Getting a chance to be spotlighted in the media is a great opportunity for
a business or organization. It helps you to continually define your
company’s story and shape your public image. Sometimes you may get hit with
some tough questions from the media, and since the way you respond to these sorts
of tough media questions can affect your public image, it’s important to
know how to handle the spotlight gracefully.
As I watch my NCAA men’s basketball brackets fall apart as the tournament winds down (or winds up depending on your team’s good fortune), I have noticed an interesting body language phenomenon. I watch the guys on the bench. In these super competitive games, the players on the huddle together, with arms locked in solidarity as their teammates battle it out on the court. It is such a powerful demonstration of unity and fraternity. It says, ‘We are here, cheering you on. We believe in you.’
Read MoreWhile mingling at a networking event, one of the most common questions asked is, “What do you do?” Wouldn’t it be fun to be able to respond with, “I’m a Cirque de Soleil performer.” “I’m a mountaineer and have climbed Everest four times!” However if you respond with “I’m a business consultant” you may get a friendly nod at best and at worse a yawn. It is an overused descriptor but is a role that is crucial to the success of many organizations.
Business consultants are organizational thinking partners. The need comes about when people find their organization needs a jumpstart, a fresh perspective or an update of their current business practices to be more successful. The business may just be starting out and need some guidance as to how to be most successful, or they may be reorganizing and restructuring, or perhaps hovering dangerously close to business failure and financial ruin.
Read MoreLast week, working on a project at a client site, a colleague approached me excitedly and said, “So, what color do you think the dress is?” Living under a rock as I sometimes do, I had no idea about the huge “Is it a white and gold or blue and black dress?” internet meltdown that had just engulfed social media. Curious, a group of us gathered around a computer screen to view the dress in question (worn by a mother of the bride on the Scottish island of Colonsay) and sure enough half of us saw it as blue and black and the other half of us saw it as white and gold.
Read MoreCollege basketball’s March Madness will soon be upon us and basketball fans everywhere look forward to watching the best teams face off as they complete their brackets. Tuning into these super competitive games can be exhilarating.
In business management consultancy, I recommend that my clients keep an eye on March Madness. What makes watching NCAA basketball so exciting – and instructive to management teams – is the level of competitiveness and the “all in” effort these student athletes exude. The love of the game and the fire in the belly are brilliantly on display.
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