Save a Tree!

A while ago I was so impressed when I got an e-mail from a colleague that had a message at the bottom – Think before your print this , you might be able to save a tree.

Now I just came across another campaign – one that is so simple, yet profound. Change the margins is such a small idea – I mean just 2 cm or half an inch depending on what system you are on. All it involves is changing your margins on a Word document.

Now it seems a small and trivial idea, but think of it. If everyone did it, we could save a lot of paper and acres of forests. So Specifically, Change the Margins is campaigning for individuals, companies, and universities to reduce standard paper margins to 0.75 inch or approx. 2 cm. (The default margin on a Microsoft Word document is 1.25 inches.) The idea began when the campaign’s founder reduced her own margins to save money on paper. Implemented on a much larger scale, this simple step could make a big impact on paper usage over time, especially if large corporations and universities sign on.

Here’s how to change your margins in Microsoft Word: Go to File and click on Page Setup. Using the arrows, decrease top, bottom, and side margins to .75”. Click “Default.” Click “yes” to make these your standard margin settings.  

http://www.changethemargins.com/

That is what it takes  – No Einstein Theory of Relativity but just a small idea – an inch! What can you do to make a difference?

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Spreading the Reputation message throughout the Organization

I was assisting a colleague in the Banking Industry yesterday with a Stakeholder Reputation strategy formulation and I thought that my readers could benefit from what I shared with him.

To reduce reputation risk throughout the organisation the message regarding reputation as an asset and risk will need to be addressed at three levels:

Organisation Level

The company needs to develop a clear and convincing need for managing stakeholder reputation. The best way is to embody the company’s approach in a policy document and strategic plan that states clearly that the Board of Directors recognizes the tremendous value of intangibles and stakeholder relationships and undertake to manage it strategically.

This policy must be followed up with executive support that is demonstrated through the commitment of time, personnel, money. The policy needs to be rolled out using communication efforts that is planned, channeled, and acted upon. At the same time tracking and feedback systems should be developed that can include media scanning (external)and closer working together of the PR, Risk and Internal Auditors department in a vehicle such as a Reputation Committee*. Reputation needs to be included in performance management initiatives.

Department Level

At Departmental level department heads should ensure that staff are informed, educated, train and supervised to foster and build the department and organization’s reputation amongst its stakeholders. Department Heads need to make Stakeholder Reputation a meeting agenda item which means that progress and obstacles and perceptions will be discussed and acted upon.

By department heads factoring in stakeholder reputation every time decisions are made, reputation will move from being a strategic concept to something more real. Department Heads can for instance focus on the concept of the internal customer service and through that focus improve perceptions of their own departments by external and internal stakeholders.

Individual Level

To foster reputation throughout the organisation will require a balance between affective, behavioural, and cognitive learning. This will necessitate a three-pronged approach: fostering attitudes, developing and practicing of skills, and promoting understanding of the concepts and models behind reputation and stakeholder focused thinking.

In short: you need staff to not just know about reputation but also to be able to act and think in a reputable manner. Employees should receive information, education, training and supervision in what personal and organisation reputation is, why it is so important and what they could do to contribute to it. By selling the personal benefits to employees, attitudes will be affected and will eventually manifest through increased attention and personal service. People will learn to weigh up their actions in the context of their own personal reputation; i.e. "If I do this, what will people say, and feel about me".

By using a multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach companies can go a long way to influence the value of its reputation and ultimately its share price.

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Loadshedding Compliants is like visiting the House of the Deaf!

Loadshedding Compliants is like visiting the House of the Deaf!

Breyten Breytenbach, one of South Africa’s famous poets once wrote a poetry book called the House of the Deaf. It only contained one poem which translated from Afrikaans into English roughly said: "What did you say!"

That was it. One page in the book.

I guess that is how we feel. When on the first day back from holiday you start the New Year with a 4 hour power outage.

Brilliant!Invest in South Africa! Become an entrepreneur! WE will look after you! What? Tax and frustrate you to death?

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Can you say Stakeholder? Pieter de Villiers can!

I was quite impressed with a statement made by the new South African rugby coach, Pieter de Villiers. He kept on using the statement that we must focus on the needs of all stakeholders.

Now, either he was well briefed, or he will be a fresh breeze. It certainly sounds as if he will bring in another focus. Up till now it was common practice for many of the Springbok rugby practices to be closed to the public and media just in case there were All Blacks spies "spying". De Villiers has stated that he wants busloads of schoolchildren to attend these practices. "If there are spies, so be it"!(That is sound thinking – With the Internet, mobile phones, cameras, etc, can you really hide information today? There is an apt Chinese proverb that says it all: "A Whispher in the ear can be heard miles away!)

"We must take rugby to the people". I could not help but smile when I read this. "Take that administrators!",.. sitting in your offices.

When you work in Stakeholder Management, you will very soon find out that to balance the needs and interests of all stakeholders is never an easy task. It is like being a perpetual juggler! However it is crucial to develop strategies that take exactly those needs into account.

Remember the days when one of the previous coaches complained that ticket prices were too exhorbitant. How long did he last?

I for one wish Mr de Villiers all the luck in the world. The job of the South African rugby coach is like holding a poisoned chalice. But not if your thinking and action are sound.

Mr de Villiers and the SA Rugby Board, please remember that Reputation risk emerges when the reasonable expectations of stakeholders are not met when it comes to performance and behavior. Your predecessor won the World Cup with his team. We love this, but if you are a realist, you all realise that transformation is also necessary.

Balance is key but so is boldness. Be bold Pieter, South Africa and your reputation matters!

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Powerlines 75 now available!

Powerlines Newsletter Number 75

Compliments of the season to you! I trust that you had a wonderful rest and festive season.

The latest version of Powerlines, my strategic reputation newsletter is now ready for your downloading and reading pleasure. The 75^th edition contains a number of articles that will be of real interest to you, if you believe that reputation is your organization’s largest asset and risk at any one time.

If you cannot access the link, send me a request and I will e-mail you the newsletter in PDF format.

First of all I feature an extract from the important report that was issued late last year by the Conference Board in America entitled “Recommendations on How Boards of Directors Can Safeguard Corporate Reputation”. To this report I have added some of my own comments and suggestions. In fact, I would seriously recommend that this article extract becomes essential reading for your senior management.

Then I have some lessons for manufacturers in the light of all the product recalls, there is a recommendation about a brilliant interactive movie called The Story of Stuff – a must read and link if you are interested in sustainability; and finally there are some interesting links, tidbits of news and news about the dates for our next round of popular workshops.

If you are on Facebook or Twittering or even Instant Messenger, please send me your details, so that we can start to communicate in real-time, that is if you are interested.

Warmest Regards,

The Dead has arisen!

The Dead has arisen! Not really! But after a hiatus, my blog is active again.

I know it has been some time that I have posted anything, but as the words say:"It is better to keep quiet and let people think you are a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!". The problem was that I was tired. Tired of working. Tired of thinking. I wanted to Rest!

And rest I did!And it was wonderful! BUT now with my batteries recharged, I am up to anything that life will bring.

Even though I took a rest from active consulting, it did not mean that I kept quiet. I have established a presence on Facebook (deonbinneman), started Twittering (www.twitter.com/DeonBinneman) and am now contactable on Windows Live (IM), so we can communicate in real time.

In the short time that I was inactive in cyberspace, many things happened in the political and business world.In South Africa, the ANC elected Jacob Zuma as their party president, putting the current South African State President Thabo Mbeki in a difficult spot.Be that as it may, it is an interesting case study of leadership, communication styles and stakeholder thinking.

Mr Zuma’s approach has been to get closer to the people in the street, as opposed to Mr Mbeki’s aloof approach. An approach which shows the importance of balanced stakeholder relationship management. The lesson is that it is dangerous to favor one stakeholder over another, or worse to lose contact with that stakeholder.

Elsewhere in Africa, chaos and bloodshed broke out in Kenya after a closely fought and questionable election. What a pity that violence has to reign again! It just seems that Africa as a continent will not learn. WE seem to be our own worst enemy.Again, we do our own Reputation Proud.

A Reputation of political intolerance and resort to the sword, when things do not go our own way.

We complain, cry and accuse when investment in this beautiful continent is not forthcoming, yet we conveniently forget that the investment stakeholders will favor security, potential for growth and minimal lack of risk when making their choices. In Zimbabwe Mr Mugabe is carrying on relentless, damaging that country’s economy further and further.

In South Africa, crime is carrying on relentless. It seems so naive when the authorities state that it is not a problem. Yet when you open the papers on a day to day basis, there are pages and pages dedicated to crime. Is this irresponsible reporting? I doubt it!

Truth of the matter is that we live in a 24 hour media connected information rich society. If there is one vital lesson that I think governments and companies did not learn in 2007, it must be this fact. WE can read. We have EYES. We, the people are not stupid.

Be truthful, honest and open.If you do something or cannot do something. Communicate quickly, often and direct.

We appreciate that!

If there is something from the Web in 2007 that really stood out to me it must be the interactive video – The Story of Stuff.

Do yourself a big favor and watch the interactive movie at http://www.storyofstuff.com/- The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard" is an engaging new short film that explains the "materials economy" in 20 fun-filled minutes. Yes, fun-filled. It features amusing graphics, lots of humor, and a complicated analysis presented in an easy-to-understand conversational tone. You’ll have to watch the film to enjoy the humor — there’s no easy way to convey the playful cartooning with serious purpose. But I guarantee chuckles even for the most austere.

It contains a vital lesson for us all. If you do not know how various pieces fit together in a system, you can be deceived.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity and wish you a wonderful, peaceful and prosperous 2008.

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