My PRgative

A Natural Treat for ALL Your Senses

March 21, 2011 at 9:18 pm · Filed under communications, fundraising, marketing, Uncategorized ·Tagged blind, environment, fauna, flora, Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, Leadership Houston, nature, nature trail, Palmetto Multi-Sensory Trail, trail, visually-impaired

Look at those blooms! See that gorgeous butterfly? And, oh, watch those frogs hop on the lily pads!

The spring season offers a delightful visual montage that those of us with good vision often take for granted. However, I firmly believe that thousands of people in Houston who are blind or visually-impaired should get to touch, hear and smell nature in their own way!

As a member of Leadership Houston’s Class 29, I am proud to be actively engaged in developing the Palmetto Multi-Sensory Trail at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center. My classmates and I decided to spearhead this unique project to provide an engaging way for blind and visually-impaired people in our community to experience the fascinating joys and wonders of nature. Endorsed by Lighthouse of Houston, Taping for the Blind, Inc., and the National Federation of the Blind, the Palmetto Multi-Sensory Trail will be the first of its kind in the southern United States.

Features of this magnificent forest trail will include:

Lush native flora and fauna that encourage visitors to use their senses of touch, hearing and smell.
Learning stations displaying descriptive and historical information in Braille and large print complemented by tactile art pieces made from natural, environmentally-friendly materials.
Guide ropes to support visitors’ personal independence and safety.

Dave Unger of Waste Management and I are serving as co-managers of this class project. I have also personally contributed $50 to help pay for materials and establish a post-construction maintenance fund. I would like to encourage you to support this wonderful community project with your own generous, tax-deductible contribution.

For a minimum donation of $50, you will receive our stylish commemorative Palmetto Trail lapel pin. I will personally invite you to attend our grand opening ceremony for the nature trail later this spring, and I’ll make sure your name is listed as a supporter in promotional materials for the event.

For your convenience, you can process your donation online at https://www.leadershiphouston.com/donations/class_donation.aspx

Alternatively, you may mail a check or money order payable to: Leadership Houston, 3100 Weslayan, Suite 377, Houston, Texas (77027).

Additionally, you are welcome to come out for our Class 29 Work Day on Saturday, March 26, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, located at 4501 Woodway Drive (77024). We will be investing our sweat equity, spreading mulch and making preparations for the completion of the Palmetto Trail.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: TheReneeGriffin@yahoo.com or 713-294-7185. Thanks so much for your consideration!

Just what is Leadership Houston?

Leadership Houston's Class 29 (that's me standing in the back row, far left).

It’s an initiative that brings together diverse people from various areas of the corporate, non-profit, government and entrepreneurial sectors to learn about the Houston community, its history, economy, government structure, social justice, education, arts, medical infrastructure, human services and quality of life. Over a 10-month period, we’re introduced to aspects of the community that even native-born Houstonians have marveled about.Besides the comprehensive knowledge of who’s who and what’s what, our class members are trained in who they are as leaders. What is their leadership style? How can they hone it? How do they deal with stress at work? What is the most effective way to coach others?

In short, at the end of our program, our Class 29 graduates will know more fully who they are and where they can most effectively apply their talents.

Learn more at http://www.leadershiphouston.com

Permalink Leave a Comment

Foursquare: Just what is this?

February 4, 2011 at 6:18 pm · Filed under communications, marketing, mobile technology, new media, social media, social media marketing, technology ·Tagged app, application, Foursquare, marketing, smart phone, social media, social networking

Thanks to Foursquare, finding new places to eat, shop, and do just about anything else has become easier to do.

Have you ever visited a new town and found yourself relying on guide books, information from friends and family, or other sources to find new and different places? Sometimes, you would get to a recommended spot and the experience would meet — or exceed — your expectations. Other times, though, the effort made in tracking down that new restaurant or museum left you disappointed.

For the past year, however, I’ve seen numerous posts on Facebook and Twitter from people using Foursquare. After watching and wondering, I decided to go ahead, jump in and check out this social media platform.

Let me share with you what I’ve learned. This location-based application is designed to allow you to look for new places to eat, shop or visit from any web-enabled smart phone. Foursquare also lets you utilize social networking through a variety of application-related activities.

When you launch it, you get relevant, location-based tips for nearby places to visit, eat, shop or otherwise socialize. Also, you can become friends with people you know and see what kinds of locations they are visiting, too.

Earn Rewards

You also have the option to “check-in” to locations via Foursquare, allowing you to share with others your location.

Checking in allows you to gain various kinds of rewards. The most basic is a point system, which gives you points based on a few different factors. One point is rewarded for each check-in throughout the day, which increases with each check-in (first check-in gets one point, second gets two, etc.) Five points are earned by checking into a new location for the first time, and an additional five points are awarded by creating a venue that is not currently listed on Foursquare.

Another reward is mayorships. You can become the “mayor” of a location by checking into that place more times than any other user in the past 60 days. Some businesses reward mayors of particular locations with special deals or free items.

Badges

The most popular rewards on Foursquare are virtual badges that show up on your profile as a result of performing some kind of action using the application. Some badges can be unlocked, or earned, for checking in a specific number of times at special locations, such as coffee shops, gyms, or playgrounds. Others recognize you when you’ve checked in at a specific number of unique venues.

There are two types of badges. The basic Foursquare badges are round in shape. Affiliate badges have a shield-like shape and are developed by businesses or organizations affiliated with Foursquare to reward users who visit specific locations or businesses frequently.

Additionally, users can earn special badges for certain holidays, voting, writing special messages when checking in to a location, or attending certain conferences or conventions.

Unlocking Foursquare badges has become so popular that people have sponsored events just to unlock them. “Swarm” parties have been organized among Foursquare users in order to unlock any of the four “Swarm” badges, which are awarded to users at a location when 50, 250, 500, or 1000 Foursquare users have checked into the same venue.

I recommend a couple of blogs that track developments by Foursquare:

http://aboutfoursquare.com

http://www.4squarebadges.com

Permalink Leave a Comment

Journey to Authentic Leadership

December 28, 2010 at 6:03 pm · Filed under career, leadership, motivation ·Tagged authentic leadership

In True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership, author Bill George says that when you follow your internal compass, your leadership will be authentic, and people will naturally want to associate with you. Although others may guide or influence you, George writes that your truth is derived from your life story and only you can determine what it should be.

After reading Chapter 1, it was important to examine my life story and leadership opportunities to this point, with an emphasis on the influences of my early years and instances of my leadership.

Discovering My Leadership in My Life Story

During my early years, the people who had the greatest impact on me included:

• Parents

• Aunts, uncles, cousins

• 6th grade teacher Mrs. Mildred “Curt” Miller

• 7th grade English teacher Mrs. Connie Wilkins

• WNBC-TV (New York) “Live at 5” co-anchor Sue Simmons

From my earliest memories, the experiences that marked key turning points in my life include…

• Confirmation/first Holy Communion

• Graduating high school in my junior year/skipping senior year

• Entering college

• My first internship in broadcast journalism

• My first job in broadcast journalism

• Transitioning from broadcast journalism to public relations

• Deciding to earn a MBA degree

•Achieving professional accreditation in public relations

Looking at patterns from my early life story, the people, events and experiences that have had the greatest impact on me and my life have largely related to my education and my professional careers in communications (broadcast journalism/public relations). I do not recall any instances in which I have been dissatisfied with my leadership or received constructive feedback from others about it. I also have not experienced an instance in which I felt like a victim.

These are some failures/disappointments in my life that I have reframed as learning experiences:

• Being a runner-up instead of winner of scholarship beauty/talent pageants

• An on-air production error that led to my firing from my college campus TV station

The Journey to Authentic Leadership

Initially in my life, I believe I viewed leadership as a destination to a certain point – for example, earning a certain professional position or status. Now, I view my life and leadership as a journey in which I seek to maximize my learning and experiences because of my rejection of complacency, stagnation and mediocrity.

My most significant leadership experiences have been focused on self-leadership – developing my own (or accepting from others) challenging assignments or projects that have allowed me to showcase my independent performance capabilities in an exemplary manner to ultimately gain recognition or job advancement.

From these experiences, I have learned to:

• Make thorough plans.

• Work to complete plans incrementally over time without procrastination.

• Adjust plans as circumstances change.

• Ask for help without feeling that it shows weakness.

The experience that I need to develop my leadership to take it to the next level is appointment to be a team leader, such as chair of a committee in an organization. This experience would challenge and enable me to learn through practice skills such as mediation, negotiation and delegation.

Through Leadership Houston, I am seeking ways I can take my previous experiences and apply them more optimally to my leadership.

Permalink Leave a Comment

Development as an Authentic Leader

December 28, 2010 at 3:40 pm · Filed under career, inspiration, productivity ·Tagged leadership, True North

As a member of Leadership Houston’s Class XXIX, I am participating in a book club. It provides an opportunity to meet and get to know class members as we read and discuss literature on leadership together.

The title we’re examining is the national bestseller True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership by Bill George, the former CEO of Medtronic and a current Harvard Business School professor. George shares wisdom gleaned from research on and first-person interviews with some 125 top leaders, ultimately presenting a concrete, comprehensive program for leadership success centered on five key areas:

Pursuing purpose with passion – knowing your authentic self;

Practicing solid values – defining your values and leadership principles;

Leading with heart – understanding what motivates you;

Building a support team by establishing enduring relationships;

Demonstrating self-discipline and staying grounded by integrating all aspects of your life.

After reading the introduction to True North, I began thinking about the basis of my leadership and the process I need to go through to become an authentic leader. To start, I considered leaders I admire, what makes them authentic and what I can learn from their leadership.

Jesus

The passionate purpose of his life was to save mankind by taking on all of our sins so we could be forgiven just by believing in him. Jesus was God in the form of man; therefore, he was without sin, and he practiced the solid values of a godly life without fault, failure or flaw. He built a support team – the apostles. They were not just Jesus’ followers but stewards of leadership who Jesus empowered to advance an enduring global mission to redeem, deliver, heal and, above all, love all people. Despite challenges from people of his own heritage and persecution by the imperial rulers of his era, Jesus demonstrated self-discipline, stayed grounded and fulfilled his purpose in a manner that continues to have timeless, endless, redeeming and inspiring impact on millions of people.

My paternal great-grandparents Zachary and Camilla Hubert.

After they became emancipated slaves, they raised 12 children who all valued and excelled in education, business and community service. They are authentic leaders who established a legacy of values that continues to transcend generations.

Sojourner Truth, a 19^th century abolitionist and women’s rights activist.

She is an authentic leader for speaking truth to power and never wavering in her convictions.

Legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi.

He’s an authentic leader because of his unequivocal commitment to winning. Whether people loved him or feared him, they always respected Lombardi for his character, mental toughness, and integrity.

Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, Pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church.

His authentic leadership advances the principle that helping others achieve economic independence and dignity fulfills Christian tenets.

Thinking about the basis for my leadership and the kind of leader I would like to be, the qualities that I bring to leadership include:

A sense of structure and organization.
Open-mindedness and willingness to listen.
Good communication skills.

The leadership qualities that I would like to develop further include:

Confidence
Patience

Assessing myself against the five dimensions of an authentic leader, here’s how I:

Understand my purpose – Produce excellent results with efficiency and consistency.

Practice my values – Treat others the way I want to be treated. Say what I’m going to do, then follow through to completion.

Lead with my heart – Assess situations and act according to what will achieve the best outcome benefitting the most people.

Establish connected relationships – Pursue meaningful, substantive engagements with a few people at a time when in social settings.

Demonstrate self-discipline – Respect and obey established rules and laws and govern my own behavior with integrity.

I think I will feel more effective as a leader when I am authentic because I will be integrating and balancing all five of these dimensions.

I am consciously developing my leadership abilities by participating in Leadership Houston and reading literature on leadership.

Permalink Comments (1)

My Accreditation in Public Relations

October 29, 2010 at 8:35 pm · Filed under APR, career, communications, corporate communications, public relations ·Tagged accreditation, APR, communication, competency, ethics, KSAs, professionalism, public relations

On Saturday, Oct. 23, I successfully completed the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations, entitling me to use the APR professional designation. This has been officially affirmed by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), a consortium of nine professional communication organizations that directs this competency certification program.

The Accreditation program aims to improve the practice of public relations by assessing competence in 60 areas of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the profession. The Examination is designed for public relations professionals with five to seven years of job experience and/or a bachelor’s degree in a communication field.

It took me a little more than a year to successfully complete the rigorous APR process, which included preparing and presenting my portfolio to a Readiness Review panel of three peers and sitting for a computer-based examination at a Prometric Testing Center in the Houston area.

According to Felicia Blow, APR, 2009 chair of the Universal Accreditation Board, “Earning the APR reflects mastery of the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to succeed in our increasingly complex profession. Practitioners who achieve the designation are demonstrating their commitment not only to our profession, but also to a strong code of ethics and to the betterment of their organizations and clients.”

To maintain my APR credential, I will participate in continuing professional development while also seeking ways to provide leadership to the profession and serve the Houston community.

For more information about the UAB and the APR designation, visit http://www.praccreditation.org.

Permalink Leave a Comment

Tips for Your Interview on a Talk Show

October 9, 2010 at 9:44 pm · Filed under communications, employee communications, media relations, presentations, publicity, traditional media ·Tagged community access channel, interview skills, media relations, public affairs, radio, television

Can you please prepare some comments for Paul for tomorrow’s talk show? We just received this invitation, so I apologize for the short notice.

That was the short email message the corporate communications manager received from Paul’s boss, one of the company’s vice presidents. The talk show was being taped the next morning for later broadcast on a local community access cable channel. The topic of the interview segment was to focus entirely on the work Paul does for the company every day. There would also be two other guests on the segment — Paul’s counterparts who do the same work for two other non-competing organizations.

“Why would Paul need talking points from me?” the corporate communications manager pondered.

She called Paul and said to him, “Look, since you are the expert, I’m sure you’ll do fine. Let me just offer a few quick pointers on performance.

RELAX AND SMILE! RELAX AND SMILE! RELAX AND SMILE! People watching you at home won’t care how much you know unless they can see how much you care about helping them.

Just have a conversation. Think: that’s not an interviewer you’re talking to. He or she is your best friend or next door neighbor.

With every question you get, stop and think, “How can I answer this question so people watching at home can understand quickly and simply?”

Keep your responses short so you don’t drone on and on and on….. Let the interviewer decide to ask you one or more follow-up questions. There are two other people being interviewed in the segment with you, so leave plenty of time for them to talk!

You can highlight a few statistics, but don’t get too wrapped up in them. People watching you at home want to know – “How can Paul help me?” You don’t help them with statistics. You help them by engaging their involvement in your program!

To help people, remind them about these items at least once (and don’t be afraid to repeat them in rotation as you answer different questions):
- upcoming program outreach events
- the company’s web site is a great resource
- the phone number and email address where you can be contacted directly for more information

And again —

RELAX AND SMILE! RELAX AND SMILE! RELAX AND SMILE! People watching you at home won’t care how much you know unless they can see how much you care about helping them overcome challenges, learn something new or be successful.

Permalink Leave a Comment

What Generation Y Can Expect From Me

March 1, 2010 at 10:45 pm · Filed under employee engagement, productivity, public relations, service, workplace culture ·Tagged Generation X, Generation Y, GenX, GenY

Working with professionals who exude energy and enthusiasm present interesting challenges and opportunities to me. I draw from my experiences as an advisor to young adults at my church, a Junior Achievement volunteer, and as a public relations manager who’s supervised college student summer interns to make things work smoothly.

Generally defined as those who have entered the workplace since about 2001, Generation Y requires more management time than my GenX peers who are known for our autonomy and strident pursuit of doing things OUR way. Having very structured lives since childhood, GenY needs structure and guidance at work to channel their dedication to producing excellent results.

Instead of being a top-down, command-and-control “boss,” I’m all about being a serving team leader — one who mentors and fosters leadership in others, identifies opportunities for skills training, gives heads-ups and feedback, provides challenges and, most of all, keeps things fun while keeping it real.

Here are some of the things I do to achieve satisfying working relationships and desired results:

• Clearly communicate exactly what needs to be done.

• Explain how the individual’s role fits within the larger framework of the project.

• Clarify timing and expectations. If the matter is urgent, I say so. If the matter is not urgent, I let them know the anticipated timeframe and when the assignment is ultimately due.

• Provide samples of the type of product I expect.

• Communicate the process and when to check in along the progressions of an assignment.

• Avoid reinventing the wheel. While GenY likes to research on the internet, I point out other helpful sources and even other people who may be helpful.

• Ask them to describe their understanding of the assignment before concluding our discussion and delegation of tasks. Just checking that we’re all on the same page.

• Create a team atmosphere through inclusion as often as practicable in the office and at external meetings and gatherings.

• Encourage them to bring ideas to the table and make sure that I show that they are heard and appreciated.

• Keep them in the loop so they are well informed and feel that they are an integral part of the team, ready to contribute whenever asked.

• Provide prompt and thorough feedback. And I do this in person whenever possible – the personal touch is much more effective than e-mail or a memo for both educating and motivating.

• Take time to review work together when a project is complete. It’s important to highlight what was done well and give praise, provide constructive criticism for going forward, and discuss lessons learned.

• Respect people’s personal lives and their overall workload. False deadlines and unnecessary weekend or holiday work are just not cool. I plan and communicate in advance.

• Encourage compromise to manage both work and personal schedules. It helps them learn to sort out competing priorities. I ask for suggestions on solutions, check in periodically, and inquire as to the status of other matters and projects.

• Act as a bridge to provide them exposure and interaction with the senior level that works above me.

• Give credit and recognition for good work and effort. I am generous with “thank you’s” and find that this influences my GenY team members to pick up the habit in turn.

Permalink Leave a Comment

Run, Tackle, Score in Corporate Writing

February 20, 2010 at 6:18 pm · Filed under communications, corporate communications, employee communications, writing ·Tagged action verbs, active voice, corporate communications, headlines, jargon, lede, writing

When I worked as a local TV news reporter, my copy had to be quick and crisp. At most, I only had 60 to 90 seconds to show and tell. I still think like a reporter when I’m working on annual reports, CEO commentaries, and other corporate communications. I’m filling paragraphs and pages instead of short blocks of air time, but I’m careful not to lapse into slow, cumbersome, abstract styles that are drab and weighed down with jargon. I recognize that employees, vendors, media, shareholders and other audiences are busy, cynical, and overwhelmed by interests competing for their attention. They just don’t have time to read everything that comes their way; they choose to read things they like and what they have to.

So here’s how I make sure corporate writing is interesting and important enough to rope in readers:

Focus on people

Just compare conversations about national health care reform to the amount of chatter about Tiger Woods. People want to hear, talk, and read about people. Likewise, stories about corporate policies, procedures and programs are best when they focus on the people affected.

Get out of the office, go find people and see what’s going on. Do interviews in person or over the telephone. Avoid e-mail interviews — they lack personality.

Compose high quality headlines

Because a headline is the first thing readers see, it’s crucial to get it right. A good headline should capture a reader’s attention. It needs to tell readers what the story is about in a nutshell so they can decide whether or not to read further. It should not imply anything unrelated to the story, and it must set the tone for the rest of the article. That’s why I write it before I write the story; it’s too difficult when I put it off until the end. Sometimes, I start with something outlandish and then scale it back. I may also throw a bunch of ideas out to several people and get their feedback.

Don’t forget the lede

Like headlines, an enticing lede draws in a reader, especially if it’s short, punchy, and right to the point. Just ask, “What is this story about?” Answering in a creative, inviting way is sure to win reader attention.

Be clear

I don’t get caught up using technical terms and convoluted sentence structures. Straightforward language explains what I’m talking about. If it’s not written clearly, nothing else will matter because people won’t understand it.

Use action verbs

I use words that I can see happening. I can see a company “deliver results,” but my vision blurs when I read that it “achieved established performance objectives consistent with strategic goals.”

Apply active voice

Sentences in active voice are more concise and direct because fewer words are needed to express action. Passive voice hides the “doer” and therefore muddles the sentence. Noun-verb construction works best. For example, say “He made a mistake,” not “Mistakes were made.”

Specify everything

Concrete words that make direct statements help the audience understand what I’m talking about. And the more they understand, the more engaged they will be.

Avoid jargon

Jargon is intimidating and excludes certain members of the audience. It can give some the sense that they’re not qualified to read the item. If jargon is necessary or unavoidable, limit the number of terms and be sure to define them.

Include quotes

Quote should convey real points of view. If they’re good but long, I like to break them up with attribution in the middle.

Write with your ear

Good writing is just an edited conversation, that’s all. I read it out loud so I can hear what works and what doesn’t. I pay attention to rhythm and pacing. If I’m running out of oxygen or fumbling, that’s a signal for more punctuation.

Allow a little mess

I don’t try to write perfect sentences in my head. I have to let my thoughts go and then fix them. Good writing involves rewriting, so I embrace the chaos, walk away, come back, reorganize, move things around, and change things up. Then, I do it again.

Take chances

Look for the twists and turns. Ask, “Why should I care about this?” I find the fun in writing topics so my audience will enjoy reading about them.

Permalink Leave a Comment

A Communications Professional Committed to Excellence

February 15, 2010 at 4:50 pm · Filed under career, communications, marketing communications, media campaign, media relations, public relations ·Tagged communications, corporate publications, excellence, media relations, public relations

I hope all is going well for you so far in the new year!

I am an accomplished communications professional specializing in media relations and community outreach. My background includes a unique mix of experiences in television news, PR agency client service, corporate conference production, and public affairs media campaign management.

In addition to a journalism degree from Syracuse University and a M.B.A. from University of Houston, I am completing the rigorous requirements for accreditation from the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communicators. Other key highlights of my qualifications include:

• Experience in a key role with responsibility for the success of a strategic branding, public awareness and media relations campaign to achieve a focused, consistent and positive image of an organization among internal and external stakeholders and the general public.

• Exceptional, award-winning skills in writing effective promotional campaign materials including editorials, feature articles, fact sheets, press kits, press releases, annual reports, marketing collateral, web site content, executive talking points/speaking presentations, and performance reports.

• Solid capabilities in building relationships of good rapport with editorial and advertising account service contacts within local, regional, and national media targeting general audiences and professional business/industry interests.

• Keen proficiency in ensuring brand message quality and consistency through collaborations with stakeholders, senior managers, cross-functional departments and teams of creative service consultants to develop and drive strategic communication programs aligning with organizational business goals and objectives.

I have distinguished myself for combining creative energy, strategic acumen, a deep sense of purpose, and a serving leadership style to deliver exceptional results in media relations, media production, corporate event production, organizational brand marketing communication programs, and editorial management of corporate publications. My training, skills, and experience enable me to add tremendous value to an organization that appreciates the leverage of public relations and marketing communications within its strategies to maximize and maintain competitive advantage.

I look forward to a personal interview to provide any additional information you may require. While seeking full-time employment, I am available for short-term freelance consulting assignments. If you have leads or referrals to share, I would be pleased to follow up immediately.

email: TheReneeGriffin@yahoo.com

blog: http://myPRgative.wordpress.com

follow me on http://www.Twitter.com/Renee_says

Permalink Leave a Comment

	Sheri Braun on Development as an Authentic…
	Ashlee on In Public Relations, Interpers…
	Measuring PR’s Value… on Measuring PR’s value and…
	Measuring PR’s Value… on Measuring PR’s Value and Impac…
	7 Ways to Use Social… on Drive business by positioning…

My PRgative

A Natural Treat for ALL Your Senses

Journey to Authentic Leadership

Development as an Authentic Leader

My Accreditation in Public Relations

Tips for Your Interview on a Talk Show

What Generation Y Can Expect From Me

Run, Tackle, Score in Corporate Writing

A Communications Professional Committed to Excellence

Top Posts

Email Subscription

Blog Stats

Hot topics

Felicia Griffin

Mark the Dates

Recent Comments

Let’s Tweet

Top Clicks

Search

Top Rated

Blasts from the Past

Conversations

Take a Look

Crunchy numbers

Where did they come from?

Attractions in 2010

Top Posts

Email Subscription

Blog Stats

Hot topics

Felicia Griffin

Mark the Dates

Recent Comments

Top Clicks

Search

Top Rated

Blasts from the Past

Take a Look