Josh Myatt on work experience at Changeworks

During the first week of December, Changeworks had the pleasure of giving Josh Myatt, a student at Walton High School, a week’s work experience to show him the ropes of being part of a busy PR and Marketing team. Here, Josh journals his time spent at Changeworks.

5/12/11

Monday
Today it was my first day and it was just me and Sue (employer) and me in today, I got into work for 9:00am and I started on completing the account spreadsheet for income, invoices and expenditure. That took me most of the day really, after I completed that I watched the employer edit a video and how to put that accomplished video on to an actual CD.
What I liked about today was how not to be in a routine and listening out for bells, its a change from school with giving you more freedom. There was nothing I really disliked about today and it’s a huge difference from school.
6/12/11
Tuesday
Today everyone was in the office and I got on with the competitor clippings which is the main project of the week, competitor clippings are when I had to search through magazines and look out for competitors for their clients and write down a bit of information for them of course having the usual breaks and lunch which last 30 minutes roughly. Also today I had a briefing about a press release what it is and why it’s used etc.
What I liked today was how I got to meet the team in the business and learning a few new things about the office atmosphere and what kind of work goes on in an office. There was nothing I really disliked again today really, it’s a welcome change and enjoyable at the same time.
7/12/11
Wednesday
Today I was set to come into work at 10:00 and Sue was off ill today so I was in with Tiffany and Jenny in the morning but Tiffany had a meeting to go to. So it was just me and Jenny in most of the day. In the morning I continued with the competitor clippings but moved onto the doing a newsfeed for the changeworks website and published it on the actual website then I had lunch and came back and answered the phones while doing the making of cheques and posting them to their correct address. I then, ironically, did a blog post so far for the business using this diary to finish the day.
What I learnt today was how to post updates on an actual website and also how English can be useful in businesses by summarising an article for example, I also learnt how a company answers the phones usefully.
8/12/11
Thursday
Today most people were in the office and I came in at 10:00 again, once I got in I continued with the competitor clippings once again moving on to create another news feed for my blog posts that I’m currently working on. I then moved on to a briefing about how to follow other company’s or relevant people on twitter. I then had my lunch and got on to do the twitter followings with mixing with the competitor clippings so I didn’t get to bored, I finished at 4:45 today. What I liked about today was how to use twitter considering that I’ve never used it before and just the day really. I never disliked anything again that was set for me or what I had to do.
9/12/11
Friday
Today I continued with the twitter following, competitor clippings and the news feed uploading. Then I went for lunch with the team to a pub. When I came back I completed all the competitor clippings and shortened an article to put it on facebook and also I did another news feed and posted that onto the website and completed the blog posts. What I have learnt today is how the length of time people has to complete their tasks which are very quickly and even more about what the office at atmosphere is like.
What I liked about today was how everyone was in the office and also the work that I was given for today. Again I disliked nothing about today and I finished at around 5:00.

I am in the middle of a Viral Change project for a large organisation and, as part of this process, I am talking to employees. I prefer to call these ‘thinking workshops’ rather than focus groups, because I think that the latter term has become cliched. And without encouragement, people perhaps may not think deeply enough about what we ask them.

On that point, I would highly recommend a book that I am reading: ‘Marketing Metaphoria’ by Gerald and Lindsay Zaltman uncovers the deeper metaphors that work behind our deeper thinking.  Zaltman has developed an innovative process for depth interviews and focus groups to elicit people’s unconscious layers of thinking.  You can watch a video of Zaltman talking about this process, with a live example at HBR’s site.  There is also a ‘mock’ written case study to illustrate Zaltman’s point about the risks of failing to think deeply about what consumers are saying.

Whether we are planning internal or external communication, marketing principles apply. However, most marketing practice is based on outdated or incomplete knowledge of how the mind works.  By studying disciplines such as cognitive and behavioural science we can augment and enhance our marketing tools significantly and far apace of our competitors.  But more importantly we can add significant value to our clients in our change communication with them.

I love Zaltman’s book because it is about understanding the deeper structure and meaning behind the words that customers use, and using this to produce deeper level and higher quality managerial thinking. As a coach, I am fully aware of the importance and significance of metaphor in the change process.  For me this book gives me lots of ideas as to take this approach overtly into focus groups and depth interviews as part of a research process for internal change.

Whilst the book relates the concepts to brands and brand development, but there is plenty of application in developing internal communication programmes and certainly in change management.

But remember, deep thinking is hard work: have you got the courage to face the deep?