Spring Ahead With a Fresh Look

Day one of daylight savings means you moved your clocks ahead by an hour and switched the batteries in your fire alarms. At least that's what happens in my house. It also means that you've got a good cleaning on your mind, renewed enthusiasm at work and at play, and a fresh look at life - and this goes for your website too!

Here are five quick steps to make sure your website doesn't look like the last vestige of winter:

1. Double check the "In the News" section of your site and move everything older than two weeks to your "archive" page. (1-A - create an "archive" page if you don't have one)

2. Read through EVERY page of your site to ensure accuracy, clarity, and consistency. If your website is anything like most it wasn't created in a single day by a single author which means the tone and consistency throughout may be slightly different. Check for spelling and grammatical errors too. (My biggest challenge.)

3. Click through every page and every link. Some links may be broken or no longer be available and this is a huge pet peeve for me and many others. There's nothing worse than not being able to access what you want.

4. Changed your logo lately? Then you better make sure the old version has been completely removed and the updated version everywhere it needs to be.

5. Changed staff or leadership lately? Update the "Contact" or "Board" page. Chances are you'll need to.

In our quest to stay on top of technology we often forget to do those things that matter most so take some time to walk through your site and make sure your house is in order. Your clients, members, and visitors will appreciate your efforts.

Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of www.public-domain-photos.com

Cornerstone Communication

Don't let a fear of the past or a fear of technology keep your organization from moving forward with its communication initiatives.

I was recently asked to share my thoughts as to whether or not contemporary communication tools (Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare) are just fads destined to fade away or realistic replacements to the old ways of communicating (telephone, email, newsletter). My response even surprised me.

During the interview, I repeatedly found myself referring to what I was calling an organizations' cornerstone communication pathway, which is the method of communication preferred most by its respective community. For example, some organization’s members prefer to receive their news via newsletter mailed to their doorstep. Before I realized what I was saying, it occurred to me that I was actually restating what I’ve been told over and over again: “don’t abandon your old way of communicating but at the same time don’t be afraid to experiment with emerging technologies.”

There is no real way of knowing what communication tool will be here tomorrow. This doesn’t mean we have to a) rush right in to the newest fad or b) be so paralyzed by fear that we fail to experiment with emerging technologies. Find comfort in what works best for your organization and slowly test and implement additional methods and you may soon uncover that another cornerstone of communication lies right beneath the surface.

Photo credit: This image was borrowed from http://www.senate.michigan.gov/Virtualtour/statecapitol.htm. The cornerstone featured in this photo was used to construct the third State Capitol and contained historical documents and memorials.

Cash (Not Goods) is King When it Comes to Supporting Relief Efforts

Yesterday I wrote about an idea that encouraged Super Bowl attendees to bring relief items with them to Miami in hopes that this could assist in providing aid to the Haiti relief effort. However, after reading this post (Haiti:Help With Money Not Stuff) it became apparent that donating cash, and not goods, is the best way to help.

The most popular and perhaps the easiest way to do this is to donate funds via a mobile phone by texting "Yele" to the number 501501

(Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation)or the word "Haiti" to 90999 (Red Cross).

Super Bowl Challenge and Haiti

Earlier today a friend of mine posted the following message on his Facebook page

"ATTENTION MIAMI PEOPLE: Large truck that will be on the corner of 1st & Alton beginning at 6:00 pm today and will be there 24/7 until it is filled. Items most needed: blankets, tents, batteries, candles, clothing, medicine and canned food. PLEASE REPOST!!!!!!!!!!"

In a few short weeks the city of Miami will play host to the NFL Pro Bowl and then the Super Bowl. By then the relief effort will be well into its third and fourth week and although the needs of the victims, families, relief workers, and others will have changed they will have in no way disappeared.

So if you or someone you know is one of the 76,500 people planning to attend one of these events please check the Internet or with the Red Cross prior to heading to Miami to see what items may still be needed for the relief effort. Or simply pack an extra pair of socks, toothpaste, toothbrush, blankets, or a pair of shorts in anticipation that you'll run across a receptacle like the truck parked on 1st & Alton.

By carrying a few extra items to Miami we will relieve some of the burden on organizations like the Red Cross and extend the life of our own efforts to help those in need. And who knows perhaps the airlines will waive the extra bag fee for travelers headed that way, a cruise line will deliver the goods, and everyone attending the games will play an integral role in helping our neighbor through this difficult time. This is, after all, what community is all about.

God bless the victims and the families of victims in Haiti.

Facilitating in the Age of Motion

Although I have participated in many strategic planning sessions I was recently tapped to facilitate a an internal departments session at Association Headquarters (where I work). I'm excited by the opportunity and know enough about the planning process to pull it off but I want to bring some fresh ideas to the experience. More specifically I'm seeking engagement tactics that will force participants to look at themselves, their responsibilities and their respective departments in a new light.

One sentence comments, references to sources, or thoughtful recommendations are all appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help and all comments will be added to a follow-up blog on new ideas for strategic planning.

Brian