Book Review: A Good Walk Spoiled

By John Feinstein

I’ve read a number of John Feinstein’s books and have loved them all. I love playing golf and had heard about this book from other friends. Knowing that Feinstein wrote it I immediately added it to my list of must reads.

This book took me a while to read as I was starting a new job my kids started school. I found myself reading 10-15 pages at a time and missing several days here and there between readings. However, when I did read it, I loved it.

The book follows a handful of professional golfers and their journey between tournaments and in some cases as they try to qualify for the PGA Tour during the early 1990’s. The book was long enough and detailed enough that Feinstein was able to provide insights into the players’ gold games as well as their private lives, including family issues and the challenges they faced trying to stay at the top of their games.

I watch golf and am familiar with many of the golfers chronicled. I think what we see on TV is the guys playing and competing and it’s easy to forget that they are more than just professional golfers. I work part time for the Utah Jazz and have access to players that most don’t and athletes in any sport are more than what we see from them as they compete.

In golf, players aren’t on teams and it’s entirely up to them on how they perform and how they earn a living. There are no guaranteed salaries in golf and the mental strain of competing and remaining consistent is one of the most challenging in all of sports.

The players feel it every tournament, every week and in many cases, every day. What stood out to me is that the pressures they face to earn a living doing what they love is invigorating while maddening all at the same time.

These players work tirelessly to improve their game and be prepared for each tournament. In any profession I feel people do that and face frustrations and questions about their ability and desire to continue working in their chosen profession. It was comforting in some aspects to read about the challenges these guys face. It humanized them in a way I hadn’t considered before.

What was equally fascinating to me was how they attacked and approached these challenges. Yes, there were frustrated. But in the majority of the cases, they did what I do, buckle down and work harder to improve and get their confidence back.

Many of these golfers are wealthy, and in many cases millionaires. Their wealth didn’t present them form working their tails off to remain at the top of their games or to be immune from losing their confidence.

In addition to reading about the way they handled adversity, I enjoyed getting to know more about their individual personalities and their personal interests. Stories about interactions between the golfers at tournaments and between tournaments was especially interesting.

These professional golfers are no different than any other person. They love what they do. They want to be the best and have challenges in their personal lives. I enjoyed the book enough that I’d like to turn around and start it all over again. This was a fantastic read and one that I highly recommend.

Book Review: Split Second

Book Review: A Split Second

By David Baldacci

I listened to this book on CD in my car on the way to and from work. My mom lent it to me and recommended it.

The book is a crime fiction novel about an ex-Secret Service agent named Sean King. King was let go from the Secret Service after a presidential candidate he was protecting was murdered.  Eight years later, after starting his life over again, the incident comes back into his life and he’s forced to relive and investigate it all over again.

I enjoyed the book. It was intriguing and at times predictable but it kept my interested and made my drive home seem to go by quicker and be a little more enjoyable. One of the things I like about audio books is the people that read them and the different ways they voice the characters. This was read by Ron McLarty and he did an excellent job.

After having read it, I found myself hoping that it would be made into a movie. I could easily see it making its way to the big screen. I’d pay to go see this in movie form.

Overall, excellent book. I enjoyed it and recommend it.

Book Review: Michael Vey The Prisoner of Cell 25

Book Title: Michael Vey the Prisoner of Cell 25

Author: Richard Paul Evans

I thought for this book review I would copy the one my daughter and I did for her fourth-grade book report. I read this book with her and it was the first time she’s let me read with her. It was awesome. Listed below is the report she put together for school. I couldn’t have said it better.

Rate this book: 1-10 (1 is the lowest)

10

Give a 5-6 sentence description of your book. Discuss main characters, setting and plot.

First, the main characters are Michael, Taylor, Ostin, Jack, Zeus, Nichelle and Dr. Hatch. Its starts in Idaho with Michael and Ostin being friends. Michael has electric powers and he and Ostin find out that Taylor also has electric powers. The three of them form the Electroclan to find out why Michael and Taylor have electric powers. There are 17 kids that have electric power. Dr. Hatch created the Elgen Academy to use the electric children to take over the world. Dr. Hatch kidnaps Taylor and uses her as fish bait to try and capture Michael. Dr. Hatch captured Michael but Michael and the Electroclan come up with a plan and beat Dr. Hatch to escape.

The book ends and Michael and the Electroclan are free but they will still have to fight Dr. Hatch again because he has kidnapped Michael’s mom.

Dramatic Reading: Choose a 1 minute passage from your book to read aloud to the class. You will be graded on fluency (how well it flows and expression.) You will want to practice several times so you feel confident in reading it out loud to the class.

Here’s the passage my daughter read to her class:

Ostin started to the phone but stopped. “But what about your mom?”

“I’m going to find her,” I said.

“We’re going to find her,” Jack said. “And bring her home.”

I looked at Jack and shook my head. “Thanks, but I’ve already gotten you guys in enough trouble. I can’t take that chance again.”

“Trouble?” Jack said. “You can’t buy this kind of excitement.”

“I’m in,” Wade said. “You risked your mom’s life for me, I’ll risk mine for hers. Besides, even that prison food wasn’t as bad as living with my granny.” He looked at Jack. “The food was better.”

“The guards were nicer too,” Jack said.

I looked down and smiled. “Well, I could use a ride.”

“I’m in too,” Zeus said. “I helped capture her. I’ll help free her.” He looked at me. “What else am I going to do? Can’t stay here.”

“Count me in,” Ian said, stepping forward. “I can’t speak for the girls, but last I checked, my schedule was wide open.” He looked at Abigail and McKenna. “How about you guys?”

“I’m in,” McKenna said.

Five Tips to Deal With Negative Press

I recently had the opportunity to work with a client on a high profile public event. The event was designed to make a significant difference in the communities in which we live, play and work featuring a well-known celebrity and some of his friends and fellow celebrities.

During the planning phase I was brought in to help with the public relations (PR) efforts, specifically to create awareness about the event and the cause behind it. As part of the PR strategy, the celebrity driving the event committed his time to any and all media interview opportunities. In fact, he flew in to town for one full day to do all the media interviews I could secure.

All of the interviews I set up that day were great and highly positive with praise from the media outlets as well as the general public. During one of the pre-taped broadcast interviews, the reporter conducting the interview asked my clients to “talk” so they could test the microphone. As they spoke the reporter asked a couple questions that were for “background” only and said they wouldn’t include these in the report that would air later that day.

Later that day when the interview was published on the TV channel’s website they included the background questions they promised wouldn’t be included.  When my client saw it, he was upset. He wasn’t upset because he said anything wrong but because he was doing other things to get ready for the interview as they talked. He didn’t want it to look like he was being rude or not taking the interview seriously.

His assistant reached out to me demanding that the piece be taken down. I told him I’d reach out to the reporter and get it taken care of. The assistant said if they wouldn’t change it that they wouldn’t give them press passes to the event and allow their station to come cover it.

This exchange brought up an interesting discussion and I counseled him on the best ways to handle a situation like this. The advice I provided is relevant and worth sharing with a much larger audience.  My advice included five key points.

• Don’t threaten the media: Regardless of how angry you are, don’t make threats. Nobody, including the media responds well to threats. Threats will put the other party on the defensive and escalate the situation to a point where both parties act irrationally and do or say things they normally wouldn’t.
• Stick to the facts: In this instance, it was easy to point out the facts. On the video you could clearly hear the reporter say that they were asking background questions only and that these questions wouldn’t be included in the final piece. You could also hear my client ask if they were still checking the mic or if the actual interview had begun.
• Go to the source: When I called the media outlet, I went straight to the source. I spoke to the person I set the interview up with and discussed the issue with him. I spoke to him clearly and calmly and expressed my clients concern over the video. I explained why we had an issue and what my client’s expectation was based on their conversation. As this person watched the video, the facts were clear and he appreciated me reaching out to him to discuss it.
• Have a solution in mind: When I made my call to my contact, I knew what I wanted. I wanted the video to be edited to not include the background questions. I told him what I wanted and expected and we discussed it calmly. He said he understood and agreed to fix it.
• Work together to come to a mutual resolution: The story was still a great story and my client was happy. We worked together through the process to ensure that it was fixed quickly. Upon fixing it, my client shared it on his social media channels which brought even more visibility to the piece. In the end, the reporter and I had greater respect for each other and our relationship was stronger as a result.

Had I approached the situation as my client’s assistant wanted when he called me there would have been a far different resolution.  The reporter would have been mad, a bridge would have been burned and we would have been forced to deny them access to the event. Nobody would have won in that situation.

Following these five steps will allow you to build better, stronger relationships with the media as opposed to creating an adversarial relationship that doesn’t benefit anybody involved.

Book Review: Behind The Drive

Book Review: Behind The Drive

Author: Bryan Miller

 

I read Larry H. Miller’s autobiography, Drive and enjoyed learning more about the man that saved the Utah Jazz. Bryan Miller is Larry’s son. Bryan wrote Behind the Drive to honor his late father and share more information about the man, the business empire he created and the incredible ways that he gave back to countless others. The book consists of 99 stories about Miller from the people that knew him best.

There has been a number of stories highlighting Miller’s business acumen and the way he went about saving the Jazz and building the Larry H. Miller empire. I am familiar with some of the story but as I read the book I was impressed with how many people Miller helped, supported and encouraged.

Miller always had time to mentor and talk to people. People were always surprised with how giving he was with his time and how willing he was to help. One of the common themes of the book was how he regretted not spending as much time with his family as he should have. I had heard him say this before he passed away. I do feel like this is sound advice and something that many of us, myself included needs to pay more attention to.

I enjoyed the book and wish that I would have had the chance to know Larry personally and have some interaction with him, other than seeing him in his court side seat at Jazz games. One of the things that stuck with me was from a story about Larry helping a restaurant owner secure the financing to build a new building.

The restaurant was one of Miller’s favorites and he had eaten there for years and as a result had a personal relationship with the owner. The owner was trying to secure a loan through a bank and upon hearing this, Miller told the owner, “You don’t need the bank, your loan is sitting right here.”

The restaurant owner was thrilled and surprised. He had the banks loan officer sitting a few tables away and all he needed to do was sign the paperwork to secure the loan. He wanted to work with Miller and was unsure how to handle the situation with the loan officer.

Miller said, “Tell the guy you’re sorry but you’re made other arrangements. You don’t need to give him an explanation. You don’t need to volunteer any information.”

This hit home to me as I struggle with this. I often feel like I need to provide an explanation or apologize if I change my mind or find a better opportunity. This is not the case. I’ve come to realize that I need to do what’s best for me and my family and worry less about what people think or if they’re going to be mad.

Hearing this from a person as successful as Larry Miller helped me clarify this in my mind and understand that it’s ok to do what’s best for me.

I enjoyed the book and hope that someday I can have people remembering me similar to the way they remember Miller, honest, trustworthy, hardworking, driven and successful.

 

Goooo Team!

My wife and I were recently asked to plan an event for a youth group in our area. The event was designed to be educational and fun for a group of about 25-40 kids ages 14-18 over the course of three days.

As we began planning we had two other couples that were asked to help in the planning and execution of the event. The extra help was great and very much needed as there is a lot that goes into a three-day event. As the planning went on, we split some of the responsibilities up to ease the burden and share the workload.

My wife and I were pleased as we had a plan in place that we all felt would make the entire process simple and effective. Until one of the other couples, specifically the husband had some issues and decided he wasn’t as committed to the event as the rest of us. It started quickly but slowly. I know tat sounds contradicting, but let me explain what I mean.

After our first meeting he committed to handle some things. This was the first and only meeting he ever attended. His interest dissipated quickly and the results of his lack of interest were a little slower to see and feel. Every meeting it was a new excuse as to why he couldn’t make the meeting. After the first couple of times we just got the point where we knew he wouldn’t be there. His wife would show up but you could tell she was put off by having to carry the full responsibility that she and her husband committed to.

This couple had committed to two significant activities during the event. About a month before the event the husband sent word through his wife that he wouldn’t even be in town for the event. Apparently a “work trip” came up and he had to be in Alaska to go fishing and rafting. His wife even had a hard time believing this one.

Needless to say, the activities he committed to got neglected and required everybody else involved to cover for him. Fortunately, everyone stepped up and covered for him in his absence. His wife wasn’t really pleased at having to do all the work herself but with everybody’s help and support the event was a huge success.

I share this story because it’s so relatable to the business world. If one member of a team doesn’t carry his or her weight the rest of the team suffers and is at risk. It doesn’t take much to throw everything off and cause problems for the project and the team. Backing out or not fulfilling a responsibility on a project may seem like something small but it can quickly escalate.

With this in mind, here are some tips to help eliminate and plan for these types of issues.

• Communicate effectively: This may seem basic, but a lack of communication can be the start of a big problem. Sometimes it seems like something may be obvious or implied. Don’t assume that. Even if it seems simple of like it’s understood, communicate it. That way everybody will know it and you don’t have to wonder or worry that somebody might not have picked it up or understood it.
• Set deadlines: Nothing drives like a deadline. A deadline will also keep the assignment at the front of a persons mind and allow them to coordinate and strategize their schedule and other responsibilities accordingly so they can meet the deadline. It is also a very effective way to hold people accountable.
• Meet regularly to assess progress: At first meetings may be spread out a further and then begin to be more regular as you get closer to the deadline or event. These meetings should be used to review progress, challenges and discuss potential issues and strategize about potential roadblocks. Regular meeting will make sure everybody is on task and committed to success.
• Be honest: Don’t be afraid to tell somebody if they’re not cutting it. Use these opportunities to emphasis the importance of the project, motivate and answer any questions or address concerns. Honesty is always the best policy and in my opinion is the best and most effective way to communicate.

In the example I shared above, we followed these tips and in the end the event was a success. It wasn’t always easy and it took a lot of adjustments and sacrifice from five of the six of us. A successful project or event is very rewarding and by following these tips you can significantly increase your chances of success.

Four Communication Tips That Take You Beyond LOL, BRB and WTF

A couple years ago I was playing on a recreational softball team with some friends. During one game, in the heat of the moment two friends had a disagreement and almost came to blows over it. Several of us stepped in and prevented an actual fight from happening.

A few days later I was talking to one of the guys involved and asked if he had talked to the other friend since they nearly exchanged punches. He indicated that things were fine and that there were no hard feelings. I asked him how he conversation went and he said, “I walked past him and nodded my head (he demonstrated his head nod) and things are cool now.”

I asked if that was all that happened or if he actually said anything to the other friend. He said no and, looking at me strangely asked, “Why?” I asked if the other friend understood what the head nod meant and he again looked at me with an exasperated look on his face and said, “Of course he does.”

When I saw the other friend next I asked him about the exchange. He vaguely remembered but in his mind they hadn’t talked about the softball game and that no apologies were exchanged. He also said that he didn’t think they needed to say anything and that he had no intention of bringing it up.

The next game the two were fine and acted as if nothing had happened.

This is typical guy behavior so I wasn’t surprised, but I do find myself constantly surprised at the lack of communication that exists in business. Granted technology, specifically social media has changed the dynamics of communicating and the ways in which we communicate.

There are a number of communication techniques that work well. In my experience though there are four that are the foundation for all the others. These four are:

• If you want somebody to know something, then tell them. Don’t think that a head nod or look will communicate what you want. Don’t rely on somebody to catch a hint or understand what you’re implying. Tell them. Be specific about what you want or what you’re communicating. If you have an event taking place or want somebody to come to your house for a party, tell them the specifics, including date, location and time.
• Don’t use jargon or code words. I like to read about the mafia and the FBI agents who helped gather evidence to prosecute mafia members. The mafia is famous for using code words to communicate. The idea is that outsiders won’t know what they’re talking about. In business, you want to be clear and concise so that the people your talking to can easily understand you.
• Speak Up. Growing up my grandma was hard of hearing. As a result when family and friend would talk to her we’d all raise our voices and basically yell. It helped as long as she was looking your way. It was quite disarming to outsiders as we’d all turn to talk to her and be shouting. People would ask why she didn’t just use a hearing aid. She was hard of hearing her entire life and as a young women didn’t have access to or the money for a hearing aid. When she got older she tried a hearing aid but the amount of noise and sounds she could hear terrified her so she stopped wearing them. As she got older she lost all her hearing but we still kept yelling.
• Make eye contact and allow others to do the same. Going back to the example above with my Grandma. As she got older she lost all her hearing, but we all kept yelling. After so many years it became habit for our family. My grandpa was the only one that didn’t raise his voice to talk to her. In fact, when he spoke to her nobody could hear him. He knew she had lost all of her hearing and would wait to speak until he knew he had made eye contact with her and then he would annunciate his words slowly but without sound. Grandma learned at an early age to read lips and if you made eye contact she would read your lips. When I introduced my wife to her the first time I told her, “She can’t hear any longer but we all still yell when we speak to her. It’s habit. Just make eye contact and speak and she’ll read your lips.”

The ability to communicate effectively is an important part of any relationship. An inability to express yourself and communicate will limit your ability to be successful and achieve your goals.

Introduction

I’ve been doing PR for about 15 years now, mainly in the sports and technology industries.  I’m currently a Partner at Snapp Conner PR, a PR agency based in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I’m a huge sports fan and am lucky enough to be able to work for my favorite basketball team, the Utah Jazz as part of the team’s game night PR staff.

I decided to start this blog as a way to share some of my expertise in PR, to talk about my views and opinions of the sports world. Additionally, I worked for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.  I worked closely with Mitt Romney and saw and experienced some things while working with him that I believe would be valuable for others to know.  I’m a Romney supporter and think he is the ideal candidate to help turn our country around.  I can’t support him financially but feel that by blogging about the experiences I had with him that maybe I can help others see and know the man better.

Every Tuesday I’ll blog about these experiences in a section called “The Mitt I Know.”

I called the blog The Navigators Blog because of a nickname I got as a member of the Jazz’s PR staff.  I’ve known one of the reporters that covers the Jazz since I began working for the Olympic Committee in 1999.  One night while walking out of the Press Room at the EnergySolutions Arena I ran into this reporter and said, “Hello.”  I caught him by surprise and he looked up, saw me and paused before pointing both index fingers at me while saying, “Hey, Navigator.”

I told the rest of the staff about it and from that point on it became my new nickname.

Stay tuned.

Author: Jeremy Kartchner | Google+