| "Soft" Disciplines with Bottom Line Impact Two of the so-called "soft" disciplines are more important, some would argue critical, during a downturn: Human Relations and Marketing. For HR the challenge is maintaining the company's culture through one or more rounds of layoffs, perhaps cuts in wages as well. Making sure that communications throughout the organization are clear. That management does its job getting the message through middle management to the front line - a challenge even during good times. There's an additional challenge for the HR folks when an acquisition or merger is attempted (regardless the economy). Theirs is the responsibility of helping make sure the cultures align and mesh. Most mergers/acquisitions that fail do so not because the numbers didn't work out, but because the people couldn't. When the Stephen Covey and Franklin Planner people couldn't make it work, the message was clear: no one got around to doing Due Diligence on the cultures. The challenge for Marketing is to raise the company's and/or product(s) profiles, to make sure they are seen as survivors and to position the enterprise to leverage its position once things start to improve. Jim Cecil is generally regarded as the Guru of Nurture Marketing (www.nurtureinstitute.com). His is an approach that urges disciples to "drip" on their prospects periodically over long periods and raise awareness so that when the product or service is needed, your company's will be "top of mind." Cecil suggests periodic, albeit scheduled, mailings of something of value. Communications that give, but don't ask or sell. A constant "dripping" of value. Kraig Kramers's newsletters do that - offering without charge or sales pitch, a different tool free for the downloading which can profit your business. And, by the way, when you have need, you'll remember Kraig and his CEOtools.com web site. Attuned to the times, Cecil told one of my CEO groups, "Management's challenge is to sell more with fewer people to customers who demand more service and attention, for less money." A salient snippet, a bit of pithy wisdom indeed. For many, it was Grand Master of Marketing Cecil who forever defined Marketing and made clear the necessity it be separate on the organizational chart from Sales when he explained, "Sales picks the low hanging fruit; Marketing waters the tree." Good (economic) weather will come again in time...are you making sure your trees are being watered? Vistage is on the grow in Atlanta, and one of my members, recovering banker Lauch McKinnon has been chosen to chair the next group. In all, more than 300 Atlanta area executives belong to this international organization - who do you know who could profit from spending a day a month working ON their business instead of just IN it? If you'll provide contact information (budcarter@aol.com), I'll make sure Lauch gets in touch. One of my first members in 1987, the late David Hanson, CEO of SyncroFlo, put it best when he described Vistage as the place he went to have his answers questioned. And when you get a chance, check out my updated web site...www.businessquotes.com. Until next time, Bud Carter Senior Chairman Vistage Atlanta Vistage is the world's largest CEO membership organization with more than 15,000 members around the world - 300 CEO members here in metro Atlanta. Who do you know that could literally profit from a day a month with 16 non-competing CEOs to work on their business instead of just in it? Comments? Contact Vistage Atlanta Senior Chairman Bud Carter by phone at 404-374-6642 or by email at budcarter@aol.com. And don't forget to check out www.Businessquotes.com. | 
