#Holocaust Museum Houston’s Moral Courage Award is explained beautifully here. “With knowledge comes responsibility http://ow.ly/4Q9bB
#Holocaust Museum Houston’s Moral Coura
May 9, 2011
#Holocaust Museum Houston’s Moral Courage Award is explained beautifully here. “With knowledge comes responsibility http://ow.ly/4Q9bB
Fascinating Facts about Social Media in
November 18, 2010
Fascinating Facts about Social Media in 2010 http://ow.ly/3c563
Millennials, is it true? Working hard is not your top priority in life? http://ow.ly/1uvMS
I just read the Pew Research report on the Millennials. The workplace today is quite a challenge on so many levels and incorporating the newest generation of employees appears to be most challenging.
The Millennials may not consider their job the most important element of their lives but a strong alignment of core values could draw them into your workforce with an engagement level that would benefit all! But you would have to acknowledge their lifestyle choices. Parenting (although only 1 in five are married) is their top priority followed by having a successful marriage.
Could you as an employer truly create an environment of work-life balance? Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 Best Companies to Work For measures this attribute as signficant in identifying these top-notch companies. Perhaps you feel you have already addressed this issue, but in our multi-generational workforce, an improvement in balancing work and family may not meet the needs of this group.
To be realistic, as the Silent Generation continues to retire, and the Boomers work on until they can’t anymore, you are going to be hiring the Millennials. So why not begin to address what makes them tick, how your company can attract and retain them, and how alignment of core values can create a powerful and winning situation for all involved.
Let’s take a poll. If you are a Millennial (18-29 years old only), please share your top priority in life.
Enjoying the basics of proofing and editing. It’s still a critical element of every job.
Enjoying the basics of proofing and editing.
April 2, 2010
Enjoying the basics of proofing and editing. It’s still a critical element of every job.
Let’s Give Thanks for Social Media
November 22, 2009
Here it is, Thanksgiving, and it is time to reflect on what we are thankful for this past year. I could share with you how my heart is full of love for my family and friends, because it is. But it is more appropriate for me to share with you what I give thanks for on a professional level. This year I want to reflect on how truly thankful I am for the web evolution and revolution.
I am thankful that there are groups on Twitter and on LinkedIn that connect me with like-minded professionals, asking and answering questions that help me grow. I am thankful that subject matter experts are providing free webinars to share knowledge on social media, marketing, and networks that increase my ability to benefit from Web 2.0 and that allows me to share this new knowledge with clients; we play it forward and that is a really great gift. I am thankful that conversations happen constantly on web sites and I can make better product choices prior to a purchase. And I am thankful that restaurant reviews can make my dining experience more tasteful than tacky.
Yes, the new web works for me. I am in touch with family and friends far and near through Facebook, I am up to date in real-time on what’s happening around the globe through Twitter and based on my research, it is only going to get better.
Open sourcing is allowing companies like Google to improve new products before they come to market. Just visit the next evolution of Internet interaction at Google, entitled “Wave.” 
And I am thankful for competition and how it drives innovation. Today Apple’s iPhone is the benchmark for smartphones, and all hand-held technology. According to PC World, Apple has approved over 100,000 apps and I am thankful that almost 20,000 of them are free. But wait, there’s more. We are the recipient of better products because competition is healthy, and Joe Wilcox, from Betanews is predicting that Google’s Android will take the top stop in mobile devices in 2012. Imagine that!
How many of us could have predicted we would be in virtual conversations and in virtual communities 10 years ago? I am thankful for creativity and thankful for progress.
Here are just some of my favorite sites and sources (in alpha order) of which I am thankful.
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Share your thoughts and hopes for social media’s future and what you appreciate about it today. Share your thoughts and thanks by leaving a comment. And thank you for reading my blogs.
________________________________________________________
Eileen Weisman is a communication strategist, an on-going student of social media, a good listener, a walker, a recycling expert, a dog lover, and a mother of the bride (read previous posts to learn more). Contact The W Group to discuss opportunities for improving the listening environment within your company or organization.
A Tail-Wagging Communication Success Story!
October 23, 2009
Driving to my weekly networking meeting I saw a dog walking down a major thorough-fare with traffic coming right up on it! I stopped my car, put on my flashers and hoped my car, the dog or I didn’t get hit! We all survived the moment, and now I had a beautiful Cavalier King Charles spaniel in my car! Now this dog definitely belonged to someone, this is not your average dog—high maintenance might even be an understatement.
So now what do I do?
The first thing I did was take the dog to the nearest vet office to see if it had a microchip since it did not have a collar with tags. No chip! I did learn the dog was a boy and he was not neutered. This is all important info which I figured would further define the dog’s identity when I was able to locate the owner.
With three dogs at home I couldn’t bring this flea-full animal into my house. So I took him to my vet where he would spend the day being pampered and receiving shots while I began executing against a communication strategy to find the owner.
How did I do this?
First! I made calls to the pounds, the local vets, I posted on Craig’s List, I contacted the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Society of Houston, and I send out a tweet to see if anyone was looking for a missing Cavalier King Charles spaniel. I posted in the “lost dog” section of Craig’s List that I found a dog (many details not included—see next paragraph). I also posted on Facebook a request for a foster home for this cute boy as we have three dogs in our household and another would just be pushing it!
Next, I made signs. Now since this is an expensive doggie, we didn’t put the breed on the signs. We simple stated–Found Dog, Small Male, White and Tan. Call xxx-xxx-xxxx. I left off the breed, as you never know who is in the market for a high-end dog and would love to claim ownership!
I placed the signs strategically around the area where the dog was found. I chose a 2 mile square area to place the signs. Additionally, I focused heavily around parks and schools, and major intersections.
Then our family waited.
Nothing the first night but by morning a dog-lover who was walking her dog around one of the parks saw our sign. She called! She told me she saw a sign on a front lawn not far from the park saying “Lost Cavalier King Charles spaniel.” Unfortunately, they had no phone number on their sign—their only sign in the entire neighborhood! She gave me directions to the home, as I don’t even live in that neighborhood. I drove over (without the dog), rang the bell, and asked questions. I felt I had found the owners of our cute little man! The owner was in tears and followed me to my house. With many tails wagging, (my dogs included) the owner and the dog were reunited!
There are a few morals to this story.
- Have your dog micro-chipped (it doesn’t hurt, and it is not expensive)
- Always, always have a collar on your dog with your contact information
- Check your fence to be certain there are not any escape opportunities
- Put signs up and think strategically about where to place the signs and be sure to include contact information
- Use every opportunity you can think of to communicate you lost your dog or you found a dog
And what does this mean to you?
Whether you are looking for a dog, or looking to create awareness in your company or organization you need a well-thought-out plan. Begin by defining your audience, hone your message to the audience, create a delivery strategy that matches the demographics of your intended recipients, create listening posts to identify if your audience is listening, and if they are not, immediately fine-tune your strategy! Keep refining and measuring until you are happy with your results.
___________________________________________________
A Public Note of Thanks!
I would like to thank my dog-loving daughter for her assistance is helping me with this lost dog endeavor. I couldn’t have done it without her!
Our poll this week is a test of your heart-strings! What would you do?
________________________________________________________
Eileen Weisman is a communication strategist, a good listener, a walker, a recycling expert, a dog lover, and a mother of the bride. Contact The W Group to discuss opportunities for improving the listening environment within your company or organization
Eileen's Insights--A Blog to Educate and Motivate 
