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The Next Big Thing
By Barbara Gibson, ABC | June 13th, 2009
So I guess I should provide a bit of explanation about the new name of this blog. For anyone just tuning in, I started the blog one year ago, to be my blog for my year as Chair of IABC. My term ended on Tuesday, so it’s time for a change. Not just in the blog, but in my whole life. Thus the new blog title, which is a kind of placeholder while I figure out what what my “next big thing,” my next big challenge, will be.
I’ve always been a challenge addict, and I was noticing earlier this week that the word keeps popping up, but that when other people use it, it’s a euphemism for a bad thing. Like “financial challenge” instead of “bankrupt.” The dictionary definition doesn’t quite get to what I feel about challenge either, though the fifth entry came closest:
To arouse or stimulate, especially by presenting with difficulties.
I think the first part of that is right for me, but I’m not sure the word “difficulty” fully captures it. It’s more about taking on something new, that I’ve never done, that maybe no one has done, that will stretch me, grow me, make me think in new ways, fire up new parts of my brain, find a talent I didn’t know I had.
The past year has done all that for me. It has truly been the best year of my life, and that’s saying a lot because I’ve had quite a few really good years. So the next year has big shoes to fill. Now that I have time to catch my breath, I want to take a bit of time to think, research, prioritise my short-term and long-term goals and passions. Of course, IABC will continue to be a huge part of it, and I’m excited about continuing to serve as Past Chair (by the way, the new IABC international executive board, led by Mark Schumann, ABC, is spectacular).
First, though, I’m spending a little time with my best friends, followed by a lot more time with my dear sweet hubby and pups (who have put up with a lot of me being away for the past year).
Fair warning that the emails may go unanswered for a bit, and the tweets may be less frequent, but only for a little while.
The last hurrah
By Barbara Gibson, ABC | June 10th, 2009
Today (well, by now it’s yesterday, but I’m still awake) at the 2009 IABC Annual General Meeting, I gave my final speech as 2008-09 Chair of IABC. It’s been an amazing year, a great World Conference, and an emotional day. Here is the script from my remarks, which I intentionally tried to keep light to avoid crying (which almost worked):
I really believe that everything you encounter in life, every person you meet, every experience or challenge, is given to you by the universe as an opportunity – that you either have something to learn or something to teach, or both. So as my year as chair of IABC draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the lessons. I’m going to steal from our 2009 IABC EXCEL Award winner’s Top 10 List idea, and share my top 10 lessons from the past year. 10. Authentic communication is the new requirement, a paradigm shift has already happened, and most companies and communicators haven’t made the shift. I learned this from my participation in social media, and it’s why I’ve become passionate about pulling other communicators along with me on my journey. You can’t understand this from the outside, and you can’t afford to wait until your company is ready, and then hire in the expertise. I’m really proud of how IABC has moved into a leadership role in this area, and how our use of social media is enhancing and expanding the wonderful sense of community that has always been a part of IABC. 9. Double-check when you’re tweeting a direct message that includes your mobile phone number – especially if you’ve got 20,000 followers. 8. If your brand tag line is BE HEARD, you have to learn to listen, and to be willing to hear things you don’t like. 7. That said, there is a difference between BEING HEARD and BEING OBEYED. 6. Look very closely at any travel itinerary put together by Adrian Cropley – He forgets to schedule time for sleep. 5. Todd Hattori is a tough act to follow – especially from a fashion sense. Seriously, though, Todd has been a wonderful mentor and partner, and he’s been a dedicated leader, serving on the international executive board for the many years. Please join me in thanking him for all he has given to IABC. 4. Asia Pacific is REALLY big. Every place you need to go is a very long flight away from everyplace else there. 3. Texas is also really big, and it is not a good idea to schedule 3 events in 3 different chapters in one day – and even worse idea to make me drive there (wrong side of the road, plus I’m a bad driver to begin with). 2. It is way more fun to stay with IABC members than in hotels. I’ve gotten to know Wilma Mathews’ cat Shadow, I’ve made cookies with Alice Brink, I’ve had a girlie slumber party with the Queensland chapter’s board after we spent a day developing their chapter’s first strategic plan. 1. IABC is about the people. It’s our members that make this association what it is. So thank you all for what you do for IABC, and for the opportunity to learn from you over the past year.
Ice Cream and Thank-yous
By Barbara Gibson, ABC | June 4th, 2009
Only a few days left in my year as Chair of IABC, and I’m getting sentimental as I think about all the people I need to thank. Yesterday I thanked the group that makes IABC’s many programs and services possible, the amazing professional staff. The form of my thank you (wholely inadequate for all they do, but lots of fun) was an afternoon ice cream party in the conference room.
Please join me in thanking them for their hard work and talent!
It’s a Matter of Principles
By Barbara Gibson, ABC | May 20th, 2009
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about ethics — and the lack thereof — in the institutions that should be setting the highest standards. Not just isolated ethical lapses by an individual here and there, but whole organizations and even whole industries with cultures completely devoid of higher principles.
From the global banking industry to the UK members of Parliament, when behavior or decisions that are clearly wrong are exposed, the accepted fallback seems to be “it was within the rules” or “we didn’t break the law.” As if that’s enough. As if elected leaders and senior executives in whom the public, customers, investors and employees place their trust aren’t expected to have character or principles. The problem with rules and laws is that they invite loopholes. They take the responsibility and the judgement away from the individual. Who cares whether it’s right or wrong, it’s allowed. Ethics, on the other hand, are more about who you are, what you stand for, what you believe in. Ethics are what you have even when you don’t think anyone would find out what you did.
I like this Business Week article by Bruce Weinstein, discussing legal versus ethical behaviour. He points out that sometimes laws and rules aren’t ethical. Clearly, that has been the case with many of the rules governing MP expenses.
Out of curiosity, I looked up the Parliamentary Code of Conduct to see if MPs have a set of principles they agree to follow, and indeed, they claim to stand for Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty and Leadership. Wow, demonstrate a real commitment to those, and I’ll vote for you. Show me with your actions that you examine your actions and decisions against those kind of standards, and I’ll invest money in your company or buy your product.
I’ve adhered to IABC’s Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators throughout my career, but I’ve never needed to review it for loopholes before making a decision, because I don’t see it as a set of rules set by someone else, but a set of principles that I believe in and want to embody. I use them as a basis for discussions with colleagues, clients and employers. I refer to them from time to time as a source to help me think through issues.
I’ll close this post with a link to a song that inspires me: With My Own Two Hands .
Idea: International Exchange Program for Comms Professionals
By Barbara Gibson, ABC | May 5th, 2009
Ever had what you think is a brilliant idea for something new, then found out someone else had the same idea? Maybe it’s a psychic connection, or just a coincidence, or maybe it’s a sign that it really is a brilliant idea.
Anyway, Suzanne Deatherage, an IABC member at Texas A&M University, and I recently discovered we’d both had the same idea. We’d never met before, but within a couple minutes of meeting, we were excitedly discussing our shared vision for something that we think could be an amazing IABC member benefit, capitalizing on our organization’s global network. Best of all, it’s something we think could be completely member-driven, doesn’t require a lot of work or budget.
Our idea (which is not fully developed, and could use lots of input) is to foster an exchange program that would give IABC members the opportunity to gain experience in different countries, industries or markets. Something like a foreign exchange student or internship, but perhaps more along the lines of peer-to-peer job shadowing.
For me, the idea was born out of my own experiences staying as a guest in the homes of IABC members when I’ve visited chapters in the past year, because I find that the experience is always much richer that way than staying in hotels. And everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve wished I could stay a bit longer, really get to know the market and the people, learn more about the cultural differences, maybe even learn the language. In fact, the other influencer on my thinking about this was Julie Freeman’s experience last summer participating in a Spanish immersion program that involved living with a local family in Guatemala. What if, I thought, IABC members could do something like that, where members around the world opened their homes to fellow members. Could there be potential benefit on both sides? Could it be a professional development opportunity? Could a company benefit by having a senior-level “intern” who comes in and works on a project or provides free consulting in exchange for the experience and a place to stay? Could a communication professional who is between jobs use this kind of experience to expand their skills, gain knowledge of another industry or develop their resume?
Suzanne actually had the opportunity to participate in a formal program offered by CNN a few years ago, so she brings lots of great ideas from a different perspective, and she’s researched and found other organizations that have done similar things.
We’re thinking that a good next step would be to start an eXchange site and get more ideas and feedback, possibly attract a few folks willing to participate in some pilot exchanges, and go from there. While Suzanne is getting that site set up, I’ll start the ball rolling by asking for comments here, and see if there are others who would like to help shape and drive the idea forward.
Let us know what you think.
UPDATE: Suzanne has launched an eXchange site to continue this discussion and develop the idea further. Anyone interested in working on it, please go to http://proexchange.x.iabc.com/.
Would you rather die than give a presentation?
By Barbara Gibson, ABC | April 29th, 2009
They say that public speaking ranks first among all the things people fear, which is a little hard to believe when you put it up against death, monsters-under-the-bed, spiders and mud (ok, I know I’m probably the only one afraid of mud). But still, I understand the fear of speaking in public.
I conquered my own fear years ago, quite deliberately, because I realised that to not do so would limit my career success. My cure included a combination of Toastmasters and IABC. I joined a local Toastmasters club for a few months, just long enough to learn the basics of public speaking, then I honed my newfound skills speaking at IABC chapter events — first my own, then other chapters. I had one speech (on networking skills, which I still give) and I gave it again and again, gaining confidence and improving each time. Now, some 18 years later, I’m comfortable in front of crowds of any size, and although it’s not my primary focus, I’m sometimes asked by clients to provide presentation coaching for senior executives. Even more frequently, I’m asked by more junior professionals for resources that will help them develop basic skills for even in-house presentations . So when IABC Tucson member Marilyn Pincus sent me her latest book, Boost Your Presentation IQ: Proven Techniques for Winning Presentations and Speeches, I was eager to read it.
The book is divided into two sections. Part One takes you through a Presentation IQ Test. What’s great about this section is it deals with all types of presentations, from presenting a proposal in a departmental meeting to giving a keynote address. The test format, giving the answers as you go along, is a quick, easy read.
But I have to confess, it’s the second part of the book that I like best, because it’s full of solid information you can put to use immediately — from tips on preparing your presentation, to “20 Strategies for Combatting Stage Fright.” There’s a last-minute checklist, and a robust section on getting feedback. The whole 48-page Part Two is organized into bite-size pieces that can be used as cheat-sheets to come back to again and again. So it’s ideal for those who have limited time for reading, and those who want quick results to help with that presentation next Tuesday.
I was really pleased to get the chance to meet Marilyn on my recent visit to Tucson. She’s a long-time IABC member, an accomplished author and ghost-writer for other authors. And she makes a fabulous breakfast! Boost Your Presentation IQ, published by McGraw Hill, is available from the IABC Knowledge Centre (with a discount for members), as well as on Amazon (and it’s even available for Kindle). By the way, Marilyn is on Twitter as @MPwitter, so you can follow her there.
5 Ways to Make the IABC World Conference Pay for Itself
By Barbara Gibson, ABC | April 28th, 2009
With just under six weeks to go until the IABC World Conference kicks off in San Francisco, some people may still be trying to convince their bosses to find the budget, or looking at their own bank balance to see if they can swing it. As someone who hasn’t missed a conference in many years, and paid for most of them out of my own pocket, I know that I’ve always gotten enough value to more than pay for the cost of attending. So I thought I’d share some of the ways you can make the conference pay for itself:
1. Get material for a year’s worth of in-house professional development sessions for your whole team. Go through the conference program in advance and select sessions that meet your department’s training needs. Attend the sessions, take copious notes, download the slides, and then share what you’ve learned with members of your team in a series of free in-house sessions.
2. Gain knowledge you’d otherwise have to pay a consultant for. A day or two of consulting time would more than cover your conference costs. So what expertise does your company need that you could gain by attending? Never written a crisis communication plan? There are at least a half-dozen sessions that would help you build that expertise. Need to develop a social media strategy for your organization, and know how to sell it to your executive team? You could walk away from this conference with not only the knowledge, but also personal contacts with top experts.
3. Research best practices. With 1500 communicators from all over the world attending, you have some of the best minds in our industry, representing many of the top companies. With a notepad or tape recorder and a list of questions, you could easily conduct research to find out how others have solved problems you’re facing. In fact, why not offer to do this for another department and get them to help fund your trip from their research budget? Wouldn’t your HR directer like to know how Sony, IBM and Cisco improve productivity via internal communication programs?
4. Expand your global network & knowledge. Is your company trying to do business in China and encountering barriers? Looking for market intelligence in India? Or finding its internal culture isn’t consistent outside its home country? You can learn from experts in cross-cultural communication, and meet professionals leading communication for top companies around the globe. As anyone doing business across borders knows, in most parts of the world, it takes personal relationships to create business opportunities.
5. Find a new job. If you’re between positions at the moment, this might be the best investment you could ever make in yourself. Not only because of the incredible networking opportunity, but also because you’ll come away energized and full of confidence, something that job-hunting tends to beat out of you. Forget sitting at home sending out hundreds of resumes or answering classified ads, the best jobs are usually found through networking. And I know for a fact that there are always a few headhunters in attendance (smart people, since they know that IABC conferences attract top talent). Here’s a personal offer of support: if you’re job hunting and attending this year’s conference, let me know in advance and I’ll help with introductions.
I could go on, but the truth is, for me it’s usually one small thing –one kernel of an idea sparked by surrounding myself with so many great minds — that ends up making me leave the conference sure that it’s more than paid for itself. That’s why I’ve always found a way to get there, whether it meant sharing a room with three other people (actually, that year was really fun), or scrimping on something else for the next six months. There aren’t that many things in my life that have consistently returned so much value for money, but I wouldn’t miss an IABC conference.
Calling all Communicators: Speak Up for Your Profession
By Barbara Gibson, ABC | April 2nd, 2009
It’s not a new story for communication budgets to be among the first cut in tough financial times. But this time, it’s personal.
In mandating staff cuts, the government of New Zealand has specifically targeted communication and PR roles as expendable, viewing them as “spin doctors” (see more in this New Zealand Herald article).
Yesterday, on behalf of IABC, I wrote a letter protesting the action to New Zealand State Services Minister Tony Ryall. Alone, it probably won’t get his attention, but if we can harness the power of our 16,000 members and other communication professionals around the world, we might just make a difference — not only for our New Zealand colleagues, but for our profession worldwide.
Join me in advocating for the communication profession. Let’s employ all the tools in our collective communication arsenal. Let’s take this opportunity to educate the world about the critical role communication plays in organizational success. Send a letter, blog about it, tweet, send a press release, conduct a poll, discuss it on a podcast. Let your voice be heard.
The job you save (and the organization you save) could be your own.
On the road again…
By Barbara Gibson, ABC | March 11th, 2009
We’re putting the finishing touches on the itinerary for another marathon IABC chapter tour, this time through the middle of the US (including Oklahoma, from whence I originally came). If I’m counting correctly, the trip is a total of 23 days, 13 cities, and about 35 hours on airplanes. I’m actually going to be renting a car and driving in Texas and Oklahoma, hopefully I’ll remember which side of the road I’m supposed to be on (consider this fair warning to stay off the roads).
Here’s the meeting schedule so far (with links to more info where available):
Wed, March 18 - Des Moines, Iowa
- Breakfast meeting with IABC Iowa board members
- IABC Iowa Luncheon event at Pioneer Hi-Bred International “The Care & Feeding of Spokesperson Egos”
Fri - Sat, March 20-21 - San Francisco, California
- Participating in IABC Gold Quill Blue Ribbon Panel judging
Sun, March 22 - Dallas, Texas
- Evening reception with IABC Dallas board members
Mon, March 23 - Dallas & Fort Worth, Texas
- IABC Dallas (Members-Only) Breakfast Event ”How Do I Get There From Here? Mapping Your Communication Career Path”
- Speaking to classes at Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth
- IABC Fort Worth evening event
Tues, March 24 - Austin, Texas
- Morning Coffee Tweet-up (location & time to be tweeted, follow @barb_g for info)
- Speaking to classes at University of Texas Austin College of Communication
- Happy Hour & Dinner with IABC Austin Board
Wed, March 25 - San Antonio, Texas
- Mtgs w/ IABC corporate members
- Speaking to student Communication Week event at University of Texas San Antonio
Thurs, March 26 - Houston, Texas
- IABC Houston Luncheon Event at House of Blues
- Speaking to students at University of Houston
Fri, March 27 - College Station, Texas
- Informal luncheon meeting with IABC Brazos Valley leaders
Wed, April 1 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Thurs, April 2 - Tulsa, Oklahoma
- IABC Tulsa luncheon event “The Care & Feeding of Spokesperson Egos”
Fri, April 3 - Kansas City, Missouri
- Dinner with IABC Kansas City leaders
Mon, April 6 - Tucson, Arizona
Tues, April 7 - Phoenix, Arizona
- IABC Phoenix Breakfast event
- Meetings with faculty & students at Arizona State University
- Dinner with IABC Phoenix Board members
There are still a few details coming together, so I’ll update this as more is available. Really looking forward to getting the chance to meet with so many IABC members, and also to all the university visits. Hopefully, I’ll also connect with some of my Twitter friends along the way too. See you soon!
Have you ever been hungry?
By Barbara Gibson, ABC | March 5th, 2009
I’m a bit hungry, even as I write this post. It’s 11:00, and all I’ve had this morning is coffee, no real breakfast. But a few steps away is a fridge with plenty of food. I’ve been, at times in my life, flat broke, struggling to pay bills, worried about finances. There were times when I clipped coupons, ate tinned soup or boxed macaroni & cheese because it was a really cheap meal. But I’ve never experienced the kind of hunger that comes with true poverty. For that, I am thankful. And so today, I’m lending my support to a campaign aimed at providing food to those who have not been so fortunate.
The Pledge to End Hunger was designed to both provide meals and help shine a light on the very real problem of childhood hunger by asking concerned individuals to be a part of the solution. By visiting the website and pledging your support (to donate, volunteer, or just help spread the word), you can provide 140 meals (donated by Tyson).
Find out more, take the pledge, write a blog post, send a tweet or an email, help Tyson make this campaign a success, so that lots of others like it will follow.