In The News
There’s a scene near the end of the movie Gosford Park, (Julian Fellowes’s precursor to Downton Abby), where the character of Mrs. Wilson, the housekeeper, explains what it is that “a good servant has that separates them” from the others:
“It’s the gift of anticipation…I know when they’ll be hungry, and the food is ready. I know when they’ll be tired, and the bed is turned down. I know it before they know it themselves.”
By Felicia Knight
As Super Bowl 50 approaches, we thought, “Who doesn’t love a good sports analogy?” (Hey, at least we didn’t go with Groundhog Day.)
In truth, Super Bowl season is a time of hype and hyperbole. Everyone has great expectations for their team, their favorite players, the commercials, even the food. People who don’t know Cam Newton from Cam Tucker at least are looking forward to some great seven-layer dip and Doritos.
By Felicia Knight
If you win the Powerball, your dreams may indeed come true. But you will be thrust headlong into a public relations nightmare.
Given that the odds of winning are one in 292 million—even greater if you don’t have a ticket—chances are you won’t experience this particular nightmare. But since everyone who has a ticket is a potential winner, listen up: Unless you live in Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, or South Carolina, by law, you must be identified as a winner. And that’s when the ticket hits the fan.
By Felicia Knight
A couple of years ago, American Greetings issued a web video that went viral. A fake advertisement was placed for a position that required 24/7 commitment to “the associate,” able to do a lot of heavy lifting and bending, a degree in medicine and finance, as well as an ability to cook, clean, and drive a car. Of course, the position, already held by billions of people, was “a Mom.”
By Felicia Knight
“Stakeholder” is a word that sounds like jargon—because it is. That shouldn’t diminish its value, however. We’ve talked about stakeholder engagement before and about why it’s important so now, let’s talk about how to go about it.
Herding stakeholders can often have all the precision of a drill team from the Ministry of Silly Walks. That’s because stakeholder objectives don’t always align. When they don’t, you need to call upon the combined skills of a middle school hall monitor and an international diplomat—especially if you’re in the public policy arena.
