I have been reading Drucker quite a bit as part of a research project the last few days. In Managing Oneself [pdf], I found the following gem: "Bosses are neither a title on the organization chart nor a "function." They are individuals and are entitled to do their work in the way they do it best. It …
Drucker’s “Managing Oneself” applied to communications management
I was recently perusing the archives of the Harvard Business Review and came across a classic piece by management theorists Peter Drucker, On Managing Oneself [pdf]. Even though it was written in 1999, before the social media and mobility revolution took off, this chapter from his prescient book, Management Challenges for the 21st Century, seems more relevant …
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Time is a Luxury
When we are children, we think that time stands still. As adults, we think it races. What does this mean about how we should organize our lives... should we live for the present or for the future? Children anticipate the passage of time, looking forward to the end of the day, the end of the …
Why religion is practical
We make a lot out of the spiritual and moral sides of religion, but rarely do we discuss the practical value it adds to our lives. I thought I would spend a few moments discussing what Catholicism, my religion, brings to my everyday life. Closer family ties. I was born into a blended Catholic-Orthdox family. …
7 Tips for succeeding at conferences
Conferences are microcosms of human society. They are opportunities to observe people of all ages interacting, performing, charming and arguing. Everyone is a little nervous before they arrive and then they reveal themselves in the few appointed days of concentrated interaction. Conferences are a great way of focusing and honing your communication skills and your …
A Lesson for PR pros in Robert Redford’s “All is Lost”
It's unusual that film makes you think about public relations strategy, but Robert Redford's All is Lost recently did this for me. I happened upon it accidentally, while perusing the new rentals on iTunes. Redford's performance is masterful: an epic battle of a man against the elements, alone on his damaged keelboat, adrift after a freak …
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@McMasterMCM Winter Residency – A great success!
Last thursday, the Winter Residency of the @McMasterMCM program - a resounding success. We had a record number of 42 students registered across years 1 and 2 of the program. Our students came from all over Canada: every province except New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI. We also had students from Mexico and Oman! We …
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McMasterMCM’s photostream
McMasterMCM's photostream on Flickr.
MCM Winter Residency 2014: Strategic reputation management through research
This week, I have the pleasure of hosting the McMaster-Syracuse MCM Winter Residency 2014. Both the first year and the second year cohorts are here. Here's what they will be taking: First Year MCM (2nd Term of Program): COMM MGMT 722 Managerial Finance COMM MGMT 712 Public Relations and Communications Research Second Year MCM (5th …
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Strategy is a very human thing.
When we say "thinking strategically" we often seem to mean thinking managerially. We confuse strategy with good planning. However, planning really is a question of organizing your tactics in a logical and efficient way. Strategy goes beyond planning and setting measurable goals and objectives - it means being able to imagine how your organization or …