Your Life (is being recorded)
“Can you have a successful culture without the ‘Cult of the Brilliant Jerks’? This is not just a Silicon Valley thing. This kind of ‘Cult’ forms around someone who can deliver results; from whom a lot is somehow forgiven. But what happens in the culture has direct consequences to the bottom line. A culture is not ‘nice to have’ — it’s absolutely essential. Today, you can no longer hide behind a wall of expensive ads.”
—Ariana Huffington: discussing corporate culture in Silicon Valley & Hollywood
It’s late, you’ve had a terrific meal and shared a great cabernet. You think you’ll call for transportation. You pause: “Should I call a car from a company run by a guy who’s sexually, emotionally and physically abusive? I wonder if that affects the drivers? Hmm.”
You breeze through the movie offerings and wonder, “Didn’t that starlet just remark about being mauled by the Studio Chief? Maybe I shouldn’t further enrich that guy.”
Fair questions. It doesn’t matter if the “verdicts” are in. Because it’s all being tried in the Court of Social Media. (And we thought just the kids had to be careful.)
The culture of “Let the Brilliant Jerks get away with it,” now has direct (and almost immediate) impact on the bottom line, because today, we all live in “Glass Houses” and everyone now has their own “Broadcast Channel!” The dis-alignment between a company’s messages and the behavior (public or private) of its leaders can become instantly visible.
It’s a losing strategy to offer the customer a choice between believing what the ads profess and what the executive behavior suggests. If there is a conflict, they’ll search out another, less confusing alternative. In earlier times, such a disconnect might go on, sometimes for decades. Whoa! Not any longer! And that’s the good news…
The bad news, is that false reports and malicious gossip can also take flight and traverse the world before one becomes aware that the stock is cratering.
The best strategy is to align what you say, do, and discuss — anywhere! If your messages align in content and tone across all media, they gather impact and significance with each repetition. They Harmonize and Resonate with the customer.
To spell it out: “One Story. Many Voices!®”
Applications
1. For You
It’s no longer enough to be merely brilliant. You must also be personally good and trustworthy. (Wait a minute, that’s not new.) Your entire life is widely accessible by everyone! No more “private space.” What you do, say or write anywhere is liable to be seen, photographed, taped and broadcast everywhere! If you put your foot in it, the world will know.
You are now the Producer, Director and Marketing Master of your life! Social media can become a testament to your integrity, your commitments and your thoughtfulness. You need to decide who you are, what you stand for, how you want to be known; then commit yourself to practicing what you preach.
2. For the Family
It’s a “tween time” for those growing up with social media. It seems benign and cool at first, to put one’s life online. But adulthood now begins with the first portable device. (Do the kids actually believe that none of that stuff will be accessed by bullies, predators, police, parents, educators, interviewers, employers or potential spouses?)
Parents: Study Up and Prepare for another deep conversation! And make sure your own social media behavior lines up with your teaching. The kids like nothing better than revealing (reveling) in your Do/Say failures…
3. At Work
If everyone in the company can speak to the work, the quality, the soul of the company; shouldn’t they? Imagine the combined weight of several thousand voices, aligned around a single message on both Major and Social Media… It’s an asset that has not yet been fully recognized or assessed. But consider the Harmonic Value of One Story, broadcast on Major Media and simultaneously resonating on every employee’s personal network… Many Voices indeed!
A prediction: The time is short before the Corporate Communication Officer contacts you with suggestions about what’s acceptable when referring to the company on Social Media…. The standards are becoming higher — for everyone.
“Your Life is Being Recorded!”
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