Communicating in the City

I feel old

I'm only 38 but today I feel like I'm 68.

It used to be I was the youngest one in the crowd - among friends, family members and in the office. But now...I'm the old one.

In the workplace, I'm surrounded by youth - colleagues in their early-to-mid twenties - full of new ideas and passionate about shiny new tools to introduce inside the company. It's all good, of course. Fresh ideas are always a good thing. But these days, it's all just too much.

Every time we get used to using a new tool or platform, another one comes along that's better and faster. There's no time to enjoy or appreciate a tool; it's bang -- on to the next one! Yet another thing to learn and adapt to...in addition to our normal every day activities.

And with all these new tools, I don't even think my staff reads my emails anymore.

Companies like Atos and Volkswagen are cutting down on internal email to reduce overload and it's giving people ideas. Sure, we all suffer from electronic noise but like I said, these alternative tools in themselves are noise.

Whatever happened to a good old-fashioned phone call?

Minnesota bound

Off to Best Buy's Richfield, Minnesota HQ this week to cover their town hall for simply-communicate. What makes their internal town halls unique? They're completed unscripted with no agenda and have proven to be an effective internal communications vehicle for staff.

While Best Buy's CEO Brian Dunn has been under fire as of late, kudos to him for exhibiting transparency and expressing a desire to set the record straight for his employees. It's always great to see a CEO blog and do videos - he's obviously a champion of social media.

And from what I hear, Dunn is just as transparent and accessible during the company's internal town hall broadcasts. He also makes it his business to visit Best Buy stores and interact with retail employees.

Looking forward to hearing what he has to say this week and meeting the friendly and hospitable Best Buy internal comms team.

In this day and age of struggling economies and nervous employees everywhere, it's nice to see a CEO like Dunn visit the front lines and not hide in an office or behind impersonal, scripted emails. More and more leaders are seeing what it takes to truly engage employees and build a sense of trust.

Look out for my video report about my Best Buy visit in the February 1st edition of simply-communicate.

But more sooner than that - be sure to check out this Wednesday's edition where I'll be reporting on Alcatel-Lucent's social intranet. We'll also have 2012 internal communications predictions, a handy toolkit on creating a successful internal social media campaign, as well as top tips on employee surveys and how to conduct research/engagement during challenging times.

And of course, tune into simply-tv on Wednesday where we'll be bringing you our usual array of informative and entertaining interviews live from London and New York!

Something to make you think

Yesterday's tragic death of Suzanne Hart sheds light on the importance of elevator safety.

The Young & Rubicam executive was crushed to death during an elevator mishap as two other passengers watched in horror.

All she was doing was entering an elevator on the way to work - something we all do every day.

The horrifying incident has led me to recall many times in which an elevator I was on suddenly shook or stopped abruptly. I was even stuck in an elevator when I worked at CBS.

In addition to the building safety angle, I really hope Young & Rubicam have grief counselors in place to assist shaken colleagues of Hart. As a WPP company (I used to work for one), Y&R should have ample crisis communication plans in place.

On simply-communicate, I recently published an article on how to communicate the death of a leader or executive inside a company which was just followed up with an insighful blog by veteran crisis communications consultant, Jim Lukaszewski. Given the fact that Hart worked in a leadership position, much of the insight in these articles holds true for her passing.

I can only imagine how sad the holidays will be for her family this year.

Take this month and shove it

Just had my 38th birthday this weekend. All I can say is big friggin deal. It's just another day - especially this time of year. It's nestled in between the Christmas holiday when people are already stressed about spending money and buying gifts for everyone.

Don't get me wrong - I'm grateful for my friends and family for all their gifts and good wishes. And sure, I have a lot to be thankful for. I just wish society didn't make such a fuss - birthdays, holidays - they're all about pressure. It's assumed you're going to have a great time. "It's your big day!" Blah, blah, blah.

Well, gee, I was sick on my birthday - on the friggin' couch most of the afternoon with a nasty head cold and a sore left foot. Happy birthday!

Birthday, holidays - they're all about obligation. Gotta buy this one a present, gotta buy that one dinner.

Gotta tip my super. For what? For the leak in the bathroom that he didn't fix properly?

Or how about when you repeatedly go above and beyond for a particular person and he barely makes an effort for your big day? A text message? Really? And you call yourself a gentleman?

Or how about this one - you go to your local restaurant one night, tell the host it's your birthday and he says, "Cheers," while pouring what you think is a complimentary glass of wine. And it shows up on the bill.

Or you go to your regular beauty salon where people are surly and barely grateful for the tips you've given them. And you've just been charged a lot for a plethora of services.

Bah humbug. Wake me when it's January 2nd.

 

Long live the blog

I can't help but to chuckle at the name of my blog this evening: 'Communicating in the City'. Hell, no one communicates in New York anymore. Unless you want to call an occasional text communication. Or maybe a quick email. Or a fast Skype call. Or a Twitter message. Or a Facebook wall post.

Everything is lightning fast these days; we want to be able to log onto a website quickly and get the info we need to know; we want to hear instant responses from those we (actually) attempt to contact. Sure, social media can do that...but there's no emotional connection.

People use Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc to brag about their cute kids, the posh restaurant where they ate dinner, the cool city they're traveling to next, etc, etc, etc. It's merely a status thing. Look at me, I'm cool. But hey, are you really calling any of these 'friends', sending them a decent-sized email? Probably not.

Social media has made people more and more vain. No one really wants to be social. If they did, they'd pick up a phone and say 'happy birthday'; not write it on someone's wall. 

It's actually kind of refreshing when I come across people who refuse to conform to the times. The guy I've been dating for the past several months doesn't even own a computer; and his cell phone is from the dark ages. He's pretty much intimidated by the whole technology and social media scene...which might not be a bad thing if I ever want to mouth off about him on Facebook.

The social media tool that I think is the most valuable? Blogging. Hence, what I'm doing right now. People have the chance to write multiple paragraphs and spread knowledge, viewpoints and information. Blogging can be social if people decide to leave comments and interact with you. But if they don't, blogging can be an extremely personal, therapeutic way to express your thoughts. Who the hell needs an overpriced therapist when you can have an inexpensive platform to rave, vent...and dare I say it, communicate?

Thanks to sites like Twitter and Facebook, I'm seeing more and more communicators fall off when it comes to keeping up with their blogs. Hell, if people are so busy typing out their 140 characters and linking to articles and videos, and if they're spending tons of time 'checking in' to venues and posting Facebook photos, when does that leave them time to blog a good 5-8 paragraphs?

That said, I'm happy to say I'm gradually getting back into the blogging groove. It's a precious tool - one that people need to remember and embrace once again.

I feel the Earth move under my feet...

What a week for New York - an earthquake on Tuesday, a hurricane approaching this weekend. What the heck is going on??

For the first time ever, the NYC transit system has been shut down due to a natural disaster. People - including my parents - have been evacutated. They're now staying with me and luckily, they've brought a ton of food!

I dusted off my transistor radio, reloaded the batteries and located all the flashlights I could find. Loss of power is a huge possibility so you really do have to think of everything - going to the ATM for money, making sure cell phones are charged, etc.

If there's no TV, I may actually sit down and finish the book I'm reading - can't read it on the beach this weekend so I may as well read it over (most likely) candlelight.

And if there are no cell phones (or even land lines), we might all have to have actual conversations with each other - no emailing, no texting, no IM'ing, no Angry Birds. Imagine that.

Luckily, I was able to get this blog post in before my computer possibly goes.

So come on, Irene, we're all ready for you now...

I heard a pin drop

Here's a good one (consider this a follow-up blog entry to last week's):

I was out with my girlfriends the other night, minding my own business as I waited for them to get our drinks at the bar. All of a sudden I was approached by a "Wall Street" guy who came in for the kill. "I've been watching you all night." Creepy or flattering? You decide.

So he proceeds to chat me up, bragging about his nearby apartment with a killer rooftop, blah, blah, blah. After he allows me to get in a few words, he then asks if I have a BlackBerry. "Yes, I do," I said. "Why?"

"Now I can give you my Pin #," he replies.

Huh? What was I - an ATM machine?

He then proceeded to explain that Pin #'s are used to BBM people. He was referring to the BlackBerry Messenger service. Obviously I don't use it. I mean, who needs it? You have calling, texting, emailing, and don't forget Skype.

That aside, whatever happened to simply exchanging phone numbers? If you like someone, you call them - it's much more personal.

Nowadays, giving someone your "digits" means something completely different. A Pin #? Give me a break.

Or...when people do exchange phone numbers, you call each other's phones so the numbers get stored. That's great, but what happens if you lose your phone or it gets stolen or it breaks? Then you're screwed because you never bothered to write the number down of a person who could potentially be great date (or relationship) material.

I'm a writer - I always carry a pen and a small memo pad in case I need to write something down. I also make sure I have a few business cards on me wherever I go. I don't solely rely on electronics to store valuable information. You always have to have a back-up.

Don't people know how to spell?

Maybe it's because I'm an Editor, maybe it's because I'm a former Spelling Bee champ, but typos really annoy me. And it's amazing how many there are in the business world.

I'm so revved up about the topic that I'm actually blogging after a six month hiatus. In case you're wondering, you will not see any typos in this blog entry.

Sometimes I'm not sure whether it's people's inability to spell certain words or just plan laziness (have you heard of spell check?), but these days, more and more documents (and e-mails) are coming my way with mis-spelled words. Some common mistakes - "your" vs. "you're" and "tomorrow" vs. "tommorrow".

A friend of mine is doing online dating and is amazed at how many women e-mail him with typos and misspellings. Gee, that's such a turn on. If the women are that careless with spellcheck, imagine how flaky they might be in real life. I'm just saying...

And don't get me started with text messages. While they're great when you're in a hurry or if you want to send quick bursts of information, they're doing a number on our grammar. People are now beginning to abbreviate in every day life.

A recent "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episode was particularly hilarious because it dealt with a character who said "LOL" rather than actually laughing. And let's not forget LMAO, OMG and TTYL. If we're abbreviating so much, how on earth are we going to become good spellers?

Society is getting so lazy that I think we're going to stop talking altogether. We'll continue to text and e-mail each other when we're sitting in the same room, and we'll continue to zone out while listening to our iPods on the train or when we're reading our Kindles or playing with our iPads. Gee, during a time when everyone can't wait to connect, no one is really physically interacting. I can't remember when someone actually looked up and made eye contact on the train. Maybe that's why so many people are single in New York and in other cities. We have too much other cool stuff to focus on; instead of wanting to meet sexy people, we're obsessed with our sexy gadgets. It's amazing that you still see so many pregnant people around; obviously some people are putting their Kindles down long enough to procreate. Must've been that long, hard winter we had...

In any event, while it's great to embrace technology, we mustn't forget the basics: how to spell, how to interact and how to truly communicate. And with that, I say GN for now...

 

Whatever happened to...

...commercial jingles?

Remember during our childhood, when catchy jingles dominated the airwaves? We were encouraged by AT&T to "reach out and touch someone" while San Giorgio boasted that "New York loves San Giorgio/great spaghetti in a great spaghetti town."

Thanks to Big Red gum, we could "say goodbye a little longer" and dare we forget those adorable Oscar Mayer jingles? Or how we wanted to buy the world a Coke?

Advertising back then just seemed so much catchier. Commercials were nostalgic; jingles stuck in your head for days. Brands truly had a distinctive feel.

These days - much like feature films - everything is about glitz and special effects. Ads are noticeably shorter to keep up with shrinking attention spans. While some commercials get an occasional chuckle out of me, I find myself fast forwarding through most of them. Most ads just aren't memorable anymore, unless there's a big-name celebrity endorsing a product or if the spots air during the Super Bowl.

It's been awhile since an Average Joe like Jared became a spokesman sensation or when the late Clara Peller asked "Where's the Beef?"

So what's my point, you may ask? Advertising needs to come up with new gimmicks, more creativity if it wants to sell products. 

Companies should take a cue from Old Spice who relied on the power of the internet and viral marketing. Their spokesman - Isaiah Mustafa - became a national sensation in the US last year.

Maybe it's because it's 10 degrees in New York right now and I've been cooped up inside watching one too many crappy commercials these past couple of days, that I've decided to comment on the state of advertising. Or perhaps it's because I'm procrastinating and avoiding the remaining mound of work that lies before me. Nevertheless, I think external advertising needs to step it up a bit these days. After witnessing (and judging) some of the excellent internal videos and campaigns that companies are producing, let's hope their original sources of inspiration get better themselves.

Welcome to the dead of winter

  It's only January 14th and this winter is already exhausting. At the end of December, we were socked with nearly 30 inches of snow; the other night we got 7 more. And it's so bloody cold out! 20 degrees as we speak.

But, hey, what's a little white stuff and freezing temps, right?

Yesterday, I didn't let the weather stop me - I shot video in frigid conditions - outdoors - all over Brooklyn. It was exteriors galore for a training video I'm producing. 

Sure, I love writing and editing; I do it all the time as Editor of simply...but there's something exhilarating about shooting footage. Not talking heads so much, but nature, images, buildings, scenics - the crazy landscape that is New York City.

In spite of chapped hands and not feeling my toes after awhile, I was warmed by the pleasure of being able to capture every shot, control every moment...I even made a few new friends along the way. It's funny how much attention you get when you lug a camera and tripod around. One thoughtful passer-by even helped me navigate a huge mound of snow. Gotta love it.

The weather may be brutal but there's something special about winter in New York. It's cozy. Radiators hiss and clang as the heat comes up in our apartments. Trudging through snow and slush and sliding on icy pavements bring people together - New Yorkers unite on half-ass plowed streets and bitch and moan about the inconvenience of the powdery stuff which by now is black with soot and yellow with...well, you know (hint: it comes from a dog).

Ah, winter in New York. I wouldn't have it any other way.