InsidEPR

The Power of Positivity in the Workplace

By Becky Frost

More than a decade ago, when grunge filled the airwaves and flannel filled our closets, I spoke with a friend about university choices. As we debated private versus state schools, she said, “To me, education is what you bring to it and what you make of it.”

Fast forward to the present. The flannel is gone and my CD collection gathers dust as I make full use of my iPod.  Yet the truth of my friend’s observation remains the same. Largely, our situations – no matter what they may be – are affected by the attitude with which we approach them.

In thinking more about this topic, I connected with Kathy Olberts of Quantum Teams, who recently released a report on positivity in the workplace. The report identified seven key aspects to building strong teams and promoting a positive work environment. It also included insights into each of the following positivity factors.   

• Optimism
  Our team has an inspiring shared vision.  We are enthusiastic, forward looking, and appreciative of each other. There are low levels of cynicism, pessimism, helplessness,  hopelessness, and dwelling in the past.
• Trust
  We have a shared commitment to open communication. We trust each other to express differing points of view without eliciting negativity. Our team does not operate in a  fear-based environment.
• Respect
  There is an atmosphere of mutual respect and genuine positive regard within our  team.  All team members are highly valued. Contempt and hostility are not tolerated. 
• Effective Communication
  Clear and efficient communication is valued over less direct approaches such as  politicizing, gossiping, “sugar coating,” or stonewalling.
• Constructive Relationship with Conflict
  Conflict is seen as providing an opportunity for discovery, growth, and creativity rather  than something to be avoided.  We directly and promptly address conflicts and listen well  to each other.  We invite and provide constructive feedback. The team avoids criticizing, defensiveness, and finger pointing. 
• Camaraderie/Caring
  There is a strong sense of camaraderie and belonging on the team. Our team celebrates  and acknowledges accomplishments. Empathy, playfulness, and humor are present.
• Values Diversity
  The team is open-minded and values differences in ideas, backgrounds, perspectives, personalities, approaches, and lifestyles. Curiosity is valued. We draw out all  opinions on our team, even the unpopular ones.   

One of the many reasons I enjoy working at Engage is that these positivity points are emulated across the board. As an employee of an agency, I have the chance to interact with various teams, both internally and on a client level, and I see that the when these seven points are in place, work is enjoyable and teams progress.

Where Is Your Confidential Data?

By Becky Frost

I’ve yet to meet anyone who enjoys moving. The packing, the excessive number of boxes (who knew that holiday decorations could take up 12 boxes?), the long drive, and then settling back in to the normal routine in a different location.

After a recent move, I sat in front of a blank computer screen, praying to the Gods of connectivity that my Internet access would work. After some initial bumps, it did, and telecommuting has been a breeze.

I have a friend, however, whose experience was anything but easy. After a few days of dealing with her local service provider, she gave up and began linking up via free connections at coffee shops. This turned out to be a great workaround for her for a few days until she could get service at home.

Persistence and Quiet Tenacity

By Becky Frost

In the PR world, certain things are inevitable. A client or reporter’s travel plans will change, interviews will need to be rescheduled, and briefings can fall out of people’s calendars if not for the persistence of the scheduler.

One aspect of PR that I really enjoy is connecting my clients and their customers with the media so they can tell their story. The behind-the-scenes work that goes into each story is a testament to the validity of the message and the ability of PR to flexibly work around schedules. With only two meeting participants (the reporter and client), booking briefings is usually a breeze. With four people, it can get a little harried.

A few months ago, I had a chance to meet two prominent security bloggers at RSA, Alan Shimel and Mitchell Ashley.  Alan’s StillSecure blog regularly features podcasts on compelling security topics. While we’d talked before, the in-person meeting led to an idea about a podcast on data leak prevention with Reconnex and security expert Tom Bowers. 

That’s when the fun began. After a series of schedule changes and technical difficulties the podcast went live this morning, just a few months after the idea germinated. It’s with a special pride that I invite you to take a listen to this interesting podcast on protecting corporate data. I think you’ll like what you hear.

Happy Birthday Engage PR: What a Ride It's Been!

By Jeannette Bitz

Engage PR officially celebrated five years in business on May 1. Those of you who were around then will recall that it was not the best time to start a new agency, especially in the networking and telecom markets.  It was difficult to envision that we’d not only survive but be thriving just five years later.  We’ve worked very hard to build up our brand, a solid client base , and a roster of smart and talented employees—and luckily the economy cooperated with us as well.

I’m very proud of all our accomplishments. Maybe one of the most satisfying  this year was receiving the prestigious “Best Places to Work in the Bay Area” award from the San Francisco Business Times, East Bay Business Times, Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, and Deloitte for the third time in four years. (One year we didn’t submit for the award.)  What makes it even sweeter is that this year EPR placed third among companies with 25-50 employees—our best ranking thus far.

A Smooth Transition

By Elan Mualem

Because I just recently graduated from UC Berkeley, countless friends, family, and the occasional fortune cookie have all imparted to me much wisdom and encouragement, anecdote and nostalgia, cliché and advice.  But how am I to make sense of it all?  Aside from the pre-supposed “partying” I did, and experiencing “true college life,” I have left UC Berkeley, I hope, with a sufficient amount of knowledge under my belt.  After all, the whole reason I went to college was to quench my thirst for knowledge and continue along the expected path of higher education. 

Similarly to college, internships offer an emphasis on education as well.  It’s that segue between being the poor, unemployed college student and having a real job, it’s the floaties on the arms of a toddler in a pool.  Internships allow you to test the deep, dark water of the “real world.”  So here I am, embarking on a new sort of education, but no longer am I in academia. 

Start Making Sense!

By Stephanie Gallagher

As a PR professional in technology, I am always swimming in a sea of tech speak. 3GPP2, EVDO, HDSL, PDSL, SNR, TD-SCDMA, ToIP, WiBro—what does it all mean?  Over the years, I have learned to worry less about memorizing acronyms and to focus more on finding the real meaning and value of what my clients are trying to say.  The old adage “less is more” can be effectively applied to PR.

Explaining complex technologies in English can be a challenge and is one of the reasons I continue to work in high-tech.  One of my favorite exercises with clients is to ask them to describe what they do in one sentence.  The answers always vary, and oftentimes it’s painful for them to come up with a one-sentence response.  This process is important, though, to help develop that elevator pitch to the media.  When talking to reporters, every minute counts—sometimes you only have a minute to make a pitch so it better be clear and concise.  Even though a reporter may be writing about technology, it’s PR’s job to help make sense of it all.

Depth vs. Breadth—What’s Right for You?

By Gail Farrell

As writing director, I work with more than a dozen clients—and there might be weeks between assignments from any one client.  All the other PR professionals in the office work with just two or three clients, so they have a chance to get to know the people and the companies more in depth than I do.  Recently a colleague asked how I managed to write about so many very different companies and products and technologies without losing track of everything.

I could say the answer lies in my early work experience.  I started out as a journalist at McGraw-Hill’s Boston bureau, writing for Business Week and Electronics magazines, so I had to cover a lot of ground, from semiconductors to ARPAnet, from banking regulations to jet engine manufacturers.  The first story I ever reported on for Electronics—in my first week at work—was about laser safety laws.  I didn’t know how to control an interview (as a result one of my contacts went off on unrelated tangents for two hours) and knew nothing about lasers or laser safety, but I somehow got the assignment done.

My most memorable Business Week article took me and a photographer to Vermont’s wild and wooded Northeast Kingdom for a weekend to report on a new company with a patented process for turning wood waste (which otherwise would be burned in open fires) from local lumber mills into a soil enricher sold at garden centers around New England.  We stayed in a 100-year-old lumber mill dormitory, picked milkweed shoots in the back field for salad, and had a dinner at the home of the company’s owner that featured milk from the goats his family raised.  Because the patent was in the public domain, the story generated hundreds of letters to the editor from people around the world whose communities needed a solution for their wood waste problems.