Conflict. The very word sends ripples of anxiety through most people. And, yet, our world is fraught with conflict – politically, personally and in our professional lives. For my last blog post in COMM 292, I’ve focused on conflict as it is the biggest challenge for most teams. While each team member shares a common goal of striving for success, differences along the way can often make it almost impossible to succeed creating frustration and anger in its wake. As Kathleen Robertson explains in her blog post, Appreciating the value of teamwork, “Now more than ever, it seems that team-based projects and work are the way to get things done, not necessarily in the most efficient way, but in the most well-rounded and thorough way.” Recognizing that collaboration is key to success, it’s important to acknowledge that no two people think alike, and that therefore conflict is inevitable. Without conflict many important conversations and debates would not take place. Amazing ideas stem from these discussions, which can be invaluable as it ensures the final solution is far better thought out, than if all team members were to immediately agree on everything. It is highly unlikely, as Dr. Rawcliffe has pointed out, for everyone working on a team to see eye to eye on every matter of business. As individuals we all have different ways of approaching projects and finding solutions to problems. The only way to succeed in life is to respect the differing opinions and perspectives of others. In Mike Myatts Forbes article titled 5 keys of dealing with workplace conflict, he highlights that leadership and conflict go hand-in-hand and that there are many successful approaches to resolving conflict. These include:

1. Defining acceptable behaviour, we did something similar to this with our group contracts, promising to act in a professional and supportive manner.
2. Hit conflict head on, meaning be proactive, have the difficult conversations ahead of time.
3. What’s in it for me factor; to be a successful leader one must be able to help others pursue their objectives.
4. The importance factor: don’t let things slide that are of real importance to you; if it will constantly impact your effort and performance in the future, have an open conversation with your team members.
5. View conflict as an opportunity. Why is this? Because as you have all heard a million times conflict provides a fantastic learning opportunity. “Smart leaders look for the upside in all differing opinions.”

We need to take these lessons to heart. Embrace conflict as an opportunity to learn and grow; to make our ideas better and and our solutions stronger.

Word count : 435
References :

Article : https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/02/22/5-keys-to-dealing-with-workplace-conflict/#207709e71e95

Image links : http://www.actioncoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/meeting_high_five-iStock_000005449269Large.jpg, http://www.skipprichard.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/bigstock-Team-of-five-colleagues-meetin-85492604.jpg

Few people in Vancouver have not heard of Clearly Contacts or Shoes.com. Coastal Contacts, the parent company of Clearly Contacts was sold in February 2014 for $430 million. Shoes.com was valued at $320 million in 2015. Roger Hardy, the founder of Clearly Contacts and co-founder of Shoes.com, plays squash with my dad, and I occasionally run into him on the court. Although he is a very successful businessman and has been named “Canada’s E-commerce King”, he has also had his share of difficulties, most recently when it was announced in January of this year that Shoes.com would shut down and will be filing for bankruptcy.

But you can bet that this set-back is not going to stop Roger for long. To quote Chip Wilson: “Roger is a builder. He has the ability to see where the world is shifting, four, five, six years out. He can see the future—and he’s building something now for then.” He’s constantly eyeing the future when he invests up to $5 million every year in up and coming companies that grow more than 100% annually with $10 – $20 million in annual sales.

After Roger graduated from Bishop’s University, he moved to Whistler where he spent a year skiing. Always a competitive athlete, it was this competitive spirit that pushed Roger to succeed in the online world where many before him with similar dreams had failed. From an early age, his passion for business was fuelled. Starting with selling t-shirts at Bishop’s, he then moved on to get his first job with Loomis Courier where he would bring his clients boxes of donuts in an effort to encourage conversation and build rapport. His motivation was twofold: Loomis sales people from across the country were ranked on weekly sales, Roger not only enjoyed the competition of aiming to be the top salesperson at Loomis, he also learned a lot from talking to his clients about their businesses, thereby gathering enough research to build the foundation for his own empire.

Hardy went on to work at Wesley Jessen VisionCare Inc. in logistics, where he observed and learned enough to form his idea for Clearly Contacts. Later on, Hardy invested with a fellow squash player and let him take the lead on building Shoes.com.

As Thao Atkinson explains in her blog post Is it worth it?, “Expectancy theory shows that the higher rewards associated with a more difficult task does not necessarily peak one’s’ interest unless it is considerably valuable to the person who wants the reward.” Roger highly valued his investments and worked hard to achieve his ambitious goals and it has certainly paid off. As in every business, sometimes you win, as Roger did with Clearly Contacts, and sometimes you learn, as he no doubt recently did with Shoes.com. Given Roger’s track record and business acumen, it’s only a matter of time, before Hardy’s next business venture emerges.

Word count : 480

References :

Article : https://www.bcbusiness.ca/roger-hardy-canadas-e-commerce-king

Image links :

http://images.glaciermedia.ca/polopoly_fs/1.2363616.1476299960!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_804/roger-hardy-and-sean-clark-of-shoes-com.jpg,

https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/shrinknp_200_200/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAbWAAAAJDJjYTM3NTI1LWVjN2YtNDU4ZC1hZjI1LTMxYjBkMmQ3Y2U3ZQ.jpg

In an Entrepreneur article by Sujan Patel, titled 10 Examples of Companies with Fantastic Cultures, Squarespace caught my eye immediately. Squarespace isn’t your average startup – it’s a website developer that not only creates mobile apps, logos and online stores, it will also provide businesses with workshops and ongoing support. SquareSpace’s mission is to “Make beautiful products to help people with creative ideas succeed.” Since 2012, the startup has been voted four times,“One of The Best Places to Work in New York City”. As well as it was in Fortunes’ “100 Best Workplaces for Millennials” (2015). What makes Squarespace so special?

The unique difference is their company culture: “flat, open and creative.” A flat organization is one where there are no senior management levels; everyone is treated equally. What makes Squarespace so successful is not only it’s flat structure, but recognizing the importance of employee well-being by providing spaces to rejuvenate and relax, flexible vacations, catered meals, monthly celebrations and guest lecturers for ongoing learning and growth. Additionally, the workspace is beautiful, and the atmosphere is described as being stimulating, engaging and fast-paced. With fewer or no management levels, employees typically feel more empowered and their creativity is not only encouraged, it’s celebrated. This approach is common among startups, but is tricky to maintain as the company expands, which generally leads to groups forming within the organization.

Matt Kroeker explains in his post What is the key to success? Communication, that “Throughout a company there are barriers to effective communication that people will witness in everyday life”. Squarespace is attempting to ensure that all of these barriers are removed by embracing a flat organizational structure and a supportive, inspiring culture. Their success is evident in the fact that they are now a $100 million web publishing platform and have been consistently voted one of the best places to work.

Word Count : 306

References :

Article link : https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249174

Website : https://www.squarespace.com

Image links :

https://assets.entrepreneur.com/images/misc/1476982153_10-desks.jpg, https://i1.wp.com/creativecorporateculture.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Corporate-Culture-Squarespace.jpg

In April, 2015 Starbucks announced that 99% of the coffee Starbucks bought last year was ethically sourced. One may ask what does ethical sourcing entail?

Starbucks purchases their coffee through the C.A.F.E (Coffee and Farm Equity) practices program which gives farmers the opportunity to learn how to produce coffee in a sustainable environment, receive fair wages, and ensures suitable working conditions, while additionally improving local communities’ infrastructure. This program works to a standard that was developed in partnership with Conservation International and SCS Global Services. It focusses on four key components : product quality, economic accountability, social responsibility, and environmental leadership. The program is based on a points system where points are obtained through compliance with criteria and individual indicators. There are a total of 185 indicators, with 100 possible points awarded under sections such as Social Responsibility, Environmental Leadership-Coffee Growing, and Environmental Leadership-Coffee Processing. Suppliers must comply with mandatory “zero-tolerance” indicators. Starbucks has made great progress over the past 15 years; the company is now committed to purchasing coffee that is 100% ethically sourced, hopefully we will see this goal achieved in 2017.

People are still concerned as to whether all of this is as good as it sounds. Many large coffee companies have been known to buy a small percentage of certified ethical coffee and claim much more than is true. Josh Sacks tackled a similar issue, explaining in his post “Is fair trade really fair?”: “The Fairtrade Foundation was set up in 1992 as a charity based in the UK with the aim to empower struggling producers by eliminating the inequality seen in conventional trade. However, it is important to look at the matter at all possible angles, and realize that at the end of the day it is also just another business working under the umbrella of a charity.” A core part of Starbucks’ website is devoted to “Responsibility.” Starbucks has consistently demonstrated their commitment to the environment and ensuring they are socially responsible: from ethically sourced coffee to giving back to the community, supporting diversity and reducing their environmental footprint. Evidence of these commitments is not only described in detail on their website, but is reflected in everything they do with the simplest example being the 10 cent discount they offer if you bring your own mug, thereby saving one more paper or plastic cup.The facts seem indisputable that Starbucks is taking charge in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility and 99% of their coffee truly is fair trade. Deciding to pursue this movement towards ethical sourcing was not a minor nor cheap decision, but it was extremely important to the company and reflected in their core values. Craig Russell, the executive Vice President of global coffee for Starbucks explains,”To date, Starbucks has invested more than $70 million in its comprehensive approach to ethical sourcing.”

As a multi billion dollar company and a leader in the coffee industry, Starbucks is taking the lead in hopes that other companies will follow in their footsteps to become sustainable and socially responsible companies, contributing to a brighter future for all.

Word Count : 427

References :

Articles : http://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/drinks/why-Starbucks-ethically-sourced-coffee-matters-20150409 ,  http://dailycoffeenews.com/2015/05/15/Starbucks-claims-99-ethically-sourced-coffee-but-what-does-that-even-mean/

Website : https://www.Starbucks.ca/coffee/ethical-sourcing

Images : https://www.procurious.com/blog/trending/the-cost-of-maintaining-a-supply-of-ethically-sourced-coffee , https://www.Starbucks.com/responsibility/sourcing

Real Beauty. What does that mean? The definition differs for each person, for some it reflects an inner beauty, while for others beauty is all about external looks. Dove launched the powerful “Real Beauty” campaign in 2004, with the intention of focussing on the innate issues surrounding body image. The campaign was used to develop Dove’s value proposition, rather than focussing exclusively on profits. As we have learned, creating a successful value proposition is essential to a company’s success as it is the way for companies to connect with their target market to intuitively understand why this product/brand resonates with them. As Ruby Fung states, “Trump’s value proposition “Make American Great Again” is blatantly obvious and easy to understand. Trump also makes a point of how strongly people respond to clear value propositions.” Although many people may not support him, his value proposition is undeniably great and is at the heart of his campaign.

The campaign for Real Beauty was extremely successful in igniting a global conversation about the need for a deeper definition of what is conceived as true  “Beauty.” Dove’s slogan is “Real women have curves.”The campaign was established during three years of creative strategic research led by Joah Santos, in partnership with three universities and Ogilvy & Mather. Joah Santos founded a new advertising strategy, called “Mission Strategy” which was developed “To make women feel comfortable in the skin they are in, to create a world where beauty is a source of confidence and not anxiety.”

The inspiration for  this movement was due to the fact that only 2% of women consider themselves beautiful (2004); that number has moved up to 4% today. In an article named “Dove: The Most Impressive Brand Builder,” David Aaker explains the depth of the campaign, “The Real Beauty campaign resonates at several levels. It connects with an issue of deep concern within the customer base, their appearance and self-confidence… It provides a higher purpose to the brand and a shared interest with customers.” And Dove did not stop there, since the early 1990’s Dove has grown from a 200 million dollar soap brand to an estimated worth of nearly 4 billion dollars (2013). In a highly competitive market, without this significant value proposition with ads that evoke deep emotions within viewers, Dove would simply  be seen as the plain and pure white soap bar. They are involved in a highly competitive market with large, intelligent established competitors.

Dove continues to connect with people all over the world, one of their main platforms being through intense and emotional videos. I remember watching the Dove Evolution video (2006) in class when I was very young and remember how it completely changed the feelings of many girls about their own body images. As we saw in Class 8 the Evolution video depicts what goes on behind the scenes of your average makeup advertisement. The model was changed into a person who no longer resembled herself. Dove challenged this stereotype by creating Dove real beauty sketches showcasing “You’re more beautiful than you think”, with 67 million views on YouTube. 54% of women globally agree that when it comes to how they look, they are their own worst beauty critic.

Dove has the power and proven advertising success to stimulate creative thinking around the world and push individuals to love themselves just the way they are.

References :

Article : https://www.prophet.com/thinking/2013/05/138-dove-the-most-impressive-brand-builder-in-the-last-15-years/

Dove Websites :

http://www.dove.com/ca/en/stories/about-dove.html

http://selfesteem.dove.ca/en/

http://www.dove.com/ca/en/home.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

Additional Source :

http://www.ambilogo.com/15-great-slogans-that-turned-into-philosophy/

Images :

https://chippersengl.wordpress.com/what-went-wrong-with-doves-attempt-at-beauty-with-a-conscience/

Word Count : 450

Our world would not function properly without the assistance and guidance of lawyers – they are essential to ensuring justice in our society. However, with hourly rates ranging from $150 – $700, many people who are in need of a lawyer, are unable to afford one. Donna Peel, a former attorney with the US Department of Justice, found a solution to help provide free legal assistance to those in need; In This Woman created the Uber of Legal Aid featured in Forbes.com, contributor Riva Richmond showcases Peel’s entrepreneurial innovation through her creation of the ProBono Network. Peel identified a key problem and found a viable solution in 2011. “PBN runs on donations and a very lean budget of only about $120,000 a year. Given attorneys easily charge $300 an hour, you could say Pro Bono Network provides millions of dollars in services to the community.” Peel’s idea behind the business model was initiated by the number of hours she spent each day commuting as a volunteer attorney resulting in very little quality time with her family. The PBN model encompasses maximum flexibility; PBN works closely with other legal aid firms to adapt programs to fit within schedules of stay-at-home parents. PBN has attracted more than 200 attorneys, “close to 90 percent of these are women and one-third are stay-at-home moms, all of whom do pro bono work when it fits in their schedule — kind of like a part-time Uber driver.” Among their successes, PBN’s attorneys have assisted 50 low-income debtors with pre-court counselling; 10 domestic violence victims attained orders of protection; through representing 115 incarcerated mothers in securing guardianships, 200 children have received benefits and other necessities, alongside many more happy endings. Susan, a PBN client expresses, “There was no possible way I could afford a lawyer and I doubt I would have been able to proceed with the Order of Protection. These two MADE THIS POSSIBLE. They gave me my freedom back. They allowed me to be able to get sleep at night and not look over my shoulder every single second…THANK YOU for being amazing individuals who are truly making a difference in this world. The world needs more people just like you”.

Several of my close friends and family members are lawyers and having worked alongside them for several weeks during work experience placements in Grade 11 and 12, becoming a lawyer has been something of great interest to me, for reasons such as these. As a lawyer, I could help others achieve justice; as Donna Peel describes, “They make a difference in situations that “can be, literally, life and death.”

However, lawyers are traditionally known to be aggressive, competitive and expensive. Many lawyers make significant salaries, yet, an article entitled “Why are lawyers so unhappy?” stated that 52% of lawyers describe themselves as dissatisfied, they work extremely long hours and are under continuous stress. What Donna Peel has created is an opportunity for lawyers to show compassion and “give back to their community” which gives them a sense of fulfillment beyond monetary gain. It’s a model that is clearly resonating: after only five years in business, Peel has seen exponential growth and success within the community, and is looking to expand.

In a rapidly changing world, opportunities to embrace a “sharing economy” are proving to provide meaningful reframing of traditional roles. The ProBono Network is a great example of innovation and disruption to fill a much-needed void in affordable legal counsel while simultaneously harnessing valuable talent that without this flexible option would otherwise be wasted. One can imagine that this ethical model could be used in virtually any industry with similar successful results.

Word count : 447

References

Article : http://www.forbes.com/sites/thestoryexchange/2016/05/02/this-woman-created-the-uber-of-legal-aid/#600da22a544b

Website: http://www.pro-bono-network.org

Additional Sources: http://www.lawyerswithdepression.com/articles/why-are-lawyers-so-unhappy/

Clique Media Group – Media Empire

As someone looking to specialize in entrepreneurship, this business idea and subsequent articles immediately caught my eye. Clique Media Group is the media and commerce company behind popular fashion website, Who What Wear and several other Beauty, Home Decor and Lifestyle platforms directed towards “Millennial and Generation Z females” (Linkedin). Clique Media is at the forefront of online marketing providing creative and productive ways to engage with customers, publishers, and advertisers. Earning $14.33 Million, from 14 investors across 3 years. They have obtained a prodigious audience, with 40 million followers on social media, 263 million page views per month and 583K newsletter subscribers. Essentially their goal is to inspire readers to shop with helpful and intriguing articles, but what makes them different from other lifestyle and fashion focussed companies, such as Chatelaine or even personal blogs? CEO and Co-Founder Katherine Power and Co-Founder Hillary Kerr capitalized on the increasingly digital movement, incorporating all aspects of print magazines and much more, into what is now known as Clique Media Group. Power has a background in writing, through work with ELLE, Teen Vogue and Nylon. Kerr also wrote for ELLE, later on pursuing freelance writing prior to the birth of WhoWhatWear.com with Katherine. Together they wrote two books : Who What Wear: Celebrity and Runway Style For Real Life and What To Wear, Where. Power explains that after publishing their first book, she felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. These two young entrepreneurs continue to develop and innovate, in an interview with CNN Hillary expresses that, “…. It’s still early days for the digital content and commerce world, which means that the possibilities for innovation are endless. Everyday we are creating newness — whether that’s through technology developments, content types or commerce experiences — it’s simply impossible to be anything other than excited about work”. There is no greater satisfaction than to wake up everyday and do what you love and love what you do, I sincerely hope to achieve that one day.

Everyday there are 750 social media posts between Clique Media’s three sites, composed by one of their hundreds of employees. Through research on Glassdoor, 87% of people expressed their approval and support of CEO Katherine Power and explained the work ambience to be “empowering” and “compelling”. Clique states that, “CMG is always looking for talented team members to join our highly entrepreneurial environment. Our employees are goal driven and hands-on, inspiring each other with the great work they do everyday. We believe that ideas come from anywhere and anyone….”. From reading this I feel a sense of community within the company, where the atmosphere is welcoming and people are open to suggestions, supporting one another and using teamwork as one of their key strengths to attain continual success.

From these articles, I believe Kerr and Power provide many insights that are useful to us as First-Year business students. With key takeaways being : to constantly challenge yourself to do more, and look at all aspects of the business world with a critical eye, similar to our learnings from SWOT and Business Plan assignments. On one hand Kerr explains that, “Great ideas can come from anywhere. It reminds me to always stay curious, read everything and talk to everyone, because you never know what might spark an idea.” On the other hand, Power advises, “Sometimes you just have to get it done. Rather than waiting for the perfect situation or scenario, and potentially missing an opportunity, make things work with the available resources.” Which is exactly what it took to start Clique Media group.

Word Count : 450

References

Website : http://www.cmginc.com

Articles : http://money.cnn.com/interactive/technology/15-questions-with-hillary-kerr-katherine-power/, http://www.forbes.com/sites/sboyd/2014/11/12/how-hillary-kerr-and-katherine-power-founders-of-who-what-wearclique-media-built-a-media-empire/2/#4ea05b5d1054 ,http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2016/09/27/whowhatwears-katherine-power-how-we-grew-a-fashion-site-into-a-media-empire/#72fd59c57bde

Additional Sources : https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/clique-media-3#/entity ,

https://www.glassdoor.ca/Reviews/Clique-Media-Group-Reviews-E230823.htm

Image: http://a2.files.fashionista.com/image/upload/c_fit,cs_srgb,dpr_1.0,q_80,w_620/MTMzNjk2ODI3MTE4NjM1MDE4.jpg