But…I did want to comment today on a few things.

A GRACEFUL AND HONEST EXIT

Brown Used Her Own Words Powerfully in Her Exit

In the field of PR, exits/terminations/lay-offs are always tricky matters that are often highly emotional.  With that, the corp. comm executive is mandated to keep matters as professional as possible and make sure the respective company always comes out smelling like a rose.  As a result, the exiting employee 99 percent of the time follows the strategy of the corp. comm department and often uses its words and phrases.

Early last week, CNN anchor Campbell Brown did a classy move that I wanted to note.  She used her own words to describe her latest transition. Her transparency did not hurt her nor the company in the least and I wanted to applaud her for being pro-active and admitting the truth publicly.  Here’s how she put it in an LA Times article May 18.

To be clear:  this is my decision, and one that I have been thinking about for some time. As for why, I could have said, that I am stepping down to spend more time with my children (which I truly want to do). Or that I am leaving to pursue other opportunities (which I also truly want to do). But I have never had much tolerance for others’ spin, so I can’t imagine trying to stomach my own. The simple fact is that not enough people want to watch my program, and I owe it to myself and to CNN to get out of the way so that CNN can try something else.

Bravo Campbell Brown! A beautiful exit that no one could argue that became a classy professional move. I wish you well and may your exit statment serve as an example for others.

And speaking of exits, this also caught my attention.

A CHANGE AGENT WHOSE AN ARTIST

In Monday, May 17′s Wall Street Journal I noticed that Kodak’s Marketing Chief Jeffrey Hayzlett is resigning after four years with the Company.  Since I have several marketing colleagues out of work at the moment, the article intrigued me.  But it was its content that got my interest.  I like this Hayzlett guy-he is one current marketer who is imagining new ways to conduct business, a true change agent – so much so – he even knew when it was the best time for him to move on.

What a healthy and smart guy – here’s why.

A True Listener and Change Artist

The article says that under his short watch, Kodak created the roles of Chief Listener and Chief Blogger and launched a social media team.  And that’s not all, he was behind Kodak’s latest advancement in their camera’s “share” capabilities, meaning allowing users to post photos immediately to Facebook for example from the device.  This Chief Marketer truly gets how important it is to understand the consumer by listening to them and that it takes a skilled individual to work full time as a company blogger.  Can we clone him?

Also, listen to his exiting quote….just like Brown, his truth is as refreshing.  He took himself out of the game.
“My role was to come in and act as a change agent and to get things moving. Now it’s time for someone who’s got a different type of skill to come in,” he said.

He also had reason to leave. He just released a business book, “The Mirror Test,” which he said in the article was a major reason for the departure.  “The book is taking off a lot faster than anyone expected,” Mr. Hayzlett said. “It’s a massive, time-consuming activity.”

If the book is anything like what he displayed through his actions at Kodak, then it’s a must read.

In summary, with these two honest examples of resignations, I hope they are signaling a trend toward transparency!

Exiting Stage Left,

Cindy

This is a time for the world to put aside its differences

I cannot even begin to wrap my head and heart around the devastation that Haitians are experiencing at this very moment.  Tuesday’s catastrophic earthquake has literally rocked the entire world.  I am at a loss for words  – the images I’m seeing from CNN have simply silenced me.  As a human being, I yearn to help in some way, and at the same time, I feel so darn guilty about how “good” I have it in my life.  How about you?

I mean there I was at the gym (a luxury item) and I was working out watching Larry King interview people in Haiti or soon going there and the images weren’t stopping of sadness, loss, chaos and rubble.  But, it was Anderson Cooper’s first story that sent me reeling.  It was so moving-that wasn’t sweat coming down my face – it was actual tears.

Ivan Watson from CNN told the story of a beautiful 11-year-old girl who was rescued from the destruction of her home Thursday. Ian was there to capture her ordeal.  We heard her cries during the report as men tried to free her from a mountain of concrete. She was such a pretty little girl, and courageous staying alive for two days.  Her spirits were holding her together and her will to live…but then Ian had the following announcement.  Here’s what he conveyed to us.  Here’s a link to the actual report. To see see it, click here.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) — An 11-year-old girl rescued from the rubble of her home Thursday in an hours-long effort has died, her family said Friday.

The girl — one of scores trapped beneath buildings that collapsed in Tuesday’s 7.0-magnitude quake — was rushed to a first aid station Thursday evening where doctors told her family they were not equipped to deal with her injuries. Her right leg had been pinned by a large piece of metal for two days.

She died before her relatives could drive her to a more sophisticated hospital outside Port-au-Prince.

Her last words, her uncle said, were, “Mother, don’t let me die.” She was buried Friday in her mother’s hometown, her uncle said.

Anyone who watched this report was moved by it. This bright, be-speckled girl, died without her mom or any relatives around here.  Ian went on to say that no one has told her mom that she has died yet. They have already lost so many in their family that they fear the mother would go insane-that she couldn’t handle anymore grief.

My heart aches. This is the saddest thing I have ever seen.

There’s nothing like this to put things in perspective.  I could care less about USC’s new football coach.  Or Mark McGwire’s woes.  The Senate races.  The Golden Globes.  The TCA.  Or my problems for that matter.  All that matters right now is that there are hundreds of people grasping for hope and breath tonight.  I mean I heard one reporter talk about the fact that the doctors there are practicing “civil war” surgeries.  Meaning, they have no general anesthesia to give patients.  The reporter saw one woman have her leg amputated and she was given local anesthesia.  Can you even begin to imagine?

We have no idea what life is like in Haiti right now.  The smells.  The cries for help. The lack of information on missing family members.  No home to go to for those who lost theirs. Heck, the government is even MIA.

So all I can think to do right now is pray. Pray for the people who are managing the chaos. Pray that the volunteers and professionals are not affected by what they see. Pray for hope for those enduring such incredible loss that they can’t feel anything but that pain. Pray. Pray. Pray.

This region needs help and there are many organizations stepping forward.  Despite whatever monies and donations that come through though, there is nothing that is going to help those who are suffering. Pray for healing and continue to pray for them for the effects of the earthquake will be felt for generations.

I still am pondering what I can do to help.  I’d love to hear your thoughts on Haiti and its recovery and how you plan to help.   I can use any ideas, especially for those on fixed incomes.  As for the little girl whose life was cut short…I am so glad Ian Watson was there to capture it on tape.  Now she will never be forgotten. She stands as the voice for those who are still living in the rubble.  Each needs to be found – each has a story – each needs to know that they are not forgotten.

Cindy