What is it about the CBS hit, Undercover Boss that we all love so much? My theory: it’s an hour of prime time anger management therapy. There is guilty pleasure in seeing the boss “get his.” Sure, there’s some element of staged drama there. How could the employees not know something’s up when the new guy is being followed around by a camera crew? But isn’t it justice when we see that the hotel General Manager doesn’t even know how the reservations system works (or fails?) Don’t we love seeing the CEO of a trash company holding his nose at the landfill?
The show generally has a happy ending, and happy endings are good for all of us who are struggling just to fill our gas tank, right? Invariably the head honcho’s experience shows him that folks in the trenches have some good ideas -- maybe even more efficient ideas --that will result in profit and a more Positive Image for the company. I sometimes tear up a bit when I see these guys reward their employees and make changes based on what they learned.
But most of us turn off the tube and go to bed skeptical that it could happen where we work. We go to our jobs Monday morning doubting anyone will listen, and by 8:15 our fears are borne out. We’re back at it slaving for a team of managers so married to their own ideas, they talk without taking a breath. Taking a breath would give them an opportunity to listen!
Years ago I met a very smart up-and-coming television news producer who was supervised by her anchorman. He was pushy, demanding and not always right. She told me that she finally stood up and said, “Sit down, take a pay cut and produce this show!” He didn’t really get the point but he did shut up for the night. He’s no longer the big guy on TV and she’s now running a large market TV news department in the Northeast. Good for her, bad for him. How about good for everyone? Get in the trenches while you still can.
My last boss talked a good game about “getting in the tank” with the troops, and I loved the idea. He’s a guy who goes out on sales calls and is pretty tuned in not only to the account execs but to the clients as well. So I took that advice. I had several rewarding experiences going along in the field and rolling up my sleeves to do the old “walk a mile in their shoes” thing. The team was amused, appreciative, insightful and not too shy to share some good feedback.
I promise you a rewarding experience if you schedule a day in the trenches. The world will keep turning while you’re out with your team. Don’t worry; your replacement won’t be named while you’re out.
If you supervise any employees and you haven’t had an “out of office experience” in the last 6 months, you’re overdue.
You might be overdue because you’re afraid of the truth. You might learn that some of your technology has too many frustrating and time consuming workarounds. You might learn that you need to coach a middle manager who has bad people skills. You might find an underutilized genius who could make you all look good. Finally, you might get to know your employees as real people, and that’s the most emotionally rewarding part of this exercise.
THE career coaching destination!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Going out on a job interview? Here’s how to stick the landing!
AOL has an excellent article in the jobs section today. Read it today if you’re being interviewed in the near future. It will motivate you and it’s a perfect checklist.
It’s a given that you must be qualified, experienced and professional. If you’ve scored an interview, you’ve already cleared one major hurdle, because in 2011, hundreds of people may have applied for the same job. But again, it is 2011, meaning you won’t be the only candidate to land an in-person interview. There will be as many as ten others.
About.com has an excellent section on jobs. One article walks us through questions likely to come up during the interview and offers examples of the best answers for you to give. Some of the difficult questions they tackle include, “Why were you fired?” “Who was your worst boss?” is another interesting question. Although each of us could probably quickly name that person, haven’t we also heard that we should not badmouth any previous employers? They stuck the landing on their suggestion; see what you think when you read it.
Many employers are looking closely at your behavior during the interview, because they believe it predicts your performance on the job as much as your resume does. This is where the rubber meets the road. These interviews are difficult to prepare for, because you need a past, and you need to be able to tell the truth about that past, on the fly!
Quintessential Careers has an excellent posting about behavioral job interviews. If you look at the job description, you can easily state in your cover letter that you have those attributes. In a behavioral interview, however, you will have to give specifics about how your skills were put to the test in your past, and what the results were. This isn’t a fun process, but if you read this post and follow its guidelines, you might have just the Positive Image they need!
Save these links for a rainy day if you’re happy in your current job. In this economy, anyone could find themselves on the market.
It’s a given that you must be qualified, experienced and professional. If you’ve scored an interview, you’ve already cleared one major hurdle, because in 2011, hundreds of people may have applied for the same job. But again, it is 2011, meaning you won’t be the only candidate to land an in-person interview. There will be as many as ten others.
About.com has an excellent section on jobs. One article walks us through questions likely to come up during the interview and offers examples of the best answers for you to give. Some of the difficult questions they tackle include, “Why were you fired?” “Who was your worst boss?” is another interesting question. Although each of us could probably quickly name that person, haven’t we also heard that we should not badmouth any previous employers? They stuck the landing on their suggestion; see what you think when you read it.
Many employers are looking closely at your behavior during the interview, because they believe it predicts your performance on the job as much as your resume does. This is where the rubber meets the road. These interviews are difficult to prepare for, because you need a past, and you need to be able to tell the truth about that past, on the fly!
Quintessential Careers has an excellent posting about behavioral job interviews. If you look at the job description, you can easily state in your cover letter that you have those attributes. In a behavioral interview, however, you will have to give specifics about how your skills were put to the test in your past, and what the results were. This isn’t a fun process, but if you read this post and follow its guidelines, you might have just the Positive Image they need!
Save these links for a rainy day if you’re happy in your current job. In this economy, anyone could find themselves on the market.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Take the Food Bank Challenge
The errand took 10 minutes, but it took fewer than that to have me in tears. I visited the food bank at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Beaverton.
Beaverton, Oregon is situated 7 miles west of Portland. It is home to Nike’s world headquarters, among other successful companies. If you have money to spend, it’s a livable suburb with upscale shopping, nice homes and good schools. It’s nearly 90,000 residents have a median income of over 66K a year – or so the city website says.
All I see right now is need.
“We serve over 100 people a day,” our Priest announced Sunday and urged us all to try to give to the food closet. My husband and I decided as long as we can that we are going to shop for the things requested in the weekly bulletin. A few bucks at a dollar store netted 4 cans of tuna, a box of crackers and 2 cans of vegetables.
As I pulled up into the lot, I saw an elderly woman put a box of groceries into her car. I wondered how many people her hard earned tax dollars put through public schools, how many pot holes she’d paid to have patched, how many elections she’d studied for in better times – when she was younger, able bodied and gainfully employed. Now her social security checks don’t even feed her.
Inside, the place was a beehive. I’m talking a lot of activity, and this food bank is in a trailer like the ones used at overcrowded schools. Do they need volunteers?
“Tuesdays almost never, Wednesday’s sometimes and Friday’s almost always,” was the answer.
Here’s the question: Can I handle this emotionally?
Leaving, I ran into a cute young couple pushing a cart full of food to their car. They were smiling. Yes, smiling. They found the Positive Image in being broke: God provides. She took a cell phone picture of him loading the groceries into the car for her Facebook page. They wanted to share the good news. God provides.
Friday morning starts with a prayer for the earthquake victims in Japan, and a Hail Mary. Then it’s time to get busy. There are 7 or 8 people helping today. Some will help customers shop the narrow isles packed with everything they need while others will keep supplies moving out of the stock room into to the public area. I have no experience, so I worked the stock room. My job was to break down large bags of dog food and put them into baggies for the customers who have pets. This makes me feel good. No family member is left out.
Out front, the customers are warmly greeted by a receptionist. Their needs are assessed here because some who come live alone while others are in households with as many as 15 people.
Volunteers guide them through the tiny shopping area. It’s amazing how much good stuff is packed into so little square footage. There are refrigerators filled with eggs, chicken, ground beef and milk. There are boxes of toothpaste, laundry soap, diapers. Soup, canned vegetables, rice, potatoes, pinto beans, juice, pancake mix, fresh bread. Some of this is donated by parishioners, and the variety is appreciated. But director Kathy Brasington tells me that a donation of money is equally important. She can buy huge quantities at significant discounts from the Oregon Food Bank. Grocers give. The dollar stores donate. Even the beer distributors locally give boxes in good condition.
The generosity is amazing. The need is staggering. A steady stream of customers comes through the front door 3 days a week. This recession is far from over, and now uncertainty over Japan’s nuclear meltdown is sure to swallow up some hoped for job relief in the second quarter.
This isn’t 2004.
These people can’t just go out and find jobs. I know.
For every opening posted at a grocery store, 300 people might apply. Employers are saving money busting full time benefited jobs down to part time jobs. These pay less by the hour than the unemployment benefits some are still able to collect. Some of the unemployed are highly experienced “over qualified” candidates, and they are tough competition for the earnest, hard working but not so educated blue collar people who were easily able to earn an honest living in better times.
The bottom line is that we’re all in this mess together and we can all help by takingThe Food Bank Challenge.
*If you are out of work, volunteer for a day at a local food bank or rescue mission.
*If you were out of work and found a job in the last year, give 10 bucks
*If you saw co-workers shown the door, but your job is still safe, give 20.
*If you terminated someone’s employment in the last year, give 50.
If you do any of this, God bless you. If you don’t God help you.
Beaverton, Oregon is situated 7 miles west of Portland. It is home to Nike’s world headquarters, among other successful companies. If you have money to spend, it’s a livable suburb with upscale shopping, nice homes and good schools. It’s nearly 90,000 residents have a median income of over 66K a year – or so the city website says.
All I see right now is need.
“We serve over 100 people a day,” our Priest announced Sunday and urged us all to try to give to the food closet. My husband and I decided as long as we can that we are going to shop for the things requested in the weekly bulletin. A few bucks at a dollar store netted 4 cans of tuna, a box of crackers and 2 cans of vegetables.
As I pulled up into the lot, I saw an elderly woman put a box of groceries into her car. I wondered how many people her hard earned tax dollars put through public schools, how many pot holes she’d paid to have patched, how many elections she’d studied for in better times – when she was younger, able bodied and gainfully employed. Now her social security checks don’t even feed her.
Inside, the place was a beehive. I’m talking a lot of activity, and this food bank is in a trailer like the ones used at overcrowded schools. Do they need volunteers?
“Tuesdays almost never, Wednesday’s sometimes and Friday’s almost always,” was the answer.
Here’s the question: Can I handle this emotionally?
Leaving, I ran into a cute young couple pushing a cart full of food to their car. They were smiling. Yes, smiling. They found the Positive Image in being broke: God provides. She took a cell phone picture of him loading the groceries into the car for her Facebook page. They wanted to share the good news. God provides.
Friday morning starts with a prayer for the earthquake victims in Japan, and a Hail Mary. Then it’s time to get busy. There are 7 or 8 people helping today. Some will help customers shop the narrow isles packed with everything they need while others will keep supplies moving out of the stock room into to the public area. I have no experience, so I worked the stock room. My job was to break down large bags of dog food and put them into baggies for the customers who have pets. This makes me feel good. No family member is left out.
Out front, the customers are warmly greeted by a receptionist. Their needs are assessed here because some who come live alone while others are in households with as many as 15 people.
Volunteers guide them through the tiny shopping area. It’s amazing how much good stuff is packed into so little square footage. There are refrigerators filled with eggs, chicken, ground beef and milk. There are boxes of toothpaste, laundry soap, diapers. Soup, canned vegetables, rice, potatoes, pinto beans, juice, pancake mix, fresh bread. Some of this is donated by parishioners, and the variety is appreciated. But director Kathy Brasington tells me that a donation of money is equally important. She can buy huge quantities at significant discounts from the Oregon Food Bank. Grocers give. The dollar stores donate. Even the beer distributors locally give boxes in good condition.
The generosity is amazing. The need is staggering. A steady stream of customers comes through the front door 3 days a week. This recession is far from over, and now uncertainty over Japan’s nuclear meltdown is sure to swallow up some hoped for job relief in the second quarter.
This isn’t 2004.
These people can’t just go out and find jobs. I know.
For every opening posted at a grocery store, 300 people might apply. Employers are saving money busting full time benefited jobs down to part time jobs. These pay less by the hour than the unemployment benefits some are still able to collect. Some of the unemployed are highly experienced “over qualified” candidates, and they are tough competition for the earnest, hard working but not so educated blue collar people who were easily able to earn an honest living in better times.
The bottom line is that we’re all in this mess together and we can all help by takingThe Food Bank Challenge.
*If you are out of work, volunteer for a day at a local food bank or rescue mission.
*If you were out of work and found a job in the last year, give 10 bucks
*If you saw co-workers shown the door, but your job is still safe, give 20.
*If you terminated someone’s employment in the last year, give 50.
If you do any of this, God bless you. If you don’t God help you.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Secrets for building a trusted brand from four who are living the Positive Image
They came from diverse backgrounds and businesses. But they all wore success. They spoke the same language. There is a common thread which they openly shared with anyone who would listen.
Four business leaders representing admired brands and financially sound products gave away their secrets – at no charge.
They were brought to the table by Edelman, one of the largest public relations firms in the world. Edelman just completed an annual “Trust Barometer” study that finds trust in American business, government, non government agencies and media is declining, and is besting only two other countries nefarious for skeptical constituents: Russia and the U.K. It was an impressive piece of work that surveyed the thoughts of 5,000 educated and successful people in 23 countries. Edelman could have just laid out the report and left it at that. But the Portland team wanted to demonstrate that there are game changers out there.
We’re not talking about Miami Heat locker-room cry babies. We’re talking about people who are very passionate and hands-on. There is a common thread. They call it having quality products supported by transparency.
Their stories are amazing.
In a city where Nike, Adidas and Danner Boots have such a foothold, why would an upstart company like Keen choose to locate here?
James Curleigh knows. He’s the CEO. You might check his wiry hair and child-like excitement about his product and assume he’s eccentric. I give him genius points.
Keen, of course, manufactures the eco-friendly, waterproof, protective footwear preferred by hipsters. And they set up shop in an already crowded marketplace because the experience, know-how, passion and sense of collaboration was an established infrastructure that helped this only 8-year-old company get its own foot out the door so fast.
“We take our product and our brand very seriously, but don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Curleigh says. Read between the lines: Keen isn’t just about a shoe. It’s an experience and it sounds to me like every employee can articulate why the product is great, and what drives their success.
Keen has a “living room” instead of a lofty corporate headquarters. When you walk in, you can see who they are, what they believe in. You can feel the brand.
Curleigh knows his employees by name, is approachable and open to good ideas. He wants the customers to feel that same connection.
Curleigh recalls the first time Keen had a marketing budget of over a million dollars; finally a chance to promote the brand. Do you think they bought magazine ads, made videos, took sandals on tour? No. The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami happened and Keen spent the money on relief efforts.
“It was kneejerk decision,” Curleigh jokes and then backs up. “No, it was a heartfelt decision.” That call was a defining moment. It did fit Keen’s “HYBRIDLIFE” brand which encourages everyone to create, play and care.
Good product. Transparency.
“Whenever I think about balancing trust and profit, I think of those defining moments,” he reported.
Let’s face it: even during a recession, people have to buy at least one good pair of shoes; you might even be able to argue that in times like these, you should spend a little more to get the quality footwear that will last.
But is it a good time to build high-rise condos?
Developer Mark Edlen has certainly seen the stressful side of the recession. Gerding Edlen, known for inspired construction and design of life and workspaces, had major projects underway when the economy went south. Could they finish what they started? Would investors stay with them?
It’s a small firm without a polished PR department. Edlen’s team had to look the recession in the eye themselves.
“We spend half our time in the ditches, solving problems,” Edlen said. “We started a conversation with our investors early on to let them know, this could get ugly.”
Good product. Transparency.
PGE’s Dave Robertson shared the philosophy of their communications department: “You can’t communicate your way out of a situation you got yourself into.” But you can be pro-active with the public about the issues that make utilities targets, such as rate hikes or environmental issues.
PGE’s up-front conversations with rate payers and Edlen’s up-front conversations with investors are role model for another finding in Edelman’s survey. In times of crisis, the public now wants the CEO to be the face of the issue and the solutions.
Edelman’s Ben Boyd says in this climate, “It’s about owning mistakes and transparently communicating those mistakes.” Boyd has been tasked with managing major brands such as GE, Starbucks and Bank of America.
“The days of control messaging top down are long past,” Boyd said. The Trust Barometer clearly finds that the CEO should not delegate the message during a product recall, environmental disaster or economic crisis.
The survey supports that when a company is already distrusted, 57% of the public will quickly believe an onslaught of negative information. Already having trust will put a protective armor around a brand.
Good product. Transparency.
Start there. Stay there and build an endearing and enduring Positive Image.
Four business leaders representing admired brands and financially sound products gave away their secrets – at no charge.
They were brought to the table by Edelman, one of the largest public relations firms in the world. Edelman just completed an annual “Trust Barometer” study that finds trust in American business, government, non government agencies and media is declining, and is besting only two other countries nefarious for skeptical constituents: Russia and the U.K. It was an impressive piece of work that surveyed the thoughts of 5,000 educated and successful people in 23 countries. Edelman could have just laid out the report and left it at that. But the Portland team wanted to demonstrate that there are game changers out there.
We’re not talking about Miami Heat locker-room cry babies. We’re talking about people who are very passionate and hands-on. There is a common thread. They call it having quality products supported by transparency.
Their stories are amazing.
In a city where Nike, Adidas and Danner Boots have such a foothold, why would an upstart company like Keen choose to locate here?
James Curleigh knows. He’s the CEO. You might check his wiry hair and child-like excitement about his product and assume he’s eccentric. I give him genius points.
Keen, of course, manufactures the eco-friendly, waterproof, protective footwear preferred by hipsters. And they set up shop in an already crowded marketplace because the experience, know-how, passion and sense of collaboration was an established infrastructure that helped this only 8-year-old company get its own foot out the door so fast.
“We take our product and our brand very seriously, but don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Curleigh says. Read between the lines: Keen isn’t just about a shoe. It’s an experience and it sounds to me like every employee can articulate why the product is great, and what drives their success.
Keen has a “living room” instead of a lofty corporate headquarters. When you walk in, you can see who they are, what they believe in. You can feel the brand.
Curleigh knows his employees by name, is approachable and open to good ideas. He wants the customers to feel that same connection.
Curleigh recalls the first time Keen had a marketing budget of over a million dollars; finally a chance to promote the brand. Do you think they bought magazine ads, made videos, took sandals on tour? No. The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami happened and Keen spent the money on relief efforts.
“It was kneejerk decision,” Curleigh jokes and then backs up. “No, it was a heartfelt decision.” That call was a defining moment. It did fit Keen’s “HYBRIDLIFE” brand which encourages everyone to create, play and care.
Good product. Transparency.
“Whenever I think about balancing trust and profit, I think of those defining moments,” he reported.
Let’s face it: even during a recession, people have to buy at least one good pair of shoes; you might even be able to argue that in times like these, you should spend a little more to get the quality footwear that will last.
But is it a good time to build high-rise condos?
Developer Mark Edlen has certainly seen the stressful side of the recession. Gerding Edlen, known for inspired construction and design of life and workspaces, had major projects underway when the economy went south. Could they finish what they started? Would investors stay with them?
It’s a small firm without a polished PR department. Edlen’s team had to look the recession in the eye themselves.
“We spend half our time in the ditches, solving problems,” Edlen said. “We started a conversation with our investors early on to let them know, this could get ugly.”
Good product. Transparency.
PGE’s Dave Robertson shared the philosophy of their communications department: “You can’t communicate your way out of a situation you got yourself into.” But you can be pro-active with the public about the issues that make utilities targets, such as rate hikes or environmental issues.
PGE’s up-front conversations with rate payers and Edlen’s up-front conversations with investors are role model for another finding in Edelman’s survey. In times of crisis, the public now wants the CEO to be the face of the issue and the solutions.
Edelman’s Ben Boyd says in this climate, “It’s about owning mistakes and transparently communicating those mistakes.” Boyd has been tasked with managing major brands such as GE, Starbucks and Bank of America.
“The days of control messaging top down are long past,” Boyd said. The Trust Barometer clearly finds that the CEO should not delegate the message during a product recall, environmental disaster or economic crisis.
The survey supports that when a company is already distrusted, 57% of the public will quickly believe an onslaught of negative information. Already having trust will put a protective armor around a brand.
Good product. Transparency.
Start there. Stay there and build an endearing and enduring Positive Image.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Have an endearing AND enduring leadership style for long term success and a better life!
The Positive Image you bring to a work or social project plays out to a win not just for you, but for your entire ream. People skills are every inch as important as know-how. If you have them, then you are including the team, as open to their ideas as to your own and able to sell the direction that should be taken to everyone. Your team will play hard for the win because they want to, not just because they’re getting a check in two weeks.
If you’ve had more than 3 jobs, think about the best supervisors and managers you had. Think about the ones you would not work for again. I’m betting the “real person” is your favorite, was the most effective and had a lasting impact on what you value in your job and in your community.
Jill Geisler from the Poynter institute, has a wonderful series of articles detailing “What Great Bosses Know.” Visit this page when you’re having a tough time projecting a Positive Image. Today Jill shared one of the best articles I have ever read. It’s from The Guardian and it’s about the essential need for “soft skills." I could not say it any better! You can force feed a team for short term gain, but it won’t last. Having “soft skills” as well as experience and good judgment will help you and the team win long term.
I call it having an “endearing AND enduring” impact.
If you’ve had more than 3 jobs, think about the best supervisors and managers you had. Think about the ones you would not work for again. I’m betting the “real person” is your favorite, was the most effective and had a lasting impact on what you value in your job and in your community.
Jill Geisler from the Poynter institute, has a wonderful series of articles detailing “What Great Bosses Know.” Visit this page when you’re having a tough time projecting a Positive Image. Today Jill shared one of the best articles I have ever read. It’s from The Guardian and it’s about the essential need for “soft skills." I could not say it any better! You can force feed a team for short term gain, but it won’t last. Having “soft skills” as well as experience and good judgment will help you and the team win long term.
I call it having an “endearing AND enduring” impact.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Talking trash online? Your anonymous posts may not be protected for long
We’d all throw ourselves in front of an oncoming train to protect freedom of speech -- until it offends us, right? Two court rulings this week give us a reason to examine the First Amendment.
First, the U.S. Supreme Court essentially upheld the right of hate mongers to protest at military funerals. We all gasped for air when we heard that ruling. What can we do about it? Support the Patriot Guard in their efforts to stage “thank you” processions at military funerals. And when we see a man or woman in uniform, thank them for their service. That other ugly element is just a reminder that not all Americans are classy high road travelers.
A second court ruling this week is more likely to have an impact on average folks like us -- those of us who visit favorite blogs and social media sites several times a day to see what everyone’s talking about. It brings the potential to expose those who post anonymous comments.
An Indiana judge has ruled that news outlets can be ordered to share information such as an ip address or login about those who post comments to their sites.
The case landed in court when an Indianapolis businessman was criticized on sites operated by several newspapers and TV stations. He wasn’t able to respond to ( I mean, take legal action against) his critics directly because their comments were anonymous. Now thanks to this court ruling, he may soon know who threw mud on his face. Those media outlets have deep pockets and are likely to appeal the ruling, but make no mistake: the door has been opened.
This is not a ruling I applaud. I think it’s a dangerous step that could have a chilling impact. People may stop commenting and confidential sources may be afraid to come forward.
In responsible media outlets, there is a big difference between anonymous trash-talkers and confidential sources. Most media managers must know who the source is and must be able to vouch for the veracity of the information being provided. This is a painstaking process carried out well by responsible news outlets.
But many of these same outlets have turned their backs on the online comment sections of their websites. The feeling is that policing them is censorship -- not to mention that there are too many comments on many sensitive stories to keep up with!
I’ve been on the receiving end of anonymous comments. Many of them were at most hurtful. Some were not founded in fact and were damaging. Last year I invested time getting postings removed that could have damaged my boss -- these postings inaccurately targeted the reasons he’d hired a news anchor. I also protected stolen property of behind the scenes studio activity that was years old when it was posted anonymously, and would not have reflected well on our business. We still don’t know who was responsible, and at this point, it’s moot. But those experiences reinforced a policy I’ve always had: I post what I own, and can defend. And I sign my name to it.
Here in Portland, we know how tempting it is to go online and say whatever we want. Since Kyron Horman vanished last June, media websites welcomed hundreds of new visitors daily, who weighed in on whether Kyron’s stepmother was involved. She has been accused of murder, infidelity and other horrible actions by people who don’t know her, who don’t have the evidence to prove it and who won’t leave their names. As the focus of the investigation, Terri Horman’s current legal problems are too big for her to worry about going after these anonymous posters.
But the Indiana businessman had the time and the resources. And he won.
Think about it.
First, the U.S. Supreme Court essentially upheld the right of hate mongers to protest at military funerals. We all gasped for air when we heard that ruling. What can we do about it? Support the Patriot Guard in their efforts to stage “thank you” processions at military funerals. And when we see a man or woman in uniform, thank them for their service. That other ugly element is just a reminder that not all Americans are classy high road travelers.
A second court ruling this week is more likely to have an impact on average folks like us -- those of us who visit favorite blogs and social media sites several times a day to see what everyone’s talking about. It brings the potential to expose those who post anonymous comments.
An Indiana judge has ruled that news outlets can be ordered to share information such as an ip address or login about those who post comments to their sites.
The case landed in court when an Indianapolis businessman was criticized on sites operated by several newspapers and TV stations. He wasn’t able to respond to ( I mean, take legal action against) his critics directly because their comments were anonymous. Now thanks to this court ruling, he may soon know who threw mud on his face. Those media outlets have deep pockets and are likely to appeal the ruling, but make no mistake: the door has been opened.
This is not a ruling I applaud. I think it’s a dangerous step that could have a chilling impact. People may stop commenting and confidential sources may be afraid to come forward.
In responsible media outlets, there is a big difference between anonymous trash-talkers and confidential sources. Most media managers must know who the source is and must be able to vouch for the veracity of the information being provided. This is a painstaking process carried out well by responsible news outlets.
But many of these same outlets have turned their backs on the online comment sections of their websites. The feeling is that policing them is censorship -- not to mention that there are too many comments on many sensitive stories to keep up with!
I’ve been on the receiving end of anonymous comments. Many of them were at most hurtful. Some were not founded in fact and were damaging. Last year I invested time getting postings removed that could have damaged my boss -- these postings inaccurately targeted the reasons he’d hired a news anchor. I also protected stolen property of behind the scenes studio activity that was years old when it was posted anonymously, and would not have reflected well on our business. We still don’t know who was responsible, and at this point, it’s moot. But those experiences reinforced a policy I’ve always had: I post what I own, and can defend. And I sign my name to it.
Here in Portland, we know how tempting it is to go online and say whatever we want. Since Kyron Horman vanished last June, media websites welcomed hundreds of new visitors daily, who weighed in on whether Kyron’s stepmother was involved. She has been accused of murder, infidelity and other horrible actions by people who don’t know her, who don’t have the evidence to prove it and who won’t leave their names. As the focus of the investigation, Terri Horman’s current legal problems are too big for her to worry about going after these anonymous posters.
But the Indiana businessman had the time and the resources. And he won.
Think about it.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
My father lived the Positive Image brand
My Dad would have been 79 today. Tom Mathis had a Positive Image and a huge impact on how I live my life. He’s responsible for my work ethic and for much of my outlook.
He took a leap of faith in the late 60’s to launch WTLC radio – which today is one of America’s most enduring Urban Radio brands. He picked the call letters while listening to a Nancy Wilson jazz album – With Tender Loving Care. He lived the brand through community service. The station launched programs to get drop outs back in school, gave free advertising to black-owned businesses and raised money for a school teacher to become the world’s first black recipient of a heart transplant. Louis B. Russell was for a time the longest surviving heart transplant patient and now has a school named in his honor.
On the night Martin Luther King was killed, Bobby Kennedy was in Indianapolis campaigning for the Indiana primary. His campaign manager, a colleague at WTLC, called the house to ask if the station would do a live broadcast of a speech Kennedy was going to give in a local park. The campaign appearance had already been scheduled but Kennedy feared the crowd gathering there had not heard that King had been assassinated. Police escorted Kennedy to within a block of the park and then left him. My dad was perfectly comfortable going to that park to set up the live broadcast. He knew full well the Kennedy supporters there were peaceful. The words Bobby Kennedy spoke that night to the crowd and on the radio are etched on his grave in Arlington, and for those of you who watch the video, that’s my dad’s hand over his shoulder, holding the microphone. Indianapolis was the only major city not to see violence on that night.
My brothers, my little sister and I were all free labor. We gathered interviews and cut commercials for the family radio stations over the years. We had to tape again and again until we got it right. But we all made money off those pipes he helped us to develop.
On a lighter note, Dad launched the wrestling career of Bobby the Brain Heenan. Yes, we’re proud of that, too. He is a genius and his act is utterly memorable.
In later years my dad bought a couple of radio stations in Idaho, one of which we still own and operate.
I never thought it was possible to miss someone so much who has been gone now for four years, but I do.
He took a leap of faith in the late 60’s to launch WTLC radio – which today is one of America’s most enduring Urban Radio brands. He picked the call letters while listening to a Nancy Wilson jazz album – With Tender Loving Care. He lived the brand through community service. The station launched programs to get drop outs back in school, gave free advertising to black-owned businesses and raised money for a school teacher to become the world’s first black recipient of a heart transplant. Louis B. Russell was for a time the longest surviving heart transplant patient and now has a school named in his honor.
On the night Martin Luther King was killed, Bobby Kennedy was in Indianapolis campaigning for the Indiana primary. His campaign manager, a colleague at WTLC, called the house to ask if the station would do a live broadcast of a speech Kennedy was going to give in a local park. The campaign appearance had already been scheduled but Kennedy feared the crowd gathering there had not heard that King had been assassinated. Police escorted Kennedy to within a block of the park and then left him. My dad was perfectly comfortable going to that park to set up the live broadcast. He knew full well the Kennedy supporters there were peaceful. The words Bobby Kennedy spoke that night to the crowd and on the radio are etched on his grave in Arlington, and for those of you who watch the video, that’s my dad’s hand over his shoulder, holding the microphone. Indianapolis was the only major city not to see violence on that night.
My brothers, my little sister and I were all free labor. We gathered interviews and cut commercials for the family radio stations over the years. We had to tape again and again until we got it right. But we all made money off those pipes he helped us to develop.
On a lighter note, Dad launched the wrestling career of Bobby the Brain Heenan. Yes, we’re proud of that, too. He is a genius and his act is utterly memorable.
In later years my dad bought a couple of radio stations in Idaho, one of which we still own and operate.
I never thought it was possible to miss someone so much who has been gone now for four years, but I do.
New sheriff in town sets a good example in the NBA
Today we're sharing a Business Journal article on the new Trailblazer who leads by example. That's a Positive Image!
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2011/03/getting-personal-with-newest-blazer.html?s=newsletter&ed=2011-03-02&ana=e_ptl_rdup
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2011/03/getting-personal-with-newest-blazer.html?s=newsletter&ed=2011-03-02&ana=e_ptl_rdup
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