The ultimate smack down.  Two days vying for the title of worst day of the week. Who’s going to be taken seriously and who goes home full of despair and disappointment?

Recently, I was in a frank conversation, or argument rather, with a peer who was determined to convince me Tuesday was a far worse day of the week than Monday.

Here I state my case of the Mondays:

• My Monday morning wake-up calls are less than ideal:  forgetting to set an alarm, pigeons attacking my air conditioner or the abrupt shower shift of hot water to cold, never fails.
• There is never enough caffeine to tackle the “Should have gotten this done on Friday” list that creeps into your head around 11 p.m.  Sunday evening.
• Did you know, the most common day for heart attacks is Monday.  Monday morning. Studies suggest there is a significant increase in blood pressure on Monday mornings.  Who would have thought?

Now, not all Mondays are awful and maybe we’re just focused on how we predict we’ll feel, not how we actually feel in the moment of another manic Monday. However, on Tuesday I know at least one to-do got crossed off my list: Surviving Monday.

-  Emmy Hayes

Yes, it is. Sing with me. But seriously folks, time management is nothing to dismiss. To be effective in all areas of life, good time management skills are a must.

How do you begin? First, sit back and think about what you want to accomplish. Time spent planning is time well-spent. To successfully reach any goal you need to have a plan in place. If you’re a list maker, now is the time to make one. If you’re not, figure out a system that works for you and put it into action.

Organization is essential. Searching for files or paperwork is a huge waste of time, if you take something out, put it back. Everything should be in its place when you’re not using it. If something doesn’t have a place, designate one for it. It sounds very simple, but it takes a lot of practice to make this become a habit.

Be realistic. Everyone has to say “no” once in a while. If you take on more than you can handle you won’t be able to put out your best work. Find a good balance and stick with it. Why add more stress to your life when it’s not necessary?

Procrastinate much? The best way to successfully complete a project that you don’t want to do is to work on it in increments. That way you’re less likely to give up on it and move on to something else. Once you’re finished, you will feel a huge sense of relief.

Rewards are a great motivational tool. Promise yourself a reward for a completed task or job well-done. Most people will work harder when there’s an incentive on the line.  I’ll admit to being one of those people and my reward is shoes, always shoes.

-Kim Pool

As I worked out on the elliptical machine the other day at East Bank Club, there was a comical juxtaposition of programming on two large TVs next to each other.

One TV broadcast the highlights of the 11th Annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show from this past December. The organization’s website says of the show, “not only is it the largest invitation-only dog show in our history, but it is the largest dog show in the country this year.”

Labrador retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Rottweilers, Pugs, Border Collies and more posed eagerly for the camera, quickly trotted through their paces and stood by nervously while their competitors had the spotlight.  Handlers straightened hair, spoke words of encouragement and gave last-minute instructions.

Meanwhile, on the TV directly to the left, a rather long CNN promo for the GOP presidential debates rolled along. There, a Newt, a Mitt, a Ron and a Rick posed eagerly for the camera, sprinted up steps to the podium, and smiled nervously while their opponents spoke.  Handlers stood by, nodding in agreement, whispering advice and brushing the lint off well-tailored shoulders.

I chuckled out loud at the similarities. While political debates and primary races often are called “beauty contests,” I couldn’t help but think of the current GOP primary campaign as a really long dog show.

And, I imagined a yard sign favoring “Labrador Retriever in Chief.”

- Kathy Schaeffer

Is the Kathy Schaeffer and Associates, Inc.  culture actually so strong that you can feel it the moment you walk into the room? Possibly.

A couple of uncomfortable (some might say painful) incidents recently tested our corporate culture and the company core values that underpin it.

Culture prevailed. And, while experiencing these situations was far from sweetness and light, we learned significant life lessons and our team is stronger for it.

Chief among those lessons: The two percent of the time we don’t play well with others is a critical measure of the success of our culture. It is a reflection of the strength of our core values during the 98 percent of the time we do play well with others and achieve public relations success for our clients.

Our clients often tell us they love working with us and appreciate our collaboration, enthusiasm and accountability. We are fanatical about catapulting our creative ideas to victory by launching them with timelines and game plans. Sometimes, we are control freaks.

It is our collective recipe for success. But others don’t always appreciate that.

Initially, I was chagrined about this, but then I recalled what Jim Collins wrote about the strength of cultures – that sometimes a well-developed culture expels or repels others who don’t fit that culture – and I was overcome with gratitude and respect for the KSA team and the fiber of our culture.

In his pivotal book, “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t,” Collins wrote:  “It is not the content of a company’s values that correlates with performance, but the strength of conviction with which it holds those values, whatever they might be.”

I’ve known for some time that my colleagues are able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and are faster than a speeding bullet. Now – through mettle-testing events it’s clear through the culture we’ve all built that my colleagues also are more powerful than a locomotive.

-   Kathy Schaeffer

For a manager, there are few things more rewarding than hiring and promoting people. Situations like these are truly life-changing for employees. We all remember the thrill of starting a new position and all the responsibility that comes with it.

At KSA, we are strengthening the ranks of our senior staff to meet the needs of our growing list of clients. That’s why, at the beginning of this year, we promoted Lisa Soard – a 10-year veteran of KSA – to Account Supervisor and hired Joe Scolaro, who has 19 years of media and public relations experience, as Account Supervisor.

Joe and Lisa are a dynamic team. Already they’ve worked together on projects for our clients, and have provided outstanding strategic thinking, writing and editing.

This is just the beginning of their new leadership positions. Joe and Lisa will each manage project teams. And, we are adding to the KSA ranks of account executives, who carry out daily PR activities and report to Lisa and Joe. KSA is ready for a successful 2012, with more of the type of smart, passionate and ingenious work you’ve come to expect from us.

- Bob Musinski

The Chicago Sun-Times announced last week that it would no longer be endorsing candidates for political office.

The paper, which is under new ownership, will continue to issue questionnaires and interview candidates. It just won’t officially pick sides.

The Sun-Times editorial page offered a number of reasons behind the change:

• The multitude of information sources today allow even a casual voter to be better informed than ever before.
• Research on the matter suggests that editorial endorsements don’t change many votes.
• Candidate endorsements promote the perception of a hidden bias by a newspaper.

The news had KSA buzzing. Some KSA team members thought the Sun-Times’ new policy was a step in the right direction, and would ensure greater transparency. “How can a paper endorse one political candidate over another, and then claim to cover an election without bias?” they asked.

Others thought the Sun-Times was making a mistake, and doing readers and voters a disservice. “If newspaper editorial boards don’t ask the tough questions and vet candidates, who else would – or even could – play that role?” they wondered.

And might the decision ultimately marginalize the Sun-Times when it comes to future elections? After all, candidates may decide it’s not worth the trouble of answering the paper’s questionnaires and meeting with its editorial board if there’s no prize to be won.

What do you think?

- Tim Frisbie

One of my favorite sayings around the office is, “I’d rather you made an error of commission than an error of omission.” I usually accompany that statement with a reminder to my teammates that everyone here is a superstar, and I know that each person will make the right decision at least 99 percent of the time.

Trust and empowerment of my colleagues is a risk I am happy to take. The rewards are enormous, starting with excellent, pro-active, creative, attentive client service from our team. I’m bragging, and yes, I’m blushing.

Few things aggravate me more than when a person says, “Well, I wasn’t sure what to do, so I waited until (name the juncture) …” Usually a situation like that results in missed opportunities, or worse, a blunder.

I subscribe to the Billie Jean King philosophy: “Be bold. If you’re going to make an error, make a doozy, and don’t be afraid to hit the ball.”

I’d rather fix a broken window from a ball hit too hard than risk failure on behalf of a client because we were waiting too long for someone else to say “Play ball!”

- Kathy Schaeffer

Blog maintenance is as important as car maintenance. Like a car, your blog can get outdated and clunky, but with proper care you’ll have a shiny, souped-up hot rod offering a smooth ride for readers.  Here at KSA, we like to avoid the potholes.

Blog Maintenance Tips:

• When there are updates available on your blogging host, update them. Any glitches and improper features are fixed quickly and your blog will love showing off its new look.
• Always double check that your links are active. Your readers will appreciate seeing the intended content, instead of an elusive 404 error. Also, double check that the link is connected to the intended content for your audience; why else do you think we have so many viral cat videos on YouTube?
• Content needs to remain fresh and relevant. Every organization is different, so establish your online personality early and adhere to an editorial calendar.  One of our favorite blogging pastimes at KSA is the Blog Writing Party.  We dedicate time in our day to write as many blog posts as we can and the best part —  there may or may not be a bell involved at the end of each finished post. Ding* (you get to ring it when you’re finished writing)
• Remember: Your blog offers that “Midas Touch” to your online connections with colleagues, industry leaders, current and potential clients, so keep it running smoothly.

Don’t be a boring Oldsmobile …we’ll race you to the finish line.

- Emmy Hayes

In his book Hardball: How politics is played by one who knows the game, journalist and former Congressional staffer Chris Matthews refers to two popular political tricks he calls “lowballing” and “sandbagging.”

Sandbagging is the practice of setting unrealistic expectations for your opponent that he can never hope to meet.

Lowballing, on the other hand, is setting artificially low expectations for yourself that you can easily surpass.

During the 2004 presidential debates between the eloquent Senator John Kerry and the famously gaffe-prone President George W. Bush, President Bush’s campaign was able to successfully “sandbag” Kerry’s rhetorical skills and “lowball” the President’s. When the two candidates met face to face and Bush didn’t completely collapse, many media outlets afterward proclaimed the president’s victory.

Setting expectations is an important part of working with clients. You never want to “lowball” yourself, but you need to set realistic goals and agree ahead of time on what success looks like.

If it’s not realistic, promising your clients the moon, the stars and the New York Times is a bad idea – even if it’s what they want to hear. It’s better to recalibrate unrealistic expectations early on than have to explain yourself later.

At the same time, playing it safe by setting the bar too low also does everyone a disservice.

When you and the client are on the same page, you can accurately measure the campaign’s success…and celebrate together when all your hard work pays off.

- Tim Frisbie

Do you check your Facebook at least once – or several times – a day?

How about Twitter?

It’s likely you’ve said “yes” to both.

OK.

Do you peruse LinkedIn frequently? And, do you read the LinkedIn updates that are emailed to you, letting you know if one of your connections has a new job and is now working for a competitor – or ally – of yours?

If you said “no” to both, then you’re missing out on one of the most effective – and time-saving – networking habits. While it’s more fun to Facebook, you may find that tending to your other social media networking connections will give you serendipitous discoveries that can help your career.

Here are three other quick and easy networking habits to start right now:

1)      Make sure you have business cards stashed everywhere – you never know when you might need them.

2)      Create a networking chart, so you can keep track of whom you met at what time/place … and whether you’ve followed up.

3)      Organize the pile of business cards you’ve collected. Save the ones you want to talk to, file or pitch the rest.

- Bob Musinski