Comments for Michael Reynolds

Comment on What did I ship in 2011? by Ron Van Deusen

Ron Van Deusen — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:33:00 +0000

Bull.

I once received an award for being “The World’s Greatest Bullshipper”!

Comment on What did I ship in 2011? by Michael Reynolds

Michael Reynolds — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:38:00 +0000

Thanks, Robby! You are quite an accomplished guy so your comment means a lot

Comment on What did I ship in 2011? by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:19:00 +0000

Congrats on all your accomplishments. Looking forward to a great 2012!

Comment on How an insurance agency generates business using Facebook by InsuranceSplash

InsuranceSplash — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:13:00 +0000

Hi MIchael, Sorry to be one of those folks that posts on a two year old blogpost, but I came across this article and enjoyed reading about Jim’s experience. I couldn’t find a business Facebook page for Jim, I’m wondering if he does all this marketing through his personal FB account?

I also wanted to share an article I just published with 100 Facebook Marketing Ideas Just For Insurance agents. I thought it might be valuable for any agents that come across this testimonial about Jim.

Here’s a link:
http://www.insurancesplash.com/facebook-marketing-ideas-insurance.html

Thanks for the good read, it’s good stuff for guys that I work with to read this kind of material.

Comment on No, you don’t need a stupid social media policy by CraigThomler

CraigThomler — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:46:00 +0000

In the long run I agree, but in the short-run, while we’re living through enormous change, many people in the workforce need the support and guidance of social media policies.

If you’re hiring older people (50+) they’ve not grown up with the Internet and are often less familiar with how to approach it in a work context.

If you’re hiring younger people (25 or less) they’re new to the corporate world and are often less familiar with how to engage on a professional basis or use the more professional rather than social tools.

So in either case you’re better off with a policy.

Even if all your staff are brilliant and clued in, with no policy you’re leaving yourself open to legal risks that, as a company owner, I’d prefer to mitigate. Trust is wonderful until it is broken. Trusting your staff and also providing a safety net to support them and protect your business (protecting ALL your staff) is golden!

Comment on No, you don’t need a stupid social media policy by Michael Reynolds

Michael Reynolds — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:11:00 +0000

I found @jaybaer:twitter ’s post today interesting in light of this discussion:

http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-business/social-business-is-about-actions-not-words/

In particular, this:

“It’s about giving Becky the freedom to work off-script. It’s about cultural DNA that values moments of delight.”

Comment on No, you don’t need a stupid social media policy by HenryIndy

HenryIndy — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:21:00 +0000

You are right, about this getting thinner. I wish it would be as easy for me to do that! I suppose I see it from a different angle than you do. ( perhaps there is cultural differences at play) I would see it as disresepctful to correct someone’s behavior if what was expected was not made very clear. Beyond disrespectful, I find it unethical. So perhaps I see this as an issue of ethics. And I do think that the idea of the waitstaff all deciding when and who would come in for a shift would be a nice idea. But I have worked in too many restaurants to know that it would never work. and that is why restaurants take the time and investment to hire managers; and those managers enforce policies, because people do need to be managed. ( which should not be confused with Micro-managed) Thank you for your input and feedback Robby! I always enjoy not only seeing other points of view, But I enjoy how people came to those conclusions even more.

Comment on No, you don’t need a stupid social media policy by Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:37:00 +0000

This thread is becoming a rather thin column!

I DO see “respecting people” as a one-size-fits all solution to helping make organizations and society a better place. Guilty as charged.

Do we benefit from guidelines, best practices, community conversations about what works well and what doesn’t? Sure. I think that the primary objection here is the emphasis on the word “policy”, which has at its core the word “police.” There are certainly good ideas and bad ideas, and writing them down can be of tremendous help.

But imagine a restaurant in which instead of the manager making the schedule and demanding people be there before their shift, a restaurant where the entire team had a conversation about how many staff they needed and they collaboratively developed a schedule that worked? That’s much more respectful than just saying “Be here 15 minutes early for your 9AM shift…or else…”

We know that companies do things all the time which are completely contrary to what people want. We know that people mostly aren’t engaged at work and it seems reasonable to suspect that strict policies aren’t helping. We know that people would rather have the cash than go to a holiday party, but we insist on throwing them.

I think that Michael’s post is really about respect more than it is about the particulars of setting expectations for behavior. We have a crisis of respect in the American workplace, and the obsession with policy is another symptom of this epidemic.

Comment on No, you don’t need a stupid social media policy by HenryIndy

HenryIndy — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:38:00 +0000

But not ALL companies operate without specific start times and that is where your premise is also flawed. You are trying to push a “one size fits all” solution. And there is no such animal, not should there be. For example, in many restaurants, they do implicitly tell waiters, cooks, bartenders etc when the shift starts and that they expect them to be there at least 15 minutes before hand so that they can be on the floor on or before the shift starts. (and that is just one real world example.) it’s nice to think that you can and will only hire the very best of the best, only the very brightest of the bright and through some form of intellectual osmosis they will glean exactly what is expected of them and what to do in every situation. but such ideas are just wishful thinking. You must give everyone the same equal opportunity to have a mutual understanding of what is expected of them. and that is why companies have policies. Relying that in a company that employs thousands of people that everyone working there has the same level of common sense, and that their personal and cultural backgrounds will lead each and every one of them to the same exact common sense conclusion is simply unreliable and quite frankly reprehensible. if you have respect for your employees, the shareholders and the clients you make sure that what you expect is made clear. As you said most companies dont specify a start time, but some do. That is why your one solution fits all is not a good one. And no, you don’t need to explicitly have a “no nudity policy” but that would be covered under a dress code, which is a policy that is not uncommon. Policies help enable people to do what is expected of them, but you see it as a sign of mistrust that hinders them. So again, in some cases there is no need for a social media policy, and in some cases there will be a need. It can never be the same for every company, nor should it be.

Comment on No, you don’t need a stupid social media policy by Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:11:00 +0000

Lots of people read the employee manual, Jody.

The consultant who wrote the manual
The marketing assistant who was asked to edit the manual as part of “other duties as assigned.”
The new hire who was bored during orientation.
The HR manager who has to cite policy to justify a demotion
The $300-an-hour attorney who is working on the sexual harassment case.

Oh, you mean reading the employee manual in a useful, positive context? Yeah, that doesn’t happen.