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string(5456) "In recent years, many nonprofits have started to become more introspective about whether or not they are truly meeting the needs of the populations they are trying to serve. Many have become interested in involving clients and consumers in the process of designing solutions, and shifting to a mindset that is more empowering and consumer-driven. While this general shift represents a positive development in the field, many find themselves stuck on how exactly to go about this process. A human-centered design approach offers a great paradigm for organizations that are seeking to become more inclusive.
Human-centered design (HCD), also known as design thinking, is an innovative approach that puts consumers in the driver’s seat. Using this perspective can help your organization to design programs, projects, and products that better meet the needs of the populations that you serve, building empowerment in the process. It has been used successfully by for-profits and nonprofits alike, and is particularly favored by organizations that seek to address social and public health-related problems. A human-centered design lens is a great option for organizations seeking to reach their target populations in a more effective and inclusive way.
The HCD process involves several distinct stages, which are repeated after receiving feedback from consumers. The beginning of the human-centered design process involves observation, inspiration, and empathy. This is where designers must do whatever they can to put themselves into the hearts and minds of the people for whom they are designing. This is a phase where openness is valued, and receiving is better than giving. Tools and approaches in this stage include individual and group interviews, expert research, and basic observation of conditions, habits, and environments. It is important to identify pain points, and to continue to ask, “why is this important?”
Following this initial phase, designers begin to narrow in on a definition of the problem at hand, making sure that any potential solutions are designed with ultimate impact in mind. Designers zero in on the identified problem using observations and input gathered in the first steps of the process. It is crucial that all team members share an understanding of goals and purpose, and are designing around this shared understanding. This stage involves discussion, more listening, and creative thinking. The challenge and goal within this phase is to frame the issue at hand as a design question.
Once designers have jointly and specifically identified the problem that they are trying to solve, exploration and brainstorming begin. Within this phase solutions are explored, tested, and iterated. Human-centered design does not demand immediate perfection, and so leaves room for the development of a “more perfect” design over the course of the process. After receiving feedback on initial ideas on potential solutions, designers go back to the drawing board again and again. This approach allows designers to use feedback from potential users to inform more and more improved versions of a product or program over time.
Human-centered design is inherently empowering. It taps into and assumes the presence of an innate human creativity that has the potential to solve whatever problems present themselves to us. It also assumes that individuals are the best source of information for what is important to them, what they need, and where they want to go. This stands in contrast to the philosophy of aid programs of the past that assumed the stance that if poor and underserved populations would just “do this” or “do that,” then they would be able to advance. Programs with this attitude so often fell short because they failed to empower the people that they were meant to serve, and so ended up badly missing the mark.
Using this approach can present some internal obstacles for those accustomed to a different way of doing things. Firstly, it’s important to name that it can be a bit of a shock to the ego to consider the idea that we may not actually know the best answer after all. We so often have a wealth of ideas up our sleeves that we’re eager to implement, with the best of intentions in mind. It can be tough to put on the brakes and be told to just listen for a while. Beyond that, empathy is fundamental to the process, and this can be a difficult skill to develop. It can also be tough to get comfortable with the idea of iteration. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have the right answer right away, often to the detriment of the creative process.
Human-centered design operates from principles of empowerment, collaboration, flexibility, and openness, and it can be seamlessly integrated into your organization’s process using a few simple tools and methods. However, the most important component of this process is a shift in thinking from top-down to bottom-up. How willing are you and your organization to make that shift? Taking this question into consideration can lead to some big and important changes to the work that you do, resulting is greater impact and connection to community."
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string(4112) "There has been a lot written in recent years about Work-Life Balance v. Work-Life Integration. The words “balance” and “integration” have been dissected to the point that they simultaneously feel like synonyms and antonyms. What is it, though, that we are really trying to get at?
The concept of Work-Life Balance entered into my psyche for the first time around 2004. I was early in my law school career, and all around me my peers were asking the law firms they were interviewing with whether or not they supported “work-life balance”, and if so, how? Simultaneously, I was working as a law clerk at the firm that I was a paralegal with prior to starting law school, and ultimately would stay with for a number of years after graduation. While law students were asking about work-life balance, the attorneys at firms were scratching their heads, wondering what in the world were these law students talking about? There is no balance at the beginning of your legal career - there is only work-work balance, and “life” gets the scraps that are left over when you are exhausted and have nothing to give. That’s how they did it, and if it was good enough for them, it was good enough for the next generation.
Fast forward to my years working within the technology start-up sector. Not only was Work-Life Balance a term relegated to the past, but we had to come up with a new phrase to signify how it is that we approach managing work and personal life. Enter….”Work-Life Integration”. With the technological advances of email, smart phones, mobile applications, etc...we as humans are more accessible than ever, and so is every part of our life. We live and die by our calendars, creating separate ones for personal/social, work and even our custody schedules. We share them with others so they know where to find us, and when. We have our work email on our personal devices and our personal email on our work devices so we are at the ready for anything, at any time. Hence - we have integrated. There are no boundaries between work and personal. We can work at soccer practice, and we can watch a live-streamed school play from the comfort of our offices when in the midst of a high pressure transaction.
But...is this the zenith? At this point in my life and my career, I find myself full of questions with very few answers. Each question begets more questions. My children want to show me what is important to them, without the ping from my phone interrupting the attention they are receiving. When I am working on a deliverable for a client, they want to know that what they are paying me for has my full attention.
How can I have it ALL? CAN I have it all? What does it even MEAN to have it all?? Is this where we want to be? Or, have we lost touch with what it means to be a fully and wholly integrated person walking through the many avenues of life? There are so many facets to who we are as individuals. Yes, of course, we have our professional aspirations. We have our personal lives that could include partners, children, hobbies, friendships, exercise, spiritual practices, etc. But, is it necessary that they continue to be defined separately? If we are one person, is it possible that we could bring the aspects that make us most productive in the work setting into our homes? And the aspects that make us the most fulfilled in our homes into our work settings? What if we offered our co-workers, our friends and our families the best of all aspects of ourselves.
In addition to this, what would it mean to truly be present for each moment in our lives? To not bifurcate and watch our niece’s play in a live stream, but to actually be present for it and not touch our cell phone come hell or high water until it is over? Or to be present for the deal in the office that needs our full attention and go ahead and outsource soccer practice that night to someone who can be present for that?
We have come a long way in this conversation. But, perhaps we still continue to miss the point. Work v. Life. Balance v. Integration. Whole v. Separate. Where are you?"
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string(3855) "Recently, I was asked to prepare and deliver a training on conflict management for an organization. As I started to consider different options for presenting meaningful information, I consistently returned to the basic tenets of emotional intelligence. The term “emotional intelligence” has become a buzzword in today’s organizations, but few of us really understand the true meaning.
Emotional intelligence skills can be divided into four categories: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. Within each category is a set of skills that, when coupled with conflict resolution tools and techniques, will yield positive results.
Self-awareness: Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and understand your moods emotions, and drives as well as their effect on others. Those that are self-aware, recognize their automatic reactions or emotional triggers and have learned to neutralize them. They proceed with caution while keeping themselves in check.
Those that have low self-awareness tend to become externally focused on the person or situation that has “caused” the problem they face, and allow their reactions to “hijack” their behavior. This altered state of mind is often referred to as a neural hijack and can lead to unhealthy, emotionally reactive behavior.
Self-Management: Self-management is the ability to think before acting. Instead of letting reactions dictate behavior, they can explore possible strategies prior to taking action. Their energy is focused on slowing down and making conscious choices about what to do. Self-management is the skill set that enables you to exert conscious control over your behavior.
Social Awareness: Social-awareness is being proficient in managing relationships. Those that are not socially aware, tend to make false assumptions in the heat of the moment. In general, when emotions are triggered they assume the worst, and their assumptions fuel the fire of their reactive behavior.
On the other hand, those who are socially aware, attend to others and can establish empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people and have skills in treating people according to their emotional reactions. They look for positive intentions behind negative behavior. Instead of reacting negatively to "bad" behavior, they seek to respond to the other person’s positive intentions and to lead them toward behaviors that better express those intentions.
Relationship Management: Those who are not adept at managing relationships, often lose their perspective of time when they are emotionally charged. Despite whatever ongoing relationship they may have with someone, when negative emotional reactions are triggered they are likely to react with destructive behavior undermining their future relationship with that person. Those that are skilled at managing relationships, remain cognizant of the fact that how they interact in the present determines the quality of their relationships in the future. Keeping this broader perspective during conflict helps them to focus on self-awareness, self-management and social awareness, resisting the impulse to react negatively.
Emotional intelligence is essential for managing any conflict we face in our everyday lives. As we all know, conflict appears in every relationship we have – work, home, friendships, etc. Being able to effectively manage conflict is about leveraging emotional intelligence skills to consider outcomes from the perspective of our relationships. Too often, we find ourselves arguing about petty issues; and if we aren’t careful, these interactions can trigger waves of defensiveness and hostility. However, they are skills that have to be learned, practiced and internalized if they are to be successful."
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string(5390) "I hold a pretty controversial business view: I love Microsoft PowerPoint and believe it has the potential to convert skeptics into believers. A solid design, the right balance of confident storytelling and on-screen text, and thoughtful video or graphics can make my heart flutter. I understand, though, why there are many detractors: Some of the templates have been used ad nauseum, many of us never received formal training on what makes a good presentation, and a few of the features (I’m looking at you, WordArt and pinwheel animation.) could have been retired a while back. And we have likely all had a colleague attempt to test the limits of our eyesight and patience by drafting a short novel on one slide.
So why am I advocating for PowerPoint? A well-constructed presentation can reinforce – or better yet, enhance – the story you’re verbally telling. Its format also allows it to live on after the presentation ends; disseminating slides after conferences or meetings is common practice among many of my clients. PowerPoint has also advanced its embedding tools in the past five years, allowing presenters to more seamlessly add multimedia elements. Lastly, it’s a widely accessible tool. PowerPoint has been around since 1987, and much of the current workforce uses it – or attempts to, at least.
If you’re ready to unlock the power of PowerPoint to make your presentation more memorable, here are a few foundational tips:
Unique templates, plentiful formats
Have you seen the same generic template over and over again? Or is your staff using whatever theme strikes their fancy on a given day? Investing in the creation of a branded template with your organization’s colors, fonts, images, and logo embedded into the master theme is worth it. With one template, the whole team will present a cohesive look to the world and ensure your brand’s integrity. I also try adding interest by creating slides with both light and dark background colors, varying text alignment, and including agenda progression slides that serve as a roadmap for the audience to keep them engaged.
Heavy on visuals, light on text
If you’ve ever watched a TED Talk, you know that presenters frequently use PowerPoint (or Keynote, a similar but less widespread program) to help drive their message home. Often, the slides contain just a single image, word, or sentence. While I’m not recommending you remove all text from all slides, consider the words you want your audience to remember, and include just those. Consider these points to be the ones your audience will write down and what you hope will stick with them after your presentation ends.
When it comes to visuals, photos are a striking way to help you tell your story, but remember to give credit to the photographer. Sites such as Unsplash and Pexels can provide you with a wealth of free-use photos, searchable by subject. Including branded infographics, simple graphs/charts and icons (the modern take on clip art) can draw an audience in, as well. Just make sure everyone can easily read all of the text and numbers you’re planning to include or want to highlight. PowerPoint comes with a helpful SmartArt feature to make content more appealing for items such as lists and processes, but don’t attempt to use it as smoke and mirrors to distract from a lack of clear message.
No matter your combination of text and graphics, ask a strong editor for a second set of eyes – a capable proofreader can ensure error-free content. Seeing a typo projected on a large screen can erode credibility and detract from the presenter’s story.
Know your work, know your room
Public speaking incites fear in many – including me, a communicator by trade! However, using the content on PowerPoint slides or your notes section as a “read-aloud” limits your ability to connect with your audience. Know your content well, and practice as many times as needed to really own your presentation. Reading text verbatim may lead to a memorable experience for the wrong reasons. Always be ready to speak to any slide you present with confidence and competence.
It may seem minor, but position yourself for success by learning about the room long before you enter. Having a sense of the answers to the following questions helps calm my jitters:
Where will I be standing in relation to the screen?
Is someone available to help with my A/V needs, such as connecting to the projector and playing video?
Embracing the power
Consider hiring a consultant who is well-versed in turning drab presentations into compelling tools to incite curiosity or move audiences to act. With a few adjustments, you, too, can more fully embrace the power of PowerPoint.
Gretchen is a marketing and PR consultant specializing in integrated communications campaigns for nonprofits, small businesses, and local government."
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string(2704) "For some people, riding a bike is merely about transportation. Not for me. Aside from the exercise that cycling provides, I often have my most compelling insights while in the saddle. At times, riding becomes a metaphor for life.
One path that I ride frequently travels east from downtown Denver toward the Cherry Creek Reservoir. A few miles into the ride, I pass under a roadway, execute a full 360-degree turn, and confront my nemesis: a 3-foot pole in the middle of the path; it’s there to prevent cars and other motorized vehicles from driving onto the trail. For 15 years, that pole has tormented me. My anticipatory self-talk screams, “Look away. Don’t hit the pole!” Determined to avoid a painful collision, I squeeze the brakes and swerve. This physical barrier – and my response to it – has become a metaphor for mental and emotional obstacles that I create and that impede my effectiveness. When I ride defensively – to avoid the pole, my thoughts go to the larger life lesson about playing not to lose.
Everything in life goes better when I focus on the opportunities down the road instead of on individual obstacles along the way. Yes, it’s important to deal with obstacles when they arise. That’s different, though, than giving them so much energy and attention that I literally have no goal in mind other than to not hit the pole!
My knee-jerk tendency to see the pole distracts from my real goal. No amount of panicked attention to the pole will make it go away. It’s far better that I see the line I want to ride and allow myself to glide past the pole…mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Here’s an example that’s unfolding for me currently: after working most of the last 20 years in internal talent development, I am blazing a new trail in service to families and family-owned businesses. Even though I grew up in a family business and have coaching, mediation, and other valuable skills, I’m not assured of success. At the very beginning of this ride, I find myself at a fork in the road – one of many I’ll encounter – and have to choose whether to:
1) Set myself up to fail by becoming consumed with all of the reasons why family business consulting doesn’t make sense and won’t work. Or…
2) Clarify my point of view about families and family businesses and then talk to people who might have a need that I can serve.
The choice is simple – but not easy. Success requires hard work. It’s much more likely to come, however, when I steer toward what I want instead of toward the obstacles that I want to avoid.
I hope your next ride is focused on the line you want to travel!
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string(9480) "I began my career in journalism, writing about technology trends for a healthcare magazine long before the dawn of cell phones--much less social media. As a young reporter, there were times when I easily fell prey to the savvy PR person. I once attended a large industry conference, and was invited to briefing after briefing which I dutifully accepted upon the urgings of my boss. One of those briefings was followed by a fancy dinner. I was one of three reporters present, and we were giddy with all the attention. After three courses and some expensive wine, I went back to my hotel room and realized what I had just done. I had sold my soul to a vendor. I felt obligated to cover the company in my conference coverage; I never made the same mistake again.
Reporters these days are far less naïve. Some of them went through the dot-com boom and bust, and have turned into grizzled harbingers of the truth. All of them must do twice the work for less pay than when I was a journalist. They don’t use the phone and they rarely return emails. They’re bombarded by pitches from thousands of software and digital companies every week. For technology startups wanting to make some sort of impact in earned media, these are tough times. Yet it is still possible to develop a successful PR practice as a startup, if you’re willing to take the time to do it right and be patient. Here are my thoughts on how to make a difference in your outreach.
DOresearch your audience, and by audience I mean the journalists who cover your space.
Develop a list of 50 key targets to start, and spend time understanding their coverage areas, how they write about the industry and their style. Some reporters only cover news and finance announcements, while others will consider writing about trends or the people behind the companies. Tailor your pitches and emails accordingly and try to appeal to more than one angle, as tech reporters often cover several beats.
DON’Tbrag that your product is the first of its kind on the market.
Every product has a competitor, even if the competitor is a build-it-yourself product or manual process. Telling a reporter or editor your client’s product is the only product of its kind suggests you’re either not that smart or you just don’t have all the facts. On that same note, avoid typical PR phrases such as “the leading provider of XYZ.” Reporters see right through these hard-to-prove claims.
DOget to the point.
If your email doesn’t have the main message clearly stated in the subject line and/or within the first two sentences, forget it. Nobody has time to wade through your lengthy introductions and meaningless small talk. Spend time on subject lines. Make them explanatory yet brief so that somebody glancing through their inbox can quickly figure out what your email will cover. Avoid writing more than two paragraphs in an email. Keep it just long enough to pique interest so that the recipient will reply for more information.
DON’Tuse jargon in your pitch or press release.
Journalists hate these buzzwords: “revolutionary, innovative, transformative, pioneering, game-changing…”. Use straightforward language and keep it simple. As well, avoid insider industry jargon such as “de-depuplication” and “neural networks.” If you must use acronyms, write them out first. In journalism school, our professors called this speaking to the lowest common denominator. That doesn’t mean talking down or talking dumb, it just means preventing a situation where somebody has to read your copy twice to understand what you’re talking about – because they probably won’t bother.
DO be an expert in your sector.
Strive to talk intelligently about many topics, not just your own product or service. Get excited about your broader space and convey that enthusiasm to the reporter or editor, especially if you are lucky enough to have them on the phone. If you can, do some public speaking, vlogs or podcasts on relevant topics which you can post on your website. Contribute blogs to third-party websites that are authorities in your sector, such as trade groups, associations and niche publications. Journalists and analysts like smart people who can provide a fresh angle or contrarian perspective. This is especially true in high-tech, where hype is omnipresent.
DON’T call or send email asking if they got your previous email.
If they didn’t reply before, shoot a follow-up email a day or so later if you are highly confident the reporter is the ideal person to cover the news. Use this tactic with caution. But don’t ask if they got your first email. If they did and didn’t respond it’s because a) they’re too busy or b) they’re too busy and aren’t interested. Enough said!
DO lower your expectations.
Yes, your story is great, but so are the stories of about 100 other startups churning emails through the reporter’s inbox this week. Don’t worry if your pitch is ignored once, twice or 20 times: keep looking for the right reporter who’s covering your beat right now. Pre-funding and pre-revenue startups are especially prone to overstating their own worth. You must prove you are credible and have something to offer the market and the reporter’s time. It can take months to develop relationships and get quality coverage. Don’t give up. As well, be happy for any coverage you get, even if it’s critical or in a “lower-tier” publication. Too many startup founders get upset when they don’t see their name in lights two months after hiring the PR firm. They want to read about their company in TechCrunch, VentureBeat, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and so on. This is not a realistic approach for most startups. Instead, seek out a handful of the hundreds of influential tech bloggers who are writing compelling stories every day. They may not be writing for a name-brand media outlet, yet they are often looking for juicy tips and meaty quotes from executives on trends. This can be a powerful way to build up reputable online clips over time.
DON’T pitch boring stuff.
Startups like to write press releases about everything – from minor product updates to puffed-up partnerships. Use your blog for the lower hanging fruit and save the important, juicy stories for the media. Mine your customers, colleagues and partners for original story ideas. Share survey data, novel best practices or techniques in your field. Offer interviews with company leaders who have great stories and perspectives to share. Be funny, when it’s appropriate. Always look at the bigger picture, and how your product/service/strategy hooks into news stories happening right now or trends in development.
DO respond quickly and thoroughly.
When a reporter asks for something, don’t leave them hanging for days. They’re busy, stressed, distracted and they’ll quickly move on to something and someone else – and may never contact you again. Do not, except under dire medical distress, skip an interview because “something else came up.” If you must cancel the interview, give the reporter notice and offer to respond to an email interview if the deadline is tight. Answer the questions; don’t dodge or provide a promotional answer that benefits you.
DON’T employ tricks.
Don’t send swag or invite a reporter out to lunch. See my introduction! What reporters love most is honesty and solid (if not killer) story ideas. Offer exclusives, when you can.
Final words … Reporters and editors are under enormous pressure to deliver a lot of copy, sometimes thousands of words per week. Everything they publish must be factual and spot on to audience needs. Unlike the old days, content is meticulously tracked, measured and analyzed for advertisers and sales. Tech reporters are sometimes cranky and downright rude and who can blame them? They remember a day when they had time to cover a story thoroughly. Now, they must fight for their survival (and survival of their publication) every day. Technology trends and products change constantly, and they must be ahead of that game too. Tech reporters earn more than most, but they are still underpaid and often undervalued in this era of “fake news.”
Whatever you do, don’t criticize someone for small mistakes, such as misspelling your executive’s name. Ask politely for a correction and move on if it doesn’t happen. Make it easy for journalists, in every possible way, and you will develop relationships that last – even when the reporter leaves and go somewhere else.
Polly Traylor is a Canopy Advisory Group consultant and Founder of PST Consulting Inc., a Denver-based content and PR firm. Traylor and colleague Kevin Wolf wrote a book about tech startups, available on Amazon: Startupland: Madness, Brilliance and PR Misadventures."
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string(2063) "What was the most impactful marketing strategy implemented during your corporate career?
At General Mills, I was working on a business that had been steadily declining (along with the rest of the category). I led a six-month project to explore multiple hypotheses on what was driving the decline, including doing some fascinating consumer immersion work. The result of the project was a new messaging strategy that increased advertising ROI by 41% and stemmed the declines we’d been seeing in the business.
How do you use your passions to drive success in the workplace?
The reason I went out on my own to do brand and marketing strategy consulting was because I love the challenge of jumping into entirely new situations, learning about new brands and organizations, and helping provide a fresh perspective.
What makes your consulting techniques unique and effective?
I don’t start a consulting engagement assuming I know all the answers – I really enjoy learning a new business and team and then working alongside them to tackle tough problems. I also customize everything for each client – I don’t believe in off-the-shelf project plans or solutions.
How has your past work experience allowed you to grow?
I’ve been really fortunate to have had a broad mix of experiences over the years, from working in marketing research, to management, to retail marketing; and I’ve also had some great opportunities to tackle “non-traditional” roles like working cross-functionally within an R&D organization. Learning to adapt to different organizational cultures, business situations, and functional roles has given me a much better appreciation for the many factors and perspectives I need to consider in my consulting work.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
My two boys, ages 6 and 8, keep me pretty busy…but they’re also getting to the age where they can join me in some of my favorite things to do – like running, hiking, and cross-country skiing!"
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string(3135) "Once upon a time, every worker in an organization had a specialty. The person in charge of personnel didn’t do marketing; the accounting team didn’t do project management; and the CEO didn’t lead team-building initiatives at employee off-site meetings.
Then the pendulum swung, and suddenly, everyone was expected to perform ‘other duties as assigned’ without batting an eye. Copywriters were expected to become social media gurus and recruiters felt more like psychologists, vetting personality traits and administering a variety of mental acuity assessments. Video producers and editors are now expected to perform both roles, earning them the combined title of ‘preditors.’ In fact, earlier this week I staffed a television news interview for a client with a local TV station and the reporter (who is also the anchor) acted as his own cameraman, expertly positioning lights, cameras, and interview subjects.
My colleagues and I have frequently joked that reading through some companies’ job descriptions is a bit like watching a comedy of errors. Responsibilities run such a wide gamut that we often reflect that the hiring managers are looking for a unicorn – a single person with proficiency in such diverse skills simply doesn’t exist.
An emphasis on generalizing roles and assignments works well in some situations. However, there are times when this approach simply doesn’t help achieve organizational objectives. This is a significant reason for the rise in the gig economy, defined as a labor market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs.
While consultants have been around for years, the way companies view and use them has changed dramatically. Anyone who has seen the film Office Space recalls that the introduction of consultants was the death knell for a number of employees at the fictional Initech. But now, organizations are increasingly shying away from the traditional full-time employee and turning to experts who specialize in a performing a handful of specific, critical tasks – not in recommending cost-cutting measures or departmental restructuring.
Consultants are now available to fulfill just about any function for which a company has a need. Communications strategists, media relations experts, bookkeepers, financial experts, attorneys, life coaches, IT specialists, nonprofit practitioners, healthcare experts – you name it, there’s probably a consultant for it. And they don’t come with expensive overhead like dental and retirement plans.
So how do you choose the right consultant in this gig economy? An article from Entrepreneur Magazine suggests choosing someone with unimpeachable character, solid experience, creative problem-solving skills, outstanding communication skills and excellent interpersonal skills. That may sound like a tall order, but believe me – it’s a lot easier than finding a unicorn.
Leigh Picchetti is a strategic communications consultant who helps brands and individuals manage reputations, position product & services and achieve goals."
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string(1664) "What work did you complete for the American Cancer Society?
I was a community liaison and fundraiser at the American Cancer Society (ACS). As Senior Manager, I led a team to raise $1 million annually through 25 grassroots fundraising events called Relay For Life. Funds went to ACS research, education, advocacy, and patient services.
How do you use your uniques interests in science and technology to differentiate yourself from others working in your field?
I approach everything I do with a scientific mind. This makes me curious, consider information objectively, and to strive to always improve. I differentiate myself as I'm trained in both science and communications, being able to serve as a translator between the two fields. I can take complex, technical information and translate it to easy-to-understand formats for various audiences.
What are some of your favorite trends in content development today?
Visual / video = The use of video has already seen an intense expansion in telling stories. The next step will be Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) techniques to further involve audiences in the story.
User Generated Content (UGC) = giving people the opportunity to tell their own stories and perspectives.
No matter what trends appear, I'll always be a fan of a good story and the tried and true adage of "know your audience".
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Exploring the Colorado outdoors with my wife and two dogs. On my free time, I can usually be found hiking, biking, camping, skiing, or fly fishing. I also love wildlife and volunteer at the Denver Zoo."
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Uncategorized Archives - Page 3 of 8 - Canopy Advisory Group Page 3