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Resolve to bring back basics for business rewards
New Year’s resolutions are funny things; while the premise is to push ourselves toward personal and professional bests, many of us set goals so complex it’s nearly impossible to reach them. The truth is that we sometimes become fixated on an end result that cannot be achieved without mastering some basics, first – ever try losing 20 pounds before you’ve lost ten? How about winning a marathon before ever lacing up your shoes? The baby step is sadly underrated.
Why not make 2008 the year you revisit and employ some simple (relatively speaking) technology tools and processes to streamline your life and your business? Nail these fundamentals, and you’ll gain a distinct competitive edge and realize a newfound freedom and power to communicate more effectively with your customers.
Resolution: Put your feelers out – If you haven’t already done so, establish technology protocols (RSS feeds, news alerts via Google, Yahoo!, etc.) to monitor for competitive news and angles, in addition to coverage of your own business. If you have established these mechanisms in the past, revisit your criteria to ensure you’re not relying on old topics-of-interest, today.
Reward: Your time will be spent understanding your business’ news landscape and providing value-add expertise in the sharing of it -- not gathering the news, in the first place.
Resolution: Gatekeep your inbox – Take a comprehensive look at all of the electronic publications you receive and decide which you truly derive value from and read. Set up rules in your email to have the newsletters you truly care about routed to a newsletters folder.
Reward: With fewer disruptions, you will read your priority e-newsletters with greater focus and manage your inbox for greater control and clarity in the business communications flow.
Resolution: Clear computer clutter – It's easy to let your hard drive get filled up with files you neither need nor use. Scrub your folders, consolidate when possible, and apply date rules to prioritize files for keeping live, archiving or purging altogether.
Reward: Both you and your computer will move at the speed of business. Your response request time will quicken; historical and foundational materials will be easier to locate; and your computer will, once again, become the organizational asset it was intended to be.
If you think you’re too busy to brush up on the basics in 2008, perhaps that’s the point – the relatively low up-front investment of resources to execute on these ideas pales beside the rewards you will realize in long-term communications efficiencies and effectiveness.
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Annual research -- Is what you read what you need?
How does the business executive decide what year-end or year-ahead data to consume? Annually, the business world has come to expect “usual suspects” trends reports this time of year, and uses the data to varying degrees in their go-forward competitive, market position and segmentation, budget, recruitment, R&D and communications strategies. But what are the standards for evaluating this data, besides a high-profile commissioner of the research?
First, the criteria for evaluating annual trends research: Research data is meant to provide direction and confidence, but not outright authority. A hallmark of strong research is that it is directional, not dictatorial, prompting further questions and identifying more paths for exploration. Questions to assist in your decision to consume annual trends reports include:
Who conducted the research? Reports generally identify the researching entity and what third party, if any, funded the research. Are the researchers independent, or could their work have been influenced by the company, government agency or advocacy group that employed or funded them?
Is the time frame long enough to identify an impact? Most trends reports are of the longitudinal variety, checking activities or behaviors (in the marketplace, or within subject groups) at various intervals over a period of time. However, this is a scenario where data is not an end unto itself; it must prove (or disprove) itself again and again, accumulating strength and credibility with every research cycle it passes through.
Now, what to do when the inevitable, clashing data, occurs. Contradictory reports are not necessarily wrong, but they require a discerning read and an understanding of all the factors at play. Consider a May New York Times article showing a discrepancy in housing data. Although not an annual trend report, it illustrates the potential for research indigestion when data is consumed mindlessly.The article stated that prior month reports conducted by two separate agencies showed existing house sales declining, while new housing sales improved.
The New York Times pointed out discounts offered by builders during that time potentially caused a sales shift in both directions, analysis that provided a balanced view for the average consumer of that data.
So, critically consume the annual parade of statistics, conclusions and predictions. Remember that while researchers might have greater expertise than you in one corner of the knowledge universe, you have the advantage of objectivity and unbiased common sense.
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Productivity sites help users Get Things Done
Inevitably, thoughts of a new year generally turn to resolutions regarding organization, fitness and productivity. The Internet is home to thousands of sites dedicated to helping people reach these goals.
When it comes to productivity, several blogs dedicate themselves to the craft. In fact, the blog search engine Technorati has 1,520 blogs categorized as productivity. Sometimes referred to as GTD (get things done) or life hacking, some productivity blogs started as a way to help software and Web workers with coding and other shortcuts. The space now has evolved into helping everyday people learn how to network printers at home, organize email inboxes and read reviews about which sites and services are best at what they purport to offer. Following are some of the most popular productivity blogs.
Lifehack.org: Written by Leon Ho, this blog is ranked in the Technorati top 100. Recent entries include how to write a personal mission statement, how to find more time dedicated to thinking and how to use a notebook to increase productivity.
43 Folders: Written by Merlin Mann, the site is about personal productivity, life hacks and simple ways to make your life a little better. Recent topics include using version control with software and how to make modest changes like canceling one thing and replacing one project.
Zen Habits: Written by Leo Babauta, Zen Habits just won the Performancing Award for best overall blog for 2007. Recent articles include tips about working with a virtual assistant, steps to becoming an email ninja and how to step away from the computer.
Lifehacker: Part of Gawker Media, Lifehacker is edited by Gina Trapani and is home to several other contributors. Recent topics include several product reviews and posts asking reader input on everything from favorite workout music to the pros and cons of providing open wireless access.
Whether your interests range from personal to professional, productivity blogs offer simple tips and tricks to make people, software and services more efficient.
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Agency expands teams in Michigan, California
Liz Jamison has joined Airfoil’s Michigan office as an account executive. In this role, she is responsible for executing business-to-business public relations programs and conducting media relations initiatives for clients including Microsoft and Plante & Moran. She graduated from the University of Richmond with a bachelor’s in English and previously worked with Washington D.C.-based International Foundation, a nonprofit focused on leadership development.
Samantha Weeks has joined Airfoil’s Silicon Valley office as a senior account executive. In this role, Weeks oversees day-to-day account activities, providing strategic planning and reporting, industry analyst relations, special event/trade show management, media relations, industry analyst relations and crisis communications for clients including TerraPass and PopularMedia. Samantha holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from California Polytechnic in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
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Senior Airfoil staff assume high profile association leadership roles
Two Airfoil team members have recently been named to high profile leadership roles outside of the agency. Airfoil Account Director Rich Donley and Account Manager Amber LaCroix assume these responsibilities in 2008 for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Detroit Chapter, and ConnectTech Greater Detroit, respectively.
At the PRSA’s annual meeting in November, Donley was announced as treasurer for the organization’s 2008 program year, a position that carries a one-year term. PRSA, Detroit Chapter, is the sixth largest chapter in one of the most prestigious public relations professional associations in the world.
LaCroix assumed a board position with ConnectTech Greater Detroit, an organization dedicated to the revitalization of Michigan's economy through technology innovation. ConnectTech Greater Detroit, formerly GLIMA Southeast, launched as an organization in December.
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