Are You a First Responder?
Jan 12 Port-au-Prince 7.0 Earthquake - posted on Flickr by bomgoclub.ning.com
Horrible news out of Haiti about the devastation caused by a 7.0 earthquake near Port-au-Prince. Twitter reports were some of the most immediate yesterday evening, when other communication channels were shut down and transportation into the area was limited. Within the first hour the American Red Cross, Unicef and President Obama had already pledged aid to the island – and began organizing the first relief efforts. International music star Wyclef Jean issued an eloquent statement on his blog, and people are volunteering to make the trip to Haiti to assist in any way necessary. But how many more individuals, organizations, even nations, are still deciding what to do or whether to respond at all? What makes someone a ‘first responder’ in any emergency?
Admittedly, a natural disaster of this magnitude is extreme. But for individuals and businesses of all sizes – unexpected events can lead to everything from a ‘really bad day’ to opportunity loss or even closure of business. On the same day that the earth reminded us ‘who’s boss’ once more, I heard from one of my associates about their toilet exploding – and what a disaster that was to muck up. I don’t even like thinking about the mess. Another colleague had their brake lights go out, causing the motorist behind them to nearly hit them on the way to work, and then swear at them profusely. This required an emergency detour to the repair shop on an already overbooked work day, but the brake lights got fixed – so clients were seen. One of our own clients experienced website failure, which required immediate trouble-shooting to avoid user complaints. These kinds of things happen all the time.
Now I am not suggesting by any means that all of these events carry the same weight. Obviously there are degrees of disaster, and the worst ones like what just occurred in Haiti eclipse the daily hiccups exponentially. However, how we react to any unexpected event is important. Taking swift action saves time, money, reputation and in some cases, lives.
You too can be a Hero
You don’t have to be a paramedic or other emergency rescue worker to arrive on the scene first and take action. You do need to be able to calmly assess a situation and make decisions. Maybe prioritize things if there are choices, and then take steps to solve the problem. But commitment and action are key. For those people suffering in Haiti, they need a LOT of assistance right now, so it will take multiple agencies and charitable donations to begin clearing the rubble.
In case you haven’t done so already, here are some sites where you can make a donation:
Oxfam of America – Haiti relief
American Red Cross – pledge to Haiti
Unicef – response to Haiti
Other suggested relief organizations, via Huffington Post
Help Haiti heal.
– Donna
P.S. And if you have to deal with any personal or business disasters, here’s wishing you a calm spirit, strength to take action, and aid if you need it.
Finding Your Way in the Woods (or Weeds…or Web…)
12 Jan 2010
Lost in the Woods by Jesse Kruger via Flickr Creative Commons
Hard to accept that we’re already in the second week of the year, and this is my first post. Have meant to write something every morning, and have done so, just not the blog. No slowdown going on here – as client requests have us rushing headlong into new territory – in multiple directions. Sounds like a frightening opportunity to get lost in the woods (or the weeds, depending on your POV and geography)…
Or does it really have to be scary?
I think what it means instead is that we are being trusted to use our knowledge, skills and experience to help organizations create new paths to success. The accelerated pace of change and action is also testing us – to stay up to the minute on market research, social media tools, gadgets and software – all while still maintaining strong personal connections with clients, vendors and journalists.
Create a Map – BEFORE You Set Out
I’ve done a fair amount of travel around North America, Europe, even the Middle East. Before each trip, I research the destination area for points of interest, history, culture, easiest ways to get around and where there’s at least one bar the locals rave about. This helps me get oriented before I arrive. However, I also love to wander about freely, getting ‘lost’ on purpose so I can discover new things. Our business is much the same. We create a map of a project, with timelines, budget, destinations (goals) to help us see the big picture. But sometimes in the execution of the plan, we are pulled off in a direction we did not expect. Often this is a learning opportunity. However, we still need to find our way to the destination at the end so we have to get back on the path at some point.
Zoom Out for Perspective
If you find yourself wandering in the middle of something, say a website re-design, take the time to pull away from the details and look again at the original map from the ‘zoom out’ or ‘Google Earth‘ view. It can help you regain your perspective.
Leave Breadcrumbs
Just like the Hansel & Gretel fairytale, marking your trail is a good idea – only make sure the markers aren’t edible so you can find them if necessary, otherwise you’ll be dealing with a witch. Document what you do, including mistakes, so you have a record of what works and what works better! This also helps when reporting results to clients.
Find a Guide
Never hurts to get input from others who have gone before. If you are faced with a new task or a new direction which is unclear, seek advice. Granted, filtering through the many ‘experts’ in some areas might prove daunting, which is why building a trust network is important too.
Ignore Distractions
Insects whirring, a shiny object in the distance, wolves howling – or today’s online equivalents. (There goes TweetDeck again – chirping there’s another tweet.) As a naturally curious person, it’s easy for me to wander the net all day. One inquiry leads to another. An email, an IM, a tweet – all can pull me off my path. But I know that, so I don’t wander too far or too long. I ‘check my compass’ at regular intervals. Good thing too, or I’d be in Tierra del Fuego by now. (One day I’ll get there).
Now I’m happy. I’ve finished one journey (aka post) for today. Several others are running concurrently, and I’m keeping my eye on them too, so I can get out of the weeds when I’m ready.
How about you?
–Donna
8 Hours and Counting
31 Dec 2009
It’s that time of the year again – the END. For many days, even weeks, much has been written and verbally expressed about the demise of 2009 and
Party like it's 2009, er, 2010
the new millennium’s ‘aught’ or ‘nought‘ decade in general. (Pick your phrase, American or British). There are those who argue it isn’t even the end of the decade, just as Jan 1, 2000 was not the beginning of it.
Any way you look at it, it’s been a hellish ten years. Really. I’m not nostalgic by nature – I look forward to future and change – so it’s not that I’m thinking of a happier time before recent memory. But thinking about ‘pros’ versus ‘cons’, or ‘achievements’ versus ‘breakdowns’ – the past decade is sadly more weighted in the catastrophe column. If I were a more dedicated statistician, I’d run this in a spreadsheet to prove it, but you can check it for yourself at places like World Disasters Timeline, or USA Today Decade in Review (count the positive vs negative), or by viewing ITN News (British) well-done video.
I’m going to have to side with those giving a sigh of relief, sort of. So now that we are wrapping up the Noughties – which spawned at least 3 major wars (if you count the War on Terrorism), tsunamis, hurricanes, market collapses, pandemics, general collapse of African nations, pitiful reality-TV, increased social rudeness (hello – texting at the dinner table) - it’s time to take them to the curb for the garbage collectors to remove.
Then wake up and it’s a BRAND NEW DAY!! Tomorrow morning we’ll have no excuse for complaints other than hangovers. Better get yourselves charged up, because 2010 will need to be a ‘get it done’ year. No more whining or commiserating with each other over how hard things have been. Get on with it. Really.
Tonight I’m going to party like it’s 2009 – the final hours. Tomorrow I’ll be smiling while I drink my coffee and begin to execute the strategy that has been put in place the past few months. If you haven’t figured out your 2010 strategy, maybe you better start thinking about 2011.
Happy New Years! Really.
To all – Auld Lang Syne
–Donna
21 Dec 09: UN Plaza, NYC, from 37th floor of Millennium Hotel
Like me, my spouse works in a consulting capacity, which often requires him to do a fair amount of travel to meet with clients. For the last quarter of 2009, the travel destination has been New York City – for nearly 8 weeks running.
Since he had one last trip just before Christmas, my kind husband surprised me with a ticket to join him. I was pretty excited by the prospect of spending a few days in the city of iconic Christmas images like Rockefeller plaza, Madison Avenue windows, and Macy’s. Our travel plans arranged for 20th December worked perfectly with family and business obligations (have laptop, can set up office anywhere).
Perfectly planned that is until a mega-snowstorm blew up and down the eastern seaboard. Not that I dislike snow. The prospect of seeing Manhattan covered in white was an additional gift – except when the amount of it triggered flight cancellations en masse.
Skipping ahead – I was one of the lucky ones. I’m actually sitting here now, happily looking forward to dinner at the 21 Club tonight. But for thousands of travelers fighting to get home for the holidays, and people missing meetings, my sympathy goes out to you. I spent about 16 hrs ‘traveling’ yesterday. Plans? Scrapped. Yesterday was all about patience and persistence. Oh, and flexibility.
Really, dealing with the crisis required the same skills I draw on to reach a successful conclusion for work challenges:
- Stay calm: It’s nobody’s fault when the weather mucks things up. But you can apply this equally to unforeseen circumstances when running business projects. Anticipate the unexpected.
- Think creatively: When Delta reps insisted there were ‘no flights available’, asking them to check alternate airports turned up some happy options. Don’t give up with the first negative response.
- Remain civil: Expressing anger and frustration, or worse – shouting, using foul language – does not provide a better outcome. It’s surprising to me that in tense business negotiations or when faced with aggravating travel disappointments people act out in such ugly ways.
- Look for a bright side: OK, so I ended up waiting around for hours that I hadn’t planned on having. This allowed me to catch up on correspondence, reading and meet some interesting people caught in the same circumstances. One woman had been working her way slowly home to Berlin from Buenos Aires and spent way more time in the process than I had. But she was still cheerful and fun to talk to. I learned some new things from her.
- Thank those who help: As I said, I was fortunate to get to my destination. And I know it! I had a very helpful agent go the extra distance to find me a seat – an exit aisle no less – even if it meant getting in at 11pm. And I thanked her profusely. I’m also writing an email to Delta to tell them how pleased I was with the service.
So I’m ready to take a nice long walk along the bustling city streets and check out some window displays. AFTER I finish a couple of client calls. Today I’ll be smiling at everyone – just happy to be where I wanted to go, and more thankful than I might have been because it took additional effort.
Can’t wait to face the next challenge!
– Donna
Countdown to 2010: Do You Have Friday Fever?
18 Dec 2009
Christmas Bustle via WrldVoyagr @ Flickr
I’ve got Friday Fever big time today. It’s the last Friday before Christmas. Kids get out of school for winter break today. People are coming and going for holiday festivities. It’s really hard to pay attention to work – but there are still some client needs to be met, so I’m sucking up another cup of coffee and trying to focus. TGIF
But more than being antsy just THIS Friday, I’m reading messages of ‘thankfully, 2009 is ending’ all over the place. People have 2009 Fever, and it’s not hard to understand why. It’s natural to want something painful or difficult to end (and the media agrees on this one: 2009 has been painful for most). My teens are happy this is the last day of finals – and they won’t have to cram for tests anymore. At least until spring finals…
Are we all hoping that these next couple of weeks are the last time we’ll need to worry about all the stuff we’ve been agonizing over this year? Probably. Hoping, that is. But not realistically.
2010 sounds exciting because it’s NOT 2009. It’s also the start of a new decade. We like fresh starts – or symbols of them. I remember how excited I was this time last year, because we were getting a new President in the White House and everything was going to be much, much better. I know there are mixed reviews on that topic, no matter your political persuasion, but the reality was just different than expectations – as it always is. Oh yes – and in 2010 the Canadians are hosting the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. (Shout out to my in-laws and friends up north)
I liked a post this morning from Kneale Mann, author of One Mann’s Blog, who urges a New Year’s resolution “Let’s Get Stuff Done”. I’m with him. Hoping, wishing, pining, whining, blaming, waiting or giving up are not action verbs. They’re inaction verbs. So instead of ‘waiting for things to change’ – make things change! Put out some effort, use your imagination, share ideas, volunteer to do more.
I promise myself to follow this advice. It’s what got MarketUP started, and kept it going. And it’s allowed me to meet and work with some amazing individuals, for which I am thankful.
What will you be doing in 2010? I’m going to be MAKING IT HAPPEN.
I am Making It Happen
Happy holidays to all (with the help of Blues Traveller, a Christmas Song) –Donna
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Donna Lehman
Thoughts about marketing strategy, public relations, humanitarian issues, clients, daily events.
Flickr Photos
