How to Win Angry Birds

Sarah Lichterman

Yes, I am referring to the adolescent video game, Angry Birds, which is a popular item in the iTunes app store. The skills needed to defeat the game are similar to the skills you need to avoid becoming an “angry bird” when dealing with frustrating situations. For those unfamiliar with the video game, click here to watch this how-to video that explains the game.

In the world of public relations, a normal day when everything you had planned goes accordingly is rare. Due to this, PR professionals need to be ready to deal with frustrating situations. According to an article on NBC news, a PR executive is the fifth most stressful job following enlisted military personnel, military general, firefighter and commercial airline pilot. One of the reasons this career can be stressful is because you have to flexible when problems or urgent matters occur. 

Flexibility is a trait that is rarely natural, but easy to learn. It starts with awareness. If you decide to go into the field of PR, you need to be aware that you have to be flexible. Let me repeat that for emphasis: you have to be flexible. You have to assume that most plans will not go accordingly, and you have to have a back-up plan. 

In the game of Angry Birds, you have to strategize on what type of bird will be used, in what order and where you are going to fling the birds in order to win the level. There are two main goals per level that you can craft your strategy toward: completing the level with the goal of moving to the next level or beating the level by obtaining the most possible points. 

Imagine you have been playing and replaying a level for 30 minutes, and you finally have done well enough to be able to complete it by strategically using the one bird you have left to destroy the somewhat difficult target that remains. You’ve carefully chosen which bird would be used, and your finger is on the screen carefully placing the bird in the perfect angle to hit the target. And then, your dog runs into the room, jumps on your lap and interrupts your game. You lift your finger off the screen, letting the bird fly aimlessly into oblivion and failing the level. This would be frustrating, right? 

In this type of situation, you need to remain calm and focused on your goal. If you get upset or give up, you have not only failed the level, but you have turned into an “angry bird” and failed yourself.

When a frustrating event of this kind happens in the PR profession, you need to be extremely cautious of your next steps in order to avoid being an “angry bird.” When you get an email from a client about a pitch you have been working on with a reporter for a week, and they decide they don’t want to discuss that issue, your first reaction may be to reply in frustration, using words you would probably be apologizing for later.  Let’s be honest, we all have typed out that extremely rude email reply that we had no intention of ever sending. 

However, your reaction to a frustrating situation with a client, co-worker or reporter really can make or break you. There are many different ways to relieve this stress quickly so you can get back to your job and be productive. Also, there are many ways you can manage your outlook on your workload and be proactive in avoiding stress. Below are some helpful tips to be aware of and utilize to help relieve stress at work. Click here to to read the complete article on Forbes.com.

1. Act Rather Than React
2. Take a Deep Breath
3. Eliminate Interruptions
4. Schedule Your Day For Energy And Focus
5. Eat Right and Sleep Well
6. Change Your Story
7. Cool Down Quickly
8. Identify Self-Imposed Stress
9. Prioritize Your Priorities
10. Reset The Panic Button
11. Influence Others
12. Be Your Own Best Critic

So, the answer to the question, “How do you win in Angry Birds?” is simple. Learn to be flexible when a situation arises, be cautious of your reaction and accept that you have chosen to endeavor on a task that requires patience. Whether you are flinging birds or trying to get the word out there about your client, these pointers can help you to succeed in stressful situations. On the upside, even though a career in PR can be stressful at times, it is very rewarding because it gives you the unique opportunity to be creative, learn a lot and make change happen! 

Use of social media revolutionizes the definition of a traditional resume

Sarah Burgess

Sure, we all know about social media. With sites and apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, it’s easy to get lost in the lighthearted or humorous side of online networking. But do you know just how vital things like what you post, the language you use and who you follow can be when searching for a job?

I read a Forbes article recently that discussed the growing trend of companies running online searches on potential employees. The author, Dan Schawbel, predicts that this movement will continue to rise and “online presence searches will become as common as a drug test.”

With more and more businesses using the Internet to search for prospective employees, cleaning up your language is no longer enough to attract recruiters. To win over a new boss, here’s a list of ways to improve your online presence:

1. First Things First – If you don’t have accounts with popular social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.), get an account ASAP!

2. Account Setup – Make sure your username or site address is professional and identifiable. While the Twitter handle “KittyLvr85” may describe you perfectly, it’s best to keep it simple by using your first and last name only (numbers at the end if necessary). Similarly, make sure all of your “Bio” or “About Me” sections are accurate and up-to-date.

3. Photos – Make sure your profile picture accurately identifies you.
Companies are looking for a profile photo that accurately depicts you, not a picture of you and 15 friends making silly faces at the beach. Today, most social media require a square profile picture, so choose a photo that will crop and resize appropriately.

4. Keep it Classy – This should be self-explanatory, but keep your account content appropriate. Be sure to check your pages regularly for any tasteless posts or tags from friends. The best rule of thumb is this: If you have to question it, get rid of it! Remember, even when you aren’t searching for a job, people are always out there watching.

5. Linking – Though many people aren’t aware or don’t take advantage of it, linking your various social media accounts back to an online resume (such as LinkedIn) or a personal website makes you all the more marketable to potential employers. A personal website can be created by purchasing an online domain (Schawbel recommends GoDaddy.com). If you have art, photography or designs to display, consider creating a free page on sites such as deviantart.com, beehance.net or wix.com. 

6. Friends and Follows – Just like in high school, whom you connect with speaks volumes about your personality and character. Instead of only following your friends and favorite celebrities like those of Duck Dynasty or the Kardashians (no offense, we love y’all!), connect with the accounts of professionals, organizations and those with expertise in your field. Plus, there are even accounts created for job listings! Some of these accounts include Tweet Smarter, PR Jobs and Intern Queen.

Got any more tips for increasing your professional presence online? Post them in the comments below!

Don't forget us

Kelli Eason

If you ask a business owner to describe his or her most valuable asset, you would probably get a variety of answers. As someone who works for business owners, I would hope a lot of them would say their employees are their best assets! Lucky for me, I’ve worked for some pretty good companies that do a lot to keep their employees happy.

I read a Forbes article recently that discussed the merits of a new book: “Make More Money By Making Your Employees Happy.” The author, Dr. Noelle Nelson, says “When employees feel that the company takes their interest to heart, then the employees will take company interests to heart.” As one such employee, I agree.

But appreciating employees doesn’t always have to constitute more money. Yes, bonuses are good things, but there are a lot of ways to make an employee feel valued that don’t cost much at all. And with employees being a brand’s best ambassador, it may be worth a shot to help make your business even more successful.

1.    Food
Consistently listed in Fortune’s list of the Top 100 Best Places to Work, Google was No. 1 in 2012. It’s one of the fastest growing companies in the United States, and I personally know a few fanatics who would give anything to work there.

People hear about the unusual perks like “nap pods,” but another thing that Google is well-known for is their food. Employees are never far from a snack pantry, and they can eat meals in an employee cafeteria for free.

That seems a little much for most smaller businesses, but as a former college student who went to many an organizational meeting for the free pizza, I can attest to the joy of a meal on the company every once in a while. It doesn’t have to be much. Sometimes bringing in doughnuts or coffee or just taking care of lunch during a big meeting is a welcome perk for employees. It also keeps the stress of a working lunch from getting to everyone!

2.    Flexible time and work/life balance
Work/life balance has become something of a buzz word in the last few years. In the days of smart phones, laptops and Wi-Fi on every corner, it sometimes seems like work never stops.

However, this can be beneficial to the company that has the ability to offer flexible time when life happens. All employees have dentist appointments, everyone gets sick and some people have children who can’t go to day care when they have a fever. In the days of Wi-Fi at home and laptop-based work cultures, leniency on where the work happens is a great way to keep your employees from getting overly stressed or behind on their duties, which will likely hinder their productivity later.

At Cisco, ranked No. 90 on Fortune’s list, estimates show that 90 percent of employees have the ability to telecommute when they need to. If telecommuting isn’t an option, personal time is another big (and easy) win. In 2011, new Apple CEO Tim Cook gave employees paid vacation through Thanksgiving to celebrate a record-setting year for the company. Obsidian does the same, and that whole smart phone and laptop-based Wi-Fi culture really helps ensure our productivity even when we aren’t in the office! Even SAS Institute, No. 3 on the Fortune list, offers unlimited sick days so employees don’t have to use their vacation time when they aren’t feeling well. And of course, a good recovery time makes for a more productive return to the office.

3.    Take employee suggestions
If you’ve ever watched “Undercover Boss” on CBS, you may have noticed that as companies grow, top management seems to lose contact with day-to-day operations. Even small companies are not immune to this, especially if the people responsible for making decisions aren’t participating in the daily grind.

CHG Healthcare Services, which came in at No. 9 on Fortune’s list of best companies to work for, jumped 18 spots from No. 27 in 2011 due in part to their dedication to routinely taking and acting on employee suggestions. Companies represented on “Undercover Boss” often do the same, but have you ever wondered what they are missing from the thousands of other employees who don’t have the opportunity to speak up during filming?

Even if employee suggestions aren’t viable, taking them into consideration is a great way to boost morale. When employees feel like they have some control over what happens at their company or feel “in the know” about the company’s state of affairs, they are more likely to react positively to changes that don’t seem to come from a closed-off boardroom. And if you actually enact an employee suggestion, sit back and reap the benefits, because word will get out and everyone will feel better about the decision.

4.    Keep your employees healthy
Wegmans Food Markets, which landed at No. 4 on Fortune’s list, makes employee health a priority. They go beyond providing insurance and offer things like smoking cessation programs, for which 2,000 Wegmans employees have enrolled since 2009. This is not only a great perk for employees, but for Wegmans, as they reap the benefits of a healthy workplace.

As with many of these programs, it doesn’t have to be huge. At Obsidian, we recently enacted something we like to call the Obsidian 2.5. With most of us sitting at a desk for many hours each week, our owner decided to make it a little easier for us to stay active. We now have the freedom to use 2.5 hours of administrative time each week to work out, whether that means taking a run in the park, going to a gym or using a workout video at home. It’s made it a lot easier to manage fitting trips to the gym into my schedule, and really keeps me more alert and feeling better at the office every day, all for the low low price of…free.

5.    Create a great culture
I love Zappos.com for a lot of reasons, but this is just one more positive thing about the company that came in at No. 11 on the Fortune list this year. The company has a very distinct culture, one that includes things like “laughter yoga” classes on-site and Zfrog awards, which lets employees pitch new business ideas.

Some of these things may seem off-the-wall and not quite a fit for another type of company, but it’s important to embrace whatever culture exists at your place of business. Prior to working at Obsidian, I enjoyed a few years in the marketing department of Raising Cane’s, a restaurant chain based in South Louisiana. My first day in the office included an hour of “culture immersion,” which included tips on how to really get into their culture of working hard and having fun. Music in the restaurant’s kitchens and painting windows for the holidays were just a few of the quirky things we enjoyed.

Got any tips or suggestions for how to make employees feel valued? Leave them in the comments!