Shortlist Q1 2014

the shortlist News

Q1 | 2014

•

The Award-Winning Publication of the Society for Marketing Professional Services San Francisco Bay Area Chapter

•

Events

www.smpssf.org

3

President’s Quarterly Update

4

The Communications Kerfuffle

Education

by Ali Bedwell, CPSM, Marketing Manager, Skyline Construction

by Veda Solomon with the assistance of Zach Solomon

5 ARCH

by John Grimes 6 Dealing with Difficult People - My Personal Saving Mr. Banks Story

by Al Anderson, CPSM, Proposal Manager, Nova Group Inc.

Personalities in the Workplace The shortlist is produced and edited by the Communications Committee of the SMPS San Francisco Bay Area Chapter.

Editor - Jessica Cadkin, URS Corporation, jessica.cadkin@urs.com Assistant Editor - Al Anderson, NOVA Group, aanderson@novagrp.com Designer - Erin Gardner, Parsons Brinckerhoff, gardnerel@pbworld.com Communications Committee Directors - Christiana Tjhin, GHD, christiana.tjhin@ghd.com and Vanessa Pelletier, CSDA Design Group, vpelletier@csdadesigngroup.com

7

Upcoming Events

7

New & Transferring Members

8

Elevations® - Developing Who You Are and What You Want

10

SMPS Pacific Regional Conference Wrap-Up

by Helen Horyza and Marion Thatch, FSMPS, CPCC

the shortlist Thank you to our 2014 annual sponsors for making SMPS SFBAC such a success.

We couldn’t do it without your generous support!

Platinum

Golden Gate Silverado Trail

Media Sponsors

Page 2

the shortlist President’s Quarterly Update

by Ali Bedwell, CPSM, Marketing Manager, Skyline Construction

It’s a new calendar year but we’re still committed to GIVING BACK. We are half way through the Board year and I hope that by now you’ve heard about our “giving back” campaign to better serve the needs of our members and their firms.

We’ve been hard at work since September pulling together added benefits, which includes highly acclaimed speakers, discounted event pricing, video recordings of programs, student scholarships, member scholarships and much more. Read on for some details.

Top notch speakers We’re flying in some incredible speakers to share insights with our members. Don’t miss: • • •

Chris Remington from CBS News in New York spoke at our March BIG 4 fracking panel Glen Hiemstra, an internationally respected futurist based in Seattle presenting in May Scott Braley of Cleveland, the original researcher behind the SMPS Foundation book, A/E/C Business Development…The Decade Ahead presenting on his findings at our FREE members only event in July

Check out our website for more event info http://smpssf.org/programs-and-events/calendar/.

Discounted event pricing for members BIG 4 ticket prices have been reduced to $55 for all members starting with the March Fracking event.

The April evening professional series cost is just $25 per session. In July don’t miss our completely FREE educational event for members. Now is the time to sign up or renew your membership to take advantage of these discounts.

Student scholarships New this year, we’ve launched a student outreach campaign to build awareness of A/E/C marketing for students emerging into the workforce. Applications are being accepted for our first chapter student scholarship, which provides $1,000 towards tuition and books, an honorary one-year membership in SMPS SFBAC, and complimentary registration to one chapter event. Check out the application on our student page (http://smpssf.org/students/) and help us spread the word.

Member scholarships Did you know that we also offer two free member scholarships each year? We’ll cover your full national dues, in return for an active commitment at the committee level. Take advantage of this

member benefit by completing the scholarship application here. (http://smpssf.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ MembershipScholarshipApplication.pdf) Webinar / library resources We have an extensive library of webinars, DVDs and marketing related books that are available FREE to all members. Check out our website for a full list of resources: http://smpssf.org/ library/. Best of all, if you don’t see what you are looking for, let Pat Christman know and the chapter will buy it for you to borrow. The Chapter also hosts four webinars per year for members only.

A personal note If we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting in person, please introduce yourself to me at the next SMPS program. If you have suggestions of ways we can add value to your membership or enhance our community involvement, please share them with me. As always, please help make SMPS a comfortable and productive environment for all. At your next SMPS event, branch out and introduce yourself to someone you don’t already know.

I’m looking forward to all that we have planned in the upcoming months.

Sincerely,

Ali Bedwell abedwell@SkylineConst.com

Page 3

the shortlist The Communications Kerfuffle: Talk to me – Explain it to me – Inspire me – Convince me.

by Veda Solomon, Communications Coach, VSC Consulting

We’ve all been communicating since birth – first sound, then body language, imitation, and learning – like sponges we’ve sopped up communication. So why as adults do we keep running into folks, sophisticated humans, who have trouble accepting the importance of communication? In everyday business conversations we worry about where to look, how much to acknowledge, when to laugh, and when not to react at all. Are we too emotional, too passive, too inquisitive, or too quick with a snarky response? And the fact that more and more we are replacing face-to-face communication with digital communication makes it even more important that we find a way to keep live communication, well...alive!

Most of us learn through experience how to convince others of our ideas, our feelings, and our opinions. But what about the difficult conversations, those that bring conflict, confrontation, or just bad news? If we think of verbal communication as personal and adaptable, we can find the answers more easily. You may feel that you’re good at verbal communication, but how often do you find yourself struggling to get your point across to a non-listener?

The Difficult Conversationalist The Egotist – It’s all about me, me, me. Good leaders should also be good listeners; however, we sometimes find ourselves in the position of talking to a team leader, client, or employer who is obviously thinking of someone else – him or herself. The goal here is to redirect the conversation to the point you are trying to make. Think of something that will be of true interest to the Egotist – if it’s all about her, than find a point that she will be interested in. Know your listener and start with her most recent success, for instance: “I heard you won an award the other night. Can you take a moment and tell me about it?” Or “What inspired you to write that article for the AIA Newsletter?”

Give the listener a few minutes to expound on me, me, me, and then find one comment to turn the conversation to the reason for the meeting: “I was so impressed with that achievement and that’s why I wanted to get your advice on….”.

The Monopolizer – Filling up all the empty spaces. Some people are actually more nervous than you think when it comes to face-to-face communication. They fill up the empty or quiet spaces with nervous laughter or trivial comments and won’t give you enough time to deliver an entire thought

or opinion. I say it’s usually nerves; however, like the Egotist, this behavior can actually come from self-importance, as in “My ideas are more relevant than yours.” For this type of conversationalist you need to be extremely prepared, but to also be flexible enough to listen to their ideas and insert some of your own. It’s all about transitioning this speaker into being a better listener. For example: “I understand your point of view but to facilitate this conversation, I’ll need a few more minutes of your listening time.” Or “You make a good point but I have a few suggestions you might want to consider…”

The Attacker – Turning the tables on you. This person is generally confrontational in most conversations, feeling the need to prove his point by attacking yours. A good way to take the edge off of an attack without alienating the person entirely is to communicate in a very calm way that this is really about the “we,” not the “you and I.” To get to a solution without tension, try to emphasize that you are peers at some level or on the same team, not combatants, and keep trying with that person. We often become intimidated by confrontational people, but softening your language can help to defuse that moment.

“As a team, we need to take into consideration the following...,” Or “To get to a solution, we all must listen to each other,” Or “As this is not a competition, let’s come to a solution that benefits all of us”.

Carefully chosen language can diffuse personal animosities.

The Loner – Bringing him out of his shell. Not everyone is comfortable with speaking in public or even in a business meeting. Sometimes the best ideas are never heard due to a person’s innate shyness, or reluctance to commit himself in a group conversation. Often these people may seem noncommittal, as in “Oh whatever....” This type of response is a discussion killer, and creates a non-productive environment continued on the next page

Page 4

the shortlist for all parties. As we acknowledge that not all people have the personality or the skills to be conversationalists, approaching the loner should be in private, as a one-on-one talk about their ability to express himself and possible interest in improving their speaking skills. Tying this skill in with advancement, perceived team spirit, or just understanding can often break down barriers, and help a loner be a better communicator and a contributing member of the team.

Arch

by John Grimes

Difficult Individuals Versus Difficult Conversations Often it’s not the speaker but the situation that becomes difficult. Such conversations are tense from both sides. It might be an evaluation that swerves into the negative, or an unhappy staff member who sits behind you. Or, as a leader, it might be the dreaded “we need to lay you off” conversation. That goes under Delivering Bad News.

A number of years ago I developed a program called Language for Leaders which dealt with the need to have accountable communication: • • •

Think - What is the concern, problem, or issue I have and what outcome do I want from this conversation?

Approach this thoughtfully and stay away from negative words that can throw the whole communication off-kilter, and Remember that if the other person is attacking, you need to stop and regroup.

Underneath poor behavior is a frustrated commitment trying to get out. Taking a count-to-ten moment can be a good thing, as the need to HEAR others and their need to BE HEARD is of utmost importance. Don’t short-circuit their ability to think and speak by over-reacting.

For more tips and insight on how to handle conversations and networking, check out my blog at www.vedasolomonconsulting.com or comment on my contact page. Tweet me @vedasolomon.

About the Author

In 27 years in the A/E/C industry, Veda has created marketing, business development and coaching programs for clients in a wide range of market sectors. She has worked for large and medium sized firms, creatively developing programs in relationship building, strategic planning, and PR/communications. Veda has also served as president both in New York and Los Angeles for SMPS, and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award in 2004.

Veda’s talent for assessing and coaching public and presentation speaking has encouraged her clients to become dynamic and confident speakers with winning results. She tailors programs for each client and has spoken twice for SMPS Build Business: In 2009, Language for Leaders and in 2012, How to Create a Business Development Culture, with Hildegard Dodd.

About the Author

Check out cartoonist/Illustrator/CPSM John Grimes’ new website, fizzdom.com for animated quotes and videos — updated weekdays to amuse and provoke. Beyond his full-time freelance work, John is working with his partner Robin Chin on their massive broadcast news archive, comprising over 70,000 hours of footage compiled since 2001 as an extension of their nationally-broadcast documentary, “There’s Something About W.”

Page 5

the shortlist Dealing With Difficult People – My Personal Saving Mr. Banks Story

by Al Anderson, CPSM, Proposal Manager, Nova Group, Inc.

I think that every professional should see the movie Saving Mr. Banks. I know that many might think of it as just another sappy Disney story, but, if you strip out the Hollywood angle, it’s a classic tale about dealing with difficult people in the work place.

The story is about the making of the 1964 movie, Mary Poppins. For years, Walt Disney (the man) had been eager to make a movie based on the book by Ms. Travers. The problem is that she is a complicated, difficult woman. Eventually, Ms. Travers is short of money and agrees to sign over the rights to her book as long as she can come to Hollywood and work directly with the creative team to make sure she’s satisfied with their plans for the movie version.

One day this difficult yet important person arrives for work at the Disney Studio, sort of like a questionable joint venture partner or the relative of a top executive starting work at your firm. If you are a difficult person, Walt’s strategy for dealing with you is abundantly clear: he will overwhelm you with kindness. He will be your best friend, your kindly uncle, and he will do his best to make you so happy that you will finally do what he wants.

Unfortunately, none of this works on Ms. Travers. She is not just difficult; she’s irrationally difficult, and all of the team members strain to assuage and accommodate her. She doesn’t approve of Mary Poppins’ singing, she doesn’t want any animation, and she does not want the father to have a mustache. And she does not want the color red in the movie.

What does Mr. Disney do? First, he says, “All right, there will be no red in the picture,” and then walks out of the room. Getting distance from a difficult person is a good strategy, but you still have to deal with this person. Mr. Disney wracks his brain: Why isn’t my kindness approach working, and what does this person really want?

He eventually grasps that Ms. Travers thinks the father is the key figure in the story, and not the children or Mary Poppins herself. But why does she think this, and how can he use this to get her on board with the team? I won’t give away the ending, but the problem of dealing with this particularly challenging person is only resolved after Mr. Disney figures out what Ms. Travers really wants and what she needs to hear.

Saving Mr. Banks resonated with me because I once had to deal with an extremely difficult person at work—in fact, that’s partially why I got that job.

Almost 10 years ago I applied for a Marketing Coordinator position with an A/E firm, and the Marketing Director was very enthusiastic about hiring me (which seemed reasonable at the time). I soon learned, however, that there was an ulterior motive for some of her enthusiasm—as part of my job, I would have to talk on the phone to our branch manager in Southern California on a regular basis. As it turned out, it had gotten to the point where my predecessor would be in tears every time after talking to this branch

manager because he was so verbally abusive! After she left, the two marketing assistants then tried dealing with him, but soon told the Marketing Director that they would quit too if they had to work with him any longer. It was at this moment when I stumbled onto the scene. In retrospect I could understand the Marketing Director’s enthusiasm for me, a man with an easygoing manner—if she couldn’t find someone like me who could take the branch manager’s abuse, she would have to deal with it herself.

I think there was some thought that this gentleman was abusive to women, but to do him justice, he was an equal-opportunity abuser who didn’t let gender stand in the way of going on the attack. Dealing with him was like dealing with a marine drill sergeant who was unusually bad–tempered and unreasonable, and was something of a minimalist when it came to social skills.

How did I deal with him? I realized early on that one of his goals was to get a reaction out of me, so I made it my goal never to react. No matter what outrageous or insulting thing he would say, I would casually respond as if everything was perfectly normal and that I was pleased to hear his input. Basically, I took the fun out of it for him and he eventually got bored of insulting me and became a little easier to take.

In general, I would say the keys to dealing with a difficult person are to: (1) take a step back and relax, (2) figure out what this difficult person wants, and (3) remember that any conflict is about him or her, and doesn’t have anything to do with you (unless you let it). So, don’t take it personally, keep your emotional distance, and you will survive!

About the Author

Al Anderson, CPSM, is the Proposal Manager for Nova Group, Inc., a construction company located in Napa. He has been a member of SMPS for nine years and is currently the Assistant Editor of the Shortlist.

Page 6

the shortlist Upcoming Events

New & Transferring Members

April

•

Evening Professional Series, April 3, 10, 17, 24

May

• •

North Bay Winery Tour (members only), May 9 BIG 4 Client Focused Event: The Futurist Glen Hiemstra, May 15

•

Philanthropy / Volunteer Event, TBD

• • •

FREE Members Only Event – SMPS Foundation Presents A/E/C business development, “The Decade Ahead,” July 10 Make the Connection, July 24 Build Business National Conference, San Antonio, TX, July 30 - August 1

August

•

Annual Business Meeting / Giants Game, August 12

September

•

BIG 4 Client Focused Event: Urban Place Making

• •

BIG 4 Client Focused Event: The Good, Bad and Ugly of Business Development, October 16 Second Annual Golf Tournament, TBD

November

•

Building Tour, TBD

Clinton Snider, Director of Marketing, Solomon Cordwell Buenz (new member)

December

•

Holiday Party, December 18

Siyang Wang, Marketing Coordinator, HMC Architects (new member)

June July

October

VIEW SMPS CALENDAR OF EVENTS http://smpssf.org/programs-and-events/calendar/

Mayte Garcia-Salgado, Marketing & Proposal Coordinator, Guidepost Solutions Technology (new member) Linda Gray, Graphic Design Manager, RMC Water and Environment (new member) Imani Hamilton, Business Development, CMG Landscape Architecture (new member) Anchila Monks, Director of Marketing & Communications, Niskian Monks PLLC (new member) John Boerger, Partner, The Design Partnership, LLP (transfer) Elaine Chan, Marketing Coordinator, Kwan Henmi Architecture (new member) Kristi Pearch-Percy, Business Development Manager, Cuschieri Horton Architects (new member) Jennifer Powell, Marketing Assistant, Level 10 Construction (new member)

Ali Wasserman, Marketing Assistant, Dome Construction Corporation (new member) Manuel Chin, Marketing Representative, Lacet Southwest (new member) Noelle Harmon, Business Development Member, ZFA Structural Engineers (new member) Tess Lenk, Marketing Manager, Turner & Townsend (new member) Megan McCall, Associate, McCall Design Group (new member)

Page 7

the shortlist Elevations® - Developing Who You Are and What You Want

by Helen Horyza and Marion Thatch, FSMPS, CPCC

Being your best on a daily basis can be a real challenge, even when you follow the Golden Rule. You know, the one you learned in kindergarten, “Treat others as you would like them to treat you.” Could it be that the Golden Rule sometimes fails because it focuses on your preferences rather than the preferences of the person(s) you are trying to work with?

Figuring out what others want Using a tool designed to help you clarify communication styles and preferences as well as providing development tips to polish your professional approach is worth considering. It’s likely you have experience with personality-based programs like the MBTI (Meyers Briggs Type Indicator) or DISC, but one you may not be familiar with is Elevations.® Elevations® is an online assessment that, when paired with training and coaching, can supercharge individual and team development and create great places to work by promoting a culture of communication within an organization.

You might be wondering what makes Elevations® different. Words like “personal,” “insightful,” “easy-to-understand” and “uncanny” are the hallmarks of Elevations®. Elevations® will expand your perception of yourself and your developmental potential.

Elevations® is a tool used to help promote: • • • •

• •

Effective communication with others Understanding of your own communication preferences Team building with either cross-functional groups or intact teams Employee engagement with the goal of improving the work culture and overall performance throughout an organization Understanding of your own natural performance strengths or areas for further development Focused feedback on your approach to communication and leadership

One unique aspect to Elevations® is the value assessment. Each profile identifies and encourages an individual to pinpoint personal values and then use them as a rudder in the water. This is accomplished

by choosing one’s top three values and committing to reflecting on them every day, leading to grounded decision-making, less stress, and more fulfillment.

Additionally, the value assessment focuses on using the skills that a person enjoys most and is passionate about. Focusing a person’s attention on activities that bring pleasure will result in helping that person become a better performer for their organization. Ironically, if you don’t know what your passionate skills are, you can find yourself getting very good at things you don’t enjoy. Long-term career success suffers if you do not understand what your passionate skills are.

Based on the four Elevations® temperament styles, identify which style you and your colleagues relate with most: Organizer: Steady, reliable contributors with a talent for creating order. Most satisfied when solving problems, improving efficiency, conserving resources, or removing obstacles. Appreciate a clear definition of their role and the expectations for their position.

Liberator: Action-oriented, adventurous, and resilient.

Most satisfied when given the freedom to follow their instincts; can be adaptive, spontaneous, and light-hearted. Enjoy troubleshooting problems, using their hands skillfully, developing original approaches, and making an immediate impact.

Facilitator: Skilled communicators who value teamwork and creating an environment where individuals can reach their potential. Most satisfied in organizations that are missiondriven, purposeful, and committed to a clear set of values.

Work with people in a skillful, sensitive manner that inspires cooperation.

continued on the next page Page 8

the shortlist About the Authors Innovator: Visionaries with a razor sharp eye for identifying and solving problems. Apply their logic to designing systems, tools, or theories that will address organizational needs. Set high goals for themselves and are driven by excellence. Value learning and knowledge.

While you and your colleagues may identify with all of the Elevations® temperaments, only one will be dominant. Everyone is born with an innate preference that influences how they relate to others, how they make a decision, and how they approach getting things done. It takes a bit of self-reflection and perhaps the input of an honest mentor or coach to get clear about one’s natural tendencies.

Applying what you learn through taking the online Elevations® assessment or by participating in an Elevations® Workshop requires building new habits and making conscious choices. Ideal communication is where one becomes aware of how he or she would normally (automatically) approach a situation and considers the needs of the person(s) they are communicating with.

Elevations® helps you identify what the other styles need so you can accomplish your goals and gain credibility.

If you want to learn more about the Elevations® online assessment or the Elevate Your Organization program, visit www.ElevateYourOrganization.com or contact Marion Thatch or Helen Horyza directly.

Helen Horyza Executive Coach and Career Strategist, Elevations® and Scully Career Associates, Inc. helen@elevationsonline.com (916) 357-6518 Helen Horyza is an expert in the field of employee development, engagement and retention. She is an accomplished trainer, facilitator and executive coach. Helen holds a Master of Science degree in Career Counseling from California State University, Sacramento and is a professionally trained coach through Coach Training International. She is a Nationally Certified Career Counselor and has over twenty years of experience uncovering talent and directing it to achieve extraordinary results. Additionally, she is a Vistage speaker, encouraging CEO’s to inspire their employees to their greatest potential. Helen is the inventor and author of Elevations, an online assessment used for career exploration, employee engagement programs, leadership development, and succession planning.

Marion Thatch, FSMPS, CPCC Executive Coach and Career Strategist, Distinction in Marketing marion@b-distinct.com (510) 910-2509 With Distinction in Marketing, Marion is committed to alleviating the ordinary. As an experienced A/E/C marketing leader and executive coach with 30 years in the industry, she works with clients to focus their business agenda and then holds them accountable to attain their goals.

She is most fulfilled when sharing her insight with those who recognize that going it alone is simply insane–she is an outside consultant with an insider’s point of view.

The SMPS SFBAC Board recently participated in the Elevations® Course with Marion Thatch.

Page 9

the shortlist SMPS Pacific Regional Conference Wrap-Up On February 12 - 14 the SMPS Pacific Regional Conference (PRC) was held in sunny Huntington Beach, California. Well, actually there was a fair amount of fog in the mornings, but inside the sumptuous Hyatt Regency Beach Resort and Spa everything was crystal clear, particularly as the excellent line-up of speakers shared their thoughts about marketing professional services.

In case you weren’t able to attend, we’ve asked some of our Board members to provide their highlights from this successful event.

Devon Kurcina, Immediate Past President - Business Development Manager, BKF Engineers Elevations®: Engage In Your Career Development This year’s PRC was one of the best I have attended. With a record number of attendees (over 300), outstanding sessions, and beautiful atmosphere, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend three days.

This year’s conference offered phenomenal sessions where I learned key information to move me and my company forward, and, of course, great people to build new and existing relationships.

PRC kicked off on Wednesday with a Special Program from one of SFBAC’s Fellows Marion Thatch, and her colleagues from Elevations®, discussing how to Engage In Your Career Development. An opening reception followed, and for those that wanted to keep the night rolling, the conference committee setup a Restaurant Roundup to check out local eateries.

This years’ PRC offered something for everyone, with three program tracks: Marketing Coordinator, Manager, and Business Development. Attendees had the opportunity to move between tracks based on the speaker or topic, allowing everyone to experience the most out of the conference. As part of the PRC Programs Committee, I was thrilled with the success of this year’s event.

Ginger Kelly, President Elect - Business Development Manager, RIM Architects - Riding the Creative Wave: Finding Inspiration in Unexpected Ways One of my favorite sessions at PRC was Riding the Creative Wave: Finding Inspiration in Unexpected Ways, by Holly Bolton and Jan Flesher. Remember when you were a child and you colored outside the lines? As a child, self-expression and creativity flowed so easily. So what helps you be creative now?

Ideas for creativity included taking a shower, carrying a notebook everywhere (and reviewing it), reading a lot, keeping a “good ideas” file, trying brand new things, and playing word association games (http://www.visuwords.com/).

During the session, we broke up into smaller groups and played a word association game from a book called Gamestorming, where you write a word on the card, pass it around the table, and each person adds a new word associated with one already on the card. It stimulates the brain by forcing you to think quickly – responses should be spontaneous and the first thing that comes to mind should be written down. Overall, it was a very inspiring session.

Ali Bedwell, CPSM, President - Marketing Manager, Skyline Construction - Pro Surfing Tips: What the New Wave of Websites Means for AEC Marketers My favorite session was Pro Surfing Tips: What the New Wave of Websites Means for AEC Marketers, by David Lecours and Josh Miles. Curious whether it’s time for your firm to invest in a new website? If your site currently has no CMS, is created in flash, has no responsive design, no blog, no content marketing, or is at least five years old, experts David and Josh say yes, it’s time for an upgrade!

The days of Dreamweaver and Flash sites are over. Leading websites are utilizing WordPress, Drupel, and Squarespace to create dynamic and responsive sites that are viewable on smart phones, tablets, and desktops. Key elements of the new wave of websites include: •

Content Management Systems (CMS) – a software system used to easily manage website creation, modification, format and publishing to the internet.

Common CMS platforms include WordPress, Joomla and Drupal.

Page 10

the shortlist • • •

Responsive design – optimal viewing experience combining easy reading and navigation with a minimum amount of resizing, panning and scrolling across all devices (mobile, tablet, desktop).

Simplified navigation – dropdown menus seen less because they are hard to navigate on phones and tablets Mobile First movement - 20-26% of all websites are viewed on mobile devices. Some believe you should design your site for mobile first, then convert it to screen mode. While mobile isn’t as prevalent in A/E/C yet, all internet statistics show that this is where momentum is going.

Clarissa Chiang - Business Development Coordinator, Thornton Tomasetti - Stealth Networking: Uncover Hidden Opportunities, Capture More Business, and Never Work a Room Again I enjoyed Stealth Networking: Uncover Hidden Opportunities, Capture More Business, and Never Work a Room Again, by Liz Lynch. When someone says networking, what first comes to mind? Crowded rooms with unknown faces? If you have felt that networking is daunting and only for extroverts, think again. At PRC, Liz offered insight on how we can network smarter by defining our goals, leveraging our networks, and leveraging social media tools. Lynch’s “smart networking” manifesto emphasizes how defining specific goals and leveraging tools add value and increase productivity.

Starting with a one-page strategic plan, we need to define our goals for networking—who we want to meet, what we want to say, and how to connect with our target connections. Networking today is different than it used to be. While face-to-face interactions continue to hold high importance, both buyers and sellers have become more sophisticated and this has forced us to leverage as many tools as possible. Social media’s flexibility to reach audiences increases visibility, demonstrates expertise amongst those in similar sectors of work, and allows us to add value in our knowledge-sharing. For example, joining LinkedIn professional organization groups provides an opportunity to interact with influencers such as Board members or advisors in a particular organization. With a game plan, smart networking will get you successful results without the 24/7 effort.

Cathy Kohatsu, Treasurer - Marketing Manager, Faithful+Gould - Q&A The Big Bold Way I enjoyed Q&A The Big Bold Way, an interactive session that pushed comfort zones, got hearts pumping, and stretched individuals to grow. Carol Doscher and Judy Straalsund are entertaining and energetic speakers. They directed us through various laugh-inducing exercises for interview preparation, and conducted drills to develop our reflexes to think quickly under pressure. These included: •

•

Bucket of Stuff - Be prepared with stories to support your message. Great stories have a structure: Address the client’s issues; propose a solution; list benefits to the client; provide proof of applicable experience and relate it to your client; and thoroughly practice and prepare to think quickly during the interview.

•

Five Questions - Come up with five questions you hope won’t be asked at the interview and prepare good answers.

Don’t pile on Refrain from speaking if it’s to satisfy your ego, or if it doesn’t help your audience.

Harry Lawrence, CPSM - Director, Business Development, RGA Environmental, Inc. - Stealth Networking and Q&A the Big Bold Way This year’s PRC was one of the best SMPS conferences I have attended. The conference was located across the street from a fantastic beach and the warm Southern California weather helped lift everyone’s mood.

The Chapter Leaders Forum was engaging and attendees shared a wide array of experiences with other chapters. Group discussioninspired creative ideas for the SFBAC. The keynote speaker, Garrison Wynn was highly entertaining and offered sound advice on how to communicate effectively with others and reminded us that people need to be heard. I participated in two sessions, Stealth Networking and Q&A the Big Bold Way and felt they were both action-packed and enlightening.

There is really no way to describe the exhilaration and passion that results from conferences like these. Ultimately, I met new friends, expanded my growing network, and learned a lot.

Active Listening - Are you truly listening, rather than thinking about what’s next? We paired up and discovered how difficult it can be to paraphrase the speaker’s comments. It’s important to actively listen so you can better address your client’s concerns.

Page 11

Sponsors’ Spotlight

the shortlist

Shaken, not stirred.

In the event of an earthquake, where does your business stand?

As the nation’s oldest and largest earthquake engineering firm, we work with owners to determine an appropriate level of performance for their facilities. Buildings, no doubt, will shake. But operations need not be stirred.

To see what you can do to protect your business, visit degenkolb.com.

Page 12

Sponsors’ Spotlight

the shortlist

Page 13