Strategic Communications Group

March 15, 2012 by Marc Hausman

Scenes from the Satellite 2012 Conference

Yesterday, I made my annual trek to the Washington, DC Convention Center to attend the Satellite 2012 conference.

Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) has extensive experience working with satellite communications and technology companies that sell to government and commercial customers. We currently support an innovative social media marketing program developed by Intelsat General that is themed Satcom Frontier.

As such, this event has been a must on my calendar for more than a decade. During the past few years, I’ve been invited to participate as a credentialed member of the press because of my own social media activity and contributions to respected publications like the Washington Business Journal, WashingtonExec, Social Media Today and Govwin.

So…what was the vibe at this year’s conference?

I had the good fortune of running into event chairman Scott Chase in the press room. He share the following encouraging news about the show:

–They attracted nearly 350 exhibitors, up from 300 in 2011

–Attendance this year was expected to exceed 11,000; a significant bump from previous year

–The conference organize generated record sponsorship sales

Here are a few images from the exhibit hall, which bustled with activity throughout the day:

Satellite.Kratos.Banner.photo — Fresh off its acquisition of Integral Systems, defense contractor Kratos had a major presence.

Satellite.Dish.TCS.photo — Annapolis, MD-based TeleCommunication Systems displayed its solutions.

Satellite.Dish2.photo — Satellite conference = lots of cool hardware. It really is rocket science.

February 21, 2012 by Marc Hausman

ISO Inspirational Guidance

My efforts to champion a pragmatic, sales-aligned approach to social media delivered big-time in December and January as Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) experienced a dramatic upswing in business.

From innovative field sales organizations at global brands to private equity backed, emerging growth companies we have taken on a new set of social media marketing programs which should make 2012 quite a defining year for the company.

With growth comes the welcome challenge of effectively managing resources. It’s paramount to deliver service to clients at a level that exceeds expectations, while maintaining healthy profits to reinvest in the business.

In January, we kicked off a recruitment initiative that has led to the pending addition of several associate-level full time hires. They’ll be working collaboratively with our senior team and set of 1099 consultants, each of whom brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our clients.

This hiring spree represents a shift in thinking at Strategic. Historically, we have steered clear of the traditional professional services firm model and employed a blended staffing methodology, taking full advantage of the benefits of our “freelance nation.”

As we now seek to balance our client delivery model with an eye towards cultivating a new set of leaders at Strategic, I find myself torn about how to best go about the mentoring process.

I have been absolutely critical of the entitlement mentality of many of the millennials I’ve crossed paths with professionally. Plus, articles like this from the Huffington Post which characterizes children and young adults today as “helpless” scare the heck out of me.

So, I’m very much in listen and learn mode. How do I inspire young professionals in a work environment defined by personal motivation and accountability?

Achievement Poster — The 1980s-esq inspirational poster method of motivation fails to inspire today's young professionals. (Source: inspirational-quotes-and-thoughts.com)

January 19, 2012 by Marc Hausman

The General's Disgrace

They call him the General.

He amassed 902 wins in a collegiate basketball coaching career that spanned more than 40 years. He is the only coach to win the NCAA championship, the NIT title, the Olympic gold medal and the Pan-Am gold medal.

Bob Knight is a legend and should be revered as one. Or should he?

He’s always been combative and controversial which I viewed admirably as a sign of a strong competitive spirit. Plus, he had the reputation of being tough on his players, yet many publicly admired and adored him.

Then, I came across this 90 second halftime speech he once delivered to his players: (Warning, the audio of this video has excessive profanity.)

Keep in mind that Knight is speaking to a collection of young adults he has the responsibility to mentor and motivate. Is this the way to do it? Would you ever condone someone speaking to you in this manner? How would you react to a coach dressing down your child with this language?

I’ve been managing people in a work environment for 17 years. I have had my share of stumbles. Plus, I do pepper my language with the occasional four letter word when I am trying to emphasize a point.

However, I subscribe to the philosophy that if you treat colleagues with respect the outcome is typically a productive one. For me, it is all about four things:

–Be clear and consistent in your expectations

–Focus on the positive result that comes with a high level of performance

–Provide honest and candid feedback, even if it is not what the person wants to hear

–Never make it personal

January 19, 2012 by Marc Hausman

The General’s Disgrace