The physician shortage continues, and 2012 will be even more competitive.

2011 saw increased demand for a limited supply of physicians in hospitals and primary care practices. 2012 will be even more competitive. Here are the top four issues we predict will have the greatest impact on recruiting success:

4. We’ll recruit through mobile devices.

Doctors are on the go and using smart phones more than ever. Emails and direct mail campaigns can’t keep pace. Extend your reach with instantly accessible messages — make sure they’re easy to look at and easy to read!

3. Employer branding will be huge.

The physician shortage is worsening. Doctors want to know who you are, what you offer, and why the environment and culture you offer should matter to them. It’s not enough to state that a position is available — you need to tell the prospect what’s unique about your organization and how it matches his or her needs.

2. The big guys will enter the fight!

We knew it was coming: The big healthcare systems that used to recruit through their “old boy networks” now have to advertise their opportunities. And they have deep pockets. That’s why it’s critical for you to communicate why a candidate should choose your institution over the competition.

1. As the economy recovers, retention rates will take a hit.

Doctors stay put in a tight economy. But as the employment market heats up, more physicians are willing to take that leap of faith to something better. Make sure your institution’s physicians feel valued for their loyalty. Keep them engaged or you could be in for a staffing challenge.

Engage visitors in relevant conversation to bolster existing client relationships.

The top 35 banks on Facebook reach a mere 0.6% of their base, according to a study by Retail Bank International. “If you exclude the three top-performing banks, the average drops to one in every 525 customers – only 0.2% of their base.”

The numbers point to three interesting challenges financial institutions face in crafting their social media outreach. First, not everyone who “likes” your page is or will become a customer. Second, measuring your outreach effort is more complex than counting friends. Third, lenders are missing countless opportunities to engage valued audiences.

For now, “likes” are the currency many organizations and their marketing arms use to measure their Facebook success. The numbers, however, have little correlation to real business objectives. They don’t tell you what, if anything, visitors did with the information they received on your page.

Many organizations cannot quantify their results because they launched their pages without having measurable business or communication objectives in mind. For example, how will the page reduce customer support calls, bolster business leads, increase queries about new accounts, etc.?

If banks want to use Facebook and other social media tools to attract prospects and bolster existing client relationships they must engage visitors in relevant conversation. Instead of focusing their posts solely on services, accomplishments and financial performance, they should customize messages that speak to the needs of small-business owners, minorities, the unbanked and other key audiences.

By developing a strategic, measurable social media campaign, banks can better position themselves to become business partners rather than mere service agents.

Many crisis situations entail change, surprise or the unexpected.

“In many ways, individuals and institutions get measured by their capacity to deal with change, surprise and the unexpected.” — Bob Woodward

Many crisis situations entail change, surprise or the unexpected. How do we as public relations professionals respond effectively? How do we blend the proper doses of textbook theory, gut instinct and level-headed judgment?

Over the course of my career I have dealt with a variety of “urgent” situations: product liability, white-collar crime, race and sex discrimination, life-threatening negligence by healthcare providers, environmental issues, and corporate downsizing, to name a few.

In determining a tactical approach with the media, there are certain classic principles to follow in most occasions:

• Be honest
• Never say “no comment”
• Designate a single spokesperson
• Provide a constant flow of information
• Be accessible

I know what you’re thinking — that all sounds too easy. How does it really play out? Here’s a real-world example. One major caveat: This incident took place in an analog word without cell phones, e-mail, Twitter or Facebook but nonetheless the basic principles hold true.

Johnson Matthey, a UK company, is the world’s largest precious metals refiner. A number of years ago, my former agency represented their catalytic systems division based in Devon, PA, which was the leading supplier of catalytic converters to the auto industry in the United States.

One Monday morning I received a call from the Communications Director who filled me in on what had transpired the preceding Saturday night. The company had suffered a horrific explosion and fire in a large warehouse in Seabrook, NH. The fire was brought under control in about six hours, but a huge plume of acrid white smoke had been created. The warehouse was leveled. Three thousand chemical compounds — from aluminum to zinc — had been stored in this facility for packaging and distribution to various companies and universities for research and development purposes. The first of seven news crews (from WBZ-Boston) arrived on the scene around midnight.

An evacuation was ordered for all residents within a one-mile radius. That area included a large trailer park. Also nearby was the Seabrook Nuclear Power plant and that was cause for some concern. Bottom line — they were not only dealing with a very nervous community, but potential air and water pollution and allegations of arson by a Johnson Matthey employee. It all added up to what the New Hampshire State Fire Marshall characterized as the “worst hazardous material incident in the state to date.”

So how did we handle the crisis situation? We immediately sent a team for on-site handling. We brought in environmental experts from the Environmental Protection Agency to assess and mitigate the impact of the explosion. We helped set up a healthcare clinic to minister to the needs of affected residents. Moreover, we organized daily press briefings and two large town meetings with on-site media training for the Johnson Matthey spokesperson who was experiencing her first crisis situation.

With regard to the town meetings, we had one that Monday night to communicate the company’s response, a timetable of the cleanup procedure and an investigation into the cause. A second town meeting was held about two weeks after the incident to announce soil and water test results by the EPA and to answer questions from the town residents and media. As it turned out, no significant ground or water contamination was found.

Press coverage of the event and local resident attitudes toward Johnson Matthey turned around 180 degrees over a three-week period — from suspicion and anger to understanding and trust. Plant safety records were fully divulged; the company became extremely active in the community and demonstrated good citizenship with its neighbors.

We were honest. We were accessible. We answered questions. We designated and trained a single spokesperson and we provided a constant flow of communication. With the agency’s proactive efforts PR efforts and Johnson Matthey’s acceptance of responsibility, a highly volatile situation was turned into a positive story for our client.

(Adapted from a lecture presented by John Orr to a graduate class in Advanced PR Management at the University of Delaware.)

It can be scary to bust some new moves.

In all communications with consumers, whether it’s online, in print or over the airwaves, it’s easy to forget that we’re just talking to people. Usually that’s because there’s a laundry list of information that “needs” to go into each ad. In fact, in healthcare advertising there’s a well-known dance:

Step 1: Mention skilled doctors, latest technology and dedicated staff.

Step 2: Throw in a patient testimonial.

Step 3: Always tell people about your awards (even if they have no idea what you’re talking about).

Step 4: Grab a partner (preferably a celebrity).

That’s why so many hospital communications are eligible for the Hall of Same. And it’s a real shame because hospitals are so much more than this set list—and with some creativity and courage, communications could be very different.

It can be scary to bust some new moves. It feels safe to repeat the tried and tested sequences. Just keep in mind that this isn’t how you talk to people. You don’t go around having the same conversations you’ve had for the last ten years, listing the same points (well, at least we hope you don’t). That’s when people start to ignore you.

There might be one thing worse than repetition when you’re talking to people. And that’s telling people what to do. It’s easy to fall into that trap when you’re writing a healthcare ad (“Go get a mammogram now!” “Get tested for prostate cancer stat!). Let’s be honest, no one likes being told what to do, not in person and not in print. When a hospital cares about its patients and wants to be successful, it just needs to find its voice and starting talking, not telling.

A lot of voices sound the same out there. If you covered up the logo on a print ad or TV commercial, could you tell which hospital was being advertised? Probably not. That’s why it’s so important to think about who you are and what your voice is. Finding your individual voice and not being afraid to show some personality is key. Every communication is a hospital’s chance to let people know who they are beyond a list of services, patients and beds.

The hospitals and agencies that are brave enough to break the age-old dance routine are the ones that will be up on the dance floor for years to come.

This blog post previously appeared in Ragan's Health Care Communication News.

Rethink. Retool. Readjust.

As more and more people do their banking technologically rather than in person, banks will need to adjust their branch strategy. They will need to morph into more consultative centers for personal and small business customers – with a human touch.

Personal and business banking is more complicated these days. Banks that can adjust to having branch staff able to deliver prompt, relatively unbiased and trustworthy counsel to customers will grow market share. If it’s customers that they give advice to, you may ask, “How are they going to improve share?” Well, if a checking customer wants to buy a home or a new car, and isn’t sure how to do it or what to look out for, you have a chance for a deeper relationship. And if the experience is helpful, your customers will talk to their friends. And here’s a crazy thought – advertise this consultative service as free, and open to anyone who wants advice, not only your existing base. Who knows, some of those non-customers might just want you to help them with that mortgage or SBA loan.

The benefits of our TAAN membership

Think there’s a typo in that headline? Wrong. TAAN stands for Transworld Advertising Agency Network.

TAAN is the oldest worldwide agency network and has member agencies in 47 markets around the world. From South Africa to St. Louis, members meet and share openly and willingly. Often they will partner on projects when the blend of expertise or location makes sense for the client.

TAAN is a membership-based organization with dues and benefits and responsibilities, created for agency owners. We are very honest about everything happening at our “shop” and look for advice from others. The most exciting part is that we truly are global. Every two years we hold global meetings where we not only learn new ways of approaching the advertising business, but get a chance to build or renew relationships with folks from other cultures and countries.

So why is TAAN important to our clients? One benefit is that we have reliable relationships with at least 30 agencies from around the country and over the oceans. Another is that we get outside the agency walls for three days twice a year. We spend so many intense hours focused on meeting deadlines, accomplishing creative goals, establishing brands and making sure the right ad ran, there’s not much time to think. Attending presentations by industry specialists gives us a chance to step back from the daily hustle, process new lessons and apply them to our own situations. Also, we get to have one-on-one conversations with colleagues from other agencies about all sorts of important minutiae that we can’t talk about with folks at our own agency. It’s stimulating and energizing — and a client wants a stimulated, energized agency. Of course a side of discipline and process orientation is valuable too!

Now there is one caveat — if I don’t act on the new information and new perspectives I’ve gained at a TAAN meeting, I haven’t helped my agency. So the next time you’re considering an agency — to hire or to work for — ask if it has ever been a network member — and whether it has applied any of the knowledge gained as a result.

Did I mention that I just returned from a TAAN meeting (which we hosted in Wilmington, DE)? The focus was on applying social media to an agency’s growth.

Boosting sales via social media

Delaware-based Dogfish Head has a recipe for success both in the kettle and in the marketplace. According to Nielsen Co., the brewery spent a mere $2,000 on traditional media in 2008, and nothing in 2009. So what are they doing?

Founder Sam Calagione has found a nice mix of limited-release beers, such as the Miles Davis–inspired Bitches Brew; pairing advice (something usually associated with wine); and encouragement of fandom and brand advocacy by being very active within the craft brew community, constantly spreading the gospel.

The Dogfish Head team explained their choice to us like this: “Social media is a great way for us to connect with our customers & talk beer.” And connect they do, with close to 20,000 followers on Twitter alone.

And how is the craft brewer faring? The approach is definitely working: in 2009, Dogfish Head sold 97,000 barrels, giving them a 29% year-over-year increase with zero dollars spent in traditional media.

Buying into Apple's branding.

I have to admit — from the moment I saw the original commercial my inner geek shouted with joy. Not only was the original iPhone the answer to what I had been dreaming about for five years — since walking around with a Palm Pilot and a rather large, uncomfortable cell phone tucked into my pants pocket — but it was also produced by a company that creates intuitive, sexy computers that I’ve been using since college — Apple! This was a dream come true.

Since picking up my iPhone I’ve come to realize something that no marketing professional ever wants to admit — I bought the brand.

Let’s look at the facts: The iPhone is not the fastest phone on the market. It’s only available through AT&T and their network is weak compared to a lot of other providers. The new iPhone features a new higher-resolution camera and video capabilities — but not as good as those of several phones already on the market. Other apps that make the iPhone so cool and fun to play with are also available on other phones.

In short, the iPhone isn’t bigger, better, faster or stronger — it’s simply sexier. And when it comes to cell phones, that’s an important attribute. I’m pretty sure it all started with the Motorola Razor, which, coincidently, would have fit well in my pocket with my Palm. While the new iPhone probably isn’t the best deal on the market, Apple continues to see huge numbers of sales.

So, Apple, in spite of your antenna issues, and accusations against some poor tech bloggers who beat you to your own iPhone 4 launch, I take off my hat to you. I was almost embarrassed to admit to buying so wholeheartedly into your brand. But then this crucial thought came to me: This is the product I waited five years for. It plays movies. It runs apps. It has a built-in GPS. It plays MP3s. It has a video camera. It…well, you get the picture.

And, obviously, so does Apple.

Traditional marketing tactics may be like your old mix tapes.

It seems like only yesterday. I wanted to catch the attention of that special person and I knew the perfect way to go about doing it — the mix tape! A combination of all those songs that would tell her exactly how I felt and why she should want my company as much as I wanted hers.

Times have certainly changed. Now you wouldn’t make a mix tape, or even a mix CD. Now it’s all about the playlist.

Are business relationships really any different?

Looking at it from a marketing perspective, traditional tactics are like that mix tape—time consuming, more expensive and once they are recorded they are unchanging.  Today’s nontraditional marketing tactics have a lot in common with the playlist. Messages can be shared quickly; you can ask friends and colleagues to share their opinions; and if the message you want is no longer being spread, it can be changed on the fly.

How do you communicate for your business? If you’re focused only on traditional marketing tactics, it’s as if you’re trying to reach your target with a mix tape. There’s a segment of the audience that appreciates the effort, and the medium, but the biggest part of your target has moved on.

It’s time to embrace new media, to realize that the Internet is not going away, that more and more people use it to do everything from shopping to getting medical advice. It’s time to realize that smart mobile phone use is not going to decrease. That within the next couple of years it won’t be enough to have a good-looking website — you’ll need a mobile-enabled, good-looking website. It’s time to think about how your company is going to tell those special people why they should want your company.

Cue up Lloyd Dobler with his boombox playing “In Your Eyes.”

I still miss those tapes  — the awkward “flip” after side A was done, the feeling of writing a title on the label — but I would miss my iPod even more.

Environmentally friendly & really loud!

You may have seen the latest campaign promoting the new compostable bag from Sun Chips. I myself started a compost bin last year, which literally cut our landfill contributions in half — not to mention the effect it had on my new garden. As an avid tree hugger I applaud this effort by our Frito-Lay friends, but their new package needs a warning label.

The problem lies in the bag itself. It produces by far the highest level of ear-piercing decibels in the history of chip bags. Quite frankly this crinkly cacophony has to be completely screwing with Frito-Lay’s main target audience — the late-night snacker. And yeah, I’m one of ’em. And there’s a technique to late-night snacking — a very challenging technique. I mean, you’re already dealing with a chip — come on, even the word “chip” sounds loud and crunchy. And you’ve always had to deal with the crinkle of the bag. Some bags are worse than others, am I right? And when you’re down to just crumbs, you wind up cutting the top half off with a scissors, ’cause that’s a lot of bag to work through. Really, it’s a losing battle that’s just going to drive your wife crazy.

OK, back to this new compostable bag. My advice? Forget it. Just pour some of these tasty chips into a bowl and get on with the snacking. And forget about sneaking into the cupboard while the missus is upstairs. Believe me, she can hear this bag crumple from three blocks away. It’s really quite impressive. You must go out and get a bag for yourself. Maybe on New Year’s Eve. Now that’s a time when you’re supposed to make some noise. That is a holiday they should be marketing toward. You read it here first.

And, oh yeah, I can’t wait to see how long this bag takes to decompose. I’ve got a quarter-bag left from the new Peppercorn Ranch flavor I just bought — it’s goin’ in the bin soon. I’ll get back to ya.

Is Twitter dead?

Every once in a while you’ll see an article asking “Is Twitter Dead?” even suggesting that if you’ve been avoiding Twitter as part of a “non-strategy,” it may be paying off!

The problem with that perspective is that Twitter is not a strategy. It’s not even a tactic. It’s a channel!

The strategy (and ultimately your goal) is usually specific to your organization so it’s hard to discuss. But we can identify a general growing audience: people who create and consume information, wherever and whenever, with increased frequency, increased brevity and often with groups of people (as opposed to one other person).

Think about how different that is from something that predates even e-mail: writing letters.

Letters were typically infrequent, long, tied to a physical location and timetable, and were exchanged between two individuals. We’re at the exact opposite of that now with text messages, status updates and micro-blogging in general.

As marketers, we need to be comfortable in these mediums so we can reach these consumers. Strategies to accomplish this include:
* Increase the frequency of communication with your brand consumers
* Drastically decrease the length of each communication
* Use more conversational language
* Enable consumers to respond or participate in the conversation
* Enable consumers to do this wherever they choose (e-mail, web, mobile phone, etc.)

Now, three questions: how much of your audience wants to communicate this way, what channel do they want it on and what information are they interested in?

Answer those questions and you’re on your way to some solid tactics.

One of those tactics may involve Twitter — a good channel to address the strategies above. But if Twitter dies, it doesn’t mean you were wrong, it just means people are moving to a different micro-blogging channel, and you should find out what that is and get involved.

Watch out for marketers who don’t have a firm grasp on the difference between goals, strategies, tactics and channels. Misunderstanding these components of a marketing plan can lead you down the wrong path.

Applying strategy is critical to social media success.

99 ways to use Twitter?

There are plenty of articles on the Internet that outline the 17 ways to use Twitter or the 32 ways to use Facebook. If your approach to social media has been to start with these types of articles, you may be focusing too quickly on tactics without an appropriate social media strategy. Tactics without a strategy are particularly bad because they often end up being ineffective, hard to measure and mask real opportunities a more strategic version of the tactic may provide.

Because social media tools are so accessible and seemingly easy to use, a planning/strategy phase is often skipped, perhaps also in part because the realm of social media seems so complex. Because there is no clear place to begin, there is a tendency to start with tactics, a fatal mistake.

How to approach the problem

One technique for approaching a problem that seems complex is to break it down into a series of simpler problems. This is a great approach when it comes to the social media landscape. Instead of looking at a list of 50 ways to use Twitter, it makes more sense to look at a smaller list of ways to use social media in general.

Such a list might look like this.

In fact, you’ll find that any social media strategy probably consists of several of the leaf nodes in this diagram being used in various channels. (For the purposes of this discussion, a social media “channel” is Facebook or a blog or Twitter).

Your challenge then is to identify:

1. the kind of information your organization has or can generate, ideally something conversational
2. the types of people you’re trying to reach through social media
3. the items from the diagram above that can be used to put that information from step (1) in front of those audiences in step (2)
4. the appropriate channel for each item in step (3)

Now, just because we have a plan of attack doesn’t mean this is necessarily an easy or straightforward task. The best social media strategies look easy in hindsight but have usually been cooked up with some outside-the-box thinking. The above map is not a magic wand, but it is a starting point.

Examples, please!

Let’s look at a real-world example. Imagine your real estate agent. There may be a temptation for him to jump straight to tactics and use Twitter to post listings. After all, he has listing information (this is his product) and Twitter is easy to sign up for. Plus, this is on the map under Sales/Marketing --> Product announcement. We’re in good shape, right?

Well, Sales/Marketing on the diagram has a red flag on it. That red flag means if you’re only using something from that category, you may be on the wrong track. In this case, our real estate agent’s listings probably aren’t that useful to most people (who only wants to see the listings from a single real estate agent?), it’s not very conversational (what would people say back to him about a listing?) and he’ll probably find he won’t get a lot of followers.

Even worse would be to have a Facebook page where he is re-posting the exact same listings. Now he has a situation where even if a person were to be interested in those listings, it’s not in their interest to follow him on Twitter and be a fan on Facebook because then they’ll just get the same information twice. As silly as that sounds, we see this all the time.

Lesson learned: Directly promoting your product or service on as many social media channels as possible is not a good strategy because it abuses your potential followers and misses the whole “social” part of social media. You’re not listening, you’re just talking. And you’re saying the same thing in multiple places. And nobody cares.

This can take many forms including using Twitter to post links to your press releases or using Facebook to post links to your blog posts. I’m not suggesting never doing that but only doing that puts you in the PR category on the diagram and it, too, has a red flag. Oops.

Okay, give me a better idea.

This real estate agent has a problem, however… Aren’t the listings the only content he has? Possibly, but remember the first step is to identify the kind of information your organization has or can create. The listings may be the only content he has at hand. Grabbing whatever information you already have and using social media as a one-way channel (outward) is a missed opportunity.

This is where the strategizing comes in. What about creating a tips/tricks list for homeowners? (See the map above under Educational --> Tips/Tricks). This could include reminders to disconnect your plastic hose fittings in the winter so they don’t crack or money-saving tips for efficient energy use. Maybe it’s one tip a week and every once in a while he throws in a property listing (Sales/Marketing --> Product announcement) or an open house announcement (Notifications --> Events/Reminders).

Now this real estate agent has something useful he is providing to his clients. All of his existing clients would potentially be interested and he’d stay top of mind when they’re looking to sell or buy or even just make a referral to somebody else: “You should use my real estate agent. I follow him on twitter and he’s got great homeowner tips.” This takes the form of branding (Topics/Issues --> Brand related) and on top of that, he gets his listings and open houses in the mix. He’s now using five concepts from the diagram!

Plus, followers who have tips of their own can reply to him which means (a) the rest of his followers benefit from the tip (“Comments” from the Social category on the diagram) and (b) he can file it away later to use next year (a form of Research on the diagram). Wow – we’ve got seven nodes covered on the diagram, only a couple are red-flagged and a real social media strategy is taking form!

Hopefully you can see the difference this approach can make. Obviously there are issues like staffing and creative elements and ongoing maintenance and monitoring but try this process with your organization or give us a call and we can walk you through it.

Why online advertising is important for hospitals.

By: Kelly Hocutt and David Michaluk

Are you still reluctant to advertise your hospital on the web? Maybe you’re bound by tradition. Or maybe you think healthcare is too private for the web — and people seek information only from people they can trust. But research by OTX and Google shows that adding search and web advertising to your marketing mix is more than just helpful — it’s essential.

That’s right. Consumers are increasingly going online for hospital information. 41% go to the Internet before seeking advice from healthcare professionals or friends and relatives. When these information-seekers get to the Internet, 76% go to hospital websites, 62% to search engines and 56% to health websites. They’re using more than one destination — which means if you’re not using search engine ads and ad networks, you’re missing a sizable audience. If they don’t see you, you don’t exist.

And they’re not just window-shopping, either. After finding information, 59% of these consumers take action. This includes 46% who look for more information, 16% who clicked on an ad, 14% who forwarded a link or video and 10% who booked an appointment. These additional actions translate into greater awareness of your organization, good feelings, referrals and appointments. Do these goals sound familiar?

Just as important: Recall is higher for online search than for any other medium. Yep, more bang for your buck. 43% remember online ads while only 32% recall TV ads, 28% informational brochures, 18% newspaper ads and 18% billboard ads. Isn’t your aim in advertising to get your audience to remember you? You’re spending a lot of money advertising, so get more value for your money and welcome online advertising into your marketing mix. Plus, when people recall an online ad, 43% look online for more information, 38% ask a medical professional about a hospital, and 38% ask a friend or family member about a hospital.

So, should your hospital advertise online? The numbers say it all.

Dashboards can help drive marketing strategy.

Looking for an easy way to gauge your client’s driving forces? Ask what’s on his or her dashboard.

Dashboards are a businessperson’s CliffsNotes®, condensing tomes of information into readily digestible nuggets. Where do overall profits stand? Any new leads from the northeast territory? Is maternity patient volume up? Dashboards provide a snapshot of the key metrics your client needs to succeed.

Which brings us, as usual, to marketing strategy. Knowing what’s on a client’s dashboard enables you to customize a plan that speaks to his or her exact needs and goals. And that’s a plan you can get some serious mileage from.

Social Media Strategy and Success Stories

About to plan your social media marketing strategy? Wondering about the return you’ll get on your investment? Check out Socialnomics: Social Media ROI. This short video showcases success stories, plus some interesting facts. For example:

• More than 300,000 businesses have a presence on Facebook; about a third of these are small businesses.

• A Wetpaint/Altimeter Study found that companies that are heavily into social media blow away their peers in both revenues and profits. The study also found that companies using social media the most increased sales by 18%, while companies with the least social activity saw sales decline 6%.

• Dell sold $3,000,000 worth of computers on Twitter.

• eBay found that participants in online communities spend 54% more money.

What’s your social media strategy?

How to measure effective recruitment marketing?

Recruitment marketing is a simple balancing act, right? Place your message on one side of the scale, and your communication medium on the other. If your message clearly illustrates the value of the position you are trying to fill, great. But if you don’t balance your strong message with an effective way to get it across to potential candidates, well, not so great. Conversely, if you have excellent communication tactics but a weak message, your scale will again be out of balance.

But something’s missing in this scale analogy: the fulcrum.

Which, in this case, is ROI tracking and reporting. You have to know how to track a campaign’s success — or lack thereof. More important, you have to know how to report the results to the folks in the executive suite. Otherwise, they won’t be writing any more checks for any future campaigns.

Track how many candidates you get from your campaigns and where they came from. Note how you stack up against the competition. It’s the best way to prove your value to the suits — and the best way to maintain balance between your messaging and media.

The Philadelphia Phillies - an example of great strategy!

It’s one of my favorite performances: George C. Scott as General George S. Patton. Love the attitude. But, most of all, I relate to what Patton was all about. This is a guy who knew what he had to do. He wasn’t popular because of it. He knew a thing or two about strategy. In one situation, when interrogating a German office, he wouldn’t give the guy the satisfaction of speaking to him in German — even though Patton spoke the language fluently. Strategy in action! The quote I remember most says it all, when Patton articulated what it would take to stymie the Nazi rampage — “First, you have to have a plan.”

Flash-forward about 80 years. A battle of a different sort — this time on the baseball field. The Philadelphia Phillies become contenders for the National League pennant and the World Series — not once, but twice. The first time, nobody saw them coming. Like Patton, these guys don’t leave anything to chance. Pitching rotations. Batter and pitcher matchups. Right down to who can be tempted with a high-pitch fastball for an easy out. They grasped the concept of having a plan. They’ve put together a formula to win.

Is it that easy? Hell, no. If it were, everyone would be winning World Series games and beating the crap out of bullies en masse. The truth is, there is no way to just luck into success. It takes a strategy to get you there.

For some people, that’s a hard lesson to learn. But the first time someone asks you, “Why are you doing that?” you get it. You’re forced to think about what you’re trying to accomplish and how. It may seem simple. But it’s the golden rule of strategy. Whatever project you have on your desk, ask yourself at least one question: “Why am I doing this?”

Oh, and as for Patton — he won. But you know that. And we’ll see about the second World Series crown for the Phils. But my guess is, since they have a plan, they’ve got a better-than-average shot to win the whole thing again.