Loeb’s Lobs has moved to: www.theloebgroup.com/blog/

Loeb’s Lobs archived blogs and all new posts (beginning March 21, 2011) can now be found on the Loeb Group website. Come visit and learn about the workshops, coaching and retreat facilitation we offer for our two distinct audiences: 1) corporate executives; and 2) public relations, advertising and web marketing agencies. Check out our book recommendations and feel free to download some of the tools we introduce in our training and coaching.

If you’re a business executive, spokesperson, presenter, manager or leader at a company or looking for professional development for agency managers and staff please talk with us about a challenge you’re facing for which group training, one-on-one coaching or retreat facilitation would be a helpful solution.

Executive Spokesperson DOs and DON’Ts — Critiquing a CEO interview on CNBC

I just watched a CNBC interview with a CEO (no need to disclose the CEO’s name or his company).  Critiquing what the CEO did well — and what he could have done better — is an opportunity to share some real life spokesperson DOs and DON’Ts.

Media Interview DOs:

1. Given today’s news about the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the CEO started his interview correctly by expressing genuine concern and empathy for the people of Japan.
2. He delivered his key messages and repeated an important message more than once.
3. The CEO reframed potentially negative perspectives paraphrased by the reporter in order to communicate a more positive company stance.  The reporter said, “…The news must be a win for your company.”  The CEO replied confidently, “The news is a win for consumers.”  Bravo!

Media Interview DON’Ts:

1. In an attempt to demonstrate the company’s commitment to their customers, the CEO said that his company “thinks of customers as friends.” Unfortunately he took a positive point about wanting to deepen the company’s relationships with their customers to an unbelievable extreme.  Just sounded silly.
2. He beat us over the head with his key message. Once is good; twice can be better if the actual wording or context of the message delivery is different. More than that begins to feel overly scripted and opportunistic.
3. The reporter asked a tough question and the CEO handled it, calmly responding that he had nothing to add to the information already released on the issue. (Better than saying “no comment.”) But then he kept talking and ending up mentioning the negative perceptions that he was hoping to avoid. It’s almost always better to stop talking after you’ve answered a tough question.

Overall, the CEO did a very good job. There are teachable moments everywhere for corporate spokespersons who want to polish their media interview skills. Start paying attention to executive interviews–whether on CNBC, the nightly news or in print media and do your own constructive critique. What is the spokesperson doing well and what would you do differently?

Tip for managers: celebrate small wins

“Long, dark tunnel.” “No end in sight.” “A black hole.” We’ve all worked on projects that seemed never-ending. Managing those projects is even harder as you fight to keep your team members focused and motivated.

I thought about the “dark tunnel” struggle as I read Dan Heath and Chip Heath’s column in Fast Company, \”Why True Grit Matters in the Face of Adversity\”.  The authors talk about those goals that require single-mindedness.  “Grit is tough because you don’t get the psychic payoffs that come along with any exciting discovery or a shift in direction. You rarely get big wins to celebrate.”

Ah-ha! That’s where managers can make a difference. Instead of letting your team wait — and work harder and harder — for that far-away big win, you need to celebrate the small wins along the way. The Heath brothers describe some small wins in their True Grit story about an anti-smoking campaign in North Carolina, which happens to be the home of the pro-tobacco (and smoking) lobby.

Imagine you’re overhauling a website for a client. The small wins might be agreeing on the website outline, getting approval on the design, submitting revised website copy and, later, getting client approval, finalizing website art and graphics, confirming the format, submitting the test to the client, and ultimately the moment when the website goes live. Take advantage of each of those milestone moments to celebrate the small wins and acknowledge the individuals and teams who make each win possible.

Celebrating the small wins along the way is one way in which we nourish ourselves and our team members. We remind ourselves why we love doing what we do. We’re motivated to return the next day and work tirelessly to reach the next milestone, the next small win.

What project is your team’s long, dark tunnel? What small wins can you celebrate?

Leading isn’t about talking more (or louder)

Which type of meeting leader are you?

Dan and Tom are both SVPs in the marketing group of a large technology firm. They each have a team of about 30 people and meet with their teams regularly.  But that’s where the similarity ends.

Dan’s meetings are painful experiences for Dan and his team members. As he does every week, Dan stands at the head of the conference room and takes his team through the meeting agenda. He shares with them updates about the business, notes budget and deadline changes. After speaking for about 30 minutes he invites discussion. He really wants his group to share their challenges, collaborate on solutions and ask questions, but inevitably there’s silence. “No questions….So everything’s good?” “No one has anything to share?” More silence accompanied by some uncomfortable body language as people look down at their notepads and squirm in their chairs. “Then that’s it…let’s get back to work,” he says as he ends the meeting.

Tom approaches his meetings differently. He distributes responsibility for different parts of the three-part meeting agenda to individuals on his team.  He makes it clear that he’s looking for a quick update followed by one or two thought-provoking and conversation-starting questions posed to the group. Tom waits for others to speak and then, when appropriate, he contributes (vs. dominates) the conversation. He may ask another probing question, or synthesize what he’s heard, or connect the dots of the various comments. He asks “one-finger” questions such as, “What’s one problem with the way we’ve been tackling this problem?” Occasionally, he reframes a doom and gloom comment that threatens to derail the meeting, by asking a constructive follow-up question. “Sounds like ABC is a serious concern. Is there a way that ABC may help us do XYZ?”  Then Tom gets quiet again and listens to the conversation.

Dan asserts his position by talking more than anyone else, learns nothing new and his team members are informed but not engaged.  Tom uses his leadership role to draw out the best of the people on his team, by listening, probing and challenging.

Two different leadership styles. Dan takes very seriously his role as a leader keeping his people informed — certainly important. Tom sees his role as shaping information through collaboration to boost insight and action.

Leading isn’t about talking more (or louder) than everyone else. Have you tried listening, synthesizing, connecting the dots, asking a one-finger question or reframing?

If you’re struggling in your leadership role and would like help becoming a more inspiring and effective leader like Tom, let me know: http://www.theloebgroup.com.

Reputation-Building 101: What You Say and Do Matter

In the news this morning there were three short celebrity stories that begged a 101 tutorial on reputation-building or at least on avoiding reputation-busting. Beyond our seemingly endless curiosity about celebrity behavior, it’s worthwhile to think about lessons we can apply to our own reputations.

John Galliano apologized for his drunken anti-semitic rants after he was fired from his job as creative director at Christian Dior.  Dior was concerned that Galliano’s reputation for inspired dress design was being overshadowed by his now infamous reputation as an out-of-control and hateful drunk. Like Mel Gibson, Galliano will be going to rehab, hoping not only to deal with a drinking problem and bad behavior but also hoping to rehab his reputation. Clearly what Galliano says matters. What you say offers the world a peek at your values. Will what you say (in conversations, in interviews, in public appearances) enhance or tarnish what you want to be known for?

In the Boston Globe’s “Names” section, Lindsay Lohan was quoted about her desire to be “identified with great films and not her personal problems , ‘I don’t want that to be what I’m known for anymore — the tabloid stuff.'”  Lohan has blown any good will that people felt for this child star with her repeated bad behavior. Her name no longer conjures up an image of her film performances; rather our brains see a disheveled party girl. Clearly what Lohan does matters. Your collective actions frame how the world (your employees, managers, clients, colleagues…) see you.  Do your actions signal confident leadership or does everything about your behavior scream, “can’t be trusted” or “volatile.”

Charlie Sheen was back on the news within hours of his children being taken away from him. No need to recap his too-many-to-count missteps lately. He says he’s “winning” and in control. But the cumulative impact of his ego-centric words and actions is that Sheen is spiraling downward. While he was previously thought of as personally wild but with some impressive credentials, his reputation is now consumed by his decline. Clearly what Sheen says and does matters. What impression do your words and actions leave with the people watching and listening (your clients, managers, employees…)?

So how’s your reputation?  What are you doing to help or hurt it?