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Archive for the 'Executive Brands' Category
March 4th, 2007
The telegram was once a marvel of high tech. Then it was eclipsed by better, faster technology. The last telegram was sent over a decade ago.
When you sent a telegram you paid by the word. So people sent terse, short messages. “It’s a boy!,” “Grandpa is ill. Come soon.” No frills - the essence of your message in a few key words. One reporter wanted to save money so he sent Cary Grant a telegram saying “How old Cary Grant.” He received the following answer “Old cary Grant fine. How you?”
The Internet has taken “telegramese” to new heights. Increasingly e-mails are sent by PDAs and the messages are not only getting shorter, they also create their own acronyms to speed up communication: “gtg, lol, imho, pos” (”parent over shoulder” - my favorite!)
The distillation of a message to its core meaning is impacting all communications - oral and written. Many of us still write long messages and presentations because we grew up in an academic tradition that favored repetition and explanation - a lot of words presented to assure the reader of our credentials and engagement with the subject.
Welcome back, telegram. Now it’s electronic, fast and global, and often free. I’ve been sending messages through my free Google mail account for two years now and still have only used up 3% of my allotted storage. I can search my more than 7000 messages in seconds and thus my responses tend to be more relevant and precise.
When we speak publicly we can learn a lot from e-mail. We now have a kind of insurance policy when we speak, knowing that Google is there to fill in data, facts, stories and references. Our old need to explain in detail every point we make is not as pressing today. We can focus on our purpose and on the needs of our audience and do so quickly and vividly. Google and other resources on the net can do the heavy lifting for us and for our listeners.
Julius Caesar got it right 2000 years ago: Vini, Vidi, Vinci. I came. I saw. I conquered. A perfect telegram and a better template for your next message.
March 1st, 2007
One of our clients, the adviser to the Chairman of a major American bank, used just two words in front of an assembled group of analysts and investors: “Investment Banking.”The room erupted in a storm of heated words, accusations, passionate rebuttals, and warnings.What had happened? In the depths of the Great Depression the US Government forbade banks from investment banking. Too many banks had gone under as their speculative investments collapsed, and Washington passed the Glass–Steagal Act to separate these activities and protect the public.Fifty years later the economic picture looked very different. European and Japanese banks could offer a full array of investment banking services to their clients, and American banks began to lose business.
Our client had the unenviable task of informing the bank’s many stakeholders and investors that his bank would become active in trying to get Washington to repeal the now obsolete act of the thirties.
Many of the stakeholders were outraged, saying publicly that the management of the bank was on the wrong path, and that its actions would bring it into contention with the government. Our client’s biggest concern was that he would lose his patience with the analysts and journalists looking for a dramatic story.
He rehearsed his presentation in front of us, as we role played his eventual stakeholders. We goaded him with negative, alarmist questions and he soon realized that he had to know how to acknowledge the concerns of his listeners rather than respond “from the gut.” When he took his message on the road he went as a diplomat and an educator asking for unity and collaboration rather than lecturing. The road show was a great success, the banking community rallied to his efforts, and today American banks can compete with any financial entity anywhere in the world.You must understand the impact of the key words you use, as choosing one word or another can make a huge difference. Find these words – from the perspective of the listener, and work with them carefully. Words can become symbols. Make sure they work for you, building a memorable, powerful presence for you and your purpose.
February 24th, 2007
Benji* always has had a passion for clear vision. He grew up in an Indian-American family that owned a chain of eyewear stores, so new developments in corrective eyewear were discussed at the dinner table on a regular basis. Nearsighted as a child, he knew personally how different the world looked when he had his glasses on, and off. Benji’s grandmother suffered from glaucoma, so he witnessed her battle to maintain her vision, firsthand. Not surprisingly, he chose to become an eye doctor, and as he had always had natural strengths in mathematics and sciences, he did well in his schooling. Benji also had a passion for innovation and while completing his graduate studies, participated in several advanced studies that tested innovative applications of laser surgery for cataract removal and retinal repair.
Benji met a woman in graduate school who was a specialist in geriatric ocular diseases and the two married shortly after they completed their studies. After working in their fields for several years and meeting a number of excellent specialists, Ben and his wife Marie founded a clinic that offered a broad array of optharmological services. Once established, Benji was invited to teach in the graduate program in which he had once studied. As his teaching abilities burgeoned, he was more and more frequently invited to be a guest lecturer at educational institutions around the world.
Through this academic link, he was able to become involved again in experimental research and contributed to several important breaththoughs. Over time, Benji personally funded some studies of ocular disease in his the village in India where his Grandmother grew up, and was able to develop a simple and inexpensive cataract surgery procedure which was offered in rural areas of India, to tremendous positive response. Benji has since been referred to by the Prime Minister of India as the man who restored “clear sightedness” to India’s rural populations.
What is Benji’s Natural Equipment?
His Values are: Innovation, Collaboration, Education, Contribution, Community, Learning, Achievement, Excellence
His Strengths are: Intelligence, Curiosity, Perseverance, Compassion, Empathy, Fairness and Innovation
His upbringing gave him: An understanding of corrective eyewear and an interest in curing eye diseases. A compassion for those suffering with degenerative ocular diseases. An ability to mix with people from diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.
His goal is to: Enable people to see more clearly
He is passionate about: Healing, teaching, breakthrough thinking, going beyond current boundaries.
He stood out from his fellow students due to: His passion for research and his ability to come up with simple, workable solutions for complex problems.
He works well with: Everyone from research fellows and the most educated professionals in the industry to the poorest inhabitants of the rural Indian villages where he took his innovative cures.
So when you look at Benji’s “Natural Equipment,” his story makes absolute sense… Now imagine what your life might look like if you had been given your “Natural Equipment” list when you were just starting out. Would it have saved you from making some career detours or entering some “dead ends?”
A personal brand gives you a clear understanding of:
1. “Who you are, and what you are one of.”
2. “What is it about you that’s unique, special and different.”
3. “Who you interact with most easily and effectively.”
4. “How to convey your authentic passion to the people you most want to serve.
Some short cut! If YOU want to learn about the “short cut” to your life’s purpose, visit http://www.miboso.com/.
*Name and identifying details have been changed for privacy protection.
