Crucial conversation topics

EXCLUSIVE: First among Hollywood unions this year, the WGA is going face-to-face with the studios starting Monday in what’s expected to be contentious negotiations for a new overall contract. However, the atypical pole position for the hard-hitting scribes this labor round is a consequence of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ rebuke of the DGA efforts to strike a pact a few months ago.

In November 2022, the Directors’ Guild sought to spark an early dialogue with the AMPTP by sending over “pre-conditions,” as one studio source called them, for early negotiations. Over the past decade and more, the DGA has gone ahead of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA in contract talks with the Carol Lombardini-led group.

In that context, talks before official talks are nothing new in Hollywood labor circles.

However, unlike the past three contract sit-downs, the DGA had some more weighty than usual caveats it wanted dealt with before it would agree to settling on a date for the launch of formal talks, I hear. Referred to hazily as “preliminary conversations” by the guild when it revealed in early February that the WGA would be first this year to meet with the AMPTP, the initial communication laid out several topics on which the DGA wanted the studios to blueprint a deal in exchange for going first.

In that scenario, timing could prove to be everything. The more middle-of-the-road DGA kicking off talks with the studios before the other guilds and cementing a new Basic Agreement long before the June 30 expiration of the current film and TV contract would go a long way to setting the tone and terms of future negotiations with the WGA and others.

It was an offer the DGA team thought the AMPTP would welcome in timing and content. “There was some good cop-bad cop for sure,” a veteran guild member said. “Overall, the intention [of the proposal] was to deescalate things, bring down the volume, so everyone could bargain in good faith and the status quo.”

Unfortunately for that intent, the preliminary proposal from DGA leadership went down in flames fast at the AMPTP’s Sherman Oaks headquarters. “It was a complete no-brainer, non-starter,” one insider states of the paperwork emphasizing disputatious topics of ARPU, transparency and other reporting issues. “These were issues that should be at the center of negotiations, not as a f*cking prologue.”

On the other side of the table, the Lesli Linka Glatter-led DGA was surprised to receive nothing more than a perfunctory response from the AMPTP over the initial proposal, a state of affairs that continued over the holiday and into January. “You couldn’t characterized these as talks. It was an email, a reply, a pause, a call, another email and so on,” said a DGA member close to events. “We expected more of a reaction. It was as if they didn’t get it.”

In fact, among AMPTP brass and members, reactions varied. Some in the group dismissed the DGA salvo as nothing more than “misguided,“ while others saw it as “confusing.” Some took a more suspicious approach. “Seemed to me that this was a bid to see where negotiators were willing to cede, how much we were afraid of a strike,” a studio exec asserts. “The guild was trying to deke us out. We didn’t let them.”

Over at the DGA, the non-reaction reaction was indicative of where the studios would be coming from in almost all talks. “They don’t want to talk (streaming) subscriptions, they don’t want to open up about data and monetization, all that stuff,” a prominent guild member says. “It’s a barricade mentality.”

The attempt to craft a pre-deal deal came to a whimpering end not long after the New Year was rung in.

Neither the DGA nor the AMPTP would comment on the issues within the so-called preliminary conversations. In the case of the guild, the DGA pointed to its February 4 letter to members stating, “the studios are not yet prepared to address our key issues.”

Today, as formal negotiations begin at 11 am PT, the WGA will find out how prepared the studios are to address key issues. As for the DGA, its talks with the AMPTP are set to start on May 10 — more than a week after the WGA contract is due to expire.

KPIs. Analytics. Metrics. The rise of big data and AI have made data analysis a hot topic in business, but focusing too much on the numbers can work against you. One thing that will never change about business: it’s a fundamentally human enterprise. To be successful in business, you need to harness the power of your most important asset: the humans of your company.

Ambiance Matters As Much As Your Product

Imagine walking into a restaurant for a delicious meal. Shortly after, you realize that there’s no music playing, the decor is lackluster, it’s dirty, and the service is terrible. Your experience was lacking — not because the product was poor, but because of the environment. You probably won’t return to that restaurant, and odds are you’ll steer your friends away from it, too.

It’s the same with client relationships. If your sales efforts leave a sour taste in your client’s mouths, they might hold their nose and do business with you for a while, but you’re leaving opportunities on the table. You want business relationships to last with partners who are loyal and enthusiastic. But if your interactions aren’t genuine, warm, and personal, you put that longevity at risk, no matter how good your product is. You’ll also lose out on the word-of-mouth referrals that are crucial to your reputation and growth.

Your company’s ability to create personal connections with your clients requires a people-centric mentality. Creating that warm, inviting relationship starts from within. Hiring the best quality talent you can find is the first step, but you can’t just hire the best and toss them into the ring. Invest the time and energy to train them before putting them in front of a client. If your employees haven’t been coached on the importance of providing a personal and professional touch, you can’t be surprised if they fail to deliver. This also signals to your employees that you care about their success, and happy and engaged people are the foundation of a company culture that invites collaboration.

If your clients sense a lack of enthusiasm, they’ll respond accordingly. By equipping your employees with an understanding of your values, ethos, and culture, you can be confident that they’ll be effective ambassadors with clients. Using this approach, I’ve been able to retain 90% of my clients as repeat customers that have been with me for years. I’ve even hired former clients and had former employees become clients. You don’t get that sort of longevity by treating people like numbers.

Success Is Personal

Just as you shouldn’t treat your employees like numbers, you can’t treat every business transaction as another entry on the ledger. It’s a common approach to treat each client interaction as purely transactional — your business offers a service, and the client has a need for it. You shouldn’t need much more than that, right?

However, businesses can get stuck in a “this is how we do it” mindset. The client has to mold their needs to fit your catalog of services, rather than receiving tailored service based on their specific needs. Your clients are human, too. They are trying to succeed in the world, and they look to you for help in meeting their goals. Our best transactions happen when we take the time to get to know the client’s goals and needs. Once we understand their requirements, we work together to tailor our offerings to best suit their needs. This approach requires a bigger investment of time and resources upfront, but it pays dividends later. Clients are heard and understood, which goes a lot farther than just getting them a “good” price.

Be human and see the humanity in your client. One client I had was modernizing six processing facilities, each at various stages of disrepair. Some of these plants were more than 60 years old, and to say there was a lack of updated engineering specifications and drawings for them would be a severe understatement. This was a huge challenge, but the client came to us to find a way to get it done. Their success became a measure of ours, and our shared goals meant we both had skin in the game — and we were able to share a sense of pride in the end result.

Data Has Its Place

Numbers are important. It’s hard to track profitability, KPIs, or forecast properly for the future without taking a hard look at the data. Data has opened the doorway to understanding our businesses even more intimately, and truly knowing what’s working and what’s not.

However, numbers alone aren’t enough information. The numbers tell a story; if you see underperformance in key metrics, you need to ask why. Is there poor communication between management and front-line workers in certain initiatives? Did you get full buy-in on an idea from the client, or are they piecemealing services to suboptimal effect? Are your managers effectively creating a productive workplace, following your processes, resolving conflicts or practicing time management? The data points us towards people, and it’s in people that we’ll usually find our solutions.

In the face of adversity , many companies see losses and make rushed decisions that lead to quick-fix solutions, like cutting back employees. However, this is a poor strategy, both short- and long-term. You’ll lose your top talent and the money you invested in them, while remaining employees see a company that might drop them at the first sign of a storm. I recommend a different approach: use the tough times to build a tighter team, and you’ll get loyal employees and clients for years to come.

People, Not Percentages

By placing humanity at the core of your business, you can realize growth and success that lasts. Your company culture will create happier, more purposeful, and engaged employees who will then foster true teamwork with your clients. The best companies are the ones who can find a way to balance crucial data with the people behind it.

The leading “soft skills” interviewees need to demonstrate include empathy, willingness to learn and a sense of humour, according to a poll.

A survey of 1,000 hiring managers revealed 77 per cent were on the lookout for much more than just technical attributes when someone sits down for an interview.

More than six in 10 (62 per cent) had even hired someone who has demonstrated a raft of these soft skills – like sincerity and respectfulness – even if there were better technically qualified candidates.

However, 63 per cent said they believed prospective employees often forgot to demonstrate their personable and human sides in interviews and focussed too much on their skills and qualifications. Two-thirds, or 68 per cent, claimed doing this can cost candidates the job.

It also emerged 78 per cent thought interviewees must also demonstrate skills for the future, with the likes of critical thinking, emotional intelligence and a creative mindset giving candidates the edge.

Doug Rode, from the recruiting firm Michael Page, which commissioned the research, said: “The pandemic really drove home the importance of soft skills and taught businesses how crucial it is to invest in a workforce that possesses more than just technical ability.

“Now, with a turbulent economic landscape impacting businesses across the country, attributes such as a willingness to learn, flexibility and a sense of humour are all highly desired by hiring managers who know that personal qualities can impact a company’s overall success.

“Too often, candidates talk themselves out of applying for a certain job because they worry they don’t have every single skill, but this research clearly shows that employers are willing to overlook that for the right candidate.

“It’s easy to upskill once someone is in role, but traits like teamwork, empathy and friendliness are crucial attributes that you can’t necessarily teach.”

Half of those polled said a key factor when deciding between two candidates with similar credentials would be which one demonstrated a willingness to develop their skills for the future.

And 49 per cent said they would opt for the prospective employee they believed would complement the team, with 40 per cent likely to offer the job to the applicant they deemed was more likely to be in it for the long haul.

However, despite the value of learning, only 15 per cent of respondents thought most candidates they interviewed considered how they could develop their existing skills for the needs of the business in the future.

And 36 per cent claimed they often knew as soon as an interview is finished whether they will be offering the job to that person.

It also emerged 51 per cent of those who had conducted interviews since the start of the pandemic preferred meeting face-to-face rather than via video call – with just 28 per cent favouring the digital method.

Of those who relished meeting candidates in person, 74 per cent claimed to believe they could better judge a person this way, while 61 per cent felt conversations flowed more naturally.

However, video interviews can allow recruiters to speak with more applicants from further afield, opening up the pool of talent, respondents said.

Six in 10 recruiters admitted scanning through candidates’ social media profiles either before offering them an interview or the role. And for 77 per cent of these, what they have uncovered has influenced their final decision.

Mr Rode added: “Over the past few years, technology has fundamentally changed the traditional recruitment process – particularly through virtual interviewing.

“One of the key benefits of this is that companies are able to widen the net to secure talent from further afield, increasing diversity and creating opportunities for previously untapped talent pools.

“However, whether virtual or in person, interviewers will be keen to get a sense of the soft skills candidates can offer their business.

“The most successful will be those who are able to showcase a blend of both – pairing expertise and qualification with emotional intelligence too.

“Now, more than ever, demonstrating the desire to develop and futureproof their skills, being willing to learn and able to solve problems will give most candidates an edge over purely technical ability.”

If you’re not incorporating artificial intelligence into your work in some way, you’re behind the curve. Even the most suspicious and non-technical entrepreneurs could save time and money making use of the tools available, let alone those thinking bigger with AI and creating their own.

I asked entrepreneurs across all industries about how they were using AI tools in their business and their responses fit into three categories:

Content assistance

If your business relies on content in any way, AI could be the copilot you were looking for. Down one end of the AI content spectrum is getting assistance with headlines and ideas, up the other is entrusting AI with more complicated tasks and writing entire documents. These entrepreneurs are getting support with the planning and prep, to create more room for creativity.

Steve Vickers from Routes North is using AI to help streamline the process of commissioning new articles, using ChatGPT to “create highly detailed content briefs for the team of writers creating our Scandinavia travel guide. The tool has helped me by suggesting dozens of ideas that we haven’t covered before.” Vickers recommends that entrepreneurs, “feed ChatGPT with a few of your existing articles, so it gets a feel for your tone of voice and writing style. Then go ahead and ask it to create a new brief. You can even ask it to format an article outline it in a simple, user-friendly way so that your writers are totally clear about what to submit.” Use existing content to create a brief for future content to save time instructing freelancers.

In a similar fashion, Alex Goldberg from product comparison site Fin vs Fin is using Chat GPT to surface new writing opportunities for SEO, including to “identify new topic clusters, products to review, and generally streamline content creation,” he said. “It has helped me move from keyword idea to published article much faster, including saving time generating new ideas for articles and helping with content brief creation so that my editorial team can expand on each topic.” Goldberg recommends you, “start asking ChatGPT to generate all the boilerplate information, then let humans repackage their words content that’s truly helpful to the reader, being careful to add original thought too!”

Laura Rowe from Align Lifestyle is using AI to improve her time management so she can better meet the needs of her clients. “I’m using ChatGPT to assist me in developing bespoke growth and personal development plans to support my clients with their mindset and mental wellness, so they can improve their mental and physical health as soon as possible after consultation,” she said. “This has helped me create more balance in my working day, take on more clients and increase revenue.” Rowe recommends that entrepreneurs, “ask ChatGPT to pretend to be an expert in a chosen field, when giving commands,” adding that, “when you ask it to take on a specific role the results are so much more in depth and usable.”

Content creation

The next entrepreneurs are testing the limits of what they can outsource to our robot counterparts. Once the writing is done, they use a multitude of tools to do more with the same material. This can then be populated in multiple areas using far less time and energy.

Aysegul Sanford from Foolproof Living is using Notion AI and Jasper to generate short blurbs for engaging social media posts for multiple platforms. “These tools help me write several catchy social media posts within minutes, which then I can easily schedule on different platforms in the upcoming months,” she said. “I can now create and schedule content in a fraction of the time, and as a result, I eliminated the need to hire another person.” Sanford recommends that entrepreneurs, “play around with multiple AI tools and be patient as you create your own workflow.”

Speaker and coach Willo Sana is also turning content into social media posts with the help of AI, using ChatGPT to extract key insights from her upcoming book, Double Down on Your Genius. “It’s pulling out the best quotes from each chapter and writing a caption to accompany each one,” she said. “This has helped me create hundreds of ready-to-publish social posts in mere minutes!” Echoing Sanford’s advice, Sana recommends that you start playing, “even just to learn different prompts and see what they can do. I’ve been working on teaching it my writing style, and while it doesn’t always hit the mark, it’s gotten way better than when I started.”

Kalyan Ray-Mazumder from Prepmedians is going beyond the words, using Midjourney to enhance social media marketing posts by “creating beautiful and resonant images” that he displays “as green screen backgrounds using a TikTok filter inside the app’s editing software,” he said, “This process has helped me increase audience watch times, thereby fueling the algorithms to increase impressions of the post, all without having to hire artists or use dreadful stock photography.” Ray-Mazumder invites entrepreneurs to experiment with Midjourney to create images that are cohesive with their brand assets and elevate their social media presence.

Research and analytics

Artificial intelligence tools have far wider application than simply planning and creating content. Used in the right way, they can save time researching and analyzing, creating more space to do something with the data. Long gone are trawling through articles, manual data entry and complicated excel formulae. Instead, these entrepreneurs are having crucial information delivered to them in a few clicks.

Harry Morton from Lower Street , for example, is using AI to stay updated with industry news in under five minutes per day. “I have configured Zapier and Open AI to find the top news sources in our market and summarize articles into simple bullet lists, sent as an automated daily digest,” he said. “Instead of scrolling through newsletters and newsfeeds every morning, I have a single email that I can read in minutes. Then I can dig deeper into the stories that matter to my business.” Morton recommends that entrepreneurs, “Consider all the sources of information you regularly parse and leverage no-code AI tools to make you a more efficient and productive entrepreneur.”

Will Green from Poem Analysis is also becoming a more efficient and productive entrepreneur, using various AI tools for market research. “Between Hotjar and MonkeyLearn I can visualize customer feedback in huge detail,” he said. “The tools work on our site to gather feedback from real users, understand the semantics behind the qualitative data, and produce reports on the results.” Green’s business now better understands, “what our target audience wants and expects from our business, informing the direction of future products and services.” Green recommends that entrepreneurs, “review all parts of their business, especially the bottlenecks, to see if AI tools can improve productivity and efficiency or help to progress them faster.”

General administrative tasks, including research, analysis, basic content creation and scheduling need no longer be done by a human. Learn how to use the tools at your disposal to remove the low-level tasks monopolizing your diary and do the work that only you can do. Connecting, strategizing, and being a visionary founder are what you’re here for; now there’s no excuse for that not to happen for most of each day.