Today's Question: What Do You Think About the Dictionary's New Words?

Last week the New Oxford American dictionary announced that "unfriend" was the word of the year for 2009. I find it fascinating that our vocabulary is being dictated by our digital world.

In fact, I was interviewed in an article for The Columbus Dispatch.

So, what do you think about our word of the year? I guess I better add it to my online spell check!

Today's Question: Do We Really Need All This "News"?

Do you know what you were doing between 2-5pm EST on Thursday, October 15? Chances are you at least heard about Balloon boy--maybe that's because the online and news world lit up with the coverage...on CNN alone we got 2 hours of coverage of the UFO-like flying creation and interviews with "Balloon Experts" within an hour of the BalloonTrack 2009!

My problem is that as we, the (people) consumer, put demands on a 24/7 media watchdog, are we forcing them to make questionable decisions on what is or isn't news--do you know right now, you can find an article on how Dolly Parton and Jessica Simpson are tweeting about their bra size--you might think this is on www.people.com but actually it's on the new www.cnn.com!

I studied about investigative reporting that uncovered scandals and in-depth reports. Since it's all about supply and demand--why are we demanding more of this questionable news material? I'm afraid this is a shift that is here to stay...but maybe if we stopped demanding, we'd get a better supply!

Today's Question: What's So Great About Product Placement?

Although at times it can be a little annoying--notice how every teacher in the new show Glee has a Mac, or how every judge on American Idol drinks Coca-Cola from glasses that prominently displays the logo, or how about the Kenmore kitchen on Top Chef...well, in a nutshell product placement is a communications professional's dream. And what's more, we really appreciate those earned placements versus the paid ones.

Last week, my client Channellock reaped the benefit of one such unexpected placement on The Jay Leno Show.



What we did after the segment aired was nearly at important as Cookie's good tool sense. We made sure that every Channellock friend, fan and follower knew about the segment. Within 36 hours we posted it, emailed it, forwarded it and repurposed it to get maximum exposure. Because it's one thing to secure the placement and its another thing to make sure that people have seen it!

I hope you enjoyed my attempt to share it with you!

Today's Question: Did I Run Out of Questions?

No, I have not run out of questions--it just seems as the days have gotten shorter, my time has gotten tighter. I've been busy with community service events, hanging out with my Little, standing up in weddings, teaching others about social media, oh yeah, and making O-H-I-O pictures on someone's lawn. (That's me on the left.)



Stay tuned for more questions about news coverage, product placement, leadership, time management, office politics, social media and communications! Don't worry, I will Keep Asking Questions!

Today's Question: Why Should You Stop and Smell the Roses?

In the era of information overload, crazy work schedules and busy social calendars, it's easy to miss out on the little things in life--this hit close to home when I actually "emailed" my husband with my weekly schedule. The subject line stated: Monday night's the only night I have free--now granted, a few of my weeknight adventures would include my hubby in tow, but that's just because he's the type of guy that I can "drag" to my commitments. I realized that in my uber-busy schedule and my attempt to do everything, I was forgetting about making time for those I care about..so we decided to take advantage of Monday night and have a nice dinner together. We had a lot of things to discuss that we have shelved over the past few months.

Dinner became a trip to Costco to pick up some items for one of my committee meetings and slices of pizza in the "food court". The funny thing is--we had a wonderful time. We talked, we laughed, we people watched and in the end, it didn't really matter that we weren't spending the time together over candlelight, but instead, we just needed to find the time to communicate one-on-one.

So, as I look at my busy schedule, maybe I'll pick up the phone and see how my husband's day is going instead of sending an email.

Today's Question: Do You Pay it Forward?

We've all heard about the importance of treating others the way you want to be treated, what goes around comes around or the power of good karma. Last month SBC Advertising launched the Pay It 40Ward campaign in honor of the agency's 40th year in business. Each employee was challenged with doing 40 acts of random kindness in 40 days. When the program was first announced, I had my doubts--yes, I do a lot in the community and I tend to be a nice person, but did I want to publicize it?

Well, in order to support my company's celebration, I did start publicizing my acts of kindness...things that I would normally do, such as returning shopping carts to the designated areas or helping out a family member or friend. But in addition, I found additional things I could do in the community, like donating a pair of tickets to a local nonprofit event or taking the time to build a Habitat for Humanity House.

I'm not sure when or how I will obtain my reciprocal gift for doing this--maybe tomorrow I will play the lottery, or plan another activity with my Little from the local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.

Today's Question: Do You Fit in Your Company's Culture?

Finding your fit with a company is an important as finding a great pair of jeans. You don't want anything that stifles your personality, limits room for growth or clashes with your overall style.

Over lunch with some co-workers, we had a discussion about different company cultures. Two of the people at the table were commiserating over the tight, layered politics of a former employer--both came to the conclusion that SBC Advertising was a more complementary fit for their individual personalities and style.

So, here are some things to consider as you hunt for your fit:

• How much structure do you need?


• Is there room for growth?


• Does your work ethic align with what is expected of you and your position?


• Do you agree with the vision of the company?

Finding your "fit" is the first (and necessary) step on your career path. Don't be afraid to take a step back and make sure it feels right.