Monthly Archives: July 2017

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Freelancers Need a Mission Statement

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Mission statements are often associated with not-for-profit organizations, but they are not exclusive to 501(c)3s.  For-profit ventures may also have a mission statement.  A mission statement is useful for any type of organization and that includes Freelance consultancies.

Like all other organization leaders, Freelancers periodically need help to focus on our organization’s purpose, especially as we readjust business models and pivot and do whatever else it might take to stay relevant and solvent as the marketplace ground shifts beneath our feet.  Keeping the company mission statement in mind guides leaders as we make decisions and adjustments along the way, ensuring that the soul of the organization remains viable.

Further,  the mission statement shows company leaders and staff how to concisely communicate the purpose of our organization to potential clients.  There is a close parallel between the mission statement and your elevator pitch.

So what exactly makes a mission statement? The company mission statement explains the organization’s purpose and intentions, usually in two or three short sentences.  The mission statement concisely sums up what the organization is about for the public, for its customers and target markets and for the executive team, board of directors and support staff, who will be reminded that the products and services provided must reflect and advance the company mission and achieve its goals.

  • What the organization does
  • For whom the products or services are intended
  • Why the organization provided its products and services

The mission statement differs from a vision statement, which in one or two sentences describes how the world will look when the company mission is achieved. The vision statement is inspirational and aspirational.  The mission statement gives an overview of how the company will realize those intentions.  The company’s (mission-critical) fundamental goals are actions the company takes to enable the mission and realize the vision.

So Freelancer friends, I respectfully suggest that another worthy item for your summer to-do list is to write a Mission Statement for your consulting practice.  Should you decide to also write a Vision Statement, the inimitable Sir Richard Branson recommends that brevity is key and that you keep in mind the 140 character Twitter template to help yourself create an inspirational statement that you can keep real and make memorable.  Branson also recommends that you keep in mind both internal stakeholders (employees) and external stakeholders (clients) when writing either statement.

OXFAM  (Oxford, England)

  • Vision Statement  “A just world without poverty.”
  • Mission Statement  “To create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and social injustice.”

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS  (New York, NY)

  • Vision Statement  “That the United States is a humane community in which all animals are treated with respect and kindness.”
  • Mission Statement “To provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. “

SONY CORPORATION (Tokyo, Japan)

  • Vision Statement  “Our vision is to use our passion for technology, content and services to deliver kando, in ways that only Sony can.”
  • Mission Statement ” To provide customers with kando, to move them emotionally and inspire and fulfill their curiosity.” (Kando translates as the power to stimulate emotional response or emotional involvement.)

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Photograph courtesy of the Boston Public Library                                                                         The William Vaughn Tupper Collection “Cairo (Egypt) Streets and People” circa 1891-1895

Professional Development , Leave a comment

The Right Way to Give Feedback

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Even for those who are self-employed, everything in life is team work, am I right or what? When you’re working with others, at some point giving or receiving a quick progress report is a good thing and usually appreciated.  There is an art to giving feedback and if you want to reach and sustain a high level of productivity, to say nothing of preserving important relationships both business and personal, you may be interested in the recommendations that guide the process of giving effect feedback offered by Gwen Moran, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Plans (2010).

Integrate

When you are in the position to assess the quality of the project work, you have an obligation to speak up should you discover that something is amiss or the work is behind schedule.  Feedback should be instructive, timely and accepted as a normal part of management’s responsibilities.  Especially if assistance is needed, it is important that  the feedback is delivered in a way that is affirming of the worker, does not denigrate his/her skills or intelligence and effectively promotes appropriate actions.  Waiting to address insufficient work in a performance review is ineffective—-too late to help the worker understand and quickly make modifications that will produce what is expected.

Calibrate

Responses to feedback are individual and sometimes unpredictable.  The less secure are prone to becoming defensive and occasionally, combative.  A diplomatic approach is recommended, so that feelings are not hurt. Nevertheless, the manager or project overseer must alert workers whose performance is sub par and the sooner the better.

To promote a positive team spirit and sense of inclusion, it will be helpful to allow team members who are not performing well to “save face” and if that means you, the project overseer or department manager, must blame yourself because mistakes have been made, then so be it.  Avoid being labeled as either unsupportive and harsh, or a micromanager.

Educate

If ad hoc feedback is not bringing about the desired improvements, then invite into a meeting all who are working on the project.  Explain how the project is critical to the achievement of interdependent  company objectives and goals and why it is imperative that the work must be done in a certain way and completed within a certain time frame.  Team members will be able to ask questions in a nonjudgmental environment that will clear up misinterpretations and help them to understand the purpose of the project and their value as professionals.

Motivate

Strive to communicate positive observations about the team members’ work, because feedback is always necessary.  Do not fall into the habit of speaking up only when there is something negative to say.  Thanks and encouragement go a long way in motivating enthusiasm and excellent quality work.  Feedback contributes to the development of cohesive and high-performing teams. It is the responsibility of those in management positions to promote and support this outcome.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Photograph courtesy of the New York Public Library                                                  Vandamm Theatrical Photographs Collection 1900 – 1957

Marketing , Leave a comment

Which Conference Will Be Worth It?

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The Events Industry Council reports that there are more than 1.8 million conventions, meetings and trade shows held in the U.S. held every year.  Big hotel chains and convention centers make oodles of money providing the space.  Along with the venue special events sales staff, whose careers are built on selling space to sponsoring organizations, the waiters and bartenders, concierges and doormen, even the cab drivers, love to see the events roll in.

No doubt, each of those meetings brings a lot of value to the target audience.  The speakers can be top drawer and topics compelling, the venue fabulous and audience members fascinating, but if none of this leads to even a limited number of billable hours, then you will not have received what you paid for.  Writing it off on your taxes yields only about a 35% savings and you don’t receive it until many months after the fact.

Many industry and premier networking group conferences can cost $500 for a one-day event that along with the speakers includes continental breakfast, lunch and light refreshments at two breaks.  Oftentimes, the admission fees are calculated with the expectation that attendees will be high-ranking corporate execs who are able to expense the cost to their companies.  As a result, independently employed professionals regularly forgo a number of conferences that draw the decision-makers they need to meet because unless one has been to a given conference previously, there is no telling if the networking will be good and therefore worth the risk of paying a high ticket price.

If you decide to go the high-profile marketing route and become an exhibitor, your cost is likely to resemble a full-page 4-color ad in an industry magazine.  The exhibitor booth fee can be $3500, with additional costs for Wi-Fi and branded give-aways like tote bags, pens, umbrellas and the like and the custom table-cloth you must order to display your company name and logo.  If you will stay overnight, add hotel bills that will include a discount but can nevertheless exceed $200 daily and the cost to park can be $40 per 24 hours.  Figuring out the attendance profile of a conference is paramount, so that you can calculate your ROI.

First, think about your business products and services and your ideal clients and start filtering out what doesn’t align with your objectives.  If your business is B2B, you’ll look for an audience of business people who give you either product sales or billable hours.  If you’re a start-up looking for investors, then you’ll look to attend programs that draw venture capital specialists.  You don’t need to attend the largest conferences, just those that put you in front of those people who have the motive to do business with you.

Further, if you are investing in an exhibitor booth, check the conference schedule and look for down time between speakers that will encourage attendees to visit the exhibitor area and get to know who is there.  If time has not been scheduled, you could find out that you’ve paid dearly to look at the other exhibitors and not interact with the target audience you hoped to meet.

But whether you will attend to make a marketing splash, find an investor, or recruit a good client or two through networking, you never know until you get there because every conference has its own personality.  At some events, the people talk and at others I’m sorry to say, they don’t.  Before you jump in and commit big money as an exhibitor, attend as a civilian and test the waters.  If the conference is two or more days, attend one day and be sure to attend the day that has a scheduled networking dinner or reception.

Now, may I share good news with you? My eighth anniversary as your faithful diarist, the author of “Freelance: The Consultant’s Diary,” occurred in June. I’ve earned the special citation from WordPress that you see here.  Heartfelt thanks to those of you who read!

Thank you for your support,

Kim

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Survival Strategies , , Leave a comment

Networking Starts With A Conversation

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IMG_0018Happy Fourth of July! You may engage in celebrating today’s holiday as a party host or guest and either way, you’ll have the pleasure of expanding your social and possibly also your professional network.  From backyard barbecues to weddings, the meet and greet is on, for business or pleasure. Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, you will feel more at ease if when you encounter new people you can draw from a little repertoire of conversation starters that you can easily recall.

Here’s a list of conversation starters designed to make your summer celebrations a little more fun.  Keep in mind that when you approach a party guest, or a guest approaches you, smile and show that you welcome that person’s presence and you’d like to converse. While you might encounter the rare monosyllabic type who is too awkward to make small talk, in which case you can smile and slip away as quickly as socially acceptable, most partygoers and attendees at social or business functions are primed to meet and get acquainted with interesting people.  They’ll meet you halfway and together, you’ll create the conversation. You will likely be joined by others and that’s all for the good.

  1. Hi, I’m ______; and you are…? Nice to meet you! Do you live in the neighborhood ?
  2. Hi, I’m ______; and you are…? Nice to meet you! How do you know (the host)?
  3. Have you been having a good summer, so far?
  4. Do you like the summer holidays better, or winter holidays?
  5. Are you a summer vacation person, or a winter vacation person?
  6. I’m walking over to the drink table.  Can I bring you something?
  7. The buffet looks delicious (holding your plate and drink)—may I sit here?
  8. As you see, I’m checking out (the hosts’) books. They have a lot of good titles. Do you see something here that you’ve read?
  9. Who is that singing? Could it be Sarah Vaughan?
  10. OK, pop quiz–How many oceans are there on planet earth?

I hope you meet some good people both today and at the social and business functions that you’ll attend this summer and that you’re able to build one or two relationships that outlast the events you attend.  Relax and allow yourself to have a good time.

Show interest in the people you meet. Tailor your conversation topics to those with whom you are speaking. Don’t monopolize the conversation. Listen more than you talk and listen actively.  At some point in a lively conversation you may want to jump in with a witty retort, but try to avoid interrupting and one-upping.

Finally, don’t over-share and if you meet someone with whom it appears there could be a mutual interest to talk business, exchange cards and plan to follow-up a day or two after the party.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

The Tall Ships Parade in Boston Harbor. June 16, 1017    Photograph by Kim Clark