Author: wpadmin

The American workplace is going to the dogs. Or rather, the dogs are going to the American workplace.

Friday is the 15th annual Take Your Dog to Work Day. And here in the pet-crazed Bay Area, the local canine contingent is expected to descend upon Internet startups, nail salons, auto-body shops and all manner of job sites as part of a yapping, shoe-chewing, scraps-begging trend that shows little sign of being curbed.

But for the many pets who already accompany their owners to work, Friday will be just another dog-day shift at the office. To get a peek at what this fur-infused scene might look like, drop by any day of the week at Addis Creson, a brand-strategy firm that has been welcoming its employees’ four-legged friends at its Berkeley location for 17 years.

“We’ve got five dogs in the office right now, all different shapes and sizes,” CEO Steve Addis said by phone this week. “It’s a great benefit for our employees because it assuages that guilt you feel leaving your dog at home.” And how’s everyone getting along? “We’ve only had to kick out two in all the years we’ve been doing this,” he said. “One was a Great Dane that got aggressive with another dog; the other attacked a parrot that a colleague had brought to work. That’s when we decided to change our policy to just allow dogs.”

Dogs are becoming a common presence in many workplaces. Nearly one in five companies in the United States now allows pets in the Advertisement workplace, according to a survey by the American Pet Products Association. Another poll by that group last year revealed that on any given day 1.4 million owners take some 2.3 million dogs to work at firms including Google (GOOG), Zynga and Amazon. And everyone seems to be taking their pets a lot more often: an average of 22 times in 2012 versus 17 times in 2008, a 29 percent increase.

“We’ve found that Americans’ love affair with their pets is at an all-time high,” said Beth Stultz, spokeswoman for Pet Sitters International, an educational association that created Take Your Dog to Work day in 1999. And as more and more employers see the important role pets play in their employees’ lives, we’ll see that trend continue to grow.”

That’s not surprising, says self-described pet psychic Barbara Reed with San Francisco-based Intuition for Animals. In her work helping pet owners whose animals are having “issues of some sort,” Reed has come to see firsthand the benefits of working men and women having man’s best friend at

Warren Bell sends out emails with his dog Moe de Maupassant in his office at Swift Test in Santa Clara, Calif. on Thursday, June 20, 2013. Bell is vice president of sales for the company and brings Moe to work with him every day. Moe even has his own business card with his title, chief customer satisfaction officer. Friday is National Take Your Dog to Work Day. (Gary Reyes/Bay Area News Group) (Gary Reyes)
their side all day long.

“Dogs can greatly reduce the stress people often feel at work,” Reed says, “because of their own quietude. When we observe them sitting there and accepting whatever happens around them, that helps keep us humans calm. And then when the dog gets goofy, that helps lighten things up.”

Dogs, it appears, are the best thing since sliced bread. Credited with everything from reducing their owners’ heart risks to helping them quit smoking, the more than 77 million pet dogs in the United States are increasingly being heralded as workplace heroes. Employers who allow and even encourage staff members to punch their time clocks with Fido in tow sometimes describe on-site dogs as miracle workers.
CEO Addis, for example, talks about how “dogs have such a wonderful optimism. We’ll have a staff meeting and just having the spirit of the dogs in the room has an intangible effect on people’s attitudes, and that drives their creativity and loyalty to the company.”

For Warren Bell, vice-president for worldwide sales at technology company SwiftTest in Santa Clara, Take Your Dog to Work Day feels like every other day for the past two years, dog-at-work-wise. Moe, his Australian shepherd-border collie mix, practically runs the joint. He commutes with Bell daily from their Saratoga home. He has his own business cards embossed with his title — chief customer satisfaction officer. He has his name on the door. He sits in on conference calls, delivers memos around the office, and drops in often on the office of CEO Philippe Vincent.
“Having Moe on a conference call or at a client meeting helps us break the ice,” Vincent said. “And every time we close a deal, Moe’s a big part of the celebration.”
Bell said Moe has pawed his way into SwiftTest’s corporate culture.

“He’ll sit in on all company meetings and participate in strategy,” said Bell, tongue partly in jowl. “And if we start debating and things get a bit contentious, as they sometimes do at startups, Moe will ease the tension just by walking around and soliciting pets and rubs. You can just feel the stress melt away.”

Read original article here.

“Biting commentary: A new company is trying to make school meals healthier”

The Economist – May 4, 2013

THE day a girl fainted from hunger was the final straw for Emmanuel George, the principal of Democracy Prep charter school in Harlem. She had refused to eat the “nasty food” served at his school. Her distaste was shared widely: many went hungry, and those who did eat mostly chose junk food. So in January Mr George switched to a supplier of healthy lunches called Revolution Foods. Since then the proportion of children choosing to accept free meals has gone from less than half to over 85%. Visits to the school nurse plummeted, and complaints of stomach-ache and headaches have almost vanished. Teachers say everyone works better in the afternoons.

Everyone from Michelle Obama to Jamie Oliver is trying to improve children’s diets, but doing so has proved difficult. It is, then, particularly interesting that a solution is emerging from the private sector. Revolution Foods, which is based in Oakland, California, serves 1m meals a week in nearly 1,000 schools across America. Most of its customers are public schools.

Despite a recent upgrade to the federal health standards (and funding) of school dinners, most are still made rather like airline food. Meals are put together in large processing centres, packaged, sometimes frozen, and then shipped across the country. When they arrive, the lunches are reheated in “retherm ovens” or warmers. This is certainly cheap, but does nothing for taste, freshness or nutrition.

Kristin Groos Richmond, co-founder of Revolution Foods, says despite a $16 billion market for food in schools, she felt there was no good way of delivering healthy meals. Instead she created a school-dinners company that used healthy and locally produced food with an emphasis on using children to design, and test, the meals. Something seems to be working: the company recently won a contract to serve food to 114 schools in the San Francisco Unified School District, and subsequently the proportion of children who chose to eat the free meals jumped by 12%.

None of the fare offered by Revolution contains junk-food staples such as high-fructose corn syrup or transfats. It is hormone- and antibiotic- free, and sometimes organic. Avoiding use of the deep-fat fryer has been hard. When Ms Groos Richmond began working with Washington schools she was asked to provide a chicken wing. It took over 1,000 attempts (along with tastings and focus groups) to create a child-approved baked chicken wing infused with a spicy sauce.

According to the company, the keys to winning children over to healthier foods are good presentation and trust. As children learn that the food tastes good, they become willing to try novelties such as lima beans. But Revolution Foods also receives daily reports on what is not being eaten. If necessary it will send someone in to promote particular foods, or create signs, in order to boost demand. This happened recently when its cauliflower florets were being rejected.

Healthy meals do cost more, though. For Revolution Foods to represent a challenge to the established system it would need to be making a profit, and it is not, although some of its regions are. The company says its rapid expansion means that it is not expecting to make money yet. (It was the second-fastest-growing inner-city company in 2012 according to the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, a non-profit strategy group.)

On the day The Economist visited Democracy Prep, pupils had a choice between macaroni cheese (the real kind) and baked beans, or chicken pasta salad. Dessert was yogurt or whole-grain crackers. The menu also included sweetcorn and an orange. Little was left on the plates. A nutritionist from the company went from table to table explaining portion and serving size with props, showing the children that they need to eat four to six baseballs of vegetables a day. The pupils said that hamburgers and, surprisingly, the chicken Caesar salad were their favourite items on the menu. As ever, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Photo Credit: The Economist

Original article can be found here.

Hi! I’m Laurel, a brand strategist at Addis Creson.

I’ll be taking you through a Coursera online class, “A Beginner’s Guide to Irrational Behavior.” Throughout the six-week series, I’ll summarize key points that are relevant to the brand strategy discipline.

Dan Ariely is a professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University. His bestselling 2008 book, Predictably Irrational, presents the idea that previously ignored or misunderstood forces, such as emotions, environment, memories, and context, influence our decisions more than we think. We have an illusion of agency—we believe we are fully aware of all the reasons behind our actions. However, Ariely argues our decisions can be highly sensitive to situational factors and we are relatively insensitive to the impact of these factors. This argument holds that we misattribute behaviors affected by these factors to stable underlying preferences and, in turn, create stories to justify and explain our actions.

The example Ariely uses to illustrate this point is organ donation rates in European countries. Why do the Netherlands and Belgium—neighboring countries— have radically different organ donation rates? Most people attribute it to cultural differences or personal beliefs. In reality, it’s the design of the donation form. In the Netherlands, where people opt in to donate, participation rates hover around 28% despite massive awareness campaigns. Conversely, in Belgium, citizens must opt out, and their country boasts a 98% participation rate. This illustrates that the human norm is to take the path of least resistance. We don’t usually attribute our decisions to the context of the experience—in this case, the design of the organ donation form.

The chart below from Ariely & Norton’s article “How actions create – not just reveal – preferences.” Trends in Cognitive Science. 12(1) 2008, illustrates the factors at play when making a decision. It demonstrates that we think our decision making process is guided by consciously known, rational preferences (a). In reality, it’s more complicated than we realize. More is going on beneath the surface, and the full picture often does not match our rationalization (b).

Following this theory, Ariely proposes that focus groups are particularly uninformative because participants cannot articulate the full scope of why they do what they do. He argues that participant observation approaches (like ethnographic research) reveal more useful data. That is, Ariely’s theory holds that observational research is better suited to reveal the motivations behind behaviors, whereas focus groups reveal abstracted explanations of behaviors, which lead to distorted data.

The argument for or against focus groups is a point of contention in our industry. We’ve certainly sat through dozens of focus groups that didn’t reveal much in the way of breakthrough insights. However, when done well, focus groups can be an efficient and effective tool to stimulate discussion. However, findings from such sessions are directional and need to be used carefully.

In our own work, we have achieved excellent results from a more natural and engaging style of qualitative group inquiry. Whether the topic is new brand creation, culture building, sustainability, or strategy, we follow three inquiry design guidelines to reveal insights that lead to our clients’ success.
1. We choose an engaging environment appropriate to the research context.
2. We design interactive activities that allow individuals and groups to engage multiple ways of knowing.
3. We employ facilitators who are highly empathetic, adaptive, and imaginative.

Our philosophy is based in the belief that when we come together as a community of inquiry, we are able to create new knowledge and, in turn, design new futures.

Take it from a true film buff: Telluride is a film lover’s film festival. In this guest post on Fest 300, Steven Addis draws from over 15 years of attending the Telluride Film Festival to share his recommendations on how to get the most out of the festival-going experience. If you love to watch movies “until your eyes fall out” and rub shoulders with stars and fellow film connoisseurs, keep reading.

—

With guest blogger Steven Addis…

Chip’s take: The Sundance Film Festival opened yesterday and, alas, you’re not there. Fortunately, each year during opposite seasons, there’s a second film festival that’s equally enchanting, the Telluride Film Festival during Labor Day weekend at the end of August or early September. My good friend, Steven Addis, has been going to this festival religiously for more than a dozen years and this year will be its 40th anniversary. So, consider doing your planning now. One tip from me (as I was there in 2011 and will likely go again this year): for a complete change of pace, consider making the one-hour drive in the gorgeous Rockies from Telluride to Dunton Hot Springs resort to experience their indoor/outdoor hot springs, lunch and a glorious setting (pricey at $115 per person, but a nice change of pace after sitting in a movie theater all day).

Here’s Steven Addis’ perspective:

In the late ‘90s, my friend Linda invited me to attend the Telluride Film Festival with her. She had been going almost since the beginning, close to 40 years ago. My passion for movies motivated me to say yes and I was instantly hooked and haven’t missed a year since. Well, except for the year when my son was threatening to be born. Alas, he waited until after the festival and I missed it in vain.

When Chip asked me to assemble a few thoughts about how to get the most of the Telluride Film Festival experience, I jumped at the chance. Of course, your mileage may vary as we all have different tastes. But here goes…

Pick the Right Festival for You

Before even deciding on Telluride, you should research the difference between the festivals and make sure this is the one for you. I admit, other than local festivals in San Francisco, I haven’t attended others like Sundance, Toronto, or the myriad others out there. But, I can tell you that Telluride lives up to its reputation for being about the love of film. If you want to see paparazzi hounding movie stars or crash bacchanalian parties with budding starlets, this isn’t the festival for you. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of stars that travel with their films for Telluride premieres. But, even to them, their presence seems secondary to the films. The energy toward the stars is respectful and low-keyed. Entourages would seem contrived and overly indulgent. George Clooney sat with us in the audience for his and other films he watched. Catherine Deneuve shopped with a friend in the local shops. I sat in the lobby of a hotel discussing Capote with Philip Seymour Hoffman for an hour. The rumor was that Ben Affleck snubbed the Venice Film Festival to instead travel with Argo to Telluride for its North American Debut. You might say that the Telluride audience is more film-struck than star-struck.

Which Pass to Buy

Once you’ve decided to attend Telluride, you’ll face the daunting question of which pass to purchase. This is a tough one. Especially since Telluride virgins have little to go on to appreciate the differences. I’m going to focus on the three primary passes (although there are a couple more):

Acme Pass – One of the largest and best venues is the Chuck Jones Theater. This pass gives you exclusive access to the “Chuck” plus two regular passes to the other venues. PROS: Most of the best films get screened at the Chuck and you’ll get in to see them. For a first-timer, this is a great choice. It’s less expensive than the other passes and seems to provide a great experience. CONS: The Chuck is up in the Mountain Village. If you stay down in town, you’ll be on the gondola a lot. Not a big deal but something to consider. The center of gravity of the festival is definitely in town and not up in the village. Also, you will miss some good films. There are nine venues and over 50 programs during the festival. No matter how you plan, you’re going to miss something great.

Festival Pass – This is the primary pass that most people get. PROS: You have unlimited access in terms of venues and you’ll likely see your top choices at some point during the festival. CONS: Be prepared for some frustration. You will wait in lines an hour or more in advance of a screening. This means that you’ll see fewer films as so much time is eaten up in lines. And, once you’ve waited and finally gotten to the door, you may be turned away if the theater is full. Every year, I hear lots of complaints about this issue. They try to remedy it with a numbered, queue system. But, even that is not without its flaws because the higher priority passes are seated first and, if a lot of them show up, the remaining capacity of the venue drops at the last moment – right before the Festival Pass people are let in.

Patron Pass – If you want to see a ton of films and budget is not an issue, this is the pass for you. PROS: With the right planning, you can see films until your eyes fall out. Four or five in a day is not only feasible, it’s easy. Six is even possible if all the stars align. Patrons are let in before the other passes so they just have to arrive at a venue before the long lines are let in. Waiting is minimal and they even throw you a Patrons’ Brunch where you can cozy up to the filmmakers and stars. CONS: Moolah, dinero, bread, bones, greenbacks. A Patron Pass will set you back almost $4,000. But, about half is a charitable donation so consider it your contribution to the film arts. No other downsides – the Patron experience will get you into a zillion films. But still not enough to feel okay about the cost-per-film math (a calculation not advised for any of the passes).

Getting There

The Telluride airport is like no other I know. It’s carved into the side of the mountain. Just this past year (2012), I heard a story of a man completely freaking out, screaming “we’re going to crash into the mountain!” as the small prop plane took its routine decent into Telluride. The first time is a bit daunting. But, landing right in town is quite convenient. Be prepared, however, to be redirected to Montrose if there’s any inclement weather. I generally just book into Montrose. The 90-minute drive is beautiful and you can get to know other film lovers on the shuttle. An added benefit is that Montrose is at 5700 feet. Driving, rather than flying, the added 3000 feet allows your body to adjust a bit easier. Yes, Telluride is about 9000 feet up.

Where to Stay

This is the most personal decision of all. The choices run from all classes of hotels and condos to finding rooms in people’s homes. If you get the Acme pass, you might want to stay in the pricier Mountain Village to be close to the Chuck Jones theater. If you’re on a budget, a room with others in a rented condo might be the best choice. The folks at ski.com have always been of great help to me. I now stay very close to the base of the gondola. Not only is that central to everything in town, it’s convenient to jumping on the gondola to see a film at the Chuck.

Food

If you’re at all like me, the trip to Telluride is to see movies. I quite literally run from venue to venue and meals are usually what can fit in one hand. Lots of turkey dogs and gyros from the guy with the cart. But, there are also some notable restaurants. My favorites include Cosmopolitan, 221 South Oak, Allred’s, Rustico, Siam, Hongas, and There.

The Buzz

Perhaps the most important tip I can offer is to leave your introverted self at home. Seeing the films you’re going to love, and avoiding the ones you won’t, means knowing the buzz that develops around each. The only way to know is to talk to everyone. Waiting in lines is not wasting time. It’s your chance to poll everyone around you. From year-to-year, I recognize the faces of those whose taste I share. I seek their opinions any chance I get.

And there’s an ethos of this audience. No one talks during a screening and they never spoil a plot afterwards. A great thing about Telluride is the fact that these are premieres and you’ve likely not seen trailers or gotten any hype prior to arriving. I remember sitting in the theater waiting for the new Ang Lee movie to begin. All I heard was that it was something about cowboys. We got none of the incredible hype that would quickly surround Brokeback Mountain (and spoil it). Knowing nothing about a film (other than that people recommend it) makes for much more enjoyable viewing.

Miscellany

Of course, the air is dry and the altitude high. Drink lots of water.

If you travel with a group, understand that some may blaze a different trail. It’s more fun when you can compare notes at the end of the day or vehemently disagree on what makes a good film. Embrace dissention.

This year (2013) will be the festival’s 40th anniversary. There will be a full day added. And, if you’re truly dedicated to see as much as you can, stay through Labor Day and leave on Tuesday. You’ll get to see several films on Monday afternoon that you surely missed. And, crowds thin out a little.

The festival is a rejuvenating experience for me. It renews my faith in the world even when the subject matter is challenging or bleak. The sheer creativity on display is inspiring.

Photo: Pamela Gentile via Telluride Film Festival

Original article can be found here.