Cross-posted to dansmolen.com:

My green business executive career development book will hit Amazon and book store shelves sometime during First Quarter, 2010.

You’ve probably noticed that I’ve been a little quiet. In other words, the number of Sturdy Roots Blog posts I’ve written has dropped off in recent months.

That’s because – since early August – I have been focusing my energies on writing a book about green business executive career development. I’ve signed on with a publisher, and the book release date will occur sometime during First Quarter, 2010.

I’ve always wanted to write a book. And now I get my opportunity. More details will follow, soon.

And to all, Happy Halloween!

Cross-posted from dansmolen.com.

DMA09, The Direct Marketing Association’s annual convention and exhibit held this year in San Diego, has begun. And in its first piece of official business, The DMA’s membership elected a new Board of Directors.

Gerry Pike, the DMA Board Member who staged a well-publicized proxy-battle, arrived at the board meeting with what one observer described as “hundreds and hundreds of proxies in hand” for the Reform Bloc.

The DMA Board stepped up to the plate, and by accepting many of the Reform Bloc’s suggestions staved off what likely would have been a nasty battle for control of the board.

The DMA's membership elected Gene Raitt board chairman.

The newly elected board is headed by former DMA Vice-Chair Gene Raitt and includes 6 positions for Reform Bloc members: 3 of whom were elected and 3 that will be added as adjunct members. Pike was elected to the new board and will serve on the Executive Committee.

The new board has agreed to form a By-Laws Committee to review the association’s governing laws and procedures and create a Compensation Committee that will immediately review and set management executive compensation parameters, as Pike has indicated, “would bring salary expectations in line with reality.”

This is a watershed moment: at last, there appears to be a board which fully recognizes that The DMA has not only lost its relevance but also hundreds of members. Now, with new voices at the helm, there will be a great opportunity to get both back. We hope for the best.

To all of you that made the trip to San Diego I say have a great time. The future is (finally) yours!

And to Gerry Pike I say: thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Onward and upward!

UPDATE: DIRECT Magazine has more on the story.

DMA Board Member Gerry Pike

Cross-posted from dansmolen.com

…this viral-video does more to envision the future of marketing than The DMA has in the past four years.

Are you a member of The DMA? If so, this is another reason to submit your DMA member voting proxy TODAY, BEFORE 12:00 Pacific Time, to Gerry Pike for a better DMA.

Cross-posted from dansmolen.com:

Gerry Pike is a long time member of The Direct Marketing Association. The DMA is one of the-largest associations of marketing professionals in the world. And Pike is a current member of the group’s Board of Directors.

Like many of us who have enjoyed a long association with The DMA, Pike has grown wary.

And now, in the run up to DMA 09, the group’s annual convention and exhibit being held next week in San Diego, Calif., Pike is waging a proxy-battle.

From Pike’s email:

From: Gerry Pike, DMA Board Director

To: Dan Smolen, Dan Smolen Direct Search, LLC

www.aBetterDMA.org

Dan, your DMA colleagues have sent in their Proxy. Have you?

Dear Dan,

Many, many of our member colleagues like you have responded to my dialogue on the power of our voting proxy to bring much needed change to the DMA. Frequently I’ve been told:

That DMA has been on auto pilot for years.

That Management is just phoning it in and focusing on protecting their outsized salaries and perks – at our expense (read this) – while organizations like OMMA, AdTech, Shop.org, to name a few, have gained momentum and relevance at our cost. Read this.

That, “some things never change” so we can’t get a better DMA.

Frankly, I must accept the truth of what they say. But I won’t accept that things will never change.

Innovation, ingenuity and integrity will keep our Association out front. Our members have that in spades. What’s required for change is Management that mirrors membership. That understands it leads by following our Bylaws. That instead of telling members what to do, asks what they want done.

Here’s how giving your Proxy Vote to me will get you a members-first management again.

I will use your proxy vote to influence the management of the DMA through its Board of Directors to refocus DMA to serve its membership – i.e. you and me, first and always – and in doing so:

Bring back the Operations Councils which for so long served as the open door for DMA members to roll up their sleeves and have a hands-on involvement with their Association.

Take Management compensation that comes out of the backroom and put it back into the Boardroom, where it’s supposed to be, in order to get it in line with industry standards.

Bring value back as a benefit of DMA membership by grinding down budget-buster dues and conference fees.

If you want change NOW, act NOW! DMA’s Annual Business Meeting is just 9 days away.

USE THIS LINK to download your proxy. Sign, date and send it to me, Gerry Pike, by fax to: +1 (570) 676-5146 or scan and email to: gpike@DMSAinc.com.

Sincerely,

Gerry Pike
+1 (201) 888-9281
gpike@dmsainc.com

www.aBetterDMA.org

Read the latest media coverage & industry news on the situation.

Dan, learn how you can change your proxy, even if you have already sent it in.

In my 20+ year association with The DMA, I never ever recall a single proxy-battle. That is, until now.

I share Gerry Pike’s belief that The DMA has lost touch with its members, many of whom are fighting to stay in business or to keep a job.

Because consumers have cut back so much on their discretionary spending, this (recession) has hit the ranks of the direct marketing community especially hard. And whereas the national unemployment rate kisses 10 percent, I believe that the (real) unemployment rate amongst direct marketers may be 15 or 20 percent.

Meantime, in the past 18 months The DMA slashed headcount while boosting the compensation paid to its leader, John Greco, to nearly $1 million.

What gives? Seriously…WHAT GIVES?

This organization which prides itself on representing 10 percent of the U.S.’s gross domestic product has done little to transition its members from traditional direct marketing to interactive marketing. And as Pike writes above, “OMMA, AdTech, Shop.org, to name a few, have gained momentum and relevance at our cost.”

This past Thursday, I received a telemarketing call sponsored by The DMA. Despite correcting the phone rep repeatedly, she mispronounced my name several times (Mr. Somlen) and urged me to support The DMA’s slate of candidates by sending my proxy back to The DMA.

It was too late for The DMA; earlier last week, I sent Gerry Pike my proxy for a Better DMA.

If you have not done so already, I urge you to do the same. Send your proxy to Gerry Pike. It’s easy to do – follow the links in the letter, above.

And keep a good thought that The DMA may once again be a force in – and not the farce of – the direct marketing industry.

According to an article in today’s Washington Post, Google’s chief economist Hal Varian believes that a drop in Google queries for key words such as “unemployment” and an increase in topics such as “real estate” show that the economy is indeed improving.

Google's Chief Economist Hal Varian sees good news in fewer searches for key words such as "unemployment," more for "real estate."

From the WaPo article:

As a contemporaneous predictor, predicting the present through search queries has been a pretty good predictor of initial (jobless) claims,” said Varian, who was visiting Washington this week to make the case that government agencies should use Google tools to better draw current snapshots of consumer sentiment, corporate health and social interests.

A former professor of economics and founding dean of the School of Information at UC Berkeley, Varian also believes that improvement in the employment market will lag behind most other economic indicators.

We hope Professor Varian offers up Google query stats for the green business space: it would be very interesting to see the month-to-month progression of Google search activity for terms such as “green business” and “green jobs.”

Our friends at Sustainable Life Media are reporting on The Cooperative Group’s efforts to curb the decline of honeybee populations in the United Kingdom.

UK supermarket services company, The Cooperative Group, has launched Plan BEE to save Britain's honeybee populations.

From SLM’s reporting:

Plan BEE is put together as a 10-point plan which includes:

1. Temporary prohibition on the use of neonicotinoid-based pesticides on own-brand fresh produce;
2. £150,000 for research on honeybees, farming, pesticides and gene-diversity;
3. 3-year trial of a new wildflower seed mix that will be planted alongside crops on their farms across the UK;
4. Calling on beekeepers to establish hives on all Co-operative Farms in the UK;
5. Engage three-million members in a campaign to protect and nurture the bee population in the UK, with advice and tips featuring on their website;
6. Members were invited to attend 40 nationwide previews of The Vanishing of the Bees in February 2009 (distribution begins in October), in addition to two documentary productions;
7. Partnership with RSPB’s ‘Homes for Wildlife’ team and empower members to garden in ways that are honeybee-friendly;
8. Over 300,000 packets of wildflower seed mix have been made available to Co-operative members and the public free of charge;
9. Bee boxes are being sourced and made available to The Co-operative members at discounted prices. To date 700 bee boxes have been purchased;
10. Support of amateur beekeeping programs through projects and training.

The Cooperative Group’s campaign includes this video:

We don’t often consider how critically-important the honeybee is to world food production. The Cooperative Group recognizes the importance of stemming the decline of the honeybee in the UK.

We hope food growers in other countries follow their lead, because nothing is greener than saving the black and yellow.

If you treat virtual officing as seriously as you did a commute to a traditional office then you'll be on your way to a successful experience

One of the biggest trends of late is the significant spike in business executives ditching the traditional commute for virtual offices.

Working virtual can be a godsend: when done right, the switch from a traditional office setting to a virtual one reduces stress and improves the quality of one’s life.

But the switch has to be done right; not everyone finds immediate success. The keys to a happy virtual office experience lie in self-discipline and flexibility.

New to virtual office life? Even though the office you use is now in your home, know that if you treat it as seriously as you did your traditional office then you’ll be on your way to a successful workplace experience.

Here are 10 key steps to a successful virtual office experience:

1. Before you do anything else, schedule at least 20 minutes of early-morning aerobic exercise. Whether your thing is a good jog around the subdivision with the pooch, time on the treadmill, or some Pilates, make sure you do your thing before your workday begins.
2. Change out of the jammies and bunny slippers and get dressed for work. Even if your attire is office casual, the simple act of changing into work clothes will focus your attention and energies;
3. Eat a good breakfast. Since you are always reminding your kids that breakfast is the-most important meal of the day, make sure you heed your own advice. Try to avoid foods that pack a high glycemic load (like bagels); if you do go for a bagel add a schmear (some lox and cream cheese). Otherwise, two hours into your workday you’ll find yourself loosing steam;
4. Start your workday at a regularly-scheduled time, perhaps after the last of your kids boards the school bus or when you complete the day’s crossword puzzle. Keeping to a regular start-time will help you maintain a healthy circadian body-rhythm throughout the day, and lead you to more-restful sleep during the overnight hours.
5. Get a good office chair. Make sure the one you use fits you like a glove, provides good head, arm, and lumbar support, and most-of-all is adjustable. A good chair doesn’t have to be an expensive one. Shop around and test-drive several models until you find one you really like. And remind yourself what your mother always told you: SIT UP STRAIGHT!
6. Start using a wireless telephone headset. It will help spare yourself from a lifetime of chronic, debilitating neck pain. And if you are a kinetic-type like me that does his best thinking while in motion, you’ll find that a wireless headset allows the freedom to roam to the mailbox to collect the day’s mail or just stretch your legs.
7. Step away from the computer! And focus your eyes on something long-distance. In an earlier dispatch, I talked about planting and enjoying an office garden. Take to your feet and smell the roses. Continual exposure to the computer screen leads to nagging eyestrain and expensive corrective eye wear (that you’ll need to upgrade more-frequently). Also, increase the size of the text on your computer screen. That will help reduce eyestrain, too.
8. Once you figure out your least-busy times, schedule a trip away from the virtual office to buy groceries, pick up the drycleaning, or some other chore. A change of venue is one of the best ways to remain productive.
9. 

   Virtual office out of balance? Consider a feng shui practitioner like Gregg Nodelman. (photo h/t www.office.today.com)

   Some feng shui might be in order. Often, newbies to virtual officing complain that the energy of their new work spaces is too strong or not strong enough. The good news is that creating an energy balance is as easy as choosing a good paint color or a moving the furniture. Take the time to balance chi’i.

   My office faces south southwest and gets a lot of sunlight, so I painted my office a rich green color to balance and mitigate (the existing fire-energy). I also got a fountain; it is believed that a working fountain provides good fortune. And the sound of rippling water is invigorating. There are helpful feng shui resources available on-line or at the bookstore. Need a pro? A feng shui practitioner – like my friend Gregg Nodelman - will help you and your office achieve balance.

10. And know when to call it a day. They say we virtual office types work longer hours. Often, that is the case. So it is just as important that we set a regular time for the end of our workdays as it is to set a regular start time (see #4 above). If family responsibilities mean you cannot get all that you need to get done by 5 or 6 p.m., then power-down later, but balance the longer day by breaking it into two or more parts. Last of all, make sure that your co-workers know and respect your times of operation.

Working virtual is great. I’ve been doing it nearly 15 years.

Be patient: getting the virtual office experience right takes trial and error. But in short order, I believe you’ll enjoy the transition as much as you will enjoy how virtual officing improves the quality of your life.

DOMANI's Will Sarni is a regular contributor to Sustainable Life Media.

DOMANI’s Will Sarni, reporting at Sustainable Life Media, provides findings from his company’s joint-study with Cisco Systems on the power of telecommuting.

From the article:

The results of the study make a compelling case for deploying “collaboration technology” and promoting telecommuting. The bottom line is that telecommuting creates value through benefits such as increased productivity, employee satisfaction and reduced carbon emissions.

Backs up what we’ve been saying all along: telecommuting is one of the best ways to increase work productivity while decreasing one’s carbon footprint. It’s also a great way to work!

More on the study’s insights, here.

I’ve just returned from a welcome and long overdue vacation to my native Southern Connecticut where I filled my lungs with sea-salted air and enjoyed the company of lifelong friends (many of whom I’ve not seen in 30 years).

We're starting to see signs of life: hiring managers that hit the brakes last year are suddenly back.

And I returned to work to witness some sudden, but very positive developments; client hiring needs that were put on-hold last year are suddenly back on our radar screen. Plus, we just picked up a very interesting search for an M&A Advisor (attorney) with one of the top green/CSR-practicing brands in the world. (Click the green jobs tab above, to learn more.)

Some of you have asked us to promote our green job openings. And now that the economy is indeed showing signs of life, we will again make that a top-priority!

Thanks for your continued readership and support of Sturdy Roots Blog.

Now, let’s get ready for the ride of a lifetime!

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine is encouraging professionals to work from home or remotely on Telework Day - Monday, August 3, 2009.

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine today joined Telework!VA and Telework Exchange in encouraging professionals to pledge to telework from home or a remote location on Telework Day – Monday, August 3, 2009.

Employees and organization representatives across Virginia can visit the Telework Day website to sign up to telework, calculate the potential cost savings and environmental savings realized by teleworking, determine telework eligibility, and access additional telework-related resources.

Telework is a family-friendly, business-friendly public policy that promotes workplace efficiency, reduces strain on transportation infrastructure, and provides an opportunity to ‘green’ Virginia,” Governor Kaine said. “We encourage organizations and individuals in Virginia to take the Telework Day pledge and see how telework can help them improve productivity and business operations, while also benefiting the environment.

Telework Day follows on Gov. Kaine’s June 10, 2009 executive order to reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency at executive branch agencies and institutions. The goal of Telework Day is to encourage private employers to offer telework to their employees on this one day as a catalyst to drive more pervasive telework adoption across Virginia.

Telework Day also provides a prime opportunity for organizations to test their business continuity plans,” said Karen Jackson, Deputy Secretary of Technology, Commonwealth of Virginia. “Telework allows employees to conduct work away from their primary workplace in the case of an emergency or natural disaster. We encourage organizations to ‘stress test’ their business continuity plan and infrastructure during Telework Day.

Telework Exchange is a public-private partnership focused on demonstrating the tangible value of telework and serving the emerging educational and communication requirements of the Federal teleworker community. The Telework!VA program was launched by the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to help reduce the number of commuters on Virginia’s roadways. The program provides incentives for Virginia businesses to establish or expand telework programs for employees.

Telework Day is an important opportunity to advocate telework as a business strategy that can have a positive impact on the bottom line and improve organizational efficiency, while at the same time reducing traffic on Virginia’s roads. Telework is one of the most effective ways for people to greatly reduce their work-related carbon footprint and demonstrate that ‘work is something you do, not a place you go,’” said Jennifer Thomas Alcott, Program Manager of Telework!VA.

It is incumbent that businesses and government agencies support efforts to promote widespread adoption of telework,” said Cindy Auten, General Manager of Telework Exchange. “It’s now imperative that employees and managers alike take the next step and embrace the notion of telework. Telework Day provides that important opportunity.

For more information on Telework Day, to make an individual pledge, or to make a pledge on behalf of an organization, visit The Telework Day website.

The Commonwealth of Virginia, Telework!VA, and Telework Exchange will release a post-Telework Day report in August, highlighting the impact of Telework Day on Virginia organizations and constituents.

Want to learn more about telework? Check out the CommuterPageBlog and contact Telesaur.