Authenticity

 

It’s like the quote in the movie “He’s Just Not that Into You” when Mary exclaims:

“I had this guy leave me a voicemail at work, so I called him at home, and then he emailed me to my BlackBerry, and so I texted to his cell, and now you just have to go around checking all of these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies.”

Mary’s technological frustration resonates with a lot of people these days. The variety of communication forums can become confusing and impersonal. We’ve all done it, texted or emailed someone when calling them was needed. I know for myself, I am prone to send texts to my friends, rather than picking up the phone to talk to them, but the line gets hazy to know what communication outlets to use for various situations.

There are many philosophies on the conundrum of what communication outlet to use: left brain vs. right brain, old school vs. new school, or even simple generational differences. There is no right viewpoint, but rather factoring in common sense and discernment when choosing how to communicate with an individual, group, forum, etc., is essential to connecting in today’s world.

Common sense and discernment set the stage for communication and contextualize the most appropriate communication setting, or channel, to use. When choosing a communication channel, one has to first analyze the audience: who you are speaking to. This will help decipher the most appropriate communication channel, as well as tone and language for the message. The next area to distinguish is your purpose for the message. Purpose helps secure maximum fit between message content and the communication channel. For example, if you want to reconnect with an old co-worker, an email rather than a text or tweet is more suitable. Audience and purpose are the two founding factors in figuring out the spider web of communication, but is there a common thread that runs through each of the communication forums?

 Authenticity has the potential to be the lifeblood that runs through all communication forums by continually returning the message to the core. For organizations, this typically means the mission of the organization. Focusing on one’s mission fosters messages that are aligned with organizational goals, regardless the forum. Now, it is still important to choose the most appropriate forum for specific messages, but if a person or organization’s messages are authentic, then a consistent image and voice are conveyed.

United Way of Williamson County strives to be as authentic as possible in its portrayal of its mission to various stakeholders. Either through tweets about volunteer opportunities or facebook posts supporting our partner agencies and companies, United Way of Williamson County genuinely wants the mission to be at the forefront of all communication forums, because it reflects who we are as an organization. The mission, “…to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community,” is United Way of Williamson’s common thread that binds our communication channels into an authentic representation of how we impact Williamson County. Even as technology evolves, authenticity of our mission will never lose relevance.

As my internship comes to a close, I thank United Way of Williamson County for the opportunity to intern and see the organization for what it really is: an organization that is truly passionate about improving the lives of Williamson County residents.  The time has come to pass the blog to United Way of Williamson County’s Marketing and Communication Specialist, Dana Scott. Dana is a highly talented professional that brings her fun, individual flavor to all of her work. In honor of the holidays, I thought I would pass the snow globe, instead of a flaming torch. So here is a picture of me handing the snow globe to Dana Scott. Thank you for reading and best of luck to Dana who I know will not disappoint!

 

Communication Discussion

Time and time again, it seems that strong communication skills are the force that has the potential to launch an organization to the next level; although, this is much easier said than done. Gone are the paths of linear communication. The guidelines to good communication between one’s organization and its stakeholders have been tossed, because today’s communication is constantly evolving. In today’s world, communication lines have been spun into ever-expanding spider webs.  For example, in organizations creating communication flow charts, the process may feel more like piecing together a multifaceted 3-D puzzle, rather than a simple one dimensional puzzle.

I work directly with United Way of Williamson County’s social media networking sites and have begun to wonder how to make sense of the communication webs? How can one find meaning within all of the jargon?

With United Way of Williamson County being a nonprofit that works with numerous agencies and companies, communication is vital to our survival. Our stakeholders extend past the traditional donors and encompass multiple spheres of influence; including the community, volunteers, partner agencies, partner companies, people we impact, etc. United Way of Williamson County’s external environment proposes a unique challenge within the communication world.

How do we meaningfully engage with our stakeholders to further our mission of, “…improving lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community.”

This exact question has become the driving force for a series of future blog posts.  My goal is to make sense of the various avenues of communication, such as social media, and their impact on organizations like United Way of Williamson County.  As my dad likes to say, “Life is a journey, not a sprint.” This is the same with communication; it is a life-long learning process. So let’s begin!

Maryland Farms Freeze

Sea of employees in "Live United" t-shirts

“One. Two. Three. Freeze!” One might think this is the beginning to a child’s game, but this saying was a reality on Friday, September 23, 2011 at noon on Maryland Way in Brentwood, Tennessee. Over six hundred employees in “Live United” t-shirts froze on Maryland Way for two minutes at the sound of the Brentwood Fire department’s horn. Similar to the flash mob at Grand Central Station in New York City, Maryland Farm Freeze was a visual testament of partner company employees’ support for United Way of Williamson County. People driving down Maryland Way that fateful Friday morning witnessed employees frozen in a variety of stances in their “Live United” t-shirts. Some had umbrellas situated like Mary Poppins, some were in cheering poses and one woman even held her dog up in the air for two minutes.

I was fortunate enough to drive down Maryland Way as my supervisor filmed the event. Enthusiasm and excitement radiated from the employees that participated in this simple, but impactful event. Even though the freeze only lasted for two minutes, the message of “Live United” will stay alive in those onlookers’ minds that drove down Maryland Way when they think of United Way of Williamson County.  It is rare for donors and or supporters to be involved in a project like the Maryland Farm Freeze, but what a fun way for employees to feel like they were “Living United” even during the work day!

From the Intern’s Perspective

Looking down on 50th Anniversary Sock Hop

From the outside, one might view United Way as one large, all encompassing organization, but what about the individual United Ways like United Way of Williamson County?

Well that exact question has preempted a journey to understand the inner workings of United Way of Williamson County. I invite you to take this journey with me, because as the Marketing and Communications Intern who has only been here for a week, I too have a lot to learn.

Through this blog, I strive to add another lens to an organization that bonds and builds communities in a dynamic environment. I hope the passion and diligence that I have already seen within this office, seeps through this blog and depicts community members dedicated to the improvement of others’ lives.

So, let’s start from the beginning. My name is Kristina Kaltenbach and I am the Marketing and Communications Intern. I started on August 30^th and have dived into working on the 50^th Anniversary Sock Hop, Days of Caring, and Maryland Farm Freeze. This place is bustling with tying loose ends, phone calls and excitement for upcoming projects and campaigns.

There is never a dull moment in the office off of Mallory Station. Staff members are constantly moving in and out of the office to meetings and campaign kickoffs. I’m sure most working people can relate when one’s to-do list is constantly morphing into Santa’s Christmas wish list: never-ending but equally important.

Nevertheless, time does not cease when there is vital work to be done, especially at United Way of Williamson County. One event that I am extremely excited to be a part of is “Days of Caring”. Days of Caring is an event where employees from our company partners do acts of service for our partner agencies. This type of event speaks directly to our core mission, “… to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community.” The combination of employee service and agency passion creates a symbiotic relationship that furthers the satisfaction of both parties.

To jumpstart Days of Caring, United Way of Williamson County staff has returned to their roots and decided to throw a kickoff breakfast with food from Chick-fil-A made possible by a grant through Volunteer Williamson County! It is going to be an early start to the day with the kickoff beginning at 8 inthe morning, but good food and coffee are promised. That is a good, because as the people of this office are figuring out, I am a self-proclaimed caffeine enthusiast!

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The Days of Caring kickoff was a success! Employees from the companies arrived bright and early for some good biscuits from Chick-fil-A. As people sipped their coffee and came alive, Ann Buchanan, United Way of Williamson County’s CEO, thanked the volunteers and expressed to them United Way of Williamson County’s gratitude for their service to the community. The kickoff was a great way to say thank you to the volunteers, but it was also a testament to how United Way of Williamson County brings together volunteers with partner agencies to improve lives in Williamson County.

The majority of United Way of Williamson County staff members visited one of the volunteer sites after the morning kickoff. I personally got to visit a home that volunteers were cleaning up the homeowner’s lawn. This project was coordinated through Community Housing Partnership which works on keeping the elderly, low-income and disabled in affordable, quality housing within Williamson County. The homeowner was very thankful and even cooked hot dogs for the volunteers. It always astonishes me what a small group of people can do in a couple of hours that would have normally taken one person a week to accomplish. Time and time again, it all comes back to “Live United”, because united we can achieve more!

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After three days of volunteers serving United Way’s partner agencies, United Way of Williamson County switched hats once again and is celebrating their 50^th anniversary by having a sock hop at center court in CoolSprings Galleria. Together, the staff and team for the sock hop decorated the center court in 50’s and 60’s theme. Old records line the table cloths and a cardboard jukebox accentuates the nostalgic ambiance. To add to the 50’s and 60’s theme, local dance teams will come and perform 50’s and 60’s inspired routines.

All of our partner agencies are attending with information about their various services and programs. Through the sock hop, United Way of Williamson County hopes that people not only from the mall community, but the community at large learn more about what United Way of Williamson County does and its many agencies they support.

After decorating and setting up for a large event, one always wonders how it will turn out, but I think the spirit of the 50’s and 60’s will reincarnate the remembrance of a simpler time and inspire people to put on their boogie shoes, because all of the staff at United Way of Williamson County are ready to dance!

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What a night! The hums of 50’s and 60’s tunes are still echoing in my mind. A flurry of poodle skirts, ponytails, and vintage glasses dance around my memory as if I was still there. The music and decorations brought spunk to the event, while the partner agencies grounded the event with information about their services and programs. Fifty years is a long time to be serving Williamson County, so it was right to celebrate! The sock hop was not only an event to reminisce on past times, but it was also intended to keep the vision focused forward. United Way of Williamson County is deeply connected with the Williamson community and desires to continue this strong relationship.

I walked around the various partner agency tables to listen about their services and was amazed by the devotion I saw in their eyes for what they do. Supplying direct services requires a special person that can balance reality with the heartstrings that are tugged everyday. Even with the difficulties of providing direct service, each of the representatives lit up the room with their passion for their respective causes. It is inspiring to see people so deeply connected with the impact they are making within the community. What a blessing to intern with United Way of Williamson County and interact with these agencies!

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