Not Tricks, Just Treats

Walking by a local gift shop's display window in my quaint downtown Berwyn, PA the other day, I saw a black sweater with witches embroidered on it, a motion detecting skeleton and a dried wreath with small pumpkin lights and I wondered, when did this all happen?  Where did the inflatable lawn figures of black-cats, the plastic flesh body parts, those bats with the L.E.D. eyes, even luminaries lining driveways, where did it all come from?  

When I was little Halloween wasn't so, well, notorious.  Yes, we had the costumes and the door to door candy seeking activities (with my dad dressed up as a physician because he was one and had the stethoscope) but we missed out on the festival atmosphere that is injected into this event, today.  Okay, so maybe its a business push, the expansion of Christmas holidays right through Thanksgiving and into Halloween with hats off to good old American capitalism to getting all of us geared up early in the "buying season".  But there's also another element, a new element, tied into the age old "trick or treat" aspect of Halloween.  

My good friend, Donna Guthrie (yes she is my sister-in-law) captured it succinctly in her latest episode at MeetMeAtTheCorner, a site for 7-13 year olds but you'll enjoy it too.  The 2 minute video which highlights Halloween, also highlights this new element, philanthropy.  You know philanthropy, the desire to improve human welfare through charitable or selfless activities.  

Halloween is a great way to get your kids thinking about ways to help others and there's a huge benefit.  Just  take a minute to learn about some of the high school kids that have gotten Jefferson Awards for Public Service because they concocted ways to lend a hand in their communities.  The fruit of this type of action is greater than the gift itself because the kids involved discover how to involve others.  They find out how to organize and plan an event around a focused goal. They learn how to be leaders. 

So when you watch Donna's Halloween video episode, it's really much more than "that's nice".  Its a way to take a silly holiday where your kids beg for candy and turn it into a lesson in developing homespun leadership.  Still fun, but not so silly.  Now where did I leave my broom and the chocolate!

See pictures as my kids fend off the Zombie Hordes and other interesting stories!  

Got a job? Be a Hero.

Saw this on Forrester Research's blog this morning.  I haven't read the book yet, I haven't even put it on my Amazon wish list, so I can't recommend it.  But this passage that I've quoted is relevant to our employment dialog.  "....the challenge has shifted. The problem is not just connecting with empowered customers, it’s what this engagement does to corporations. It’s a management challenge. Because these technology projects are grassroots solutions conceived by HEROes (Highly Empowered and Resourceful Operatives), not top-down management initiatives, they require a transformation in the way companies operate.”

Leave it to Forrester to create an acronym.  But irregardless, especially for those currently unhappy workers, who may have it in their power to start integrating positive change, the message is significant.  Got a job?  Be a Hero.

It's interesting if not a little Polly Anna perhaps of me to think about an individual forecasting a future for their employer.  They certainly don't get paid for that, do they.  What does the future look like for your company? Could a horse drawn carriage manufacturer have envisioned Lamborghini or my personal favorite, (when I don't have my "green suit" on), the Porsche Carrera?    

I thought these other articles (links below) reflected a similar line of thinking. There was also one about changing stockholders expectations from a monetary basis to include a philanthropic focus, but now I can't find it, perhaps in the Harvard Business Review. (Note to self, must use Delicious.)  In any event, I do really want to hear what you think.  Send me your comments and links to kindred content when you find them! 

• http://philanthropy.com/blogPost/Solving-Problems-Requires-a/25906
• http://www.nextbillion.net/blog/yunus-speaks-on-social-business-impact-without-profit

Older, Healthy and Out of Work...You Too?

According to my interpretation of recent facts and figures, never before have there been so many talented people out of work.  And for us Baby Boomers, you know those folks resulting from their parents happily reuniting after World War II, there are a lot of us and, thanks to medical advances, we're healthier and living longer than ever before.  

So if you're also unemployed, well you're like me - healthy, older and out of work.  At a time when employers are hiring two 25-year olds for the price of one 50 year old, you're probably running into some incidents of age discrimination.  Does age discrimination really exist?  Well it's a bit like asking if there's such a thing as ghosts and equally hard to prove. So rather than feeling afraid or defeated I try to remember that I'm not old.  I'm experienced.  

When I take this mind set, it helps me in several ways.  First, when I prepare my resume, I format my work information around the job requirements. I don't date events like college graduation and my masters degree. I don't go back to my beginnings with Westinghouse Broadcasting implementing proprietary systems either, unless it's pertinent.  In short I focus on the aspects of my work history that are relevant to that particular job and as much as possible eliminate dates.  

More importantly, recognizing that I'm experienced, reminds me that I'm also accomplished at what I do.  And today's employers are all about accomplishments that deliver positive financial results.  For example in my top line summary I say; "grew an insurance company's prospect sales from $800K to $6M, took an unprofitable marketing and event management agency to most profitable of 16 nationwide."  Your experience shows that you can either make money or save money for that employer. So if you can translate your actions into contributing to sales and revenues or avoiding costly mistakes, this is where you have it in spades over those younger folks with no experience.   

There is one last tip, that I've only tried once recently.  And although it didn't win me the position, I did come in the second of two finalists.  After my third round of interviews, this time with several executives who were fairly high up the command chain, in my thank you emails, I suggested a solution to a business problem they voiced during our session.  I've also heard of candidates recommending a 30-60-90 day action plan to their would-be employers as part of an agreement and alliance building strategy.  Here's the advantage for us, we have the experience to understand the journey, draw a map, plan for the unexpected and appreciate the possibilities.  

The bottom line? Remember back in 1962, Neil Young drove, "Mort" (a.k.a. Mortimer Hearseburg), his beloved Pontiac hearse from Toronto to Los Angeles?  That's when he met Stephen Stills, formed Buffalo Springfield and wrote this song, a song he'd sing 48 years later at the close of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.    

This post is dedicated to my friend, Tony Swan, the good old boy at Car & Driver no, errr I mean the Old Boy Racer at Car & Driver.      

If Your Customers Use Mobile Phones then Your Strategy Should Include...

As part of a recommendation for integrating traditional and social media channels for a Philly non-profit, I developed this SlideShare Presentation.  The direction applies seamlessly if you're a for profit.  As always, the secret is a focus on your target audience. 

Communications strategy for 2010

Interested in mobile marketing?  Be sure to check out Forrester Research's excerpt by Christine Spivey Overby, "Does Mobile Marketing Matter Yet?"
View more presentations from Marion Guthrie Consulting.

My Eyeballs and The Clean Water Act

When I'm not being socially challenged, I'm a weekend gardener who has two daughters pursuing horticulture careers and a third daughter who created a suburban farm.  So I wasn't surprised when recently a client asked me to research the ramifications of the Clean Water Act as part of a project.  I found it interesting and knowing the growing focus on conservation, I thought you'd find it interesting too.

In November 2009, as a result of changes in the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule to help reduce water pollution from construction sites. This is the first time that EPA has imposed national monitoring requirements and enforceable numeric limitations on construction site storm water discharges. 

The ruling took effect in February 2010 and is being phased in over four years.  It is anticipated that compliance will positively impact the quality of water throughout the U.S because it tackles one of the leading causes of water quality problems nationwide, soil and sediment runoff from construction.

This EPA rule requires construction site owners and operators that disturb one or more acres to use best management practices (BMPs) to ensure that soil disturbed during construction activity does not pollute nearby water bodies. In addition, owners and operators of sites that impact 10 or more acres of land at one time will be required to monitor discharges and ensure they comply with specific limits on discharges to minimize the impact on nearby water bodies.

This monitoring requirement is a different approach for the EPA because it incorporates a technology “floor” which sets out a numeric standard on the clarity of the water discharged from the developer’s site. Clarity is one criteria that is measured and the other is storm water displacement.

Water displacement is based on the amount of rain received on a site over a 2 year period.  The volume of water is calculated and that becomes the benchmark. For example construction of a building with parking lots could be projected at 250,000 gallons of diverted water.  Rather than allowing this water to run off, it needs to be held somehow on the site and allowed to re-integrate with the soil.

Examples of available options for controlling this run off might include green roofing or a less expensive alternative is developing a “recharge area” defined as a space typically stone filled, that resides underground on the site.  Since often one tactic isn't enough both of these solutions might be needed in combination with others to meet EPA standards.

In addition to planning for water displacement, if there is a stream or waterway on a site the buffer area where construction is prohibited has expanded from 50 ft to 150 ft.  The objective is to ensure that the construction doesn’t contribute to the degradation of that waterway; that the high quality of the water is protected.  This means there is less area that can be developed and in some instances sites that can’t be developed at all.

Runoff and soil erosion are managed during the actual construction process by using techniques outlined by the EPA called Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce construction-related pollution.  BMPs result in such activities as minimizing land clearing, building proper site entrances, stabilizing steep slopes, and installing sediment traps.  To be most effective, several BMPs need to be used in combination.

Adopting BMPs is part of the process.  Under the Clean Water Act, certain construction sites must obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. This permit enables operators of these sites to implement steps to prevent sediment and other pollutants from washing off into nearby waterways.  The permit, which requires a plan document, in the past was available for 5 years and could be extended.  Currently however, only 2-year non-renewable permits are available.

The two-year permit is another indication that the guidelines and accompanying laws are in great flux.  There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the regulations and what will happen in the future; a fact that is born out by the case involving Crum Creek.  The case is on appeal before the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court and raises issues surrounding the development activities in the state’s special protection watersheds.

The net is that the new regulations and their interpretation need to be at the forefront of the building process but even if all the approvals are obtained and the guidelines are followed, architects and builders are in a precarious position.  What can they do to insure that their plans and actions stay within the limits of these new regulations? What do you think about the law and how it's being implemented? 

Photograph by my daughter, Jen Zwarg
Information is resourced from several of online sites, available upon request.
See Becker's Environmental Law Update, Stormwater Regulations are Flawed, EPA Needs a Do-Over

Jesus Would Love This!

Shot like a documentary, a new viral video from Hi-Tec introduces a new sport called "Liquid Mountaineering," where participants run on water - yes, on top of the water.  The equipment that makes this all possible is a water repellent shoe, discovered by mistake (supposedly), by lake skimming athletes.  A brief product shot of the shoes deflecting water showcases how extremely water repellent they are.  It's just enough of a glimpse to expose the brand without being obvious, in fact it's almost understated.  The video experience is brief and intriguing and leaves me wondering where can I get these (light, dry, fast) shoes myself?

Currently with over 4 million YouTube views, several folks seem to think that the activity is real.  A fact that's reinforced by the water running cast in the video, blogging about the sport and their experiences as well.  And yes, of course, you can join their Facebook Fan Page.

With thanks to Megan O'Neill writing for Social Times for the insights and information!