Now, I am not sure I would put Della up against Jeopardy genius Ken Jennings—that’s just a different kind of smart (and one that I believe has more to do with memory than anything else). But I have seen Della in a wide range of scenarios—from dealing with an organization facing a huge crisis to sipping a cold beverage at an outdoor patio on a hot summer day—and along with her strategic, steel trap of a mind… There is something else, something special and rare and well, simple, that is the foundation of her style of genius (and her success). She is a relationship builder.

Della recently launched a blog – Della’s Deck. It’s about effective, powerful and authentic communication. And it provides straightforward advice that can be put into action immediately. It is valuable to me from a professional communications perspective, and I get value from it in my personal life. This week, Della wrote about the power of authentic relationships. She also shared a list of questions that you should/could know about the people in your life… I was amazed at how many of them I couldn’t answer about people—clients and friends—who I would say I have particularly close or positive relationships with. I am going to change that.

Authentic relationships are at the heart of communication. And that doesn’t mean that, as a communicator, you need to meet every single person on your media distribution list—although you should know who they are, what they cover for their media outlet or blog, and understand why what you are sending them is of interest to them. That is a relationship. It might be a few steps removed from the kind of relationship where you can call a journalist and ask them to meet you for a coffee, but it is still a respectful relationship.

At AHA, we often have people call us out of the blue and tell us why we should hire them. No relationship building by commenting on this blog or chatting with us on Facebook or Twitter. Their calls are based on what we should know about them. I often wonder how much they know about us—if anything.

We recently had someone become quite persistent about calling to tell us why we should hire the company she works for to produce video for our clients. We asked her if she realized that we have a video crew here at AHA. She hesitated and then said: “But we’re better.”

Really?

Firstly, I don’t think she even checked our site. Secondly, our crew produces brand journalism videos. Had she looked at our site and paid attention to who we really are, she might have said: “Yes, I see you do brand journalism videos. I really liked the one that you did for Vancouver Community College’s Year of Science event. We actually produce a more corporate (or documentary or VH1-like) style. Perhaps we could chat and see if we can be of value to you, for those times when you need a different video style.” That might have gotten my attention. Opportunity lost because she didn’t even try to start an authentic, mutually beneficial relationship with us.

Relationships matter.

Last week I attended and participated in a presentation given by our friend and colleague Della Smith of Q Workshops. This presentation was focused on how you include social media in your overall communications strategy. What I like about this presentation is that it provides a roadmap of what you should do, as well as showcases what not to do. Della and I present a specialized workshop for organizations where we walk clients through developing or updating their communications plan to include social media. Our approach is always to work with our client to design a proactive plan that includes reactive components, blending traditional communications with social media.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s very important to understand what not to do. However, I know that when clients come to our Vancouver PR agency, they also want to know what they should be doing to engage their communities. They look to AHA for guidance on being proactive and reaching out, to create engagement and, in some cases, experiment a little to see what works best. It isn’t just about avoiding failure, but creating success in developing a strategy that includes social media.

Perhaps it’s me, on this sunny morning, we just had our daily Work-In-Progress media at AHA and I am feeling positive and inspired about the future for our boutique Vancouver PR agency. I think we’re seeing a shift in how communicators view social media. They are ready to actively embrace social media and want to know how to effectively include it into the overall communications plan.

If you are interested in speaking with AHA about the workshop that we deliver in partnership with Della Smith of Q Workshops, please send us an email.

DRIVE – THE SURPRISING TRUTH ABOUT WHAT MOTIVATES US

BY:  Daniel H. Pink

This book resonated as strongly with my brain as it did with my heart.  Dan Pink presents a strong case for a new way at looking at motivation. Say goodbye (well, maybe not totally) to carrots and sticks and say hello to autonomy, mastery and purpose.  Chock full of case studies and research, Pink’s Drive makes a ton of sense to our left-brain logic.  Personally, it appealed to me on an emotional level and I finally feel understood.  Never one to be motivated by money or inspired by fear tactics, this book touched my soul.

Here is a small sample of his wise words:“Perhaps it’s time to toss the very word ‘management’ onto the linguistic ash heap alongside ‘icebox’ and ‘horseless carriage.’ This era doesn’t call for better management. It calls for a renaissance of self-direction.”

Dan, you are the man.

The book structure even worked for me.  He builds the premise and then gives you a toolkit to help implement the concept. I always feel like that is the missing link in books like Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point—I want to know how to use the ideas. Pink also adds cool elements to the book such as words from business gurus on the topic, schools that get it, a reading list of other books, websites to check out and a great notes section.

The only disappointment is the promise of an online survey to check out your own motivations. The survey has some glitch and while he promises it to be up and running soon, it is not.  Small price to pay.

In the meantime, you can subscribe to his newsletter at www.danpink.com/drive.html.

Obviously a fan.

Della Smith