzensius.