Know thyself

"The essence of leadership today is to make sure that the organization knows itself." -- Mort Meyerson

This statement by Perot confidant and former EDS Chief Executive Mort Meyerson is my advice for you in 2008. Not far from the platitudes “Know thyself” and “To thine own self be true”, Meyerson’s statement emphasizes the importance of a widely understood, and closely followed corporate Vision that drives a firm’s mission, principles, and strategic direction. An organization that knows itself knows how to spot opportunities, navigate troubled waters, and work together toward common goals. For individuals, it helps define roles and responsibilities, establishes their individual value to the organization, and builds the foundation for empowerment in decision-making.

To thine own company should each employee be true.

Brand In The Place That You Live

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A pie in the Facebook

Like so much in marketing communications, particularly events and public relations, it is often hard to see good efforts working. But you sure know bad efforts when you see them.

Specific to PR, with their widely publicized Beacon debacle, add the golden boys at Facebook to the legions of bad PR episodes, now along side the fake blogging shills for Wal-Mart, promotions for Cartoon Network, executives at Enron, and on-going messes for the Red Cross and FEMA.

Sayeth Josh Quittner at no less a source than Fortune: "What’s harming Facebook - perhaps to a terminal degree - is enormously bad PR. For a social media company, these folks don’t understand the first thing about communication; they have alienated the press by being arrogant, aloof and dishonest. " And still more from CNET: "The big question for users is whether there is anything Facebook can do to regain their trust."

I can't always define bad PR, but I know it when I see it.