tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16728914142458493702024-03-13T01:12:20.180-04:00The Communication SpectrumThis medium will feature articles, links and thoughts on the broad spectrum of communication. Communication is key to talking about our world and interacting with the other. Very often it is through communication that we succeed or fail; therefore understanding the theories and basis of all communication can make the difference of being understood and understanding the other!Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-65707273556634182752011-05-25T23:02:00.000-04:002011-05-25T23:02:46.945-04:00Mommy's Love<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>I carried you within and brought you forth and watched you grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been a few decades and together in all these years, together we laughed, cried, traveled, ate, slept and bonded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I knew love, I knew it through you and when I discovered what it meant to love deeply and eternally, it was when I watched your little presence become a large part of my life.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Many have written what it is to be a mom, what it is to love a child and about that love you feel deep in the pit of your belly as the events of life unfold – good and not so good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And today, as I write these lines, my story is not a fabric of the imagination but a fabric of real life.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have always loved you and wished you always smiled, always found happiness and always loved others and I never imagined I would have to see you in pain as I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In your moments of pain, the pit in my belly overflowed with even more love and my earnest desire was to take your pain and fold it into my being. But you were strong, so ladylike and brave and you forged ahead as we tried to find the reason for your pain and when we did, I wondered why you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why at this age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was better to have known and find the cure so you can smile again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is what mothers do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">And you are smiling again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know love and I know the anguish of a mother watching her child in pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will be there, I will always be there because I am your mommy!</div>Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-22862655698780963492011-03-12T11:33:00.002-05:002011-03-12T11:41:15.876-05:00The Stretch Assignment - A Powerful Growth Opportunity<div class="MsoNormal">What is a stretch assignment and what does it really mean? Put very simply, a stretch assignment could be seen as taking a risk… taking a chance to fill a chair long before you are really ready and equipped to do so. Is it a risk worth taking? Absolutely! And do you have to fear failure or think you will have to perform at that level all on your own? Absolutely not! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In career management, a stretch assignment can be the experience that gives you the opportunity to underscore your pinnacles and readily identify your foothills. It is the fastest way to realizing your passion, strengths, tolerance for stress and ambiguity and very importantly, areas for development. It helps you to create greater self-awareness.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Career development usually follows a track – moving from one level to the next upwardly or laterally. Most often, we tend to move up and on few occasion take a lateral move to gain broader knowledge in another area. Either way, learning is to be had once we are exposed to new and more challenging tasks. Or sometimes, just simply working under or with different leadership and mindset generates new thought processes of our own.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Recently, I survived an acquisition and had two offers – both of which were stretch assignments for me. One involved relocation while the other kept me where I wanted to be. It was a tough decision but I settled for the position that did not necessitate a move. So, my challenge was not only taking on an assignment beyond my current experience but it was also managing through shades of grey, adapting to new management, learning the processes and culture of the new company and getting up to speed with the new business area on a global scale. In a global operations role, I realized that I didn’t necessarily have to know everything but I needed to build strong networks, create great working relationships and be able to leverage people, processes and time to deliver against very demanding deadlines and to gather data I needed. And through all of this I would build new global business knowledge, critical analytical and leadership skills. While I had some exposure to operations, this was at a much higher level and the supporting organizational structure was not like I was accustomed to having – for example, dedicated HR and finance business partners. This time it was more of a shared services model and therefore operations had to do much more. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It has been a year since and as I reflect back on my pinnacles and foothills, I have no regrets. In fact, if there is any fast way to develop professionally, it is through a stretch assignment. Today, I can clearly see who I am, what I love to do, the kind of leadership I like supporting and the important factors or values in a job, such as autonomy, flexible work arrangements, creativity and the opportunity to innovate even if it means failing because failure is an important step in our learning process. As we say within the organization, a winning culture allows room for innovation and tolerance for failure in the discovery process because it is from failure that we also learn. Understanding why and where one failed leads to more innovation. Telling someone there is no tolerance for failure is like telling a scientist that every compound must produce a success. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Innovative medicines are a result of many experiments involving failures and disappointments but using new knowledge from the process to keep the experiments going until success is achieved. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As we all progress up the career ladder, we are constant experimenters. We will have those pinnacle moments that set us apart and make us to feel great and we will also have set backs in the foothills. But that is part of the growth process, the discovery that will produce professional growth and greater self-awareness – giving us sense of how far up we want to aim and help us to become more agile learners. And, agile learners have great success ahead of them!</div>Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-82281504640115324952011-02-23T21:58:00.001-05:002011-02-23T22:05:08.250-05:00Discovering through Dance<div class="MsoNormal">The old adage that one never stops learning is so true. Every day we all learn something new or discover something that was there – be it a personality trait, a skill or some other potential. And these discoveries can happen in the places we least expect them to. And, it is such a discovery that leads me to write this blog.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ever since I was a young teenager, I loved to dance. I loved drama classes and I was never shy to take the stage. While I had acting and dancing abilities, I had not even a 1% ability to sing. So I never pursued singing. I always firmly believed that to be successful, it is better for an individual to tap into their strengths rather than try very hard to improve the weaknesses. And so, since I loved dancing and always admired those that danced so exquisitely, I decided to take Ballroom dance classes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When it comes to ballroom dances, I knew only the waltz – the name that is … I could not do a proper waltz! That was nine months ago. Today, I can actually tango and believe it or not, I learnt that there is the Argentine Tango and the American Tango. I learnt the latter which allows the dancers to maintain some distance as opposed to the former where dancers have very close body contact throughout the dance. Both styles of the Tango have beautiful deliberate moves, great posture with strong, sharp movements of the legs, hands and head. It is a theatrical performance of a couple in a fight – the ebb and flow of emotions. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After nine months of dance lessons, I can waltz, foxtrot, swing, cha cha, rhumba and even do the hustle! But it was nine months of discovery and learning. It was learning to dance and discovering how passionate I was about being perfect and eager to do things well; to take every task seriously. What exactly did I discover? Well, I will tell you! In the field of dance, the female is always the follower – the man leads and as a follower, your steps follow those of the leader – he moves you, sways you, turns you, pulls you close and lets you go! As a female, if you have the innate ability of a leader and you love to lead projects and take the initiative to get things done, then as a beginner dancer, you will get very frustrated and your frustration will mount if your dance partner, the gentleman, is also learning. The point is, as the dance instructor pointed out, men take a bit longer than women to learn dance but once they start to improve, their dance skills improve much faster than the women. So that was my first discovery – I was never a good follower … I always wanted to lead and waiting to be led while I was ahead on the dance curve caused numerous fights between my husband and I.<br />
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I discovered my impatience and, my desire to always lead. And, I also discovered the perfectionist that I am … when I could not get the steps perfectly, I was angry at myself ; I pushed myself to practice harder and concentrate more. And, instead of having fun in the dance classes, I was angry, serious and impatient – how horrible! I thought if I did not take it seriously, then I would never improve and my husband would remind me that this was not my job – he was right but this is how dance allows you to discover who you really are … your personality traits. You come face to face with them as if looking in a mirror. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today, both my husband I are better dancers and since I truly understand that the beauty of dance can only be with a leader and a follower, I now have settled into the follower’s role on the dance floor. I relax more and have fun; but the next challenge now is that with the knowledge of over five dances, a guy must remember which steps and positions belong to which dance and how to smoothly transition from one position to the next. This now is our new challenge and when as the follower you love a certain style and move and your dance partner does not give you the pleasure of dancing those moves, you unfortunately cannot lead the dance so you stick with what the poor guy remembers to do … until he becomes an expert! Then you are delighted to be his dance partner!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I invite you to dance and discover!</div>Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-67928319639124473852010-01-29T13:58:00.001-05:002010-01-29T14:03:15.487-05:00Observing BeautyA few days ago I left the office earlier than usual. Darkness had not yet descended and as I was driving home, I realized that there was a spectacular sunset ahead of me. And while driving, it seemed I was driving into the sunset - the most lovely sight my vision could behold.<br />
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Then I started thinking of the sunset in La Jolla, California. Back in November 2009, I was vacationing with my daughter and we spent a wonderful time by the sea in La Jolla, where a spectacular sunset accompanied us until she faded away into the night. Then I realized that nature's beauty surrounds us all the time and there are spectacular sunsets everywhere if only we can take the time to see them.<br />
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That day I discovered that we occupy our time getting so much done that we never stop to see the sunsets. And that is why when we go on vacation, the sunsets and the sunrises and all of nature seems to be the most beautiful things even though they are always beautiful but we never slow down to enjoy them on a normal day.Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-21515578959393547902010-01-27T02:28:00.000-05:002010-01-27T02:28:02.643-05:00Stepping out of the ShellThe commentary that follows is merely my reflection on change specifically change in career.<br />
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I titled this blog entry "Stepping out of the Shell" because it is something we should all do - getting out of the comfort zone, away from familiar people, processes and culture surely makes one reflect, think, appreciate differences and most importantly, discover a lot about oneself.<br />
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And until we step out of our bubble we will never know how different the world is or what greater opportunity awaits. While we are comfortable, we tend to think that the people and the things around us are perhaps the best we can have.<br />
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But as E.M. Forster said, "How do I know what I think until I see what I say." How can you know you have the best unless you have what to compare it to and that has been my experience lately. Today, in our careers, we must not only be ambitious but we must be willing to face challenges and see them as opportunities.<br />
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Much as I thought I had a great career opportunity, deep inside I longed for something bigger - more challenging - I was ready to move on but all along I also talked myself into thinking I was in the perfect happy bubble. But the realization of this false self talk came to be when the bubble burst and work as I knew it evaporated into thin air. My position ceased to be once the company was acquired and I figured it was time to step out of the shell - to understand my own thinking and to see what I was saying, discover what I was feeling.<br />
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This change taught me two very important lessons: Follow your heart and inner feeling always and never allow one manager's perception of your ability and readiness to slow down your growth. Career growth can only be nurtured by us - we need to have a plan, build a valuable network and get feedback from others out of our inner circle.<br />
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And so I discovered that a manager who sincerely sees the potential and desire in an employee begins to open the opportunities for that employee. They identify growth positions and set you free to discover, learn and grow. Career growth is like seeing a child wanting to learn how to ride a bike and never telling that child that he or she is not ready yet. But rather giving them the support, showing them the how and letting them go. Low and behold they start on a tricycle and very quickly they are riding a bicycle.<br />
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It is also important to know that when you are within an area for too long, you risk your potential to be underestimated and your abilities not really seen for their worth. Once you step outside the shell, you will find others see you differently and you are better able to get the bigger opportunity you longed for.<br />
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I am happy my old bubble burst and I came upon new people and faced new scenarios. I was seen for what I was worth and I found higher grounds. Change is good! Build your network and put it to work,<br />
Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-36982281215127265812009-11-16T22:40:00.000-05:002009-11-16T22:40:49.165-05:00Beyond the Logo and Mission Statement<div class="MsoNormal">I am inspired to write this blog as I was responding to an expertise request on the possibility of building a corporate identity – is there such a thing as a real corporate identity or is all of this just a make believe created through messages and logos?<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">While I am sure that is a lot written on the subject, I am putting forward my personal convictions based on over fifteen years of working in both large and small corporations and having seen firsthand how identity can build trust, dedication and success, not only at corporate level but on project levels as well.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Firstly, we must define what we mean by corporate identity. Let’s think of ourselves for a moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are all consumers and as consumers our favorite food, clothing or cosmetics are brand driven most if not all of the time and very often when we talk about these things we identify them by their brands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are loyal to the brands that work for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, that’s how we must begin to think about corporate identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A corporate identity that goes beyond the logo and tag line is what is needed to ensure corporate culture.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Many of us can recognize our company’s logo and the mission statement but sadly, there is not much personal identification with those two things and this is predominantly why there fails to be a corporate culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Building corporate culture is simple and really does not need the fancy models and high consulting fees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any smart organization with great internal communicators and strong leadership with a desire to truly engage its people and build corporate identity hand in hand with a winning operating culture can be the architects of their company’s culture. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Let’s pause for a moment and reflect on the following questions – what has more meaning to you: is it that system you constructed after meeting with its users and getting all their input or a system handed to you with the expectation that you learn to use it and adapt to its quirks? I would imagine your answer is the former as there is personal gratification as well knowing that the users are happy because it fits all their needs and they identify with its values.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other system will take a long time to create user identification while generating discontent and distance – association with becomes an uphill battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same is how we can think of corporate identity and corporate culture.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">So my simple recommendation for really igniting your employees into fueling the fire of your corporate culture is make them part of the process of creating the corporate values.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having a logo – that image that represents who you are without words and that mission statement that qualifies what you stand for is the beginning of building your culture. With those two things in place, gather your employees depending on the size of your company; you can have groups based on area of work if the numbers are manageable or you can use your intranet if the company is a large one. Build strategic questions and discussions around what your employees would like their company’s culture to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would make them feel associated with the company’s service or product? You may find those in the manufacturing area talking about quality; those in packaging talking about speed;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>those at customer service talking about attention and fast response; those in administration may talk about efficiency and impeccable execution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use the flip camera and go around campus, get them on video talking about why or what makes them feel part of the company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get your internal and external communicators involved – let them moderate the sessions, gather the info and you will soon be on the road to creating your company’s culture with your employees’ input. Once you roll out the final values – be them five or seven, they will represent what your employees identified with – how they see the value of the company.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">After the exercise above, I will ask you to take the company values one step further into embedding it into the culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incorporate them into your biannual or annual appraisal reviews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have employees cite an example of how they accomplished “impeccable execution” and so on based on your final list values. Place posters of the values in strategic locations where people gather. Create internal promotional pieces with your messages of your values.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Take caution to ensure that your new employees also have a way of becoming identified with your company’s values.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excited employees will be your best ambassadors at telling the stories and getting others on board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Build your reward system based on the company values as well. And, remember your communicators must constantly look for the avenues to consistently deliver messages around the company’s culture.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Communicators must ensure that senior management is seen and heard living and talking about the values as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Encourage townhalls, breakfast with the leaders – be creative – make your people feel like it’s their own business.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The end result of all this is simply one thing: success!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dedicated and passionate employees who feel that they are part of what the company stands for do no harm but only generate great service, quality work and they will take pride in what they do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s good for the bottom line and future growth!<br />
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</div>Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-36293180882269513602009-11-06T16:07:00.006-05:002009-11-10T11:36:20.460-05:00The Motivation FactorMy last feature talked about rewards and its impact and ended on the note of making recognition programs impactful through <em>how</em> it is done rather than <em>what</em> is done. Today, I read McKinsey's <a href="http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Motivating_people_Getting_beyond_money_2460">Motivating people: getting beyond money</a> which featured three "non-cash motivators" that are more effective than monetary rewards in creating employee satisfaction, engagement and commitment. This article only reinforces the message of my last blog, which is - <em>making people feel you care - having that face to face connection and making recognition more warm and visible among peers.</em> Bottom line: people like to know that someone is interested in who they are, what they do, thier accomplsihments and what drives them. <br />
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Mckinsey's three non-cash motivators as revealed through their survey are: praise from immediate managers, leadership attention (having one on one with senior leaders) and being given the opportunity to lead projects. They have found that these three factors in no way is less motivating than cash and in some instances produce greater motivational forces. Comparing these findings to my post-reward surveys, I also found that, as mentioned in my last blog, the rewardees rated the personal attention, the small group meeting with senior leaders and the ability to interact and ask probing questions of thier leaders are big motivational factors that pushed them to work harder each year to get a second chance for those up close moments and attention. It was not about the cash as much.<br />
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So in today's economic downturn and the fact that it is no longer the business as usual model, should HR managers and business leaders be paying attention to what really makes their employees wake up with passion and commitment to the job? Yes! <br />
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A company is its people; a company's success comes through the dedication and enthusiasm of its people when they are given a chance to do what they do best and to rise to bigger challenges through senior leaders endorsement and recognition. I have discovered that public recognition can often create higher degrees of motivation over a slient cash reward.<br />
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So, let's take a look not only at what drives our high potentials, but what can also push the enthusiasm buttom on those that are one step behind the high potentials. Conversations can take us a long way in understanding our people; communciation especially face to face have great merits - it is a two way channel that can lead to many undiscovered elements towards driving employee engagement. Instead of paper surveys, how about townhalls, or group breakfast with leaders - listen to what engages people through conversations. I am sure you will find two things: attention will always be welcomed and public recognition will always be unforgettable!Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-59803992450336019502009-10-18T16:21:00.004-04:002009-10-18T16:30:12.137-04:00Communicating Rewards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmRLTJyx0oGdCvG0jZiYop7X5p1710QjKOBQvbVC6ef__UD38A-ouOi1OxTkCylItPbmSHqZpx7xptli2kEhWLTueePHqysh1rwUinNTgA3uh8cbY8OzKNO_nhqek90X_oPgnsdxTqTdf/s1600-h/GC+Armando+Rehana.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmRLTJyx0oGdCvG0jZiYop7X5p1710QjKOBQvbVC6ef__UD38A-ouOi1OxTkCylItPbmSHqZpx7xptli2kEhWLTueePHqysh1rwUinNTgA3uh8cbY8OzKNO_nhqek90X_oPgnsdxTqTdf/s200/GC+Armando+Rehana.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>It was a cold Saturday evening in October and I was winding down for the day. After a warm cup of tea, I snuggled within warm fleece blankets on the sofa and turned on the TV. As usual I would flip around all the channels before I can decide what program or movie I want to entertain myself with. While surfing the channels, I came upon a rerun of <b>Los Premios MTV 2009</b>. I paused there for a moment and suddenly the passion and excitement of the Latin music captivated my senses so I decided that I would watch the rerun as my entertainment for the evening.<br />
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I sat in the dark with low lights, big screen and surround sound. I was enjoying the music, the beautiful Latin artists, and presenters and of course the wonderful stage effects. I watched the award winners humbled by their win and some with teary eyes, thanked their fans. Of course the screaming audience was living every moment of the award ceremony. Suddenly I realized that all the Latin glamour, glitter, energy, and achievements of that MTV 2009 Award was reminding me of something special. It was a stark reminder of the annual incentive award program that I host to recognize the top sales men and women of the Latin America region for a large pharma company. That program was called Golden Circle.<br />
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As I watched the celebrated artists received their awards and made their speeches, I felt an emptiness that was profound – that emptiness reflected the fact that after four years of hosting the Golden Circle award program, it will no longer be under my wings since the company has undergone an acquisition. But it was one part of my job that brought me immense satisfaction – the planning for this event takes over nine months and its execution as always had to be flawless because for me, rewarding the men and women who are the drivers of the business was more than the compensation or the incentive trip – it was the black tie evening when they became superstars like those on the MTV scene. It was the night when they were celebrated, honored and photographed among their peers and loved ones. It was their night – their night to shine – to feel proud but more importantly to feel valued. <br />
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As a communications manager, my satisfaction was watching their faces light up and their eyes swelled with tears of joy as they are called upon the stage to receive their plaque and photographed. Over the years as I have done this program, it reinforced the fact that human beings value recognition and honor. It is what propels them to constantly give their best and to be defenders of their business. As a communicator, I say, it is not what you say, but how you say it, where you say it and the medium through which you say it that makes all the difference. Similarly, it is not what you do to reward your top performers, but how you reward them is what makes that reward so special and impacting.<br />
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Often I imagined the Golden Circle reward being only a cash prize and a congratulatory letter. That seems cold, distant and just okay in comparison to spending four days with senior management, a business workshop – a chance for the people in the field to have a chance to air their views and ask their questions and to crown it all, be treated like celebrities during the gala dinner and award ceremony. It is the how and the what that has the impact to these winners that leaves them eternally grateful for that moment. Their thanks are endless and upon returning to their homes, we get very emotional letters of how grateful they are for the special way in which they were treated and celebrated. For those winners, the award night was the greatest motivator of all! Would the cash prize and a congratulatory note create such profound reactions? I don’t think so. <br />
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As a communicator, I am a firm believer of the face to face communication because regardless of the growing social media, face to face communication will always play a key role in the motivational factor. After many decades, the most popular way of proposing marriage is still face to face. It still is, in my opinion, the most intimate and emotionally captivating way to do it. Face to face communication in many ways is time consuming we may say now that technology gives us the ability to communicate faster and with a wider reach; but depending on what we really want to achieve, sometimes, investing the time for face to face communication can provide more productive insights and build stronger relationships. It is the how and what factor.<br />
(to be continued …)<br />
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</div>Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-53883704518159091462009-10-05T20:11:00.008-04:002009-10-05T20:48:58.903-04:00The Power of CultureToo may times we underestimate the role of culture and its impact on relationships, marriage and perhaps even more so in organizations - the latter being organizational culture.<br />
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Before reading any further, take a moment and think about a marriage or a relationship where two different cultures exist. Was it not a learning process for the people involved to understand each other, their perceptions, beliefs and values? It certainly is. I myself reflect as both my husband and I are from different cultural backgrounds and it is funny to look back upon the times when I tried understanding him from my terministic screens which obviously differed from his and so with time we began to understand different vocabulary, figurative expressions, behaviors (interpreting silence versus verbal responses) and so on. Not understanding the other’s body language or misinterpreting actions often leads to conflicts and the same goes for organizational culture.<br />
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Culture is a key element to harmony and success and I am prompted to write this piece as I experience the merger of two large companies. During the long transition process and working with so many different teams, interacting at different levels of the organization, I slowly begin to see that the organizational cultures of these companies are very different and I wonder when the two finally merge, what would be the culture that survives and would it be the best one for the future success of the new company. Obviously and more often, past mergers consistently shows that the culture of the acquiring company is the one that preserves but is it the smart thing or is it the easier solution? <br />
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Really, it is the easier solution because changing corporate culture is a tremendous job and it takes a lot of work but it can also bring great benefits - after all a corporation is its people and having people believing in a company’s vision and being able to associate with it at all levels, understanding how their role fits into and contributes to the vision is paramount to success.<br />
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A vision should never be seen only as some lovely statements to be displayed. Employees need to feel and see it in action from the top down. It needs to be part and parcel of their daily working lives and each objective that they own should be meshed into the company’s culture.<br />
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Every company has a formal and an informal culture and very often, as organizational consultants can relate to, it is the informal culture that really defines and tells what a company is. That is the real pulse of how employees feel and see the company they work with. I wonder how many organization have run diagnostics to assess the formal versus the informal culture. It is an interesting and worthwhile exercise for any company that truly wants to be successful and wants to see that its brand or culture is being lived and embraced by its people. It is what compels each individual to look for quality, to strive for flawless delivery, to seek effective and robust processes and to bring value each day in every way and hence create a strong and sustainable bottom line. It is strong corporate culture that sustains organizations amidst the ever changing dynamics of the external environment.<br />
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To really get a good understanding of organizational culture, it impact and its value, I suggest reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Culture-Illuminating-Black-Hole/dp/0312354843">Corporate Culture - Illuminating the Black Hole</a> by Jerome Want. But before you start reading, think of your organization’s culture and how it is perceived by the employees. Has it had impact on the success of the company? It is a culture that is highly talked about with pride? Does everyone know what the organizational culture is and does the leadership team exhibit the culture? What is your organization’s culture - Bureaucratic, Service, Political, Frozen, Predatory or New Age? Jerome Want does a great job at revealing the behaviors of these cultures and how they affect the success of a company.<br />
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Culture should never be underestimated. It drives the way we think and the way we behave!Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-13094813549408578912009-09-10T00:05:00.001-04:002009-09-10T00:05:30.769-04:00The Power Of ConnectionsCheck out this SlideShare Presentation: The Value of Networking<div style="width:425px;text-align:left" id="__ss_1867390"><a style="font:14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;display:block;margin:12px 0 3px 0;text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/wolfer4/the-power-of-connections" title="The Power Of Connections">The Power Of Connections</a><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=thepowerofconnections-12503860378314-phpapp01&stripped_title=the-power-of-connections" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=thepowerofconnections-12503860378314-phpapp01&stripped_title=the-power-of-connections" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;">View more <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/">documents</a> from <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/wolfer4">Rehana Wolfe</a>.</div></div>Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-54826358237053706542009-09-02T14:45:00.000-04:002009-09-03T10:54:57.069-04:00Recognizing and Developing TalentOver the past weeks I have been watching <a href="http://nbc.com/americas-got-talent">America’s Got Talent</a> – a show where people from all backgrounds and talents take a shot at becoming the next big performer in Las Vegas. I do not watch this show solely for the entertainment, but rather to see how talent is discovered, and once given a chance to move forward, how those talents develop. The phases of this show can so easily be applicable to our corporate or business world in so many ways as there are some take away on people, talent, feedback and development.<br /><br />Last night I watched the performance of one gentleman by the name of <a href="http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/contestants/kevin.shtml">Kevin Skinner </a>who is a Chicken Catcher from Kentucky. A man who radiates humbleness has made it to the semi finals. A plain and simple farmer who, when he walked on stage for the first time, gave the impression that he could possibly be just another guy trying his luck at the game of talent! But when he sang and played the guitar, he melted his way into the hearts of everyone.<br /><br />On the night of his first performance, the quiet spoken Skinner with a rustic farm look and a shy smile gave a heartfelt performance. He sang with sincerity and a passion that seemed to have come from the bottom of his soul and shone through his eyes, penetrating the minds of his listeners. It is often said on many talent shows that the best singers are those that perform with emotion and are able to transmit that emotion to their audience and that was what Skinner had going for him. After the judges’ feedback and standing innovations from the audience, Skinner quietly said, “I believe this is my time to shine.”<br /><br />Performing at the semi-finals, Skinner the tender heart farmer got teary eyed as he listened to the astounding feedback from the judges, including Pierce, the British judge who is the known for his very harsh feedback at times. Pierce was also moved to tears with Skinner’s passionate performance. Skinner is on his way to the finals!<br /><br />Just following his passion of becoming a singer, Skinner took the risk of putting himself out there and putting his heart and soul into his first audition. The judges, who are versed in recognizing talent, saw the potential and so did America. Skinner was moved to the quarter and then semi finals and with each performance, demonstrated what he really is – a brilliant country singer, guitarist and song writer – not a chicken catcher. By following his passion, finding the right channel to show it and being in front of the right talent promoters, Skinner was transformed.<br /><br />So where am I going with all of this? The lesson here is two-fold. As individuals, we need to follow our passion, pursue that which we are versed at doing and more importantly, finding the right channel to show who we are. As managers, we need to know what to look for when we are reviewing potential new hires or promoting from within. Many high potentials fall through the cracks either because the individual did not know how or when to demonstrate his/her abilities or that managers failed to recognize the potential or did not have the confidence in giving the individual a chance to grow. Like a singer who gets better over time, so do talented people in organizations once given a chance. Experience, genuine feedback and the passion to excel is what helps talented people to grow and become their best.<br /><br />Another lesson from Skinner’s case could be summed up as “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Skinner could perhaps be compared to <a href="http://news.cnet.com/the-frumpy-virgin-whos-slaying-them-on-youtube/?tag=mncol;txt">Susan Boyle</a>, a 48 year old of Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland who appeared on the Britain’s Got Talent and also made it to the finals. Like Skinner, she was also a quiet woman from the country who guarded her talent for many years but was deeply passionate about singing. When she got on stage in front of the judges, they had already formed an opinion based on her looks. Little did they know the talent she possessed until she sang a powerful rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream.”<br /><br />The lesson is – don’t prejudge. Those who are dressed for the part may very well not be the best player. Get to know a person, see what’s behind the face; get the feeling they are transmitting. Observe what they bring, how they communicate about themselves, thier passion. Challenge them.<br /><br />In summary, individuals must always be ready to showcase their talent by being passionate about what they do and managers must always be on the look out for high potentials and get a little closer to those they think have hidden potential. Have honest and open feedback and encourage career discussions. It’s strange what we can discover when we really are looking and really conversing.Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-75320486348629050052009-08-18T16:57:00.000-04:002009-08-18T20:55:09.045-04:00Health care reform through the lens of Change CommunicationMany of us who are graduates of the communication field can look back upon those college days when we were taught the many different theories in communication, be it interpersonal or organizational, and back then we wondered, “Do we really have to know all this theory stuff?” I can remember sitting in a class one day during the introductory class titled “Strategic Communication Theory” and as I listened to the professor, everything seemed puzzling and it seemed the world was just one orderly place until language was invented and things became chaotic. The chaos developed further as civilizations developed, cultures emerged and each saw, described and interpreted the world and human behavior through their own terministic screens. Hence today, communication is no small feat and today, as I look back to those graduate classes, I now value the theories I learned because now they make all the sense in helping me to organize and understand human communication and more so to drive effective communication.<br /><br />So how does all this apply to Change Communication, you may ask? Look around you and examine all the instances where you were involved in or simply observed communications on change? How many times was the desired outcome achieved in a clear, coherent and inclusive manner? How many times did a stakeholder or an impacted group be brought into the communication loop too late or too early or did some group fall totally out of the process? How many times were there opposing views and misinterpretations or just simply bad explanations? These have happened time and time again because planning and understanding are two key elements of the communication process. Having a background in communication theory and putting the respective theory into practice is what can help us communicators to be successful and always vigilant in covering all the bases.<br /><br />Driving change means understanding what you want to change and why you want that change; who gets affected and what will that affected group have to change or adapt. Has the affected group been engaged in conversations for their feedback and input? What is the breath and depth of the change and who are all the key stakeholders. Do these stakeholders change along the communication process and do we have a stakeholder map that guides us – that plan that we should have at the beginning of the process?<br /><br />A great example of change communication failure and one that we can all identify with or at least know about is the current health care reform. Applying all the above questions to this situation, I am sure you can see the problem. So the president proposes health care reform and the public agrees that the health care system needs improving. That’s all good. But did that give the president and his policy makers the green light to simply go ahead, decide what the best solution is, write it up in a volume of more than a thousand pages and then they all take turn at trying to communicate what they have proposed? No wonder the outrage of the affected group is so dominant. The affected group cannot clearly or concisely tell what the proposed reform really is. There are distorted messages from different angles, and the affected group (the population) now feels that their health care is threatened. This is just one good reason why change communication is a delicate matter that needs its experts to guide it. How we drive change and how we communicate it go hand in hand, and first we must seek to understand the problem, its pros and cons, who are the affected parties, who are the major stakeholders and how would change be perceived at all levels. Engagement of stakeholders and affected groups are key. Most of all we must determine whether we are conducting a transformational or a radical change – which best fits the situation.<br /><br />Stepping back to my opening on theories, if the Obama administration had any really good communication strategists and policy change specialists who understood the theories And dynamics of communication, perhaps they would have handled the whole health care reform differently and perhaps they would have taken a more transformational rather than a radical, time pressed approach; and not with the thinking that they can write the edict of health care reform in their high chambers and then announce it to the poor peasants who will be ever so grateful!!<br /><br />Hurray to the population for standing up and seeking to understand what exactly it is they are being told and how exactly all of this will be sustained. Let the debate continue for this issue is not a one sided rhetoric; the affected group needs to be heard as well.<br /><br />Unfolding before us in all these debates are the empty, non-directional government rhetoric and misunderstanding of the complex health care issue that the government pretends can be solved rather easily with a plan that did not involve perhaps some of the key stakeholders! Health care reform on such a grand scale, unless this is a dictatorship, cannot be radical and simply handed down. Like communication, change is also a two way conduit.Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-41787507805637749512009-08-13T14:55:00.000-04:002009-08-13T14:59:57.057-04:00Establishing A New Communications RoleSo you have been given the opportunity to establish a new role as a Communications Manager for part of a large organization – how do you begin?<br /><br />Of course you take a look at the job description and you have many conversations with your manager and other senior leaders to understand what are their objectives and the expectations for your role. But as the days go by, you find that what really gives you the best window into your new world is getting a good understanding of the organization, it’s goals, people, culture and past attempts at communications. And how do you begin to do that?<br /><br />I have been there – it is fascinating, energizing and most importantly it gave me the chance to breathe new life – to bring that breath of fresh air, to excite leaders on how to make everyone be part of what is happening. To make everyone understand that communications play a key role in building success and organizational culture.<br /><br />On day one, I felt like an artist sitting in front of a large blank canvass with my palette of colors and brush in hand. What do I paint and what do I want my final painting to look like? <br /><br />So I began talking with everyone around me to get a sense of how I could support their projects and each one had his own idea of what the communications role should be so that did not make my job any easier. There was a mix of marketing and organizational needs, it seemed. Further there was nothing to benchmark against since the position was now being established. As the days went by, the only thing I knew is that I wanted to make this my own. I wanted to maneuver my ship safely over the high and unpredictable seas! I was going to create that benchmark for which all future incumbents will be measured against. That was itself exciting enough to drive my passion for the job.<br /><br />As a child, I hugged story books and my parents gave me them by the dozens. In high school I began writing poetry. In college I wrote short stories. My first job was in radio where I worked with clients to schedule air time. I sat in the console room with the technical operators; I recorded some of my stories for broadcast and I even played the main character in one of my stories! During graduate school, I was always excited to write and research on organizational communication. I was captivated by the many facets of human behavior seen in multicultural and gendered communications. Ultimately, my passion has always been and will always be communications.<br /><br />So with this reflection, I knew that establishing and proving the worth of communications could not be such a hard task. With time I became the “go-to person” for the organization. I was the conduit between corporate and affiliates; I counseled the supporting business partners and I took incentive programs to a whole new level. <br /><br />When it was time to shift the mindset and operational paradigm of the business, I was behind the branding and cascading of the new vision. I worked passionately with the executive leaders to create a brand, run the campaign and build materials that not only drove home the new messages and direction of the business, but everyone got involved. With one simple logo and consistency across all messages, employees were engaged. Everyone was excited about the new momentum. Everyone – from top to the guy in the plant could eloquently speak of the business objective in five words – yes that was the elevator pitch and it was what the logo expressed symbolically.<br /><br />When people are excited and feel part of the business, and when messages are coined for every level to easily understand and relate to, there could be nothing more satisfying than success and return on investment. This is the value-added component of having a communications role.<br /><br />Ultimately, it was neither the job description nor the expectations of my business associates that justified the communications role - it was the many ways I worked communications into supporting the business. The results were tangible and measurable.<br /><br />So today, four years later, I can see what I started to paint on that blank canvass! And I will paint many more whenever I have that chance.Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1672891414245849370.post-72238276628449073372009-08-10T15:20:00.000-04:002009-08-10T15:30:16.770-04:00IntroductionThis first post is to introduce myself very briefly while I work on my first official post. I have been in the field of communication for many years now and my passion for this area has only grown stronger. I started working in radio many years ago when I graduated high school, back in Georgetown, Guyana. Then, I was also a young writer of poetry and short stories - so what I do today has really always been what I would have wanted to do!<br /><br />I graduated from the University of Guyana then migrated to Venezuela and eventually to the United States where I obtained my Masters Degree in Strategic Communication from Villanova University.<br /><br />Communication is no easy task - it's not just about words and people - it is so much more... the spectrum of communication is broad and each one, be it interpersonal or organizational, is pivotal for success, harmony and the advancement of our world.<br /><br />Presently, I work as a Communications Consultant in a large pharmaceutical company and I love writing on the subject!Rehana Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851165275450857690noreply@blogger.com0