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June 16, 2008
What inspires us
How do you recharge so you're ready for the next initiative? What motivates you to think differently about your work? In this issue, Davis & Company consultants offer their personal sources of inspiration. Maybe one of these will stimulate your thinking.
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My daughters
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I'm inspired by my daughters. At ages 3 and 4, they look at life as an adventure to be experienced with each and every sense. They taste, smell, touch, see and hear the world with (sometimes) reckless abandon—all in the name of discovery. They are a living, breathing Nike "Just Do It" commercial. From them, I'm reminded that the familiar path may be the safest, but it is also often boring. When you take risks and push your boundaries, you may find strengths and skills that you don't know you have.
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Bruce Springsteen
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I enjoy listening to a variety of musicians, but Bruce Springsteen is my all-time favorite. One of the main reasons I like Bruce (aside from the fact he hails from the great state of New Jersey) is because he sings about stories I can relate to. Call me an obsessed fan, but some of his songs seem like they were written especially for me. Bruce's music reminds me about the importance of connecting with employees on a personal level and using storytelling to make information meaningful to them.
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Communication Arts
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"Communication Arts" is a great resource for designers. It's a magazine packed with the latest work from the best minds in the business. I find that flipping through the pages of an issue is a great way to get the creative juices flowing. From there I can start sketching (usually in a very random way) and then move on to executing my ideas on the computer.
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Dolphins
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Dolphins inspire me by challenging our anthropomorphic ideas about communication and language. Researchers recognize that dolphins have "signature whistles" used to identify themselves and call to each other, and they seem to be able to communicate across family groups and with other species. It makes me wonder: What are they talking about? And how can we join the conversation? All of this reminds me that communication is broader than we think.
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Design
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 Pure Digital Technologies, Inc. |
Design inspires me. From product design to architecture to system and process design, I'm always studying how someone has solved a problem, especially when it changes my expectations. Two recent product launches are perfect examples. The Flip video camera has redefined "cheap and cheerful" (theflip.com). And I've fallen in love with Apple all over again with the new iPhone 3G (apple.com). Everything around us is designed. When it's done well, it captures our attention and inspires us.
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A new LED video billboard
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My morning commute has been brightened by a new LED billboard. Much brighter and attention-grabbing than traditional billboards, this board changes every few seconds and includes ads, public service messages and even a most-wanted poster of local criminals. It's these constantly changing images that make the billboard engaging. It reminds me that what's new and different gets noticed—a valuable lesson when we build intranets, workplace LCD screens and even static communications like posters.
To learn more, visit: http://www.signindustry.com/led/articles/2002-07-30-
LBledBillboards.php3
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James Buck
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I'm inspired by the story of James Buck—a person who literally put his life in the hands of a social network. A grad student and photojournalist, Buck was arrested in Egypt while covering an anti-government protest. Buck sent a one-word message—"Arrested"—from his cellphone to his page on the micro-blogging site Twitter (www.twitter.com). Within seconds, his friends and contacts were notified of his plight and a day later he was freed. In a field where social media is often questioned or written off as a fad, James Karl Buck is a living example of the simplicity, value and power of an integrated, real-time communication network.
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The Truth
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I am inspired by The Truth, the nation's largest anti-tobacco campaign targeting teens. The campaign uses a multimedia approach to engage teens, including the Internet (thetruth.com), television and even a public wiki. Simple, clear messages and sometimes startling images are used to grab teens' attention, while arming them with the information they need to become a 'rebel' against the tobacco industry.
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...Latest [Smart Tips] Article
Smart Tips (2008) Archive
Great ideas from our clients
December 1, 2008
Create a year-end message that gets noticed
November 17, 2008
YOUR top questions on leader blogs: Answered!
November 3, 2008
Need inspiration to help your leaders communicate better?
October 20, 2008
Social media widgets: Little effort, Big results
October 6, 2008
Social media: It's okay to play
September 22, 2008
Create standard questions for measuring communication
September 8, 2008
Set guidelines to harmonize your internal publications
August 25, 2008
Increase readership of your newsletter by understanding user trends
August 11, 2008
Six ideas to rev up your intranet
July 28, 2008
5 ways to jump-start your learning
July 14, 2008
Steal these techniques to enhance your employee newsletter
June 30, 2008
What inspires us
June 16, 2008
Make town hall content more memorable with the power of stories
June 2, 2008
Gain insight about employees to create better town halls
May 19, 2008
Take the first step now to Wow! open enrollment communication
May 5, 2008
Give your HR communication a makeover
April 21, 2008
Developing a state-of-the-art focus group discussion guide
April 7, 2008
Tips for recruiting focus group participants
March 24, 2008
BAM! Four ways to spice up your headlines
March 10, 2008
Stop “overwriting” to attract interest and create meaning
February 25, 2008
5 tips for effective virtual focus groups
February 11, 2008
News flash: As easy as 1, 2, 3
January 28, 2008
Make communication planning a team effort
January 14, 2008
8 lessons learned for 2008
January 2, 2008
2007 Archive
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2003 Archive
2002 Archive
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— Kim Gavagan
— Joe DeLuccia 
— Alison Davis
— Janice Comes
— Catherine Jordan
— David Pitre
— Matt Davis
— Julie Weissbach
— Liz Kuhns
