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Communications Media Management Association

Monthly Archives: June 2013

Building Relationships of Trust in the Workplace

28 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by cmmavision in Communications, Leadership, Management

≈ 1 Comment

As leaders, trust is the key to developing solid, long lasting relationships with our employees, peers and customers. Trust is our reputation and our brand…it is the heartbeat of every successful relationship. I recently attended a webinar titled “Building Relationships of Trust” by the Network of Executive Women. I wanted to share with you some key takeaways that may seem obvious, but require daily practice to keep the habits strong.

Be an active listener.  Listening is one of the most important skills you can have.  How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with others.

Always add value. Ask, “How can I help?” It doesn’t matter whether it’s your responsibility or not.

Don’t take trust for granted. Just because you had it in the past doesn’t mean it will always be there.

Make sure your words match your actions or you will lose credibility.

Talk to people ”just because.” Build relationships with no agenda in mind. You never know how a relationship with someone can help you later on down the road.

Don’t take credit for your team.  Give credit where credit is due.  This will lead to greater self-esteem and improved performance.

Be clear and set expectations so others know exactly what the parameters are.

Always maintain confidentiality to ensure open and honest communication between customers, clients and employees.

Stay in your own lane and when you least expect it, you’ll get where you’re trying to go.

Don’t email. Pick up the phone or—better yet—talk to people face to face whenever possible so they get to know you better.

Don’t make it all about you.  Instead, recognize others by acknowledging their accomplishments and the value they bring.

Be honest!  Honesty is the core to building trust.

Don’t ask others to do something you wouldn’t want to do yourself.

Over communicate!  Communication is critical and needs be presented in different ways to different people.

Get alignment. Ask others for their point of view, include them in the decision making process, and make sure everyone is in agreement before moving forward.

Always assume the best of others.

Be authentic and be genuine.  Your reputation precedes you, so say what you mean and mean what you say.

If there is mistrust – over compensate to try and gain that trust back.  It won’t be easy, but it can be done.

Surround yourself with people you trust.  Create an inner circle of trust and enlist key people who will give you honest feedback and sound advice.  Try to align yourself with an external mentor, an internal mentor, a sponsor (someone who has your back), a peer confidante, and an executive coach.  These relationships will help you grow, build your self-esteem, and make you successful.

For more leadership tips check out Expect to Win:  10 Proven Strategies for Surviving in the Workplace by Carla A. Harris.

This article contributed by Robin Martin, CMMA Board of Directors

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Corporate Video Trends

18 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by cmmavision in Communications, Media, Technology, Video

≈ 4 Comments

It is easy to get caught up in industry buzz words from blogs, video production magazines and tradeshows.  What does video in corporate America really look like at present?  We have taken a pulse of the corporate market and have broken it down by current styles, deliverables, types of communication, and messaging trends.

Style = More Depth, More Movement, More Direct, Less Bookshelves
No matter what descriptors are being requested: “film look”, “shallow depth of field”, “polished”, “fuzzy background”, more 35MM sensor cameras are being used with prime lenses for corporate shoots. Producers are getting creative with movement, even for the simplest testimonials, by using dollies, jibs, and camera sliders.  This subtle enhancement of motion keeps the ever shortening attention span locked onto the subject.  An increasing number of producers are having their subjects look directly into the camera to deliver their messages.  Mirroring the effect of radio, the first person address feels more like a one on one conversation instead of being a voyeur.  In addition, mimicking user generated content is still present to engage audiences online.  There has been a reemergence in green screen/ backdrop requests.  Whether  adding graphic heavy packages, inserting creative video, or just adding a plain white backdrop more producers are opting to cloak the office plants, artwork, and bookshelves for a more controlled look.

Deliverable = Files Everywhere
Files are by far the most predominant deliverable onsite which increases efficacy in post.  The end deliverable for corporate videos are being purposed and reposed onto a multitude of platforms that include intranet, web, tablets, and phones.  Google reports in 2013 more consumers access the internet from a phone than a computer.  And 78% of smart phone users access the internet in stores.  With the boost in where and how the videos are being watched we are seeing the maximization of enterprise video with services like Wistia.  This service hosts videos, provides analytics, and support tools.  Producers are using the data that they get back about past videos to make future video better.

Communication = Increase Business, In The Know, Beef Up Presentations
Corporate Departments are using more video, more often for more reasons.  Adding video is often like installing new appliances into your kitchen.  It may not be 100% necessary but it looks a lot better and the cook will be able to function more effectively.  Video is being appropriated by Sales forces to compliment their efforts at onsite client meetings.  Human Resources are using videos to explain employee benefits or to recognize team members with an “at-a-boy.”  Training video continue to be effective by letting employees see the information they need when they need to see it.  Product Support teams are using video to respond to user generated reviews and for damage control.  There is no big surprise that videos are appearing with greater frequency at regional meetings and in C level presentations.  Forbes reported in Video In The C-Suite,  “Three-quarters (75%) of executives surveyed said they watch work-related videos on business-related websites at least weekly; more than half (52%) watch work-related videos on YouTube at least weekly”.

Messaging = Brand Managers, User Generated, Loss of Message
For selected projects an increase number of Brand Managers are working directly with production companies instead of agencies.  This allows them to not only cut costs, but also streamlines the message by using the same talent, locations, look and feel in video and print campaigns.  Corporations are listening to consumers who use their products or services and tailoring their corporate messaging around their content.  “Many organizations rely on the distributed problem solving, tapping the brain power of consumers and experts from within and outside the company for breakthrough thinking”, says McKinsey & Company Ten IT-Enabled Business Trends for the Decade Ahead.   Managing Producers aren’t showing up on location and are sending regional company contacts who may not have a firm grasp on the project or message resulting in a compromised corporate message.

In our experience here at Crews Control, the lag time from innovation to adoption within corporate media departments on average is 5+ years.  By interviewing media departments and analyzing data from current shoots, we are able to get an accurate picture of styles, deliverables, types of communication, and messaging trends on the rise now.

Article Contributor: Andrea Keating, Owner/Founder & CEO at Crews Control Inc

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A Presidential View

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by cmmavision in Communications, Conferences, Leadership, Management, Media, Technology, Upcoming Events, Video

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At our recent Spring Professional Development Conference (at McDonald’s University outside of Chicago) I was having lunch with my media manager colleagues from Intel and McKinsey. It was a matter of fact conversation – we were talking shop about our facilities and the daily challenges we face – but at one point it struck me like a thunderbolt: this is what CMMA is all about! In 20 minutes, while noshing on our Chicago-style hot dogs, Best Buy, Intel and McKinsey were benchmarking each other! I was amazed at how simple this was and powerful at the same time. As always, our conversation confirmed how much we had in common and how enlightening it was to share stories.

I’ve been a member of CMMA for over 6 years now and it has been an excellent and fulfilling experience getting to know the folks out there that do what I do – folks who manage teams that create videos, other media and live events. I’ve learned so much during that time. For my company, Best Buy, it’s been a great “return on investment” as well. Our ability to benchmark systems, approaches, vendor partners, etc. in a matter of hours or days is invaluable.

This fall we’ll all meet again at our National Conference in Nashville, TN. Our theme is “The Innovation Conference,” and will undoubtedly be an exciting and educational experience. The agenda is shaping up to be a very cool event, and I expect more of what I have come to enjoy every time CMMAers get together – great conversation, sharing and learning. And fun! I hope to see you there or at any one of our regional get-togethers over the summer.

For more information on CMMA membership, or to watch the Nashville conference presentation video, and a chance to meet the members, visit us at www.cmma.org!

Cheers,
Chris Barry, CMMA President

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