Getting Naked at Projectline

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Community, Marketing Musings

Here at Projectline, we take professional development seriously. In addition to granting each employee a generous professional development fund, having an employee-directed professional development team, and making time for brown bag sessions on everything from office yoga to new software applications, we really do make good on our commitment to learning and improving as part of our job. Case in point: The Projectline Book Club, which is open to Projectliners and FoPs (Friends of Projectline) alike. Once a month, we meet to discuss a business or marketing book. And because this is Projectline, we do this over delicious beer, wine, and snacks, of course.

This month, we discussed Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding the Three Fears that Sabotage Client Loyalty by Patrick Lencioni. This is the second book by Lencioni that we’ve read in the club. For anyone who finds your stereotypical business book a helpful sleeping aid, Lencioni’s approach is a fine alternative. Rather than hitting you over the head with concepts, best practices, and dated examples, Lencioni spins a fable that shows, rather than tells, the points he’s trying to get across. In Getting Naked, he uses the story of an ambitious consultant at a traditional “charge and deliver” consulting company that is asked to integrate Lighthouse, a recently acquired boutique consulting firm. The resulting culture clash aptly showcases the difference between typical consulting practices and the smaller firm’s more humble, client-first approach.

For example, while consultants at the larger company typically begin each new consulting engagement with a PowerPoint presentation that suggests solutions, the consultants at Lighthouse spend little time preparing for meetings and instead focus on asking questions right off the bat. And while consultants at the bigger firm always make sure to include pricing in their sales pitch, Lighthouse consultants are more likely to just roll up their sleeves and get started before talking numbers. Guess which firm lands more clients, charges higher prices, and enjoys a wider profit margin?

Our discussion about the book centered on how applicable the Lighthouse approach would be with our own clients. Would we really be comfortable, as Lencioni suggests, asking dumb questions and risking looking unprepared in front of clients as we battle our own fears of losing the business, feeling embarrassed, and being perceived as second-rate? It was a good discussion, particularly over mimosas made with Jeremy’s secret blend of pineapple, grape, and orange juice! (See what I mean about delicious?) Ultimately, we decided that while there were better ways to ask the “dumb” questions without coming off as entirely clueless, learning how to be more vulnerable with our clients could result in more effective, longer-term client relationships with greater benefits for all.

Have you read any of Lencioni’s books? If so, what did you think? Let us know. And if you live in the greater Seattle area, feel free to check out our book club. In November, we’re discussing I Love You More Than My Dog by Jeanne Bliss. For more info on the details, contact us, or follow us on Twitter: @projectline.

Picture of the Week: We Go Where the Story Is

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Company, Marketing Musings, Pic of the Week

Here at Projectline, we’ve recently started a project to capture all the places we work and bring together our team around the world. Every weekday morning at 10:42 am, our team is invited to send in a picture of where they are, what they’re doing, or who they’re with. Each Monday, we’ll choose our favorite picture of the previous week and share its story here.

10:42 Oct 21, 2011 - Anais on a video shoot! Beautiful!

We know that getting it right for our clients sometimes means connecting with their customers face to face—even if they happen to live halfway around the world. With a growing presence in the EMEA time zone, we can easily go right to where our client’s customers are to capture their stories in person.

I read a real bad blog about you

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Marketing Musings, Social Media

I am sure I am not alone in getting more than a few virus-laden Direct Messages (DMs) on Twitter this week that look something like this:

If you aren’t a big Twitter fan: A Direct Message (DM) is a private exchange between one Twitter account holder and another. Hackers have been known to use this message format to trick people into spamming their Twitter followers, which is how the message (and potentially the virus) spreads across the web. When users click the link in one of these messages and then enter their login information, they inadvertently let spammers take over control of their account—at least temporarily.

Based on the number of messages like this one that I received this week, it would seem that even in today’s security-conscious age, these kinds of phishing attacks work. But why? Ironically, it’s likely that we are willing to suspend disbelief because of our heightened awareness of the importance of our online reputation. We are told how fast word can spread, that if we must take action to defend ourselves, that every minute counts. We’re just a wee bit curious. Writing about me? Who, me?

What’s the probability that we will encounter a real crisis similar to the kind described in the Twitter hoax above? I suspect, for 99.99% of us, it’s pretty low. Many of the online reputation management companies would certainly have us think that we are we all on the verge of becoming victims of Internet slander. Are they right?

Maybe it’s a bit of a stretch to think that every person on Twitter faces imminent risk of being smeared online. But there’s little doubt for big-name executives that the potential threat from such an attack is greater now than ever. In his recently published book titled Reputation Rules: Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset, Professor Daniel Diermeier of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management asserts that the rise of social media means that reputation management needs to be a top priority for all companies.

Technically, I am an executive, though not important enough to be a target of a reputation slander campaign. Did you receive a similar message? Did you click? If so, what worried you?

You’re Still That Person

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Careers, Marketing Musings

It wasn’t very long ago that I was interviewing at Projectline (read the story of how I got my foot in the door here). Over the last several weeks though, I had the opportunity to sit on the other side of the conference table and participate in panel interviews for the newest member of our Campaign Desk.

It was a pleasure to be a part of the process, particularly in this much less stressful role as an interviewer, but it really got me thinking about the divide between what we bring to an interview as an applicant and what we bring to the office every day as employees once we’re hired. Even the most honest, genuine people know that it’s necessary to be strategic about how you present yourself when interviewing for a job. Weaknesses are downplayed and strengths are emphasized in order to make ourselves desirable and convey that we are, in fact, the perfect person to fill this position.

Let me be clear: I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this practice. I do think, however, that we quickly forget that when we choose to emphasize certain skills or capabilities, we are making an unspoken commitment to bring those traits to the workplace if we’re hired. When a company begins its search for a new employee, chances are they’re looking for someone who can fill specific voids or provide expertise. So whether it’s the crazy-good Excel skills you promised would help with data analysis or the unfailingly positive attitude you touted as an asset to any workplace, you were brought on the team because you have a precise set of talents to offer. Here at Projectline, there’s a tremendous amount of energy put into hiring individuals who can really deliver for our clients, and so it’s especially important that those who are hired can not only meet, but also exceed, expectations.

All of this discussion begs the question: How do we go about bridging the gap between our interviewee self and our employee self? One of the most effective ways to do this is through accountability. For me, that means writing a blog and calling myself out on the promises I made to Projectline—I hyped my organizational skills and ability to build relationships with colleagues and clients alike as two of the main reasons I thought I’d be a strong hire. Now it’s my responsibility to prove that I wasn’t all talk. Another way to minimize the disconnect is to sit down with your manager, or whoever it was who hired you, and ask them point-blank what it was they saw in you that landed you your job. I was surprised to learn that a specific piece of my work history was perceived as being extremely relevant to my current role; now that I know this, I make a point to draw on that experience whenever possible.

Whether you’ve been at your job for only a short time or for what seems like a lifetime, there’s value in looking back at who you were on the day of your interview. Chances are, you looked sharp and felt enthusiastic. You’re still that person.

Picture of the Week: Wednesday Whereabouts

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Company, Marketing Musings, Pic of the Week

Here at Projectline, we’ve recently started a project to capture all the places we work and bring together our team around the world. Every weekday morning at 10:42 am, our team is invited to send in a picture of where they are, what they’re doing, or who they’re with. Each Monday, we’ll choose our favorite picture of the previous week and share its story here.

10:42 - Oct 12, 2011 - Kimfer Spying an empty PL2

Why is Kim Flannery-Rye all alone on a Wednesday? Because most of us are with our clients—in person, at their offices, with their teams—getting steeped in their challenges and goals. This means our foosball table goes unused and our desks are a little neglected. As one of our favorite authors, Todd Sebastian, says, a desk is a dangerous place from which to build client relationships—so we don’t.

Reward Yourself by Giving to Others

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Community, Marketing Musings

This week, Carole Magouryk, Projectline’s volunteer coordinator, reveals what she has learned by working to support some great community causes while helping colleagues connect with people in need.

I used to think of volunteering as a way to give back to the community, to help out an organization I liked, or even as something to participate in simply because others were doing it. But after organizing a few volunteer events for Projectline, I realized that there was more to the experience, something that reinforced my desire to volunteer at a deeper level than just “for the good of the event.” In short, I came to realize that not only are there the expected benefits of volunteering, there are many hidden ones as well.

I’ve found that some of the expected benefits of volunteering include:

  • Shared learning. We put ourselves in the shoes of those we’re seeking to serve and we learn invaluable lessons together.

  • Fellowship with fantastic organizations. Whether we’re working with charities that support children, the environment, homeless men and women, or animals, we get to contribute to the mission of outstanding service organizations throughout the region.

I’ve also discovered a multitude of unexpected benefits from volunteering, such as:

  • True teamwork. I’ve noted how volunteering seems to hone our natural impulse for collaboration. Regardless of their role in the organization or how well people know each other, everyone pulls together to achieve the same goal.

  • Break from everyday stress. For a few hours, work, errands, to-do lists, and other worries fade from view. In fact, people have told me that when they become immersed in the work of volunteering, they completely forget about these concerns.

  • Humility. There is nothing glamorous about plucking debris from Puget Sound, unpacking boxes, or doing dishes, but there is something about these everyday tasks that reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously.

Think of it this way—we spend hours each day working on deliverables, struggling to meet deadlines and exceed client expectations. Long hours are met with exhaustion, and a nagging feeling of “forgetting something important.” But volunteering provides an (albeit temporary) escape from the stress. It allows you to focus on an unfamiliar and varied task with no performance metrics, stress or scope creep. Everything is in scope! You’re willingly performing a service for another group for the simple purpose of helping. And the great part? You’re also being great to yourself.

Here are a few of the organizations we’ve helped recently:

  • Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. Projectliners jumped in kayaks to clean up the Puget Sound. With the help of many volunteers, the Soundkeeper Alliance cleans up Lake Union every year to keep it clean and beautiful for the city.

  • Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Every year, Projectliners gather to help prepare for Lifelong’s outreach events. This year we prepared marketing materials for their annual AIDS Walk in September.

  • Low Income Housing Institute. LIHI opened a new site in the University District for more than 60 homeless youth. On the day of the project apartments had already been furnished, but they still needed basic supplies, such as towels, dish soap, tooth brushes, and bedding. Projectline provided these items and distributed them throughout the site.

  • The Friends of The Seattle Public Library Book Sale. The Friends raise funds, with the help of tireless volunteers, at their famous twice-yearly book sales. Friends is a non-profit, grassroots organization dedicated to promoting The Seattle Public Library as one of our essential institutions. Their volunteer members advocate, educate, and raise funds on behalf of the Library, its patrons, and the larger Seattle community.

But don’t just take my word for it—join us! Our next event takes place on Saturday, October 29, at Pasado’s Animal Haven. Pasado’s Safe Haven is one of the premier animal rescue organizations in the United States, dedicated to 24-hour rescue and rehabilitation of dogs, cats and farm animals. Please contact us for more details.

Picture of the Week: The Projectline Social Media Fair

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Company, Marketing Musings, Pic of the Week, Social Media

Here at Projectline, we’ve recently started a project to capture all the places we work and bring together our team around the world. Every weekday morning at 10:42 am, our team is invited to send in a picture of where they are, what they’re doing, or who they’re with. Each Monday, we’ll choose our favorite picture of the previous week and share its story here.

Come to the social media fair!

At Projectline, we hold regular training sessions designed to keep our team ahead of the curve on what matters most to our clients. Although the topics vary, we always strive to make these trainings fun and accessible. This week’s Social Media Fair, scheduled for Friday, October 14, is no exception. While sampling an assortment of “fair food,” participants will have a chance to stop by staff-run booths to learn about everything from blogging to social media analytics. Interested in learning more about Projectline’s social media offerings? Contact us.