Whether you're creating a new website for your company or organization, or revamping your current website, it is important to plan for content development.

This is critical not only from a messaging and branding perspective, but also from a planning perspective in order to create consensus from all parties involved. It also serves as a road map.

Recently I've worked with several organizations to help them plan and determine content for their website. In both cases, the client had a website planning committee they were working with to develop the site.

Key questions to ask

Following are the key questions that either I ask or recommend the client ask of those on the website planning committee to develop a strategic plan:

• What are your key objectives for the website?
• Who are the primary target audiences?
• What are the key messages you want to communicate?
• What is the personality and tone of the website?
• What do you want target audiences to think and feel when they visit the site?
• What do you want them to do?

And last, but not least, ask what is the single, compelling idea that you want the website to reinforce from a brand, identity, and messaging perspective?

"In organizations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles and positions."
--Margaret Wheatley, Leadership and the New Science

These days, relationships are the currency of success. That’s because there are very few things that are easily accomplished alone — especially in today’s competitive marketplace.

In most situations, success is generated by the ability to create mutually beneficial, collaborative relationships, whether you are communicating with colleagues, bosses, customers or the media. And, those who build strong relationships and powerful teams often get noticed and rewarded with expanded opportunities for success.

This April and May, you’ll have the opportunity to enhance your relationship and marketing skills in an affordable way that fits into your busy schedule with a series of four new mini-workshops to be held at North Hennepin Community College Center for Training and Development.

The following four workshops, which are being offered by Barbara Mednick, President of BKM Consulting, Inc., and Julie Allen, President of Catalyst for Sustainable Change, will help you to hone the skills you need for success:

• 10 Ways That Prove You're a Leader, 3:30 - 5 p.m. April 26
• Top 10 PR Tips, 3:30 - 5 p.m., May 1
• Top 10 Marketing Trends, 8:30 - 10 a.m., May 9
• Mission Possible, 8:30 - 10 a.m. May 16

Julie and Barb each have over 20 years of experience as consultants; working with a wide variety of clients.

You don’t want to miss these 90-minute, interactive presentations along with a one-hour, optional opportunity to network and share successes, frustrations, and new solutions to old challenges with Julie, Barb, and your fellow learners. And the best part: each mini-workshop is a value at only $20 a session.

Sign-up TODAY and give yourself a competitive edge! You can register online (www.nhcc.edu/ctd) or via phone at 763-424-0880.

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently."

-- Warren Buffet

Those of us who work in the creative communications industry have at one or another experienced "blocks to creativity". These blocks to creativity can occur while working individually or in a group creativity session.

There are three main domains of such blocks: the environment, other people and, ultimately, ourselves, according to an article on www.creatingminds.org.

Environmental blocks
Some blocks occur in our work environment due to subtle signals (i.e. dress codes, tidy offices) that remind us we must conform -- even in our thinking. While some environments may be full of creative stimuli, others are not. So, if you want to be creative, you may need to experiment with your surroundings or go offsite.

People blocks
Many creative blocks come from other people, who may cause us to "clam-up" during a brainstorming session. Psychologist Carl Rogers said we should create two conditions for people:

• Psychological safety by accepting the person and not evaluating them.
• Psychological freedom to think, feel, and contribute fully.

This is why group creativity is particularly tricky. And, why one of the basic brainstorming rules is 'no judgement'. It is also one reason why it is useful to have a neutral facilitator run the session.

Internal blocks
The third, and sometimes the most challenging creative block, is ourselves. In other words, it is our subconscious and that little voice that warns us of the dangers of conventional thought.

Many of these are programmed in from an early age by our parents, teachers, and peers in an effort to keep us on the "straight and narrow". While this is certainly important and useful, it can get in the way when we're trying to brainstorm creative ideas, strategies, and solutions.

In the final analysis, all blocks are internal. However, the people and things around us can make it easier or harder to get into a "creative frame of mind".