Let's Get Real: It's Time To Be Authentic!

"I know of nothing more valuable, when it comes to the all-important virtue of authenticity, 
than simply being who you are."
- Charles R. Swindoll

Authenticity: A Critical Value for the New Leadership Paradigm

Authenticity is the path to trust. And today people, particularly Millennials, make choices about employment, what organizations to support, and where to buy things, based on whether they trust the organization or company.

Being authentic means there is no space between what you say, and what you do.  People may not agree with what you state, but they know where you are coming from, and your words reflect what you believe.  Authentic people don’t say things just to make a customer or client happy. Instead, they are candid, honest and real. 

It's not about spin, hype or packaging a message to be liked or to make the sale. It’s about delivering on your promises and sharing who you are without a wearing a mask.

"Authenticity is alignment of head, mouth, heart --thinking, saying, feeling and doing the same thing – consistently.  This builds trust… and followers love leaders they can trust."
 - Lance Secretan

Lesson from the Cemetery: The Secret To On Demand Creativity

They might not admit it. But every creative person wants a muse. You know, that go-to someone or something that jolts right brain stimulation when needed for content and communication.

After all, coming up with revolutionary ideas, powerful words, or world-class imagery is not always the easiest task in the world. Even when your veins are coursing with a triple-shot Americano. Or a handful of M&M's (peanuts, please).

Sure, I'll be the first to admit that strolling through the art museum, listening to a musical savant or taking in a documentary at your favorite movie house can provoke some good thinking...even extraordinary from time-to-time.

But I'll also add that these "arty" experiences are anything but fail-safe.

Over this past weekend, I asked the question if there really is any "tried and true" path to finding on-demand creativity.

I was thinking about this in a pretty off-beat location. To be precise, while at Willamette National Cemetery visiting close family members.

Outside of the warm wind rustling a few trees every so often, you could hear virtually nothing over this 270-acre sanctuary. A rare occurrence I can assure you, in a loud and busting at the seams 2.3 million metropolitan area.

I think the fact that it was the third straight day of mercury hitting the century mark that kept all but me and three others who crossed my path that morning from visiting such a tranquil peace of earth.

But after 10 minutes of peace the answer hit me.

If you really want to tap into a well of creativity at just about any time, you find a place of solitude. No conversation, no music, no urban noise. Nothing to get you amped up, ramped up or angry.

Just peace and quiet.

Just the stillness of your mind.

And it works every...single...time.

Think Lao Tzu, Hawthorne and Monet. It's a secret the great philosophers, writers and painters have known for centuries. When you've quieted your self-talk and emptied your cerebral cortex, all kinds of good things seem to bubble up to the surface.

For me last Saturday, it was the idea and content for this blog post, what critical advice to give my son about a job search and a spark for my biz partner and me, as we create strategies for conscientious organizations.

In fact, I even came up with a creative answer to my most pressing challenge of that day.

I picked a Washington cab over an Oregon pinot for a weekend dinner party.

To get our book, "25 Building Blocks To Create a Conscientious Organization" free, go to HCollaborative.com for an instant download.

How To Write Effectively: Lesson from a Caffe Latte

You sit with a good friend in your favorite coffee shop.

You sip your caffe latte served at a most perfect 185 degrees.

What's more, the rich full-bodied espresso and steamed milk in your Italian handcrafted ceramic coffee cup could not taste better.

You exchange stories about your relationships, your jobs, your lives.

Thanks to that wonderful coffee drink, your conversation flows effortlessly.

And that's how it is with effective marketing communications.

Effective communication is always conversational.

It resembles nothing remotely close to what is found in a textbook or academic paper or Harvard Business Review.

You must begin with a simple conversation to engage your key stakeholders.

Forget about "marketing-speak" or industry "buzz terms."

Just be conversational.

Need a simple hint on how you do that? Write with your ears. In other words, write as people speak.

And keep in mind these proven basics of effective communicators:

·         Your sentences should be short and simple.

·         Your language needs to be jargon-free (see above).

·         And keep paragraphs to just 3 to 4 sentences for easier scanning and reading.

Also, write in active voice. It grabs hold of your audience. (Kind of a like coffee does with your brain.)

Keep these simple tips in mind the next time you need to write an important memo.

Or a put up a blog post.

Or craft a newsletter.

Your ability to be conversational is crucial if you want to engage your audience and get your message to resonate.

 Nothing like a handcrafted caffe latte to get you stimulated to do just that.

www.HCollaborative.com | Tips to help leaders write better and connect with readers

~HCollaborative.com~

Authenticity: The Crux To Connecting with Millennials

You would have had to be under a rock for the past five years to not have heard about the value of authenticity. I'm talking about authenticity as a brand and authenticity as a leader.

The reason for so much discussion is clear. Millennials, now the largest consumer group in the U.S., not only value authenticity but they demand it.

I need look no farther than at my own 20-something sons.

Homogeneity isn't a default setting for them. They choose to surround themselves with authentic people -- blue-collar, white collar, musicians, doctors, hair stylists and Peace Corps workers -- the only common bond seems to be that these young men and women live authentically.

In other words, they live life on their own terms.

Elite Daily, the premier online news platform for and by Millennials, reveals in a 2015 research study the following finding:

"43% of Millennials rank authenticity over content when consuming news. They first have to trust a company or news site before they even bother reading the content that they provide. Blogs are meant to be authentic and many of them are run by a single individual. Millennials connect best with people over logos."

Now if you're a leader steering a company, working to attract the best employees or marketing products to Millennials, this is a wake-up call for you. In fact, the longevity of your career and your brand may very much depend on it.

Yes, I know that being authentic might be easier said than done. After all, a lot of us are used to "playing a role" in our jobs and in our relationships. But as research shows you, that is really no longer acceptable.

So how do you work toward becoming that "true version of yourself" particularly if you're a leader?

Well,  Bill George, former CEO of Medtronic and author of the book "Authentic Leadership," says 4 key traits are present in every authentic leader:

1. They are self-aware and genuine. Authentic leaders clearly know their strengths, their limitations, and their emotions. Most importantly, they show up the same way whether in the conference room or on the back patio. They do not fear looking weak by admitting their mistakes or weaknesses.

 2. They are mission-driven and focused on results. Authentic leaders work to carry out the mission and achieve the goals of their organization. They seek results for the good of the company, not for their own personal gain.  

3. They lead with their heart. Authentic leaders do not fear showing their emotions or their vulnerability when connecting stakeholders. When communicating with employees or customers, they do so in a direct manner but it’s always done with empathy.

4. They focus on the long-term. A key principle in Bill George’s model is that authentic leaders are focused on long-term shareholder value. Authentic leaders realize that to nurture individuals and to nurture a company requires hard work and patience, but the approach pays large dividends over time.

Now be honest. Doesn't the idea of  being authentic sound a whole lot better than conforming to a predetermined role?

~HCollaborative.com~

What Is Conscientious Marketing and Why Should You Care?

 "Feeling a moral responsibility to do your work carefully and to be fair to others"

According to the Cambridge dictionary, that is the definition of "conscientious." Marketing is defined as:

"Understanding your buyers really, really well. Then creating valuable products, services, and information especially for them to help solve their problems"

You put the two words together, a descriptive adjective followed by a noun, and you get the essence of what our business is all about.

Today, mission-driven organizations and corporate America cannot ignore the mandate coming from their constituencies.  To ignore the planet, to ignore people, to ignore social purpose is a certain path to failure.

Just take a look at the numbers: a 2014 research study by Nielsen reports 55 percent of global online consumers across 60 countries say they are willing to pay more for products and services by companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact.

While the idea of social purpose is not new (think Patagonia, Ben & Jerry's, Toms Shoes), the "reshaping" of main street organizations and businesses so they can market their goods and services in a conscientious manner is. Which includes everything from how the product or service is created to how it is delivered to how it is marketed.

This where we at HCollaborative come in. We have spent our careers in ad agencies and corporate America. Certainly there is no denying that the marketing of goods and services has been part of our performance. But recently, the two of us felt a "calling" to take our senior-level marketing souls to a higher purpose.

The thinking is simple.

We have a moral responsibility to make sure the work we do provides what the world desperately needs. Not just spitting out strategies or creating a campaign to increase profit, but doing so with humility and in a manner that is fair and equitable to people and the planet.

Which is the essence of what conscientious marketing is all about.

Care to join us?

~HCollaborative.com ~