Fresh Idea: Homegrown Speaker Series
Graduation season is approaching, which reminds me of a tradition at my Alma matter. School administrators don’t bring in big-name speakers for the commencement ceremony; instead, they invite graduating seniors to apply for the honor of giving the speech. The fact that there could still be snow on the ground in Maine in May could have played a part. But there’s a deeper message: your best ambassadors are often times inside the organization. Why not tap into them? A few Brilliant Ink clients have produced their own successful internal speaker series, asking employees to present about their work or expertise in a particular topic. Below are some of the benefits ... Read more »
On Writing
I have to admit – I hate scary things. I am terrified of horror films and even have to turn away when an ad for a scary movie comes on TV. Besides a short-lived obsession with R.L. Stine books in my teen years, I’ve also avoided scary books, which means I haven’t had much opportunity to read Stephen King. I’ve always admired King as writer (love his column in Entertainment Weekly), and have read a few of his books over the years (“Misery” is a stand-out). But I’ve largely avoided his work, until I heard the buzz about his latest novel, “11/22/63.” The basic premise is that a man living in ... Read more »
Show Me the Meaning
“Show me the money.” It’s a now infamous line, thanks to Cuba Gooding and a little movie called Jerry Maguire. And let’s be honest: Gooding’s character, Rod Tidwell, was on to something. Money is important. It enables us to pay our mortgages, provide for our children, put food on our tables and fill our lives with the activities and possessions we care about. But money isn’t the only thing that matters, which is why so many of us are seeking job experiences that offer something more. Jerry Maguire understood this better than anyone – remember his mission statement? It’s about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: once the basics are provided for ... Read more »
Think twice about perks
How many times have you turned green with envy when you heard about a company’s jaw-dropping perks like these: dry cleaning on-site, decked out game rooms, free haircuts and subsidized (or free!) gourmet dinners? These seemingly fabulous incentives put visions in my head of wearing perfectly pressed clothes every day and turning into an organic-eating health nut. If I could get reduced-price massages every day, then there would be no reason to ever leave the office! Right there – never leaving the office – is a problem. If an employee is offered dirt cheap laundry service, does that mean she shouldn’t expect to have an hour or so once a ... Read more »
How to inspire the candidates you admire
Last week, the U.S. Labor Department announced that applications for unemployment benefits dropped to the lowest level in nearly four years. It’s encouraging news when a lot of what we’re hearing about the economy is gloom-and-doom. Here at Brilliant Ink, we’re seeing our own signs that things are turning around, too. One of our clients recently sought our support for a number of recruiting and hiring efforts, including developing more compelling job descriptions for open positions. This got me thinking – what makes a good job description? Just spend a few minutes on Monster.com, and you’ll see a wide range of job descriptions, ranging from dry and functional to witty ... Read more »
Make it meaningful
A few weeks ago, a new business acquaintance shared this video with me. From the start, it had me hooked. What’s not to love about complex research distilled into nifty, easy to understand drawings? Drawings aside, what really resonated with me was the message. The illustrator extraordinaire is Dan Pink, author of the book Drive, and the video neatly summarizes the main premise of the book – that human beings are motivated by more than money. Instead, he argues, what really drives employees to perform at their best are three things: autonomy, or the ability to direct your own work; mastery – the ability to learn and excel at something; ... Read more »
Learning from the best of the best
Yesterday, Fortune released its annual list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Since the list was introduced in 1998, it has become the gold standard of workplace awards, plastered across winners’ websites, touted by recruiters and coveted by companies across the country. So, what can the rest of us learn from these top companies? Sure, perks like gourmet food in the cafeteria, state-of-the-art recreational facilities and on-site childcare help, but what most of these companies have in common is a strong, employee-driven culture. And many of the elements of their success don’t cost a thing. Listen to your people: The 100 Best have this down pat. CHG Healthcare Services ... Read more »
Back to Basics
How many times has the following scenario happened to you? You receive an email asking a question that requires a rather detailed answer. Perhaps it’s from someone you don’t interact with on a regular basis. But it’s important that you respond, so you spend a good 15 minutes or so writing a carefully worded explanation of your answer. Ten minutes later you get an email back that indicates the person really didn’t understand your answer, or maybe they’ve misinterpreted it. So you try again, explaining in a different way, sending off another email. Two minutes pass, and you get another reply back – clearly they still don’t get it. Now ... Read more »
No Need for Instructions
What’s your New Year’s resolution? We’ve got one you can stick to—and it doesn’t require any fancy gym equipment or crazy diets. Make your intranet easier to use. There are ways to make your site fool-proof without a major re-haul. We promise! We believe employees shouldn’t need training to use an intranet. They spend at least part of their day online—watching videos, downloading podcasts and PDFs, posting comments and more. So accessing content on your intranet should also be a breeze. I recently attended an intranet usability conference in Sin City and wanted to share some simple tips to improve your site without any mention of a re-design or architecture ... Read more »
Less is More
The picture to the left shows the many posters we’re required by federal, state and local government to display in our little office. If you’ve already fallen asleep, I can’t blame you. Have you ever seen anything more boring or less reader-friendly? We’ve posted them in the closet because, frankly, they’re an eyesore. More importantly, they’re absolutely ineffective at their apparent objective, which is to help protect employees by educating them on their rights. Why is it so hard to live by the simple rule, “less is more”? When your mission is education, overindulging in words is always a bad idea and can backfire quickly. How many employees have the time ... Read more »