A couple of weeks ago I got IABC's World Conference brochure in the mail.
The conference is June 6-9 in Toronto and I can't go because that week I'm covering a rodeo school in Cody, Wyo.
(That's right, a rodeo school. What's it to you?)
So I set the brochure aside.
I didn't throw it away, because the IABC conference brochure is a perennial column or blog item: I leaf through and cherry-pick windbaggiest, most overblown session titles that bespeak an association flattering its members with self-important pretensions and professional pieties.
Finally, I got around to leafing through this year's book—and found not a single bogus session description.
Uh oh.
My built-in, shock-proof bullshit detector must be worn out. For all these years, I took it, like a sump pump, for granted. And now it doesn't work.
I went back through the brochure.
"Engage employees to out-behave the competition."
Ah ha!
"In this session, participants will be introduced to the five Brand Integrity Dimensions that serve as the foundation for building a visible and powerful brand for any organization. When implemented through employee behaviors, the dimensions dramatically enhance the work culture and drive consistently good, profitable customer experiences."
Okay, that's a little bullshitty. It's Bullshit Light.
And there's also the obligatory smarmy day-three keynote: Two hopelessly young white fellows, organizers of a "youth empowerment" outfit called Free The Children, are giving a session cloyingly titled, "Me to We: How to help employees find meaning in a material world."
Well, there has to be some time to go to the hotel bar guilt-free.
So my b.s.-detector is working, and these are the only bullshit sessions I can find among the dozens in the brochure? Guess I picked the wrong year to miss the IABC show.
Bravo, IABC. Have a great conference.
As for the annual brochure critique: I guess I'll have to wait 'til next year.
Five Brand Integrity Dimensions?? Must be a consultant.
Now Robert, we don’t want to lump all consultants in the same paradigm ….
My niece went to Kenya last summer with Me to We; it was a life-changing experience for her. Amongst many momentous events during her three weeks in Africa, probably her biggest thrill was singing a version of “Hallelujah” (with her own lyrics) to a small audience during the group’s last breakfast. The group included Craig Keilburger, who got up (“stumbled over the couch” and came over to hug Sarah, and to tell her “This was the best, ever!”
This summer she is going to Ecuador with Me to We.
BTW, I blogged about her Kenya trip: http://www.prconversations.com/?p=519
So, rather than making digs at the Keilburger brothers, why not point your mocking finger at the conference organizers, who are boxing the brothers’ call-to-action speech (which is given all over the world, to thousands–millions?–of teenagers) into an “employers” theme.
(Saw the same things happen at the Human Resources Professionals Association conference in January, where Mitch Joel was the keynote speaker. Wherever he usually would say “marketers,” he simply inserted in “HR.” I noticed, but I’m not sure many others in that luncheon with about 3,000 people did.)
Well Judy, this is the trouble. This is choosing speakers in order to flatter the audience–“Gee, our profession is so important that we can get Andrea Mitchell to speak to us!,” or “Gee, we’re not business communicators, we’re purveyors of world peace”–rather than to engage the audience on the substance of the profession.
It’s a quarrel I’ve had with IABC for years, and a point I’ve always made.
So you’re right: There’s nothing wrong with the Brothers Keillburger–just something wrong (and, typical) with having the smarmy bastards at an IABC show.
“our profession is so important that we can get”
There’s nothing to do with getting or attracting. Simply put, keynoters get paid. Generally the same rate, no matter what group they talk to.
(I suspect Brothers Keillburger put their speaking fees towards their Free the Children/Me to We operations. At least I hope they do.)
Yes, Judy, you’re right of course. But we don’t pay them for their content, usually, but rather for their presence–which we allow ourselves to be flattered by, even though we know we paid them!
This IABC conference does seem to be mostly devoid of that nonsense. (Well, once the opening “drumming” session ends …. “This team of musicians will use drumming to demonstrate creative ways to build community, encourage diversity in thought, and transcend traditional barriers such as hierarchy, gender, culture and geography to ensure open communication.” That’s a lot of drumming!)
But Guy Kawasaki is the Wed. keynoter, and he seems just the kind of person worth paying ….
Dave–I appreciate your positive remarks about the upcoming World Conference. Sorry you can’t be there so you could write a post-conference wrap-up about what a valuable experience it was for attendees. I am not surprised, though, to see a bit of cynicism creep into your review. You might check out Craig Keillburger’s pod cast on the IABC site
http://cafe2go.x.iabc.com/ Not only is it a good interview, but he does explain how Me to We does impact employee engagement.
Thanks for writing, Julie.
I tried to listen to this podcast, and began to suspect you were trying to kill me in a terrible head explosion.
You know me. How could you ask me to listen to this positivist passionate dweeb? You know what I was thinking during the three minutes before I shut it off:
Between visits with the Dalai Lama and trips with Mother Theresa, when did the lad ever learn to smoke dope or masturbate?
I know. I’m terrible. But I do NOT regret missing this guy in Toronto.
You, yes.
This guy, no.
David, did you realize that the sole “guy” you’ve expressed an interest in hearing (or, rather, regret at missing) at the conference (in this all-guy lineup of keynoters) is the American Guy?
And, if you missed my tweet (cc’d to you), here’s a blog link to the Globe and Mail’s recent article, “Marc and Craig Kielburger’s do-gooding social enterprise”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/marc-and-craig-kielburgers-do-gooding-social-enterprise/article1506256/
Yeah, Judy. LOTS of Americans are super smart.