Debbie Laskey's Blog

Welcome to Debbie Laskey's insights and commentary about BRANDING, MARKETING, LEADERSHIP, SOCIAL MEDIA, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, and CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES. Debbie has worked in high-tech, the Consumer Marketing Department at Disneyland Paris in France, nonprofits, and insurance. Expertise includes strategic planning, brand development, marketing plans and audits, competitive positioning, websites, communications, public relations, employee engagement, customer experiences, and social media marketing.

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

FALL BACK TO READING SERIES – Featuring Dennis Geelen

Dennis Geelen is an author, consultant, and coach. In 2018, Dennis launched his management consulting company, Zero In, helping businesses to build a more customer-centric and innovative culture. His book, The Zero In Formula, takes a deep dive into this area with strategies, tactics, and stories that will inspire and educate. His latest book, The Accidental Solopreneur, is a getting rave reviews as an engaging fictional parable that follows the lead character on a journey from burnt out corporate executive to successful solopreneur, with valuable lessons along the way. His weekly newsletter, Happy Accidents, shares a new true story each week about a business or product that was created through luck, happenstance, fluke, or complete serendipity.

QUESTION: Which three business books have made the biggest impact on your career?
DENNIS GEELEN: Here are my three:
[1] The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey: This book really helped bring a lot of clarity and practical advice in the areas of personal success, productivity, and happiness.
[2] The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team: I love so many of Patrick Lencioni's books. But this one really drove home (through an engaging parable) the need to instill trust in teams in order to get everyone working effectively toward the same goals.
[3] Built To Sell by John Warrillow: When I was starting my own consulting business, this book was instrumental in helping me to understand how to build a business where I am not just simply trading my time for money. So good!

QUESTION: Who is your favorite author, and why?
DENNIS GEELEN: For nonfiction business books, I have a few. Patrick Lencioni has so any great books (Getting Naked is another favorite.) I love his use of parables to teach valuable lessons. Matt Watkinson is another author I enjoy. We have a lot of similarities in our thinking and approach to business. For fiction, I'm a sucker for a good John Grisham novel or book of short stories by Stephen King. I just love a good courtroom drama or a thrilling edge-of-your-seat story.

QUESTION: What book did you read in high school or college that, to this day, you still remember vividly, and why?
DENNIS GEELEN: The one that stands out the most is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I remember I had to read both this one and 1984 by George Orwell and then write an essay comparing and contrasting the two. Brave New World really stuck with me because of the idea of society’s being controlled through a drug called 'soma'. We see this all around us today, except that it's through dopamine. We're so addicted to that next dopamine hit, whether it be via social media shorts, text messages, or posting selfies that it feels like Huxley hit this one directly on the head.

QUESTION: Do you intersperse fiction with your business reading?
DENNIS GEELEN: Definitely. In fact, I prefer to read fiction before bed. I love getting lost in a good story before falling asleep. It makes for some pretty cool dreams. Plus, if I read a business book right before bed, I find myself up for hours thinking of and writing down new ideas for my own business! So, I tend to read nonfiction during the day and fiction in the evening. That's a great routine for me and it makes for a great mix in the content I'm taking in.

QUESTION: If you created a nonprofit organization to promote reading to children and young adults, what would you name it, and why?
DENNIS GEELEN: What a great question. First of all, I'd love that! For a name, I think I would go with Turn the Page. This name could bring a lot of meaning. First of all, there's the obvious play on words with reading and turning pages. But also, the phrase Turn the Page also is a metaphor for moving on. Reading is such a fundamental skill in so many aspects of life. Teaching people to read is a great way to help move them into the next chapter (pardon the pun) in their life.

Monday, September 25, 2023

FALL BACK TO READING SERIES – Featuring Eric Jacobson

This year, as the seasons change and we enjoy fall, I’ve launched my FALL BACK TO READING SERIES. The series will feature two dozen leadership and marketing experts, who will share their inspiration in both fiction and nonfiction, and hopefully, provide the impetus to read more. To quote New York Times Bestselling author Kristin Harmel, “If you give a person a book, you give him the world.” For today’s post, I’d like to introduce Eric Jacobson.

Eric Jacobson has three decades of experience in successfully leading employees and teams through periods of revenue growth, new product development, and re-engineering. He is an experienced mentor and coach and holds an MBA Degree from Keller Graduate School. His passion is helping individuals to become effective leaders at work, within organizations, and wherever they are called upon to lead and inspire. Eric’s writings about leadership and management appear regularly on his blog.

QUESTION: Which three business books have made the biggest impact on your career?
ERIC JACOBSON: Recently, Compassionate Leadership: How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way by Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter, has been impactful. It’s all about how to do the hard things that come with the responsibility of leadership while remaining a good human being and bringing out the best in others.

Earlier in my career, I devoured books about mergers, acquisitions, and divestures during a time when I was deeply involved in integrating recently acquired companies into our parent company.

Finally, The Leadership Test by Timothy R. Clark, Ph.D., provides a powerful story about essential lessons of leadership, and how to navigate through the real world of egos, agendas, and ethical dilemmas. As with many leadership books I read, it helped me to become a better leader.

QUESTION: Who is your favorite author, and why?
ERIC JACOBSON: Choosing only one author is difficult because I enjoy reading a wide variety of genres and like nearly every book written by a handful of authors. However, for pleasure reading, my favorite is Fredrik Backman, author of books, Bear Town, A Man Called Ove, and many more. I enjoy his storytelling, character development, and examination of what it means to be human and the accompanying struggles.

My favorite author for business reading is Paul Smith, author of Lead with a Story and the 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell. Smith is a master at providing expert practical advice that leaders can immediately apply after reading his books.

QUESTION: What book did you read in high school or college that, to this day, you still remember vividly, and why?
ERIC JACOBSON: The Hobbit in high school and The World According to Garp in college. Early on, I did not enjoy reading. However, The Hobbit was a highly imaginative, terrific story that captured my interest and made reading not feel like a chore. The World According to Garp was a quirky, engaging, coming-of-age novel that captured my interest one summer during college.

QUESTION: Do you intersperse fiction with your business reading? If yes, what was the last work of fiction that you read, and what caught your attention about it?
ERIC JACOBSON: I do. I read mostly fiction as part of the book club I belong to. And I read many books about leadership that I review for my management and leadership blog.

The last fiction book I read was Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. The story was interesting, witty, heartwarming, and with just enough mystery (I’m a big mystery fan) to make this book a page-turner for me.

QUESTION: If you created a nonprofit organization to promote reading to children and young adults, what would you name it, and why?
ERIC JACOBSON: The name that instantly came to me is Reading Rocks! Unfortunately, as with nearly everything, that name is being used by a nonprofit called Reading Rockets for a PBS TV show called Reading Rocks.

However, I believe the name Reading Rocks conveys that reading is good, impressive, enjoyable, worthy and something to be envied by others. Hopefully, the name will encourage children and young adults to be part of the experience.

Saturday, September 23, 2023

Introducing the 2023 “Fall Back to Reading Series” on Debbie Laskey’s Blog

Reading is an amazing hobby that provides knowledge and also stretches the reader’s imagination. As New York Times Bestselling author Kristin Harmel wrote, “If you give a person a book, you give him the world.” Since reading has been one of my favorite hobbies for as long as I can remember, I love to learn about new authors and share my faves with others.

To quote Caroline Derlatka, “For you unlock magic that is hidden within, and opening the cover is how you begin. Oh, all the worlds and the places you'll see; when you hold a book, you hold the key.”

This leads to my announcement of this year’s “Fall Back to Reading Series,” which will feature two dozen leadership and marketing experts, most have previously appeared here on my blog. I have asked these experts the five questions below, and since I’ve asked them, I decided to provide my answers to kick off the series. I hope this series will introduce you to some authors and books you may not know as well as provide the impetus to read more. Enjoy!

QUESTION: Which three business books have made the biggest impact on your career?
DEBBIE LASKEY: It’s hard to choose three, but here they are:
[1] BUILT TO LAST by Jim Collins
[2] MANAGING BRAND EQUITY by David A. Aaker
[3] IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE by Thomas J. Peters
These were the three stand-out books during my years in grad school when I developed my passion for brand marketing.

QUESTION: Who is your favorite author, and why?
DEBBIE LASKEY: There are too many to mention, so instead, I’m going to share my five fave books plus genre:
[1] MR MISTOFFELEES by T.S. Eliot (the poetry that inspired CATS the musical)
[2] THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas (an epic tale of courage, survival, and revenge)
[3] SARAH’S KEY by Tatiana de Rosnay (an unforgettable story of hope in a hopeless time of war combined with a modern-day twist)
[4] THE WEDDING by Nicholas Sparks (a timeless tale of love lost, rediscovered, and renewed)
[5] THE SWEETNESS OF FORGETTING by Kristin Harmel (a gripping tale of family memories that merge the past with the present)
[6] And because my first career was in law and I always enjoy legal thrillers, anything by John Grisham!

QUESTION: What book did you read in high school or college that, to this day, you still remember vividly, and why?
DEBBIE LASKEY: I read AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE by Henrik Ibsen in high school and then had a unique opportunity to take a Scandinavian Literature course at the University of California at Berkeley and read the play again. The play has stayed with me over the years because its political story and ramifications are applicable just as much in today’s modern era as they were when the play was written in 1882. Not only is the play a critique of democracy, but it also tells the story of one man’s courage to stand up against those who disagree with the truth.

QUESTION: Do you intersperse fiction with your business reading? If yes, what was the last work of fiction that you read, and what caught your attention about it?
DEBBIE LASKEY: Absolutely! While I used to only read legal thrillers and mysteries, I’ve branched out to thrillers of all types. And I especially enjoy books with female protagonists by female authors. The last work of fiction I read was WARD D by Frieda McFadden. McFadden is one of those authors whose latest book is always on my TO READ list. I don’t have to read the synopsis; I simply see her name and HAVE to read the book! Fans of Steven King will really enjoy this book, and while it was a bit darker than I normally read, I will not soon forget the story – or the unexpected twist at the end!

QUESTION: If you created a nonprofit organization to promote reading to children and young adults, what would you name it, and why?
DEBBIE LASKEY: Indulge me as I return to Kristin Harmel’s latest historical novel entitled THE PARIS DAUGHTER. She wrote early in the story about a bookstore; and this was the bookstore’s owner speaking, “We’ve even put in a children’s section because children need to fall in love with words, don’t they? If you give a person a book, you give them the world. And children deserve the world, don’t you think?”

This passage provided the most wonderful idea for a name for a nonprofit that promotes reading to children and young adults: FALL IN LOVE WITH WORDS. The marketing opportunities would be endless – starting with a logo with a heart and an endless supply of reading-themed words.

Tune in next week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to kick off the series (and then, every Monday and Friday during October, November, and December – ending on December 18). I promise you'll be introduced to a myriad of inspiring leadership and marketing experts, authors, and books. On December 21, the first day of winter, I will share a post that will feature my reading recommendations for winter and early 2024. Happy reading!

Monday, September 18, 2023

Let’s Celebrate Global Company Culture Day!

Do you know what today is? It’s Global Company Culture Day, observed every year on September 18, it is a day for companies and organizational leaders to focus on ensuring that their corporate culture functions in a way that maximizes productivity, profitability, and the happiness of employees.

This day offers an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the onboarding process to integrate new employees into the corporate culture and to explain an organization’s culture. Does your org have a detailed and consistent onboarding practice? Are there specific employees (representing different departments) that participate in new employee onboarding? What elements do you include?

I’d like to propose a book that should be part of the onboarding program for all organizations: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. While the book was first published in 1964 for children, it has been translated into numerous languages. While I read the book first as a child, the story has remained with me for decades. If you have not read it, I highly recommend it.

According to Wikipedia:

“The book follows the lives of an apple tree and a boy, who develop a relationship with one another. The tree is very "giving," and the boy evolves into a "taking" teenager, a middle-aged man, and finally an elderly man. Despite the fact that the boy ages in the story, the tree addresses the boy as "Boy" his entire life.

In his childhood, the boy enjoys playing with the tree, climbing its trunk, swinging from its branches, carving "Me + T (Tree)" into the bark, and eating its apples. However, as the boy grows older, he spends less time with the tree and tends to visit it only when he wants material items at various stages of his life, or not coming to the tree alone (such as bringing a lady friend to the tree and carving "Me +Y.L." (her initials, often assumed to be an acronym for "young love") into the tree). In an effort to make the boy happy at each of these stages, the tree gives him parts of itself, which he can transform into material items, such as money (from its apples), a house (from its branches), and a boat (from its trunk). With every stage of giving, "the Tree was happy."

In the final pages, both the tree and the boy feel the sting of their respective "giving" and "taking" nature. When only a stump remains for the tree (including the carving "Me + T"), it is not happy, at least at that moment. The boy returns as a tired elderly man to meet the tree once more. It tells him it is sad because it cannot provide him shade, apples, or any materials like in the past. He ignores this (because his teeth are too weak for apples, and he is too old to swing on branches and too tired to climb her trunk) and states that all he wants is "a quiet place to sit and rest," which the tree, who is weak being just a stump, could provide. With this final stage of giving, "the Tree was happy."

As you can see, the moral of the story is to be a giver rather than a taker, and this is an important lesson to include in an onboarding overview. If you want a positive corporate culture with long-term positive, happy, and talented employees, consider adding this book to your must-read list for all employees!

Image Credit: Amazon.

Saturday, September 2, 2023

How a Positive Customer Experience Erased a Mistake

I don't know about you, but I receive tons of emails from companies. Some I've purchased from, others I have not. The bottom line is that I get too many emails, so when I receive some in error, I get annoyed.

This past week, I received two emails from a company that I purchased items from. Based on the content of the emails, I realized that they were order confirmations from last year. Since I had purchased the items last year, I knew that the emails were not spam, but of course, you can never be too sure.

Since there were two emails, I decided to call the company. As I was preparing myself for what might be an upsetting situation - what if the company was in a state of flux and had charged me again for the same items I purchased last year? - I heard this message:

"Thank you for calling. If you are calling because of some odd emails you received, please accept our sincere apologies. We have upgraded our systems, and some customers received email confirmations of previous orders in error. Again, this was done in error as we upgrade, and we are very sorry. Please ignore the emails. If you are calling for another matter, please hold for a customer service rep."

All I can say is WOW. While this company was unable to stop the emails from being sent in error, someone had the good sense to record a voice message that would IMMEDIATELY address the situation when a customer called to inquire about the emails.

Crisis averted, and averted in the best way possible.

Of course, to add a little extra goodwill to this situation would be to send all customers a coupon for a 10 percent off a future purchase. That might result is some unexpected sales.

How would you have handled this situation?

Image Credit: YourDictionary.com.

Saturday, August 26, 2023

Gender Bias and Women’s Equality Day

Today is Women's Equality Day and marks the 103rd anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. This important day celebrates the achievements of women’s rights activists (including my great-grandmother who marched for women's suffrage in New York in the early 1900's) and reminds us of the struggles that women still face including equal pay for equal work and top leadership roles.

According to the National Women's History Alliance, "At the behest of Representative Bella Abzug (D-NY), in 1971, the United States Congress designated August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day.” The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. This was the culmination of a massive, peaceful civil rights movement by women that had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world’s first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. The observance of Women’s Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality."

Today, to celebrate this important day, I invited Amy Diehl to return to my blog to continue our discussion about gender bias and gender equality. Amy has graciously appeared two previous times here on my blog, and links to those posts appear at the end of this post. Highlights of our discussion follow a brief introduction.

Dr. Amy Diehl is Chief Information Officer at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and a gender equity researcher, speaker, and consultant. She is the author of Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work. Her work has also been published in numerous scholarly journals, book chapters, and popular press including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Ms. Magazine. Amy's links also appear at the end of this Q&A.

QUESTION: What led to your new book entitled, "GLASS WALLS: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work," and what are some key takeaways you hope readers have?

AMY DIEHL: What led to this book is really the story of what led me to become a gender equity researcher. As a young information technology leader, I was running into strange barriers, like getting backlash when I acted in an authoritative manner. I was emulating the male leaders around me but not receiving the same level of respect that they received. For a long time, I took it personally, thinking I was at fault. Then I began to research gender barriers affecting women at work. I quickly realized that I was not alone in my experiences.

In 2014, I joined forces with Dr. Leanne Dzubinski from Biola University to study workplace gender bias. Our work has cumulated in our new book, Glass Walls. The main messages that I hope that readers take away are an understanding of gender barriers, and that women are not alone in their experiences of gender bias.

We say in the book that (unfortunately), “No woman is exempt from gender bias.” The other takeaway is that shattering the glass walls of gender bias is possible. We offer many specific strategies for leaders, allies, and individual women.

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Inspiring Reading As We Approach Women's Equality Day

As we get ready to commemorate and celebrate this year’s Women’s Equality Day on August 26, one might wonder, how can I become more enlightened about women’s equality on this important day? How about reading eight amazing books?

According to Melanie Gustafson, a professor at the University of Vermont, who writes about the women's suffrage movement and women in politics, “The date of August 26th was chosen to commemorate the day in 1920 when Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the proclamation granting American women the constitutional right to vote.”

While the first two are meant for young readers, they tell timeless stories about two American heroes, or in this case, SHEroes:

I DISSENT - RUTH BADER GINSBURG MAKES HER MARK
Written by Debbie Levy and illustrated by ELizabeth Baddeley, this book chronicles the life of RBG in a memorable way. Its illustrations capture the imagination and bring RBG to life for young minds. It's a must-read for young girls.

HER NAME WAS MARY KATHARINE - THE ONLY WOMAN WHOSE NAME IS ON THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Did you know that there was a woman's name on this important document? After reading this book written by Ella Schwartz and illustrated by Dow Phumiruk, you'll know all about this inspiring woman who ran a printing press, printed and ran newspapers, and served as the postmaster of Baltimore. At the bottom of the Declaration of Independence, it reads: Baltimore in Maryland: Printed by Mary Katharine Goddard. According to the book, "She knew the risk. By adding her name, she was putting her life in danger. But that didn't matter. Mary Katharine wanted the world to know that being a patriot was a sacrifice worth dying for."

GLASS WALLS - SHATTERING THE SIX GENDER BIAS BARRIERS STILL HOLDING WOMEN BACK AT WORK
To quote co-author Amy Diehl from a previous Q&A post here on my blog: "Co-Author Dr. Leanne Dzubinski and I are so excited to bring this book to readers. It will help leaders, allies, and individual women learn how to break down gender bias in two ways. First, we break down gender bias by explaining the six barriers and their subcomponents. These barriers are male privilege, disproportionate constraints, insufficient support, devaluation, and hostility which lead to women’s acquiescence. In the book we tell stories of women who have experienced these barriers. Second, we provide strategies that leaders, allies, and women themselves can use to break down and eliminate each aspect of gender bias."

INVISIBLE WOMEN - DATA BIAS IN A WORLD DESIGNED FOR MEN
Author Caroline Criado Perez sets the tone for this book with her dedication, "For the women who persist: keep on being bloody difficult."

FEARLESS WOMEN - FEMINIST PATRIOTS FROM ABIGAIL ADAMS TO BEYONCE
Author Elizabeth Cobbs' spirit was seen with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's quote that accompanied the prologue: "The fundamental purpose of feminism is that women should have equal opportunity and equal rights with every other citizen."

And here are three books from last year's post:

RBG’S BRAVE AND BRILLIANT WOMEN – 33 JEWISH WOMEN TO INSPIRE EVERYONE
While written by journalist Nadine Epstein, the list of women included in this book were chosen by former Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg during the final year of her amazing life. The women featured include Deborah, the first woman judge in the bible; Emma Lazarus, a poet whose words adorn the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty; Golda Meir, the first and only female prime minister of Israel; Anne Frank, whose diary during World War II became famous; and many more.

SISTERS IN LAW – HOW SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR AND RUTH BADER GINSBURG WENT TO THE SUPREME COURT AND CHANGED THE WORLD
Written by lawyer and cultural historian Linda Hirshman, this book is a story of law, women, and most of all, friendship. Here’s the description in a nutshell, “The relationship between Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg – Republican and Democrat, Christian and Jew, western rancher’s daughter and Brooklyn girl – transcends political party, religion, region, and culture. Strengthened by each other’s presence, these groundbreaking judges, the first and second women to serve on the highest court in the land, have transformed the Constitution and America itself, making it a more equal place for all women.”

READ MY PINS, STORIES FROM A DIPLOMAT’S JEWELRY BOX
Written by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, this book is a combination of storytelling, history lessons, and images of wearable art from all over the world.

Albright explained, “A foreign dignitary standing alongside me at a press conference would be happier to see a bright, shining sun attached to my jacket than a menacing wasp. I felt it worthwhile, moreover, to inject an element of humor and spice to the diplomatic routine. The world has had its share of power ties; the time seemed right for the mute elegance of pins with attitude.”

“As my pins became more expressive and drew more comments, I had cause to reflect on the relationship between appearance and identity. To what extent, to adopt the old saying, do pins make the woman or, for that matter, the man? After all, the display of pins has never been confined to one gender. Medieval knights wore elaborate jeweled badges that defined their status and conferred a group identity…George Washington sometimes wore a spectacular diamond eagle that included no fewer than 198 stones…Finally, our armed forces also use pins – in the form of ribbons and medals – to convey messages about accomplishments, stature, and rank.”

So, what will you read to celebrate Women’s Equality Day? While you consider your choices, get ready for the Q&A on my blog this Saturday. Amy Diehl will appear here for the third time and share her thoughts about women's equality, the advances made, and the work yet to do. Tune in!

Image Credit: Debbie Laskey's Library.