Lately, it seems that Tiger Woods' gal pals are all anyone can write about. That is, of course, unless you live here in the UK, where Joe McElderry's X Factor triumph is receiving almost as much press. Why such focus ? Is there nothing else worth writing about?
Well, yes, of course, there are a few things at least as newsworthy as Tiger and Joe, but not many as likely to compel the public to buy the paper or listen to the newscast. Why are we so fascinated, though, and what could possibly be similar about a young unknown winning a singing contest and the world's best known athlete cavorting with, it seems, a whole lot of people?
The answer is actually pretty simple. Tiger and Joe have both been branded as honest to goodness natural talents. They both have an uncommon capability in something we can understand and even appreciate. Joe McElderry can hit a note high and pure, while Tiger hits a drive high and long; both make you swoon and shake your head in wonder. Tiger is known for his no nonsense athleticism; he put the sport back into golf (though I'm not sure it was ever there before). Joe 's no gimmicks singing triumphed over the antics of the low talent/high appeal Jedward. Both are heroes, and they have our support not just for what they do, but for how we see them doing it. These are honest guys, who play by the rules and win out with hard work and dedication. They are identifiable role models; they prove that hard work and dedication pay off.
Or do they? While Joe is still up on his pedestal, Tiger has suffered a great fall. While I agree that there is a private matter that Mr. Woods needs to address with his family, there is a very viable public matter he needs to address with millions of adoring fans who have supported him, and all those great products he sponsors, with their hearts and their dollars. I have no real interest in how Tiger Woods spends his free time. I don't know that marital fidelity would make him a better golfer, and, from what I can see at this point, infidelity certainly hasn't hurt his game. So, in essence, I don't believe that Tiger's escapades have anything to do with his golf. I do, however, know that Tiger has made a name for himself not only by the way he plays golf, but by the standards he presents as his own. Wasn't it Tiger Woods who drove a Buick because he was their spokesperson? Didn't we see Tiger Woods pay his caddy more than anyone else on the tour because, as he said, it was the right thing to do? Didn't he claim he was as good as he is because he is dedicated to bettering himself. Isn't Tiger Woods' personal brand all about commitment?
Recently, George Michaels, an iconic pop star, was arrested, yet again, for public indecency. It was reported that, when asked what he had to say to his fans, he shared that he liked cruising for casual sex and it was how he lives his life. I don't think I'd like George as a personal friend, but I do love his voice and his songs remind me of my youth. I have to admit that I don't see anything wrong with what he said. He's a pop star. He never purported to be an icon of morality. He never asked us to buy his records because he was loyal to his partner,and he has never held his lifestyle up as a core element of what makes him a good singer. In essence, George Michaels personal brand has never had anything to do with being a moral compass, and so, like it or not, we've got no real qualms with his actions as a singer. I don't think Disney will sign him anytime soon, as his image wouldn't align with their brand, but then, that 's the point, isn't it? Mr. Michaels personal brand is not in conflict with his personal life. If only Tiger could say the same.
Let's take a sports example. My dad called, horrified, when Andre Agassi's book came out. Why, oh why, he lamented, did he need to share that he was a drug addict. Could he not have left it alone? Was it important for him to shatter the illusion of greatness? What of the many players who had fallen to his swift racket? They would now be forever tortured, wondering if they could have beaten him had he not been flying on whatever chemicals were fueling him. I wondered, myself, what drove Agassi, who managed to maintain the image of perfection, to share this information with his public. Then it occurred to me that his was a master stroke. Why risk being toppled from your pedestal when you can manage your brand pro-actively? Andre must have decided that he is best positioned in the driver's seat, and then taken the lead role in re-inventing himself.
Tiger, on the other hand, has worked to perpetuate a myth that is out-of-step with his reality. Had he let us see that he was a great golfer, a great athlete, and a driven man, we would have been amused or even shocked by the long line of ladies who are stepping forward to speak of his prowess off the course. We would not, however, have felt betrayed. Betrayal is the issue here, and with his betrayal Tiger has done more than hurt his family or himself; he has hurt the entire PGA. Tiger's story has all the makings of a modern day fable, and the lesson is one to be heeded by every business and every professional.
Your personal brand is to be tended carefully. Just as product branding ( think Marmite) and employer branding (think Starbucks) rely on a core of truth, so too does your personal brand. Not everyone likes Marmite, but, not everyone likes marmalade either. Thr brillianc eof Marmite's brand is that it centers around a core truth; Marmite is odd tasting stuff. Honesty works! There is many a professional athlete who unabashedly cavorts with no risk to his field or endorsement popularity. These are athletes who are not pretending to be something other than who they are. When a person, or a company, or a product, presents a brand, that brand must be consistent with reality.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Downturn Triggered Employment Trends -
Are you Ready?
“Sometimes not ready just means we’re not ready but other times it’s an alibi for we have no idea what to do” shares a corporate Human Resources leader who’d prefer to remain anonymous. Whether you are prepping for a corporate planning session with the Board or creating a personal Career Map, understanding the trends and defining a plan will help you to succeed in the years ahead.
Adding Years to Careers:Depleted pensions funds, shrunken retirement accounts, and underwater home values signal delayed retirement for the Baby-boomers, and perhaps, a shorter life-span. The implications extend well beyond tenure; as workers seek to extend their productive years and gain flexibility, employers will be able to construct fundamentally different and new approaches to employment and compensation.
Board Room: Analyze current workforce demographics. Assess the impact of delayed retirement or part time job sharing- will greater availability of experience support your business strategy? Deconstruct teams and roles- What tasks rely on experience vs. skill, cycle, volume? Can you cross train across ranks or re-structure to enhance impact and lower cost?
Career Map: Analyze your market value and flexibility. Are your skills transferable across industry and role? Do you have specialized expertise or experience that remains in short supply? Diversify your employment portfolio – what other lines of work interest you? Take advantage of company sponsored training courses and tuition assistance.A
Plethora of Personnel:Will the “War for Talent” be replaced by the ‘Campaign for Capability’? As the EU votes to protect mandatory retirement, there is recognition that the prophesied 2010 labor crisis is a “no show”. The downturn has triggered entitlement cuts and performance ranking, but the processes by which companies manage performance, incent loyalty and support career development are predicated on scarcity, and will require sweeping change.
Board Room: Evaluate short, middle and long term total rewards strategy. Can you be more creative in aligning pay with performance? What opportunities does the new skills market open for you? What obstacles to change and flexibility are embedded in your current operations? How will increased tenure impact processes and cycles for succession and progression?
Career Map: What skills and experience are important to continued growth in your career? What training, education and experience resources can you leverage to build your skills? What sets you apart from the rest? How can you do to increase your value in a plentiful talent market?
YUFE’s- Young Unemployed Forlorn & Educated:While Emily, Satish and Hemut were investing in an education, the jobs dried up. How will the young and educated manage and what happens when a generation feels gypped? Employers may enjoy the shift away from the “free agent” demands of the millennial worker, but will be challenged to incent innovation. Expect razor-sharp employer branding.
Board Room: What is your employer brand (not just its name)? Are you using up-to-the-minute technology, social networking or philanthropy? Just how transparent is your strategic agenda? Apply creativity to trigger an emotional connection. Communicate!
Career Map: Define your personal brand. What are you looking for in a job - pay, security, time-off? How can you build your skills? Aggressively volunteer. What employer is a “fit” for you? Hit the career office and alumni associations and network. Relocate for the right opportunity. Be passionate.
The Multi-Local: Business with Borders:Today’s business offers a “global footprint”, with cost-effective service support and an integrated supply chain. Technology speed, management focus and labor arbitrage supports the continued spread of outsourcing and globalization. But as expats are called home and travel reduced to save cost and carbon, companies and their leaders will be challenged to connect communication and vision. Expect the emergence of new approaches to leader development.
Board Room: Evaluate supply chain for quality and cost. Mandate efficiency, set measures and anticipate the implications. How will you provide leadership visibility and relevance across the organization? What mechanisms can be leveraged or developed to enhance communication and unify purpose?
Career Map: Expand your universe-identify what’s happening outside of your local market. Consider your “personal brand”. Define and develop your perspective as well as your skills. Open yourself to new opportunities. Travel.
The Moral Capitalist:Austerity may reduce Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending, and slow employers’ efforts to “go green”, but don’t expect these programs to die completely. A new ‘moral order’ is emerging, and this wholesale shift in values places greater emphasis on long-term sustainability. Both stylistic and substantive change to corporate tracking, reporting, communication and investment will accompany a shift away from “quarter-to-quarter” management, and with it, a change to the accepted criteria for individual success.
Board Room: Evaluate your culture. Does your culture embrace a long term vision of success or only celebrate periodic wins? What tools and patterns should be altered to support sustained growth? Are you doing enough for the community? What does ‘Go Green’ mean at your organization?
Career Map: How are you impacting your business, society, family and community? How long is your view / narrow is your focus? Broaden your perspective by considering your career impact, even across multiple organizations. Extend your reach- volunteer, network, teach, read. Get involved.
Are you Ready?
“Sometimes not ready just means we’re not ready but other times it’s an alibi for we have no idea what to do” shares a corporate Human Resources leader who’d prefer to remain anonymous. Whether you are prepping for a corporate planning session with the Board or creating a personal Career Map, understanding the trends and defining a plan will help you to succeed in the years ahead.
Adding Years to Careers:Depleted pensions funds, shrunken retirement accounts, and underwater home values signal delayed retirement for the Baby-boomers, and perhaps, a shorter life-span. The implications extend well beyond tenure; as workers seek to extend their productive years and gain flexibility, employers will be able to construct fundamentally different and new approaches to employment and compensation.
Board Room: Analyze current workforce demographics. Assess the impact of delayed retirement or part time job sharing- will greater availability of experience support your business strategy? Deconstruct teams and roles- What tasks rely on experience vs. skill, cycle, volume? Can you cross train across ranks or re-structure to enhance impact and lower cost?
Career Map: Analyze your market value and flexibility. Are your skills transferable across industry and role? Do you have specialized expertise or experience that remains in short supply? Diversify your employment portfolio – what other lines of work interest you? Take advantage of company sponsored training courses and tuition assistance.A
Plethora of Personnel:Will the “War for Talent” be replaced by the ‘Campaign for Capability’? As the EU votes to protect mandatory retirement, there is recognition that the prophesied 2010 labor crisis is a “no show”. The downturn has triggered entitlement cuts and performance ranking, but the processes by which companies manage performance, incent loyalty and support career development are predicated on scarcity, and will require sweeping change.
Board Room: Evaluate short, middle and long term total rewards strategy. Can you be more creative in aligning pay with performance? What opportunities does the new skills market open for you? What obstacles to change and flexibility are embedded in your current operations? How will increased tenure impact processes and cycles for succession and progression?
Career Map: What skills and experience are important to continued growth in your career? What training, education and experience resources can you leverage to build your skills? What sets you apart from the rest? How can you do to increase your value in a plentiful talent market?
YUFE’s- Young Unemployed Forlorn & Educated:While Emily, Satish and Hemut were investing in an education, the jobs dried up. How will the young and educated manage and what happens when a generation feels gypped? Employers may enjoy the shift away from the “free agent” demands of the millennial worker, but will be challenged to incent innovation. Expect razor-sharp employer branding.
Board Room: What is your employer brand (not just its name)? Are you using up-to-the-minute technology, social networking or philanthropy? Just how transparent is your strategic agenda? Apply creativity to trigger an emotional connection. Communicate!
Career Map: Define your personal brand. What are you looking for in a job - pay, security, time-off? How can you build your skills? Aggressively volunteer. What employer is a “fit” for you? Hit the career office and alumni associations and network. Relocate for the right opportunity. Be passionate.
The Multi-Local: Business with Borders:Today’s business offers a “global footprint”, with cost-effective service support and an integrated supply chain. Technology speed, management focus and labor arbitrage supports the continued spread of outsourcing and globalization. But as expats are called home and travel reduced to save cost and carbon, companies and their leaders will be challenged to connect communication and vision. Expect the emergence of new approaches to leader development.
Board Room: Evaluate supply chain for quality and cost. Mandate efficiency, set measures and anticipate the implications. How will you provide leadership visibility and relevance across the organization? What mechanisms can be leveraged or developed to enhance communication and unify purpose?
Career Map: Expand your universe-identify what’s happening outside of your local market. Consider your “personal brand”. Define and develop your perspective as well as your skills. Open yourself to new opportunities. Travel.
The Moral Capitalist:Austerity may reduce Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending, and slow employers’ efforts to “go green”, but don’t expect these programs to die completely. A new ‘moral order’ is emerging, and this wholesale shift in values places greater emphasis on long-term sustainability. Both stylistic and substantive change to corporate tracking, reporting, communication and investment will accompany a shift away from “quarter-to-quarter” management, and with it, a change to the accepted criteria for individual success.
Board Room: Evaluate your culture. Does your culture embrace a long term vision of success or only celebrate periodic wins? What tools and patterns should be altered to support sustained growth? Are you doing enough for the community? What does ‘Go Green’ mean at your organization?
Career Map: How are you impacting your business, society, family and community? How long is your view / narrow is your focus? Broaden your perspective by considering your career impact, even across multiple organizations. Extend your reach- volunteer, network, teach, read. Get involved.
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