May 28, 2007

It pays off to slow down

It's the end of the school year and life is hectic. The three day weekend for Memorial Day was much needed, and I am ready to face the final weeks of school, begin a new internship, and put on a $40,000 event for Springfield Public Schools.

But if a three day weekend is not a possibility, this great post on Forward Blog reminds us to remember to slow down and enjoy the little things in life.

It's way too easy to get wrapped up in school, work, blogging, social networking and so on.

So, take Forward Blog's advice and remember to take a mental health day, pet your puppy, call home, write a letter and spend time with family.

No, these little things in life won't solve all of your work week problems, but after a relaxing, long weekend, I feel more productive, happier and excited to see what the week brings.

It really does pay to slow down.

May 23, 2007

Just Jott It!


Here is my quick "evangelical" post for the week--

This week I discovered the coolest new communication tool. It's been fun experimenting with Jott, a mobile note taking and hands free messaging service. I find it fascinating how communication techniques are quickly blending together.

Here's how Jott works:

  1. Sign up online. (It's free!)
  2. Call the Jott phone number 1-877-568-8486
  3. Speak your message
  4. Jott then translates your message into writing and sends either an email or a text message

How handy!

My favorite is Jotting myself. I can send reminders to myself and have them waiting in my inbox.

Instead of texting while driving, Jott can translate my messages and send text messages for me. (Washington state just passed a law prohibiting text messaging while driving by the way.)

Also, Jott allows you to send text messages and emails to groups. Record one message and everyone receives your message at one time.

What I love the most is that I don't need my laptop. I can now easily send emails and texts with my cell phone--hands free.

It just makes my life a little easier.

May 19, 2007

There's too much hugging going on!

I have to admit, the free hugs video on YouTube made me tear up the first few times I saw it. It's a touching and inspirational video, but now it's lost the sentimental value for me. I've seen the video posted on Facebook dozens of times, I've watched it with groups of friends, given free hugs to the guys on campus, seen a crew of free huggers in Portland, and even seen the video played at church on Sunday morning. It's being played over and over, and the sentiment is dying with every viewing. Check out the video below:



The guys who give free hugs on the U of O campus are friends of mine. Of course, I'll stop by and give them a hug. I love supporting them and hope they continue to give hugs. It's not that I don't like hugs.

Just last weekend, I went up to the Saturday Market in Portland and was bombarded with more free hugs signs. Thanks to YouTube, free hugs are everywhere, which is great--until I see those signs everywhere I go.

My concern is that I'm becoming numb to the gesture. It's not original anymore. It's the same feeling I have to an over played song on the radio. Once that song comes on three times in one hour, I never really want to hear it again.

Is YouTube and other online resources killing all sentiment and creativity? We all have access to the same music, the same videos, the same blogs. Will our difficult cultures and communities become all the same because we are virtually connected? Or will they become more diverse?

I suppose only time will tell.

Where's the dialogue?


ChemNutra, the company responsible for the recent contamination of pet food and death of thousands of pets, has started a blog in response to the recent crisis.

Props for this blogger for exposing the flaws in ChemNutra's blog.

ChemNutra's "blog" is merely a collection of press releases and does not allow readers to comment on each post. Check it out.

How cold can ChemNutra be? They are already responsible for the death of thousands of pets. Do they want to anger pet owners further by putting up communication barriers? These pet owners need answers, and they want to express their thoughts. ChemNutra needs to take responsibility for their actions, buck up and let the negative comments come.

I can see where ChemNutra is coming from, in the sense that they wanted to create controlled media; however, blogging requires two way communication with the blogger to the reader. So where's the dialogue?

They've made a mistake, but now is the time to be straightforward, honest and provide the affected parties the information they need.

In my opinion, no blog is better than a pathetic one.



May 13, 2007

The Blogging World Needs a Few Ghost Busters

Blogging takes time, thought and a bit of effort. Some people have taken the easy way out and have hired ghost bloggers to maintain and publish a blog in their name. An interesting article on Yahoo news examines this concept and a few implications of this method.

Blogs are edgy, raw and authentic. They expose personality, build character and distinctly portray human emotion and ideas.

"People do expect authenticity and transparency," says Debbie Weil, a Washington-based blogging consultant, and author of The Corporate Blogging Book. "If you violate basic rules of etiquette in the blogosphere, you're going to get burned."

I couldn't agree more.

Blogging is a fairly new method of communicating, and these relationships are fragile. My favorite bloggers have won my heart, but if I were discover they were using ghost writers to cut corners, I would have to say goodbye. That trust would be broken.

The PR world is already full of ghost writers who write speeches, publications, letters, and so on. Can't we please preserve the value and authenticity of the blogging world?

Bloggers-- Take the time to write your own blog. Your readers are putting their faith in you, not your ghost writer.

May 9, 2007

Pastors Make Great Presentations

I've concluded that the best presenters I've seen have been pastors. They speak to large audience for a living. They usually speak once, twice, three, four plus times each week. They've got this public speaking thing down to science.

My Advanced PR class is currently discussing how to deliver a great presentation. Earlier this week Margaret Parker spoke to our class and offered a few excellent presentation tips and objectives.

Here are just a few tips Margaret offered about sequence:

  • To Joke or not to Joke- Are you comfortable telling the joke? If not, skip it.
  • Tell the audience what's in it for you - Build a honest relationship with the audience.
  • Tell the audience what's in it for them - Let them know they will benefit from listening.
  • Tell 'em, Tell 'em, Told 'em - Repeat your point and drive it home.
  • Keep a presentation pattern, such as historical, comparative, logical, or informational and stick to it!
At Eugene Faith Center last Sunday, our congregation had the pleasure of hearing Dee Dee Flores from West Salem Foursquare Church speak. I was captivated by her sermon and presentation. It was engaging, dynamic, fun and yet very relevant.

Why did I connect to her message and presentation so well? Was it simply because she is a woman? Was I captivated by the interesting scripture?

After this week's PR class, I realized there was more to it. Dee Dee was able to connect to us as audience members with her precise delivery.

Dee Dee immediately put the audience at ease by telling a light hearted joke. She went on to introduce herself, what her topic was for the morning and why it mattered to us as listeners. She read the scripture (presented her point), then went on to examine it into our daily lives, referencing back to the scripture periodically. This format helped us as listeners follow her point and helped her drive the point home. Her gestures were mild, yet emphasized her point.

Maybe I should start taking notes from the professionals every week.

May 5, 2007

Blending non-profit and corporate worlds

Sticking with the Generation Y theme...

So, I recently read an article which discussed Generation Y's eagerness to volunteer through the work place. A study found that nearly 2/3's of young adults would prefer to work for a company that offers opportunities to assist non-profits.

I found this no surprise. So many students (including myself) would love to work for non-profit organizations, but aren't willing to sacrifice big paychecks. With growing numbers of companies offering social responsibility programs, employees can now get the best of both worlds.

With the cost of living is getting so high, employees have no choice but to work for large companies who can provide benefits and salaries. Students also have large loans to pay off and entry level, non-profit work doesn't usually pay the bills.

It's exciting to see companies blending non-profit and corporate work environments. There is hope to make change in the world and get paid well!

May 2, 2007

We're All Narcissistic

A recent article and study determined Generation Y to be more narcissistic and self absorbed than any previous generation.

The Narcissistic Personality Inventory asked students to respond to statements such as "I like to be the center of attention" and "If I ruled the world, it would be a better place."

The study concluded that students of 2006 were much more self centered than students of 1982.

I'm not sure I buy this. Can researchers truly determine that my generation has a bigger ego than our predecessors?

Individualism and self absorption are characteristics of modernity, which began in the late 18th century. These are traits have encompassed our entire society for years.

Sure, I agree narcissism is a characteristic of my generation; however, technology has simply given us means of expressing ourselves quickly and easily. YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and Blogger give sociologists written, recorded and visual evidence of our self absorption.

In the past, autobiographies, paintings and theater were used to express internal human characteristics, but these arts took time and talent.

These days it only takes computer and an hour or two to publicly express our innate human qualities. Maybe these tools are making humans more narcissistic, but look at it this way:

We're advancing modernity, or perhaps defining another period in history. Blog on my friends, blog on!