WORDS THAT STICK

Change is our middle name.

Yet, because we began our careers as writers and journalists, words are near and dear to us.  So, from time to time, we wear our linguistic hats and probe into the nature of language.  Which, sorta, kinda, is part of change.

Lately, fellow wordsmiths (or smithies, we suppose) have wrestled with the notion of permanence, that is, which of the new lingos heard and invented will last more than Andy Warhol’s 15 seconds.  Twerking, selfie, catfish, lean in:  All have precedents and other meanings attached.  Twerking, it’s said, was a Nawlins’ figure of speech two decades ago; selfie belongs to our compatriots Down Under (and even earlier, if you believe the Princess Anastasia myth).  Mash-ups and phrases, like cronut and Boston strong, seem to have more legs than others.

What makes for word permanence?  More professorial minds than ours cite five factors, from frequency and diversity to unobtrusiveness.   Others say it takes 40 years for slang to become embedded into our dictionaries.   To avoid theorizing, the venerable American Dialect Society (yes, Virginia, there is one) votes on its Word of the Year every January; believe it or not, 2013 was the year of “because” … as in “because nachos.  Because politics.  Because science.” 

No comment.

Instead, we see two factors that count for language stick-to-it-tiveness.  One, a word that’s inextricably linked to a physical object or unforgettable event.  Think “drone” and “9/11.”  And two, an appendix that can transform any plain-Jane ordinary adjective or noun into something new and different.  After all, consider what adding “nado” and “gate” does to shark and water … among others.

Why the concern with lastingness?   Because change.  It’s what we do.

WE QUEUE. DO YOU?

Darn:  Got in the wrong check-out line!

If you’re like us, chances are you’ve got a litany of to-dos (or not) when trying to cash out at a store.  Look for female cashiers.  Get behind those with less than half-full carts.  Avoid shoppers with kids.  Re-jigger the number of items to qualify for the Express Lane.

Do these strategies work?  Not always.  So it should come as no surprise that brick-and-mortar retailers have made this a science, beginning with Little’s Law (calculating the wait of a particular line) and, perhaps, concluding with PayPal’s latest product, Beacon, recognizing your smartphone the minute you enter a store.

[Okay, we do shop online.  But, somehow, Peapod just doesn’t get our produce right.]

Our point is the waiting.  Once you hit three minutes, experts tell us, the perception of wait time multiplies exponentially.  And patience isn’t our strong suit.  If the queue takes too long, we’ll most probably abandon our purchases, mumble under our breaths about the store, and leave pronto.

Imagine, then, working with a team or a function or an enterprise during times of change.  Say, undergoing an acquisition, when the deal itself might be moving at lightning speed, but the information isn’t.  That wait time will be interminable for employees who don’t know their status, where they’ll be sitting, and/or what they’ll be doing.  Granted, there are good and legal reasons for not releasing the information.  On the other hand, it’s also humane to, at the very least, give workers an idea of the process, the calendar, and a wide swath of times when decisions will be made and communicated.  Broadcasting factual information regularly mutes the gossip and discontent, and psychologically lessens the waiting time.

Then again it’s nice to linger by the “impulse buys” aisle …

BY OSMOSIS?

It’s an all-too-common plaint we’ve heard among colleagues:  Got anyone who thinks strategically?

More to the point, it’s not an easy skill set to teach.  Though we know it’s highly valued, not only by our peers but also by the universe at large:  97 percent  of senior execs surveyed last year by a market research firm agree it’s the most important attribute for organizational success. 

Sure, MBA schools list strategy courses – and claim they produce these futuristic thinkers.  There are strategic officers and strategy firms galore.  But, where in our business – of communications, design, and branding – are these practitioners?

Let’s start with the learning, agreeing that (for the purpose of this blog) thinkers can be made, and not born. 

There’s the immersive approach, where information on every facet of the corporation – customers, market, industry, suppliers, et al. – is shared to provide in-depth understanding and a wider range of information. 

Then there’s the Jack Welch approach, pairing up a known mature thinker with one who’s fairly new to the business.

Or there’s the reward point of view, ensuring that those who think strategically (and their products) are recognized.

All of those paths might prove successful.  Yet there’s another idea that has us applauding:  Surround yourself with those who look at the world differently, while questioning your own opinions.  It’s only by exposing ourselves to out-of-the-way ideas that we’ll design the actions that give our enterprises sustainable competitive advantage.  Armed with a good knowledge of the business as well as a world perspective, professionals can reframe and challenge current mindsets with a good strategy or two.

Or, in simple terms, diversity makes the strategy go ‘round.

WHAT CSR COULD REALLY MEAN

There’s much talk these days about Millennial engagement – or disengagement, depending on the workplace you’re now inhabiting.

Actually, it’s more than idle conversation:  Executives, HR leaders, consultants, and professional pundits fill the media with analyses (psychological and otherwise), statistics, and good old solutions.  How do we retain and recruit this generation?  What’s the magic bullet?  Do we, can we truly understand this cohort?

In our head, the answer’s found in three letters many companies embrace:  CSR, or corporate social responsibility.  Today many of us recognize that Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life applies not just to individuals, but also to organizations.  The sense of contributing to a larger good, whether that means creating and implementing sustainable food strategies or lifting up the communities in which we work, is pervasive and, often, genuine.   That calling, experts say, motivates us to be more productive, toil longer hours, and be less likely to dial in sick or bolt for another position. 

But.  Many Millennials yearn to be on the CSR frontlines, actively, daily, even hourly making a difference.  The occasional service day won’t suffice.  Neither will a sense of belonging to a company that practices good. 

On the other hand, there are all too few dedicated CSR positions, for-profit or not.  [Our prediction:  The economy’s ebbs and flows will dictate an ever-decreasing number.]  And this M generation, not unlike the Boomers, has little patience for waiting.

Why not embed CSR in every individual’s job description, then?  Those fueled by the mission for a better tomorrow will automatically integrate at least a few sentences – and actively look for appropriate ways to contribute … in addition to their full-time gigs.  We’ve seen it happen:  The thoroughly blasé become enthusiastic; the slackers, actually engaged.  The kicker word is, of course, “appropriate.”  Every people manager must be trained on CSR’s meaning, what is acceptable (and not so much).  As should every employee at every level. 

It’s the meaning that matters, after all.

WORTH [OUR] WHILES

It’s been some time since we heard of value propositions.

Obviously, a business and its strategy are lost without one.  Yet figuring out how to prove that we, denizens of intangibility, deliver value is tough.  And wiser heads than ours haven’t yet cracked the code, seeing as we – marketers, designers, branding gurus, communicators – are usually among the first to be RIFed and our work, eliminated or cut back.

Some of the more apparent extra value options offered by one agency head:

• Generate ideas in new ways.  All well and good (and something we fervently believe in and practice), but where’s the revenue?  Unless, of course, it’s built into your contract … as both consultants and practitioners.
• Go above and beyond.  That got us in pretty hot water years ago; billing software couldn’t account for all the hours expended.  Then again, that premise should be built into mindsets and behaviors … balancing is the key.
• Drive results that make a difference.  Okay, that’s our mission, our mantra, our zeal.  Problem is, many outcomes are anecdotal.  Others rely on squeaky numbers that not everyone buys into.  And still others target changes in behaviors and attitudes, shifts that take a longer time to calculate.

Questions we can ask ourselves in an honest aside:  Do we talk about our services in memorable headlines?  Why do our customers choose us over another Jane and Tom?  Is our language (argh!) accessible … and jargon-less?  Have we strengthened our case with all the usual suspects, from customer testimonials to results, as well as the more unusual benefits?

There’s much more on this topic, trust us.  Watch this space … for a while.