So, they say that the first step to overcoming your addictions is to admit your problem and seek help. So here I go…

“My name is Kyle Chowning, and I have a problem with compofectionism.”

When I was in school, I had teachers who consistently told me that my writing was awkward and not creative enough. Just like anything else, if you listen to the message long enough, you believe what you are told. Unfortunately, a decade or two later, I still believe them.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve been able to look back and understand that my teachers weren’t necessarily wrong, they simply didn’t help me resolve my writing deficiencies. The good news is, I want to write. The problem is, when I put my fingers to the keyboard, I experience what I call compofectionism (composition + perfectionism = compofectionism). I define it as “the refusal to accept any writing short of perfection.” That drive for perfection and my fear of failing consistently terminates my enthusiasm and I move on to something different. Bleh.

Let me be clear that this post is not a plea for commendations.

Here’s what I want to know:

1. What was the best writing advice you were ever given?
2. What is the best way you get over your compofectionism?

Write on!

In 2002, my wife and I relocated to Orlando, FL to be part of the launch team for Relevant Media Group. There, I spent 4.5 years targeting, reaching and retaining the 18-34 demographic. It wasn’t easy, but it was fun and challenging. It was there that I was awakened to one of my primary goals in life; pointing my generation back to Christ.

Barna Group reported in 2003 that an alarming 58% of twentysomethings who were active church-goers as teenagers will no longer be active in a church by their 30th birthday (Barna 2003). This has been and still is, the fuel for the above mentioned goal. It is my desire that if/when Barna does this same study again that number decreases to less than 50%. Consider this one of my “big hairy audacious goals!”

A couple of weeks ago, Motiveight took on a new client that has me turning my focus to the 18-34 demographic again. This opportunity has re-awakened my “BHAG.”

One of the major advantages I have, this time around, is access to a plethora of statistics and research. The project that we are embarking on is for the long haul. Given that, I thought that I would document here what the current pulse of the 18-34 demo is according to recent MRI reports. Here’s what we can expect from this group:

• They are more likely, than the average, to be “very liberal” and less likely to be “very conservative.”
• Only 25% of them vote
• They not very interested in environmental causes
• They like to watch: Adult Swim (#1), BET, Comedy Central, MTV, TBS, TLC and VH-1, to name a few. They are less likely to watch the news and weather
• They are less likely to feel that there is too much sex on TV
• They love to show off (rated ridiculously high on this one—almost 2x more likely than the average American)
• They consider themselves more fashionable than others
• They love concerts, clubs/bars, chess (who would have thought!), billiards, dancing, electronic games, video games (#1), karaoke, comic books and fantasy sports leagues (#2)
• They don’t like: birdwatching (can you blame them), attending classical/opera performances, woodworking, book clubs, or live theater
• Favorite sites: Wikipedia, MTV.com, ticketmaster, Monster.com, Yahoo news, Amazon.com eBay, Facebook (#1), Myspace and YouTube

Regarding Religion:

• They are less likely to believe in creationism, believe the Bible literally, give to religious organizations or to support prayer in schools

It’s safe to say that this information isn’t too surprising. However, if you’re interested in the 18-34 demo like I am, the journey ahead is going to require unparalleled creativity and wisdom. This generation will not give room for copycats. We have no choice but to be fresh, provoking and revolutionaries.

Are you surprised by what you just read?

Employee reviews can be difficult. It’s a blend and blur of empowering and course correcting. At the core of every employee review is the comparison of expectations.

I’d like to offer a simple methodology in which employers can measure the impact and results of their employees. From hire to promotion, there are four stages: plant, grow, bloom and prune.

Plant the Employee - The first few months of employment are critical. The health of their environment will determine whether the employee grows … or dies. At this stage, it’s more about the employer than it is the employee. As an employer, you have to ask the following questions:

• Have I empowered my employee to the fullest potential
• Does him/her have all the tools and resources needed to do their job well
• Am I doing a good job of training the employee
• Have I set up the employee to succeed or fail?
• How can I best serve my new employee?

Grow - At this stage, the employee has been “planted” and everything looks to be a mutually beneficial relationship. The expectations rise, but they’re not expected to hit home runs or think outside of the box. The main emphasis at this stage is root growth. Again, the ability for the roots to grow deep are directly related to the employers ability to provide a rich culture of health, tools and empowerment. All of the planting considerations still apply, but the employee is ready to begin growing on their own.

Bloom - Defined as a flourishing, healthy condition; the time or period of greatest beauty. This is the point when the employee is ready and positioned to shine. They are acclimated to their position, they’ve adapted to the company culture and they’ve defined and have begun to break the boundaries of the proverbial “box.” Here is where you find new, fresh and out-of-the-box creativity. It’s also the place where you find out what your employee is made of. They’ll either step up, or be asked to step out.

Prune - While this may sound negative in nature, like any healthy plant, it must be pruned in order to grow afresh and anew. In a corporate setting, this stage reflects the results from a flourishing employee. It’s critical to prune back responsibilities of your employee and hire staff to help sustain their infusion of business and revenues. The effects of this pruning should result in increase in creativity, confidence and promotion.

Once you have an employee reach the prune stage of development, in order to remain a healthy contributor and leader to the team, they should thrive in a regular pattern of bloom and prune.

As I stated in the beginning, it’s important to understand which stage of the development process your employee is at in order to accurately assess and compare their results. Moreover, you must have realistic expectations of what it takes for someone to grow into each stage.

Employers often get impatient with their employees learning curve and try to push them from one stage to the next. Unfortunately, this usually happens in the critical planting stage and the employee will either push to “grow” or simply die off. Employers can’t afford to have a dying employee, ever.

If you’re an employer, what specific expectations are you measuring your employees by? If you don’t know, then how is it possible for them to meet your expectations? If you can’t answer either of these questions, then I challenge you to determine what plant, grow, bloom and prune looks like in your organization and communicate that clearly to your staff. I guarantee that through clearly defined expectations, you’ll motivate and inspire them to become the star employee that you envisioned they could be.

On a journey of discovery today, I stumbled upon a job title that I was unfamiliar with: Director of Integrated Marketing. Being that this was the first time I had ever seen this phrase I was intrigued and made a mental note of it.

Literally an hour later, I was on the phone with a nice lady from the Tombras Group and her title was the SVP of Integrated Marketing. Now seriously, how could this happen. All in one day, I’m introduced to the concept and then I’m on the phone with someone who not only lives in this space but is so good at it that she’s a SVP! I had to know more.

Turns out, Motiveight is NOT an Outsource Marketing Solutions company, as I’ve recently adopted as a tagline for the company. We are an Integrated Marketing Communications company. Here’s a definition of IMC and ironically, what we’ve been doing for the past 19 months:

American Marketing Association defines IMC as “‘a planning process designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time.’ Integrated marketing communication can be defined as a holistic approach to promote buying and selling in the digital economy. This concept includes many online and offline marketing channels. Online marketing channels include any e-marketing campaigns or programs, from search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click, affiliate, email, banner to latest web related channels for webinar, blog, RSS, podcast, and Internet TV. Offline marketing channels are traditional print (newspaper, magazine), mail order, public relations, industry analyst relations billboard, radio, and television.” —Wikipedia

Welcome to Motiveight Marketing Group Inc. An Integrated Marketing Communications Company. Ah that has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it!

I subscribe to an email newsletter by David C. Baker (founder of ReCourses), thanks to a tip by my friend Shawn Stewart at Personality™. In his most recent edition, he talks about “The Truth About Money Making in a Marketing Firm.” As an owner, I was intrigued as I read. Something that stood out to me was a truth that has gotten lost in translation over the 19 months that Motiveight has been in business…

“You think you’re in a service business when in fact you’re really in the expertise business.”

Mr. Baker goes on to list a number of other lies (read them here), as he refers to them. However, this example resonated with me the most.

What I find most intriguing about the perspective of being an expert is that it’s a “new way” for me. Up until this point, I’ve looked at my company mainly as a service business when in fact, what I really have to offer is expertise. While service is a part of my business model, it’s not what I am passionate about and in fact, it’s not what I want to do. If all I did was function as the “doer” for my clients, I’m done.

Tomorrow, Monday, is a new day. Being in the expertise business is the new way.