Author: whatifconcepts

Empowering those that inspire so they can excel at the work that matters.

Your Logo Used Without Your Consent

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is responding to criticism that it approved an advertisement depicting numerous commercial aircraft flying into lower Manhattan in an scene reminiscent of 9/11. The WWF says it never approved the concept and that the Brazilian advertising firm submitted the image where it won a best public service print ad award. The World Wildlife Fund’s logo is on the print ad and it appears that bloggers have been especially quick to criticize the WWF. It has put the organization in a public relations challenge, responding to situation it claims to have never created.

Daily News article

Is your organization prepared should you find yourself in a similar situation?

Remembering Hello

I facilitated a planning meeting for a client who is preparing for an upcoming organizational retreat. A small group of five people and myself met. I knew we had an ambitious agenda to cover so I jumped in during a pause in the conversation to say ‘shall me get started?’ I sent around some handouts and began to ask everyone to look at the first page when one of the participants asked if we could all introduce ourselves. ‘Of course,’ I responded.

The two minute biography that each person gave was fascinating. Full professional careers working in multiple sectors with nationally recognized organizations and start-up operations that never got high enough to be picked up by radar. Lives that jumped around the globe. Diverse perspectives and multiple talents.

For the rest of the meeting I had a deeper appreciation for every one’s comments because I had a perspective on their past. I had made the assumption the group knew each other. It turned out that a couple of the members were brand new to the organization. It was a great reminder of the power of introductions.

Your Recommendation

I tweeted about this yesterday afternoon but the experience has stayed with me. I asked an employee at a major kids toy store for a recommendation on a desk lamp that was also a docking station for iPods. He stumbled over his words for a second and then said he had sold a few and some of the lamps had been stolen from the store so therefore they must be good. I finished my purchase of other items and walked out of the store before it struck me. Perhaps this was the best endorsement that the employee could give. The store had multiple security zones so theft was an apparent issue. I could have used my smart phone to go online and read customer reviews and rankings of the product. The employee could have asked an associate for additional information. But at the end of the day, the employee summed up the value of the product perfectly. If people were going to enough effort to steal the item from the store there was clearly a market for the item where the lamp could be moved quickly and for a worthwhile profit.

What recommendations do you give? What is compelling? What is memorable?

A Fall Off A Cliff Or A Pause?

I stopped watching CNBC a couple months ago because I was no longer connecting with the content (plus bad news on a daily basis is never fun). I came across an article this morning that made me wonder why so many other viewers had abandoned the network over the past year. John Carney outlines a couple theories. The article is a reminder of how quickly an enterprise can be impacted by events and the speed, sincerity, and effectiveness in which your organization addresses the issue is critical. Anecdotal evidence from other consultants suggests that it takes at least 18-24 months before an organization can begin to recover its reputation after a scandal or major incident.

CNBC’s Ratings Fall Off A Cliff

Annual or Limited Engagement

Have nonprofit organizations trained donors to think that their donation one year will make perpetual change in the organization regardless if they give again. Said differently, if I donate $100 this year do I feel that the organization will be better off today and the next year and the year after if I do nothing else? I fall into this trap, feeling like I have made a donation last year so I can skip a year of support and get back to the organization at a later date. I know that my previous contribution has been spent and its benefits realized. Perhaps the impact of the gift had an extended half-life but the reality is the organization most likely has a cash flow requirement and much of it is predicated on the assumption that a series of donors will repeat their habit of giving on an annual basis.

So what if I am not ready for the commitment or need a different way of funding an organization or project. Perhaps a limited engagement is a better option. The following article in the NY Times caught my eye today since it is all about funding installations that are temporary in nature and design.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/technology/start-ups/25kick.html

Are we communicating clearly with our donors and supporters? Are we providing the right opportunities for their funding?

Crowdsourcing

Additional thoughts from yesterday’s blog, I came across more information about crowdsourcing. Two interesting links, one an article highlighting the creation of the online game Super Structure and the second is a link to the actual game website. The game requires numerous participants and relies on crowdsourcing to achieve the objective of saving the world.

http://discovermagazine.com/2008/sep/05-forecasting-the-future-may-be-a-matter-of-fun-and-games

http://www.superstructgame.org/

What are the advantages of the crowdsourcing? How could it support your planning and decision-making efforts?