Talia, She Wrote http://taliashewrote.com Wed, 22 May 2013 15:08:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Ever Been Threatened On Your Blog? http://taliashewrote.com/2013/05/21/ever-been-threatened-on-your-blog/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ever-been-threatened-on-your-blog http://taliashewrote.com/2013/05/21/ever-been-threatened-on-your-blog/#comments Tue, 21 May 2013 21:19:50 +0000 thdpr http://taliashewrote.com/?p=1606
...read more]]> Add me to that list. Last year I wrote about a dubious email I received from a Matthew T. Keener of CMO Summits.  You can read the blog post in full here – Marketing Directors Targeted in Scam|Spam. I wrote about how when I tried to learn more about this potential professional development opportunity I hit one road block after another which made me curious about this organization. In the end, I wrote that others had branded this a scam, the IP addresses and emails were marked as spam and though they may be legitimate businesses, their practices made them appear to be scams.

Last week I received this email.

From: Michael Price
Sent: Thursday, May 09, 2013 2:58 AM
To: TALIA
Cc: MY BOSS
Subject: Talia, immediate request.

Talia, I am one of the principals at BizSummits and just became aware of your libelous blog about us and our CMO Summit which you refer to as a “scam” and “scammers”. We are certainly not, I am shocked by what you wrote, and I would ask that you immediately take down that libelous post in its entirety or we will have no choice but to take legal action against you personally and YOUR WORKPLACE in the Superior Court of Denver.

We have many members, monthly speakers, and if you need any proof of some nature you are welcome to pick out any speaker(s) at the cmo-summit.org and Kristin on our staff (kristen@bizsummits.org) would be glad to send you the meeting recordings which we obviously could not do if the organization were a scam as you have written. I would also suggest you not refer to the cmosummit.org in any future libelous posts.  While we are not related to the CMO Council which owns that site, I assure you they are a wonderful organization with thousands of members worldwide and would also protect their reputation.

Talia, I am truly shocked at what you wrote and when you wrote it which appears to be on company time with YOUR WORKPLACE. Shameful.

Sincerely,
Michael Price
BizSummits
Tel. 770-998-9999 x.9
MPrice@BizSummits.org

I was shocked at his tone and the way he tried to bully me by copying the CEO of my organization. He makes some pretty harsh claims here. My husband and I decided to take some time to think about this threat and consult some lawyer friends. That combined with the Jewish holiday Shavuot kept me from replying right away… After the chag (holiday) I opened my email to find another threat from Michael Price.

Talia/BOSS, it has been almost a week and I have received no response to your libelous pages which are still online. If this continues we will have no choice but to take legal action for the defamation done by one of your staff during business hours below.

http://taliashewrote.com/2012/08/13/marketing-directors-targeted-in-scamspam

Wow. He makes some interesting claims. Libeling me to the head of my company and potentially causing some serious harm to my reputation… things he accused me of. I have responded to him now, letting him know that I will not be bullied and any correspondence would be published here. So bloggers beware. If you mention this guy, he may come after you. I see several dead links from people who took blogs down but several other bloggers who refused to kowtow to his threats. This is my response to him.

Michael -

A week ago you wrote to threaten me, and my employer, with a lawsuit.  In another email Wednesday, you wrote to express surprise that you haven’t heard back yet.  Since I don’t often need to defend against baseless accusations and legal threats, it would seem natural that I needed some time to formulate an appropriate response.  I think I understand your eagerness much better now; you are much more experienced than I in discussing frivolous legal claims.  You have a rather dubious history of threatening others with lawsuits: here, here, and here.  Since you weren’t successful at removing their postings, what makes you think it will work this time?  As it is your tactic to shame (your word) others, I will share, publicly, my responses to your allegations and review some of your business practices.  I will share the facts only, which have earned you an F rating with the Better Business Bureau (link).  Shameful Michael, just shameful.

To begin with, my blog posting contains no libelous or defamatory statements.  I wrote about my experiences with your company through the email I was sent and about your publicly known business practices.  My blog posting was comprised of the facts only. It is not my fault that they make BizSummits look bad.  The posting takes the reader through my experiences trying to research your organization.  You see Michael, when I first received your email I was genuinely interested in participating in one of your events.  My experience trying to contact anyone with your organization was fruitless.  I searched for your website and included screen shots of the results.  They weren’t impressive, I will admit.  Having hit a cul-de-sac trying to learn literally anything about your organization, I posted widely available information including the IP addresses and the email address from which I received the invitation.  It is all known spam (link and link).  These are the facts; it is my opinion that they paint your organization in a poor light.  This is not libel; it is the publicly known truth.

I closed my blog post by linking to others who came to the conclusion that your “summits” were not in fact reliable nor were our email addresses acquired in a reasonable and legal manner according to the CAN-SPAM act (violation of Sec. 6(b)(1)(A)(i)as you did not have prior affirmative consent and it appears that my email address was harvested by automated means). Finally, I placed a large disclaimer in “H2″ font stating that these are my personal opinions posted. It says -
PLEASE NOTE: I am presenting information here. Information that I feel is pertinent to my fellow marketers. Some of these may be legit businesses but there are practices that I feel are spammy or scammy and make them suspect to me. These are my own opinions.

I never said that it was a fact that your organization is a scam; I said your organization seems like a scam. Get the difference? As I told you before, I contacted your employee, Matt T. Keener, letting him know that your links didn’t work and that I was interested in more information.  I received no response and your links sent me to dead ends. Naturally I was curious and did a simple Google search. What I found about BizSummits and about you, Michael, was your dubious history dealing with other bloggers.  More on that in a moment.

In reference to the comments posted to the blog, Section 230 of Title 47 of the United States Code (47 USC § 230) states that “No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.” The federal law preempts any state laws to the contrary: “[n]o cause of action may be brought and no liability may be imposed under any State or local law that is inconsistent with this section.” Therefore, I cannot be held liable for these comments as I cannot be treated as a publisher.

So now we have established that there are no defamatory or libelous statements in my blog posting.  Excellent.  However, I do not think the same can be said about your email to my boss.  You, Michael, have in fact libeled me.

There is a burden in cases of defamation to provide four claims to a court:

  1. First, the plaintiff must show that the DEFENDANT communicated a defamatory statement.
    You falsely claimed I wrote defamatory statements during company time.
  2. Second, the plaintiff must show that the statement was published or communicated to at least one other person besides the plaintiff.
    This was communicated to not only me, but to my CEO, MY BOSS.
  3. Third, the plaintiff must show that the communication was about the plaintiff and that another party receiving the communication could identify the plaintiff as the subject of the defamatory message.
    You clearly state my name twice in the email and once in the subject line including in the statement in question.
  4. Fourth, the plaintiff must show that the communication injured the plaintiff’s reputation.
    This has injured my reputation at my job by telling my CEO that I was using work time for personal projects and to spread libelous claims.

Now that we’ve explored my legal basis for a libel suit against you, let’s talk about your false claim that I wrote my blog during work time.  This is especially amusing coming from you, since you made it literally impossible to avoid talking about work.  After all, BizSummits sent me what seems like spam to my work email account.  Why is this confusing Michael?  Your claim is as poorly thought out as it is wrong.

A reasonable person would think you would be better at intimidating bloggers by now.  You’ve had three years, as far as I can tell, to hone the skill.  The earliest example I found was from 2010, but the tactics haven’t aged a year.  What I find “shameful” is the bullying and intimidation of bloggers who don’t agree with your questionable practices. I applaud the others for not bending to your threats and I will not be taking my posting down either. Rather, you should be aware that all previous and future contacts or actions on your part will be shared with the public.

Talia Davis Haykin

Where you see capitals (MY BOSS, MY WORKPLACE), I have removed information to protect my boss and my workplace. So readers… what would you do?

]]> http://taliashewrote.com/2013/05/21/ever-been-threatened-on-your-blog/feed/ 6 Mandy Patinkin at JFS Luncheon http://taliashewrote.com/2013/04/24/mandy-patinkin-at-jfs-luncheon/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mandy-patinkin-at-jfs-luncheon http://taliashewrote.com/2013/04/24/mandy-patinkin-at-jfs-luncheon/#comments Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:52:55 +0000 thdpr http://taliashewrote.com/?p=1583
...read more]]> I had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Patinkin speak at the Jewish Family Service luncheon here in Colorado. He was a joy to listen to and he sang a little bit of a song a the end in English and Yiddish. Here are my tweets from the event and the sound bite at the end.

 

 

 

 


oops… break the bread to come back together

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mandy Patinkin Singing at JFS

 

Jewish Family Service of Colorado Video

]]> http://taliashewrote.com/2013/04/24/mandy-patinkin-at-jfs-luncheon/feed/ 0 Purex Earth Day Contest! http://taliashewrote.com/2013/04/22/purex-earth-day-contest/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=purex-earth-day-contest http://taliashewrote.com/2013/04/22/purex-earth-day-contest/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:47:41 +0000 thdpr http://taliashewrote.com/?p=1577
...read more]]> Folks! Get in on this Purex contest for a chance to win!

1161-promo-031.130848

The Go Purex Gro Green Instagram Contests ends Tuesday, April 30th, so don’t delay!
Instructions:

1. Follow Purex on Instagram, @Purex

2. Instagram a photo of your favorite eco-friendly practice or activity

3. Be sure to use the hashtag #GoPurexGoGreen in the photo caption and share the photo on Facebook & Twitter

4. Ask your friends to “like” your photo on Instagram to increase your chances of winning.
Prizes:

The 5 participants that receive the most “likes” on Instagram will get their very own mini greenhouse (ARV $50), along with a free bottle of Purex Natural Elements detergent (ARV $6). This contest ends April 30th, so there’s no time to waste! Get started now and you just might find that with Purex, it pays to be green.

]]> http://taliashewrote.com/2013/04/22/purex-earth-day-contest/feed/ 0 The Name Change Game – Part 1 http://taliashewrote.com/2013/04/18/the-name-change-game-part-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-name-change-game-part-1 http://taliashewrote.com/2013/04/18/the-name-change-game-part-1/#comments Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:30:27 +0000 thdpr http://taliashewrote.com/?p=1573
...read more]]> I wrote this post over on my wedding blog but I thought you all might find it helpful too.

Name Change featured imageHello ladies! In all my post-wedding glow, I have been trying to get some business done! That involves changing my name to Haykin (something I was very excited about but did not do without thought). It is kinda a jungle out there when it comes to name changing. There are a lot of resources but I found out somethings while I was doing it that I thought I would share. This is only the first part (as evidenced by the title) because we are tackling the credit cards and bank accounts next. Be sure to come back for that information.

Ok, let’s get started. The name change game actually begins BEFORE you get married, at least in Colorado. While I cannot verify this for other states, I will tell you how it works here and you can be prepared to ask the right questions.

  1. Marriage License:
    This is a key part of changing your name. You can’t do ANYTHING without it. When we went to get our marriage license, the clerk asked us if we wanted certified copies. Why would we need them, we asked. Well, it turns out that some places want you to mail them a copy of your marriage license (though I have not yet run into that) but additionally, I felt a heck of a lot safer carrying around certified copies than carrying our ACTUAL marriage license around. When we picked up our license, we ordered three certified copies. See if you can do this as well, as it will save you time on the other side. It already took weeks to get the license back… I would have been sad to wait for copies too.
  2. Social Security Card:
    This is your first stop once you have that marriage license in your hand. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. You can’t do anything else until you are in the SS system with your new name. As far as I can tell, the Social Security Administration does not take appointments for SS card issues. That means you have to stand in line. It took me 2 hours (and I got there before they opened) to get to the counter and talk to someone. My advice here? Read this PDF on how to change your name with Social Security and fill out the form at the end. Bring it with you to the office. This speeds things up because if you don’t, you will have to fill it out on-site. Notice they ask for SS numbers of your parents… yeah, I had to call my mom about that one! I don’t know how it works if you don’t have that information. Here is the document: Application For A Social Security Card. To find your local office, go here. At this appointment, you will need to bring:

    1. Marriage License
    2. Driver’s License
    3. And if you haven’t been there before… bring your passport just in case. They sometimes need evidence of age and US Citizenship and it can’t hurt to be prepared.
    4. Your application form

    This process can be done by mail or in-person. I recommend in person because you cannot do anything else until your name is changed in the SS system. Once you have completed it on-site, you know when you can proceed to the next steps! You will not get your new card on-site. That takes a few weeks but they will give you a letter saying that it’s happening with your new name.

  3. Driver’s License:
    Here’s something I didn’t see ANYWHERE when I was looking up how to change my name… You cannot go from the Social Security office to the DMV in the same day. I had set myself up to do that and was told I had to wait at least 24 hours for the system to update. Yikes. That means two separate days in government offices. Also, at least in Colorado, you can make DMV appointments. That is great! I was in and out in 20 minutes! Remember to check with your local DMV for their requirements. This is only based on my experiences. Once you are there, they will ask for all your documents and process you. If you wear glasses, you will get the vision test again and then they will call you up to take a new picture (SMILE) and sign your new name… yes ladies, sign you new name so practice before you go! :) Once you have waited 24 hours, here is what you need to bring to the DMV:

    1. Your old driver’s license (they will punch a hole in it because it isn’t valid anymore but I kept mine since my credit cards are still in my maiden name… weeee! I get to say maiden name!)
    2. Marriage License
    3. Letter from Social Security or your card (but really they will just look you up in their system)
    4. CASH OR CHECKS! Most DMVs will NOT accepts cards! Bring cash or checks. It costs $21 in Denver, Colorado.
    5. Proof of address if you have moved. This includes:
      • Utility bill IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Pay check stub IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Credit Card statement IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Phone bill IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Mortgage or rent document IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Tax document IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Homeowners/renters insurance policy IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Vehicle registration IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
  4. Your Work:
    This last piece I have for you is somewhat vague. Of course, let your work know that you are getting married and planning on changing your name. In my case, my husband came onto my insurance so there was a lot of paperwork to do. To change the name with our payroll company, I needed a marriage license and a copy of my new social security card. The best idea is to speak to your HR or Finance folks and ask the questions. Every workplace is different but don’t be afraid to have the conversation. In my office, I also had to put a work order in with IT to get a new email address. Who knows when they actually with start using my last name! :)

Well, that’s what I have for your today. Stay tuned, I will update you on the next steps! And head on over to www.TheHaykins.com for more wedding related stuff!

]]> http://taliashewrote.com/2013/04/18/the-name-change-game-part-1/feed/ 0 New Facebook Event Images http://taliashewrote.com/2013/04/17/new-facebook-event-images/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-facebook-event-images http://taliashewrote.com/2013/04/17/new-facebook-event-images/#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2013 23:04:01 +0000 thdpr http://taliashewrote.com/?p=1569
...read more]]> Facebook EventsIf you post events to Facebook, you may have noticed that they have changed the format for the images. They haven’t yet allowed you to format you text, which I am patiently waiting for (you hear that FB?! Patiently WAITING!) but they have given you a banner image now which, in my opinion, is much better than the small thumbnail you could not expand.

The new banner size is 714×264, however, keep in mind that Facebook like to change these things on a whim and not always tell you. (As I found out with their cover photos when they adjusted it a few pixels.) This website has a nice Photoshop template for folks who want some guidance but you can do this yourself. Obviously, a knowledge (and ownership) of Photoshop is helpful but you can do this without it.

Here are some options:

  1. GIMP
    The GNU Image Manipulation Program is a great application that was created for photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. Written on Unix, GIMP is arguably the most popular alternative for Photoshop available today.
  2. Picasa
    Originally created and sold by Idealab, Google aquired Picasa in 2004 and released it to the world for free. The current version supports easy geo tagging and heavy integration with Google+ that lets you easily tag Google+ friends and share photos through your circles. It’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to apply basic edits to your photos and touch them up. 12 effects are available and there are additional affects via Picnik too.
  3. Pixlr
    Pixlr is a perfect online image editing application that is designed for non professional users and allows them to easily edit images. It combines image design and paint tools with photo editing and adjustment features more convincingly than any other online image editing program.
  4. PhotoPos Pro
    PhotoPos Pro is a rich photo editor that has support for most picture file types and support for digital scanners. It also features image enhancement, text tools, layers, masks and special effects.
  5. Sumo Paint
    Sumo Paint is an online image editing application similar to Adobe Photoshop.
  6. Splashup
    Splashup is a powerful editing tool and photo manager. With the features professionals use and novices want, it’s easy to use, works in real-time and allows you to edit many images at once. Splashup runs in all browsers, integrates seamlessly with top photo-sharing sites, and even has its own file format so you can save your work in progress.
  7. PicMagick
    PicMagick is an online photo editor that enables you to make ordinary photos look wonderful within a few clicks. It will surprise you how fabulous your photos can be and how easily this can be done.
  8. Photoshop.com
    Photoshop.com is the complete solution for managing, editing, storing, and sharing your photos online, with tutorials, inspiration, and more. Photoshop.com is available from any web-enabled computer, compatible mobile phones, and directly from within Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 or Adobe Premiere Elements 7 software. With Photoshop.com, you can organize, tweak, create, e-mail, display, and store your photos.
  9. Pixer.us
    pixer.us lets you manipulate, edit, enhance and apply filters to your digital pictures using only your web browser.
  10. Snipshot
    Snipshot is a fast online image editor. You can use it right from your browser, no downloads or Flash required.

Disclaimer: I am not promoting any of these tools. They are just suggestions that I have spoken to friends, industry insiders, and read about on blogs. I am sorry if something goes wrong if you use one… but I am not responsible! Practice responsible downloading!

]]> http://taliashewrote.com/2013/04/17/new-facebook-event-images/feed/ 0 And I’m back! http://taliashewrote.com/2013/03/28/and-im-back/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=and-im-back http://taliashewrote.com/2013/03/28/and-im-back/#comments Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:47:10 +0000 thdpr http://taliashewrote.com/?p=1561
...read more]]> Hello! I would say sorry for the hiatus but I’m not. We are back from our amazing honeymoon and getting back into the swing of things. I can’t believe it all happened, that we pulled it all off, but man… it feels great to be married!

In case you missed it, here is the New York Times article on our engagement. It came out the day we were married… more to come!

 

Talia Davis, Daniel Haykin

Dox Photo
By ROSALIE R. RADOMSKY
Published: March 10, 2013

Small Garden, Big Yield: A Marriage

Talia Hava Davis, the daughter of Iana Kade Davis and Rabbi Bahir Davis, both of Lafayette, Colo., is to be married Sunday to Daniel Solomon Haykin, the son of Elena Haykin and Michael Haykin of Centennial, Colo. Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi is to lead the ceremony, with the bride’s father participating, at the McNichols Building, an event space in Denver.

The bride, 31, will take her husband’s name. She is the senior manager for marketing of the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, a nonprofit fund-raising group for Jewish organizations, in Denver. She graduated magna cum laude from Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Fla., and received a master’s in public relations and marketing from the University of Denver.

The bride’s father is a rabbi in Lafayette, where he also runs Rocky Mountain Hai, a spiritual group, of which her mother is the administrator. Her mother also works in Lafayette as an executive assistant to the chief executive officer at Ilantus Technologies, a security technology firm based in Bangalore, India. The bride is the stepdaughter of Danielle Davis.

The groom, also 31, works in Denver as an investment adviser with his father, who runs a private financial investment firm in Centennial. The groom graduated from the University of Rochester. His mother retired as an electrical engineer in Longmont, Colo., at Seagate Technology, the hard-drive maker.

The couple were introduced by a mutual friend in early April 2012. Halfway through their first date at a Denver wine bar, Ms. Davis texted her roommate. “This is the man I’m going to marry,” she recalled texting.

A week earlier, Ms. Davis had acquired a small plot that needed tending at the community garden at Ekar Farm in Denver. By their third date she recruited Mr. Haykin, along with one of her friends, as gardeners.

Mr. Haykin showed up with garden tools. For several hours they worked.

Every Sunday they returned to the garden for “a big weeding date,” he said with a laugh. “We’d get dusty and dirty, and got blisters.”

They also stopped by during the week to water, and six weeks after the seeds were planted, they sprouted, along with their relationship.

“I was leaving for a trip,” the bride said, “and he took me to a cute bar and blurted out that he loved me. I started to tear up and said that ‘I love you, too.’ ”

In September, with the garden in full bloom, Mr. Haykin proposed with a ring hidden inside a gardening glove. “Babe, come here, you have to see this,” she recalled him saying from where he crouched behind a couple of plants.

“I came running, asking if it was a squash,” she said. He stood up with the open ring box. She froze.

After she said “yes” at least a half-dozen times, he quickly tended to matters at hand. “Can you put this thing on your finger before I drop it in the dirt?” he said.
ROSALIE R. RADOMSKY

]]> http://taliashewrote.com/2013/03/28/and-im-back/feed/ 0 Blog issue http://taliashewrote.com/2013/02/15/blog-issue/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=blog-issue http://taliashewrote.com/2013/02/15/blog-issue/#comments Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:44:42 +0000 thdpr http://taliashewrote.com/?p=1557 Hi all! I am sorry but my blog is having an issue. I have put in a request with my theme creator – ThemeKraft – to help me fix it.

Please know that this is not how my blog usually looks and come back to visit! :)

]]> http://taliashewrote.com/2013/02/15/blog-issue/feed/ 0 Workplace Engagement http://taliashewrote.com/2013/01/08/workplace-engagement/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=workplace-engagement http://taliashewrote.com/2013/01/08/workplace-engagement/#comments Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:50:44 +0000 thdpr http://taliashewrote.com/?p=1524
...read more]]> A few months ago, I came across an incredible article written by Chuck Blakeman. It was entitled Why Employees are Always a Bad Idea. Then recently, it popped up again on my Twitter feed. It still felt so relevant and was, again, a fresh perspective that I needed.

I have always been a huge proponent of a positive and encouraging workplace environment. People laugh at Google and other “young” companies that provide food or bean bags or an on-site gym but it makes employees feel wanted and that their company cares for them.

Not only does your work environment affect your work output, but so does your buy-in. I saw this very clearly when I was employed at Target just after graduating college. The employees (or Team Members) who felt they had a stake in the company, their section, the outcome, worked harder and smarter. They didn’t complain about coming in early or staying late, or doing something beyond their job description. The people I worked with who couldn’t care less about their job were transient. They didn’t stay long, they made problems, and were generally a pain in the butt.

But there is a different, yet similar issue in many workplaces. Chuck Blakeman says:

Employees are Children
This view of work (and life) turned adults back into children. You were taught that the most mature person was one who obediently took orders, did what they were told, didn’t question authority, was blindly loyal to those in charge, and lived passively as others directed their lives. Pretty much what we want a four year old to do.

In order to keep the children from ruining the house, and to make them extensions of machines, the Industrial Age boxed people in with extremely clear and narrow limitations on what they could do, the hours in which they could do them, and endless limitations on being human and “adult” at work. It stripped them of their need to think, create and solve because the machine didn’t need them to think, create and solve. It just needed them to do.

Let me give you a few highlights and then I suggest you read the whole article here.

“Employees are “Silent”

Employees are Children
This view of work (and life) turned adults back into children. You were taught that the most mature person was one who obediently took orders, did what they were told, didn’t question authority, was blindly loyal to those in charge, and lived passively as others directed their lives. Pretty much what we want a four year old to do.

Employees Are a Disease, not a Cure
Because of the Industrial Age, the word “employee” has become synonymous with “child”.

Stakeholders are Adults

Stakeholders Require Leadership, not Adult Supervision

Stakeholders Focus on Work, not Promotion to the Next Title

Stakeholders Create Better Teams

Stakeholders are Self-Motivated

Stakeholders Make You and Themselves More Money

So why in the world would you want an employee when you can have (and easily so) stakeholders?

Another article that came across my desk recently was entitled What I got wrong in the Peanut Butter Manifesto by Brad Garlinghouse. He originally wrote and internal memo at Yahoo that was leaked and “made it big.” More than six years later he revisits this idea and addresses some gaps he sees. Here is a quote form his article:

Yahoo!’s strength had emanated from the passion and entrepreneurial zeal of its employees, but these muscles had atrophied. The company’s core culture no longer encouraged and celebrated innovation with the same zest and ardent ambition to change the world—too often this had been displaced by half-hearted maintenance of the status quo.

Marissa’s immediate focus on improving the company culture to make Yahoo! a great place to work again is evidence that this inertia endured. Though people can deride perks like free food and iPhones (or giving everyone an iPad mini for Christmas!) as buying loyalty with trinkets and toys, there is an underlying—and more fundamental—impact.

Whether you give people the latest gadget or deck your office space with beanbags and foosball tables, the point is to make work a fun, interesting and inspirational place to be. The Shower Principle (thank you, Jack Donaghy) states that great solutions are often conceived when your mind is not focused on the problem. Sometimes interactions need to happen beyond the ping of an email or the (god forbid) drone of a PowerPoint presentation.

Do you see the trend here? Abuse your employees, whether obviously or subtlety and they won’t do the work as well as you want them to do. Honor their creativity as human beings and professionals in their field, understand that they have lives and issues outside of the workplace, and be compassionate and you will receive the work product you want and deserve.

Now by no means am I recommending to be irresponsible or reckless in these tactics. They are just that, tactics… not meant to bankrupt a company or interfere with work but to enhance it.

So what do you think? Are employees and thin peanut butter here to stay or are we starting a revolution lead by stakeholders?

]]> http://taliashewrote.com/2013/01/08/workplace-engagement/feed/ 1 Peoples Yoga Recharge http://taliashewrote.com/2012/12/30/peoples-yoga-recharge/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=peoples-yoga-recharge http://taliashewrote.com/2012/12/30/peoples-yoga-recharge/#comments Sun, 30 Dec 2012 20:16:29 +0000 thdpr http://taliashewrote.com/?p=1517
...read more]]> A while back I wrote about this great online yoga site, Peoples Yoga. I wanted to update about how awesome this website is. I thought I was going to do this great detox and do yoga regularly… well, okay so I am not that motivated but I have been using their services every so often and it has been great. Anytime I just don’t want to go out to the gym or yoga studio (like in the snow) or if I am having a specific challenge (like today… I threw my back out a few days ago), I just pop onto PeoplesYoga.com and find the perfect workout. I just finished a short (30 minutes) beginner level yoga class on their site. It was exactly what I needed. I needed to get my body moving, my back moving but not push myself too hard, which I tend to do when at the actual studio.

With Peoples Yoga, I was able to move at my speed, modify as necessary, and spend some extra time in poses that helped my back. I highly recommend the site! Check it out!

peoples yogalogo

]]> http://taliashewrote.com/2012/12/30/peoples-yoga-recharge/feed/ 0 The Wedding Challenge http://taliashewrote.com/2012/12/28/the-wedding-challenge/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-wedding-challenge http://taliashewrote.com/2012/12/28/the-wedding-challenge/#comments Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:53:56 +0000 thdpr http://taliashewrote.com/?p=1514
...read more]]> Engagement picIt is the most amazing time of your life. It really is. You are planning the day when you marry your soul mate, your Beshert.

When you get engaged, it’s all so exciting and happy… then you start planning. I have been told, by recently married friends, that the bickering and fights that happen during this time are the worst… oh boy!

I am fortunate that my dear fiance isn’t picky and has only reserved veto power in this process but it doesn’t mean that we haven’t had our challenges. From the band or DJ conversation to which photographer to the hours spent looking at wedding rings for both of us, everything takes time and thought. However, the hardest part of wedding planning (at least so far)… and frankly some of the hardest conversations and decisions I have ever had to make have centered around our guest list.

How do you encapsulate two peoples’ lives into a guest list? Not only this but we have both led rich and full lives. When my parents got married, you invited the entire extended family and some friends. But that just doesn’t fly here. Our families do not live within blocks of each other. I have people in my family tree that I haven’t seen or spoken to since my Bat Mitzvah. How can I not invite my best friends from college but invite these people? Dan and I each made our lists. His with the heavy input from his parents (they had a cheat sheet, his sister got married a couple of years ago) and mine was mainly done by me. I took some input from my parents, adding in some of their 1st cousins and representatives from each branch or sibling (oy! Our family tree can be so complicated!) but it was important to me that my dear and closest friends from different stages of my life be included. There were negotiations… “You can add them, but you have to take someone else off” and debates, “Are we inviting kids? Can we afford that? Family kids only?” And I know we have insulted and upset people with some of the decisions we made. But I have to say this…

No decision was without debate and long thought. No decision was made ignorant of the repercussions to us… the couple getting married. And frankly it sucks to be the bride and be worried about hurting people’s feelings… not like it’s MY wedding or anything.

In the end, we did the best we could. We don’t have an endless budget, we don’t have a million dollars to feed every person we ever met or were friendly with and their spouse and kids. We had to make decisions.

And we hope that people don’t take it as a personal affront. I don’t know any couple that could invite every person they wanted to, to their wedding. We still like and enjoy the company of the people we didn’t invite. But I cannot think of any harder thing than paring down a wedding guest list.

Anyone have any good stories? Horror stories about this?

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