Fwd: Special Edition: “Everything Will Be OK”

Hello,  Earlier this week, as I took my dog for a walk, I came upon a stretch of pavement that literally stopped me in my tracks. Scrawled in chalk were the words  "Everything will be OK." Immediately, that child's handwriting yanked me back to years before. My son, Jack, then five years old, was in a sterile, white pre-op room at a hospital to undergo surgery. We had all been calm the night before. But after getting up at the crack of dawn, the gravity of it hit when the nurse came in to put a needle in Jack's arm. His eyes wide, Jack turned to me and asked, "Daddy, will everything be OK?" Every parent, throughout time, has surely been asked this question, but for me it was the first time. Startled by the sheer fear I felt inside, I forced confidence into my voice. "Yes," I told him. "It's going to be OK." Today, whether we admit it or not, this instinctual question covertly underlies conversations everywhere. Hope camouflages fear. In bull markets, people look to the leader for validation. In bear markets, they look to the leader for reassurance. Leaders are drawing on their analytical skills (their "left brain") to devise strategies—the what and the how of doing business in a new normal. More than ever in these times, though, the social leadership skills of the right-brain (inspiring and motivating) give others hope. Here are some thoughts: Listen to Educate Your Intuition: In a crisis, leaders can't manage from a spreadsheet. It's all about "walking around." Personally, I'm making 50 calls a day to clients and colleagues at all levels—listening twice as much as speaking; not just to hear, but to comprehend. Today, hierarchy should be invisible as leaders tap into organizational curiosity to get a "taste and feel" of what is happening in the moment. Leaders are taking a total inventory across their organizations as they listen for what people are thinking, feeling, fearing, and experiencing. Only with a total picture, accurately perceiving today, can leaders accurately project tomorrow—what the world will look like in the next 12, 18, or 24 months. Have the End in Mind: Hope, ultimately, comes from envisioning the end point—not only the biological solution to the pandemic, but also anticipating what tomorrow's business models will look like. Our colleagues in China have been sharing stories of their lives slowly returning to normal. As a colleague in our Shanghai office wrote to me recently, "I am very good now, mentally and physically, and so is the Shanghai office. The whole city and country are recovering gradually from the epidemic, and I hope the States will conquer it, too." This is not to deny the reality of today—rather, it provides hope for tomorrow. That's why I have always seen leadership as a journey: transporting people emotionally and sometimes literally from one place to another. With hope, they believe that they can, indeed, reach the destination. Don't Mentally Shelter in Place: Sheltering in place physically is absolutely necessary when required. But the worse thing that can happen is to become frozen. Having grown up in Kansas, I can remember hot summer days with cloudless skies. Then, suddenly, the temperature would drop, and ominous clouds would build on the horizon. The first time the tornado siren goes off and you head to the basement, you're scared. After a few times, you're calmer because you know what to do. It's the same in times like these. We know there will be an end to this crisis. But it won't be "one and done"—it will come in waves, impacting everything from supply chains to air travel to sporting events. That's why we can't become paralyzed in the moment. Movement is life, and everyone needs to take action as they envision the end and what the new normal will look like. Connect the Dots in Between: Leadership is connecting the dots. More than ever today, it's the leader's job to connect the dots in a way to make a picture emerge of what the organization will look like post-crisis—and how it will transform itself to get there. Strategy happens in real time, nimbly adapting decision-making to changing conditions, without losing sight of the ultimate goals. Leaders must also connect the dots between strategy and purpose to keep the organization on course. Otherwise, it's wasted energy, and every decision looks like a "good decision"—until it's not. Hope Is Resilience: The Black Plague of the Middle Ages, the London Plague of the 1600s, the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920…just to name a few. The cost in human lives was catastrophic. Yet, history also teaches us that humans have faced previous catastrophes with far less science and technology than we have today. Our hope today is not just in the science; it's also in the resilience of the human spirit. "The Courageous Have No Fear": On the wall of my home office is a beautiful framed print—black brushstrokes against an off-white background—a gift given to me a few years ago by colleagues in China. The translation, on a brass plaque at the bottom, reads: "The Courageous have no Fear – Confucius (551 B.C.)" It is part of a longer quote: "the humane do not worry; the wise are not perplexed; the courageous have no fear." It is an expression of an ideal—an extraordinarily high bar. I view the words not only as solace, but also as encouragement, of what each of us can be. In challenging times, it's the leader's job to see what others cannot. By their words and actions, leaders paint a picture of what others cannot yet envision. Like the brushstrokes on canvas – or the innocence of a child's drawing on pavement— these messages give hope and instill courage. Indeed, everything will be OK. Regards,       Gary Burnison Korn Ferry CEO                                This email was sent to you to market Korn Ferry services. Please click here to update your email preferences or unsubscribe from our announcements and promotional communications. You may continue to receive transactional emails such as registration confirmations, product updates, and responses to your direct requests.   Korn Ferry | 1900 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 2600 | Los Angeles, CA 90067 U.S.A. © 2020 Korn Ferry. All rights reserved.

Fwd: 10 More Things Leaders Can Do During A Crisis

As the current situation continues to run its course, social distancing remains the most important thing all of us can do. We can save lives by taking this step, and the more rigorously we practice it, the greater its effects will be.   It's also important for each of us to make sure we've created the best possible support systems for our family, friends, neighbors, and ourselves. We're all in this together and making sure we have what we need and offer what we can is a way to keep that sense of community strong.   Those of us in leadership roles have additional opportunities to make a real difference. Once you've covered the basics of health and safety, here are ten more things you can do to support the people on your teams and the organizations and issues that share your collective values.   Above all, remember to offer kindness and positivity whenever and however you can.   1. Make a clear declaration that people come first, ahead of any other business priority. Financial concerns and the recovery of the economy need to take a backseat right now to safeguarding our most important asset: the people who form our companies and the community that supports them. People's needs will change as the days pass. Stay informed about them and what you can do to help. Some of these things may be new to you or unexpected but that doesn't make them harder to solve.   2. Take care of employees and your broader community. Toyota paid factory workers to make line improvements even if the factory was idle, rather than do layoffs. Today we have lots more "almost employees" like vendors, contractors, gig workers. Pay them to do something - anything. Give free loans or advance future earnings, especially for gig workers. Now's the time for companies with big balance sheets to help.   3. Send a note out to vendors encouraging them to do extreme social distancing. Many law firms are forcing people to work in office "because clients want it". The same is true for nonprofits who fear alienating donors. Send the opposite message: people come first and we only want to work with companies who get it. There's plenty of excellent information on why this matters so much and how to do it, some of which is gathered in the post linked above.   4. Offer a remote work stipend. Make sure people have money right now to upgrade their home office situation. LTSE did a reimbursement program for a set amount, no questions asked, and people spent it on surprising--but always practical--things. Remember that every employee is dealing with a different home situation so their needs will vary. The goal here is to make sure everyone who makes your organization run can come together as seamlessly as possible. No one needs issues that can easily be fixed with some new technology or better lighting on top of the other stress we're all experiencing.   5. Offer remote therapy as a benefit and make sure your employees are aware of it and how to access it. The pandemic is causing a lot of anxiety and pressure for everyone. People are dealing with children, older family members and friends, and a whole new level of work-life balance. Many have lost some of the things that helped them manage stress, like their local gym or recurring social event. In addition, many AA and NA meetings have been canceled, leaving those in recovery without their normal support system. Mental health services are crucial now more than ever. Do whatever you can to provide them to your employees.   6. Get a corporate account on Outschool or something similar and pay for employees' kids' virtual classes, and make resources about other options easily available.This is another way to help support people working at home and also make sure they have a way to take a break during non-work hours. Virtual classes provide both education and enriching activities that can fill the time with fun exploration.   7. Assign pandemic-specific jobs. Having a specific job - no matter how small - helps people cope with anxiety. Put someone in charge of setting up virtual happy hour for their team or division. Put someone else in charge of reading the latest research and best practices. If someone is required to be in an office, put them in charge of pandemic-proofing. All of these are a way to provide people with a measure of control in a time when it feels like so much is out of control.   8. Arrange social time to ward off isolation and loneliness. Zoom, Slack and all the usual work tools are ideal for this. Create virtual meetups and discussion circles, or conversations around a shared piece of reading or viewing. Being physically apart doesn't mean we need to give up our connections. Organize virtual exercise or meditation groups and times for people to get together and vent about their worries in a safe space.   9. Join coalitions working on pandemic relief and response. There are specific groups for cure research, supporting workers, food security, and many other issues. There are also places to volunteer your specific skill set. Or, start a new one if you have expertise. Here are a few places to start: National PPE Coalition; SchoolClosures.org; Stop the Spread.   10. Match donations to relief efforts or related nonprofits. Funding the many groups that are working to help our fellow citizens right now is critical. No doubt the people who make up your organization are all making individual choices about where to send whatever money they have to put towards these efforts. By matching their contributions, you're not only increasing financial support but showing your team members you share their values.   Copyright © 2020 Eric Ries

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Fwd: Special Edition: A Silver Lining to the Crisis

Hello, Culture. If you asked five people to define it, you'd get seven different answers.  Is it the mission? The values? How people dress at work? Admittedly, it's a nebulous term. Culture boils down to how an organization gets things done. Today, the world's largest work-from-home experiment is an invitation to think more broadly about an organization's future business model (real estate, supply chain, workforce, leadership, et al). It could be the surprising silver lining to this crisis. For example, who would have thought that social distancing and remote working would bring people together? The playbook for working remotely that existed even a month ago has been thrown out the window—as I discovered myself, just the other day. While on a call with our board of directors, I was interrupted by two of my college-age children. They walked into the room and asked me for the Wi-Fi password, which I had changed the night before. As I wrote it down for them, we kept talking—none of it on mute. None of it dismissed or disguised. And, most important, no one cared as the board waited patiently for me for several extra seconds. There was a time, not so long ago, when people went to great lengths to avoid the telltale signs and sounds of "I'm working from home." Now, it's the soundtrack of our lives—and leaders need to send the message that it's not only okay, it's wanted. Welcome to the new world of work and the culture that goes with it. Here are some thoughts: A hunger for real connection. In our company, about 90 percent of our more than 9,000 global employees are now working from home. We're finding the same among our clients around the world. Yet, even as people are socially distant, there is a real desire to see each other. It's not surprising, given that humans are social creatures. People everywhere want to be loved and they want to belong. That's why we're finding in these uncertain times that more and more people are asking to use video on calls that were voice-only just a month ago. And, it's not about getting dressed up—in fact, it's the opposite of the Instagram era. People want to be seen as who they really are, not just as how they want to be perceived. The more "unplugged" and authentic, the better. That's why on video conferences pets are often the stars of the show, as colleagues share glimpses of their work-from-home spaces. These small details are part of the fabric that authentically connects us.  When "how are you" really means "how are you, today?": I'll admit it—I have called this question the "three most useless words in the world of communication." That's because "how are you?" is usually just filler—something people say when they don't know what else to say. Until now. Every conference call or conversation these days starts with sincere inquiries about how people and their loved ones are doing. We saw this when COVID-19 first broke out, and people expressed genuine caring for their colleagues in Asia. Now, those colleagues are offering encouragement to their counterparts in Europe and the Americas. These days, I go out of my way to ask: "How are you?" Instead of the usual, expected replies of "I'm great, thanks," people are being genuine. One person told me about her son who had a fever. Another shared concerns about loved ones stranded in South America with health issues and couldn't get back to the U.S. Someone else told me his father has prostate cancer but can't get in for treatment right now. These are the stories behind the stories that need to be shared. Putting the usual into the unusual: Even when we're disrupted, we're still creatures of habit. At a time when things feel anything but normal, we try to preserve a sense of normalcy. People who used to have lunch with colleagues once or twice a week are eating together over Facetime. Colleagues are giving video tours of their remote work arrangements as they create virtual communities. They're getting together at the end of the week for virtual happy hours—more often and with far more people than when they tried to do so in the old-school face-to-face way. This is what will put the normal back in what may be uncomfortable and unusual for a while. We will "shake hands again": One day this will be behind us. We'll resume our work routines. The social distancing between us will narrow. But we won't be the same. Having been apart for a prolonged period of time, we'll have a deeper appreciation for being together. As one CEO said to me in an email, "Hoping to shake your hand in the future when we're allowed to shake hands again." Such a simple gesture—one we took for granted—but never will again.  What has changed forever. The world of work has changed—permanently. Even when people go back to their offices, there will be new ways of working with greater efficiency. For one thing, leaders who are used to traveling frequently may very well rethink this after being grounded for a few weeks. Personally, I had to cancel multiple trips during this time. When I step back, I ask myself: would that travel have made any difference at all? At the end of this crisis, there will be a dramatic shift in the world of work.  Mark Arian, the leader of Korn Ferry's Consulting business, recently shared with me a bit of history: In the 17th century, the Great Plague of London sent Isaac Newton, then in his 20s, back home from Trinity College in Cambridge to the family estate. While there for over a year, he did some of his best work in mathematics and his study of gravity. This reminds us that, while the natural tendency of many may be to "just survive," the innovators will "thrive." If Sir Isaac Newton's remote work produced such genius then—and given what we're seeing in the world's unique experiment now—who knows what great things will happen as companies reconsider culture and how work gets done. Regards,       Gary Burnison Korn Ferry CEO                                This email was sent to you to market Korn Ferry services. Please click here to update your email preferences or unsubscribe from our announcements and promotional communications. You may continue to receive transactional emails such as registration confirmations, product updates, and responses to your direct requests.   Korn Ferry | 1900 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 2600 | Los Angeles, CA 90067 U.S.A. © 2020 Korn Ferry. All rights reserved.

Fwd: When you admit it you can change it

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On Mar 13, 2020, at 3:03 AM, Brian Kurtz <brian@briankurtz.me> wrote:

Steve   Being stuck in the Cleveland airport for five hours sounds like a place no one would ever want to be.   And a very snowy and cold Cleveland to boot.  (As if being stuck in Cleveland alone wasn't enough!)   That was me six years ago this week.   I could have been melancholy with only a smorgasbord of unlimited gluten and sugar at my disposal.   But in fact I was elated.   I was about to embark on my second 34 year career…and I was anything but stuck or melancholy.   I was still at Boardroom at the time…and I had recently created a plan to author an event under the company's umbrella to honor my mentor and the founder of Boardroom, Marty Edelston (who had passed away the previous October).   My partner for the event happens to live near Cleveland, only travels on a private jet, and if you want to meet with him in the most efficient (and economical) way, flying  to Cleveland is the ticket.   "If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain."   I played Muhammad for this trip…and I also had to stay at a LaQuinta Inn somewhere outside of Cleveland waiting for the "mountain" to pick me up in his 1960 (something) Country Squire station wagon to take me to his house.   Dan Kennedy is the guy who was my partner in case the hints were too obscure…   And that day in late February 2014 we laid out the tentative agenda for the Titans of Direct Response which, in Dan's words, ended up being "the event of the decade."   Important: I not only want to talk about the event a little more here but in the P.S. I have an incredible story of a strategic by-product created by the event (in addition to the birth of Titans Marketing) which will be of great interest to everyone in my online family, especially the females. Please read on.   Dan and I masterminded the Titans event that day (indoors!). We went over who we would ask to be guest speakers, how much we would charge and all of the details we would then have to (over) deliver on with gifts and bonuses.   What was most interesting when we made our wish list of speakers--including Jay Abraham, Joe Sugarman, Perry Marshall, Greg Renker, Ken McCarthy—a list that seemed daunting —was that in the end, we got all of them to say "yes" without any coaxing.   First and foremost, that everyone said yes without compensation, was a tribute to Marty given all that he had contributed to the direct marketing community over 50 years himself…and secondly, there was a small assist to the accumulated relationship capital Dan and I had built up over 80 years of doing this marketing thing and contributing as well. It was all both surprising and very rewarding.   We even got America's greatest living copywriter, Gary Bencivenga to come out of retirement "one more time" despite saying he would never speak again after his landmark event The Benicvenga 100.   He couldn't resist and I didn't even have to ask him. He volunteered to speak. That was a thrill too.   When we began promoting the event shortly after that snowy day in the boonies of Ohio, we sold out the VIP tickets within a few weeks--and then the entire event (350 of the best-of-the-best direct marketers) months before we held the event in September.   Fast forward to September 11th, 2014...I took the stage for my opening session…and I began with a slide that read:   "Four things about this event that you think I don't know…but believe me…I know!"     1. I know it is 9/11   We acknowledged the solemn day before we began and I quoted Marty on the subject of 9/11:   "Screw those bastards! We can never let them stop us!"   Moving forward on 9/11 was totally on point for a tribute to Marty.     2. I know most of you think our speakers are "Old Timers"   After all, if you accumulated the years of marketing excellence that took the stage over those two days, my rough estimate is that it added up to close to 500 years.   (And that's 500 years of cumulative experience not one day's experience for 500 years)   One way to look at it could be "500 years of old news"; another way to look at it could be 500 years of absolute, essential wisdom.   It comes as no surprise to any regular readers of this blog that I choose the latter…and not for nostalgic reasons.   What these Titans shared was applicable to what was happening in marketing today as well as yesterday (and that's today in 2014 and today in 2020).   I guess looking back, the Titans event even inspired chapters 2 and 3 of Overdeliver on "Original Source" and "How Paying Postage Made Me A Better Marketer."     Note: On the bonus page for Overdeliver at www.OverdeliverBook.com I give away five sessions of those "old timers" (plus me) from the Titans event with their keynote presentations available for free viewing (with the purchase of my book):     The Copywriting panel (Eric Betuel, David Deutsch, Arthur Johnson, Parris Lampropoulos); an original of product marketing and copywriting, Joe Sugarman; infomercial giant Greg Renker; the late (and great) Fred Catona on direct response radio;  and internet pioneer Ken McCarthy.     3. I know (but I don't really care) that many of you thought the sales letter for this event was "too long"   My answer was easy on this one:   "It was long. Yay for us. And I'm proud of it. It got all of you here at $3,000 to $5,000 a seat which proves that a sales letter can never be too long or too short…just too boring."     4. I know (and I really care a lot) that none of our speakers are women   This one wasn't so easy and it needed some additional explanation--and to this day I lament that there were no female speakers at Titans.   And while my justification for having what seemed like an old boy's network seemed to fall flat while explaining it, I did what I could do to compensate for it…at the event…and in the years following (again, see the P.S.).   In the acknowledgments section of Overdeliver, I explained it and I will excerpt and update from there:     Before I go on to talk about all of the other copywriters I have learned so much from—as well as marketers and result leaders of all kinds who influenced me the most—I have to call out a "moose on the table:"   I am well aware that to this point, I have not listed many women in my professional acknowledgments ... yet.   The same was true of the speakers at Titans of Direct Response.   My explanation for both of these facts:   During the early part of my career, there were far fewer women teaching and mentoring—and thank goodness there are so many more today.   I received a lot of flak at the Titans of Direct Response event in 2014 for not having any female speakers and I sporadically receive emails in response to my blog posts when I talk about my key mentors from my past  (who are mostly male), asking, "why no women?"   My explanation is legitimate although it doesn't make me happy.   Dan Kennedy and I discussed it when we were planning the event and couldn't do anything about it.   The event was a tribute to Boardroom and Marty Edelston, the history and origins of the company and the man, and the sad truth is that when Boardroom was founded in 1972 (and in the years that followed) the builders, consultants, and copywriters from the outside were mostly men.   Regardless of that explanation, some women still boycotted the event...which hurt.   There were many women who came anyway but some of them organized their own dinner to talk about it (and hopefully about other things as well)—once again, see the P.S. for that story.   I did my best to explain and I have had to live with this sad fact despite the event being a huge success.   I can tell you, however, that many of the key folks internally at Boardroom during my 34 years were women and most of the senior staff while I was there were female as well.   Two extraordinary women, Joan Throckmorton and Rose Harper, helped build and shape Boardroom from the outside even in the early years, Joan as a copywriter and Rose as a mailing list broker.   Since neither one was alive in 2014, they were not invited to speak (to my chagrin).   I did the next best thing: I distributed copies of their out-of-print classic books to the most prolific and dynamic women in direct response marketing who were in the audience at Titans.   I called them out individually and they each came to the stage to receive their book with a heartfelt note from me.   (Those books are included in my reading list despite being out of print and I've got my copies in a prominent spot on my bookshelf.)   I acknowledged over 20 amazing women in the audience at the Titans event for their achievements, smarts and friendship… and of course they are acknowledged here in Overdeliver along with many others.   I am committed to paying it forward—then and now--to the women (and men) who have shaped my world and the world of so many other direct response marketers . . . and you will see many phenomenal women in the rest of these acknowledgments.   The change has done us good.       Please read the P.S. now (if you didn't skip to it already). I know how that works…   You will read a story about that "dinner" at Titans for the women who were at least a little pissed off. :)   It spawned something special that I am especially proud of…and I consider it a direct result of having "no female speakers at Titans."   Sometimes you have to screw a situation up—knowingly or unknowingly—to improve it.       Warmly,      Brian       P.S.  This week is another important anniversary based on this being the week that Titans was born.   It's kind of an anniversary of the founding of the Titanides, an organization dedicated to mentoring and elevating of female copywriters, marketers and entrepreneurs.   As stated above, when Marty Edelston first founded Boardroom in 1972, there were very few women in the direct response business.  And even fewer who worked with Boardroom (with Joan Throckmorton and Rose Harper being two legends who did).   Most of the marketers, consultants and copywriters I worked with were men.   This fact became glaringly obvious at the first Titans event.  And as I also mentioned above, I took a lot of flak for it.   Instead of boycotting the event as some did, my friend Marcella Allison, reached out to me.  I had worked with Marcella for years, she was one of a handful of female copywriters to get controls for Boardroom, and if you know her, you know that she shares my passion for overdelivering (still not a word but still a way of life). :)   At the event, it was Marcella who put together that private dinner for the "Female Titans of Direct Response."  She called it the Titanides after the female warriors, leaders, creators, and patrons of ancient Greece.   Today the group includes the leading women in the direct response and online marketing industry.   Marcella and her fellow Titanides are building a new arena where dynamic, creative women co-mentor, elevate, and support each other on the journey to success.   The Titanides is for women-only because the research shows that women need a separate female-only network to succeed at the highest levels in business.    You can read all about the critical differences between male and female entrepreneurs in "Marcella's Manifesto," The Sexist Secret to Succeeding as a Woman in Business Today.    Go here to download your copy and discover The single biggest obstacle women face when building their business. And no, it's not access to capital or discrimination. The answer will surprise you. How to close the pay gap. According to a recent survey, female freelancers charge 28% LESS than their male colleagues. 28%! Here's what you must do now, BEFORE you book another job! The ONE household task that working women are THREE TIMES as likely to do. Forget about washing the dishes or vacuuming, this one will exhaust you before you realize it. Clever trick helps women overcome their fear of failure. It's like a risk vaccine for entrepreneurs. One simple thing any woman can do to TRIPLE her chance of earning 10% MORE money next year. Hint: it has nothing to do with marketing! If you're a woman, I encourage you to download and read this manifesto…click here.   And if you're a man who mentors or works with women, I hope you'll join me by paying it forward and sharing this manifesto with them.  (And you should read it as well!).       P.P.S. If you think Titanides is a "Man Haters Club," think again.   And to prove that it's not, I was asked to be the first outside guest of the The Titanides Literary Salon...a reading group/idea exchange of Marcella's making.   Being the first guest made it clear that I was also the first male guest too—and I won't be the last.   It was a live call, totally interactive, and it was awesome. I learned so much.   I read an excerpt on the call from Overdeliver on the concept of 100-0 (i.e. contributing to others with no expectation of a return) and I was blown away by the writing talent, the insights and the myriad of interests and abilities of the women on the call (and in the group).   I even asked if I could be a member (but it was clear that I could only do that with a sex change operation). :)   Coming from where I was 6 years ago—with many up-and-coming and established women in our industry mumbling under their breath what a horrible person I was for not having any female speakers at such a groundbreaking event—I am here today to tell a very different story.   I am so grateful to Marcella and her tribe for creating this group (and hopefully I get at least a little credit for it)—and more importantly, I hope Titanides grows to be the one place in copywriting and marketing for women to congregate, educate themselves and others…and of course, multiply.   And please read Marcella's manifesto. It's really good.   http://www.titanides.com/secrets       If you no longer wish to receive our emails, click the link below: Unsubscribe   Brian Kurtz, P.O. Box 12 Westport, Connecticut 06881 United States