StoryTeller 2011 Forecast

September.  It’s here and hard to believe I blinked and now it’s more than half way over!  Fall is one of my most favorite times of the year… the smell of burning leaves, the cool mornings that make my daily run a little more manageable, the renewed energy and excitement of the yellow school bus turning the corner and the anticipation of the new experiences that lie ahead for my kids.  The excitement takes me right back to when I was a child and my mom and I would make the annual trek to the “Dime Store” (wow that makes me sound old!) to buy my new school supplies and school shoes.  She loved buying new school supplies just as much as I did.

There is something that feels so cleansing about this time of year.  For me, Fall is no longer about the newly organized binders and pencil cases, but it’s the time of year that causes me to reflect on where we have come and most importantly where we are going.  As a company, it’s the season that allows us to make sure that the ship is on course and to begin focusing our efforts on what waters we will sail as we look to 2011.

Here’s what I know you can expect to see from StoryTeller next year:

• A continued focus on applying the traditional principles of Public Relations to the new and ever changing social media strategies
• We will make sure we are as up to date on the latest trends, tools and strategies we think will help our clients be successful
• A transformation of our video studio space that will allow our clients to be creative in ways they have not even imagined
• Our commitment to you, our clients, to deliver the best product at the the best price within the timing that you expect it.

Tags: fundraising videos, Good Business

What Makes a Great Leader?

I am sure most of us can look back at our careers and think of those leaders that have made an impact in our lives.  In my 20 year career, I have had some that have been inspiring, selfless and motivating… they instilled the “No I in Team” values. Yet others, have taught me through their own lack of self reflection and self awareness how insidious their bulldozing style can negatively impact the greater good.

Recently, I came across am interesting video titled the The Biggest Mistakes a Leader Can Make produced by the Harvard Business Publication and I began to question my own leadership style.   I started to reflect on my various present and past leadership roles… I am a tireless leader at home as the mother of three busy children… I am a leader at StoryTeller as the co-owner of our agency, I have held various leadership positions in my past in high school and college, and that led me to ponder the question… haven’t I been a leader my whole life?  Aren’t we all?  Every day, regardless of our roles in our organizations, there is an expectation that we will give at least 100% of ourselves to deliver on the promise we have made when we entered into our arrangement.   Even if we are not the CEO, we are still the commanders of our own ship and we make a decision every day what kind of leader we are going to be by our actions.

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Tags: Good Business, Harvard Business Publication, Leadership, shadow of a leader

“I don’t know” is Not an Option

The other day I went to grab lunch at, Panchero’s, a local burrito establishment. When I went to pay for my order I was greeted with a less than stellar, and somewhat awkward, customer service experience. The cashier appeared to be ringing up my order, but after a few frustrated pounds of the keyboard, he looked up at me and simply said, “I don’t know how to do it.”

Ummm…. Ok… we can figure this out together (???)

After a few moments of awkward silence I responded with, “Well I don’t know how to do it either. Is there someone you can ask to help you?”

I’ve worked retail and sales before, and I know you can’t expect someone to know everything. But this employee’s complete lack of interest in finding out the solution was what really bothered me.

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Tags: burrito establishment, customer service, Good Business, Panchero's

Finding the Right Job Sometimes Means Saying No

We recently offered a job to a young candidate to help with a critical part of our business. This is a job that the young person would grow into and develop, which in plain terms means, what this job is today is not what it’s going to be. We were (and are!) looking for a unique person with very specific skills and experience. Certainly not someone who falls off the proverbial turnip truck. Fortunately, she turned it down.

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Tags: Communications, crisis communication, Good Business, hire, job, media, media relations, storyteller, talent, Video Services