tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78302973065019297842024-03-08T15:28:43.580+00:00laura lynne's thoughtslauralynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059988445682563321noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830297306501929784.post-77391906802944979362009-01-15T08:56:00.004+00:002009-01-15T09:29:13.495+00:00How not to be interviewed (by the CEO of Easyjet)<a href="http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/akl0017l.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 325px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 237px" alt="" src="http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/akl0017l.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2009/jan/14/george-monbiot-andy-harrison">The Guardian's coverage of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Easyjet's</span> environmental plans</a> is an interesting example of how not to deal with difficulty media questions. The cringe-worthiness of watching George <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Monboit</span> challenge Andy Harrison's views on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Easyjet's</span> environmental plans makes you wonder if the PR people at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Easyjet</span> best prepared <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Easyjet's</span> CEO got beforehand. After all the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">environment</span> is a sensitive subject at the best of times and is bound to throw up difficult questions!<br /><br /><br /><div></div></div><br /><div>Media training is always a good <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">exercise</span> for spokespeople and most come away enthused and prepared. It <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">teaches</span> them the skills of how to deal with an interview - from dealing with the usual questions to, more importantly, handling the difficult, out-of-left-field questions. But once this <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">exercise</span> is over and a few months have gone by most spokespeople can forget the skills learnt. This becomes apparent during George <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Monboit's</span> interview.</div><br /><div></div><div>This is why preparation for interviews should involve <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">reminders</span> of these skills. It is no good preparing answers for the questions you want to hear and then not being able to answer the more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">difficult</span> questions that you don;t want to hear! After all, the journalist is only doing his job by getting to the truth. </div><div></div><br /><div>A spokesperson not answering questions and being abrasive is the interview equivalent of sticking your head in the sand and not wanting to play the game. </div><br /><div></div><div>I think the thing to remember in these situations is to expect the unexpected and don't get annoyed that the journalist asks a difficult question - he is only doing his job!</div>lauralynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059988445682563321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830297306501929784.post-23296508460148851472009-01-12T20:10:00.004+00:002009-01-12T20:30:54.443+00:00housing crisis of a personal kindWith the housing crisis hitting full strength in the UK, I thought this was a good time to start searching for the ideal property to consider my first owned home (I must be mad). So we have begun trawling <a href="http://www.primelocation.com">primelocation</a> searching for the ideal home in north west London, looking in the local newspapers and so on and so on. <br /><br />During this whole process, what has amazed me most is how many people have their stories to share when giving advice on finding your first property. Its as if this is one of those milestones that everyone has been through and its makes you suddenly relatable to everyone. In some ways it is lovely to hear your grandad tellling stories of his first home which cost £6,000 or my uncle's story about how he made friends with the owner and pandered to owner's need for a substitute son and daughter. <br /><br />However, as the stories keep coming, primelocation emails keep being sent and estate agent keep calling, I am coming to the realisation that sometimes there is just getting too much information. After only a month of searching i am already tired of the stories and the emails and the calls.<br /><br />I know this is only the start and my opinion is bound to change, but at the moment it feels a little like information overload.<br /><br />That's all for now, see you on the other side.lauralynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059988445682563321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7830297306501929784.post-23170322917118407962009-01-11T17:56:00.000+00:002009-01-11T17:57:05.192+00:00hello world<p>Hello world!</p> <p>So after much toing and froing I have taken the plunge and started to put my thoughts out there in the big old web. Who knows what is to come from this blog in the future but I hope that i can make my thoughts as interesting and entertaining as possible to those who read this.</p> <p>So until tomorrow, wish me luck and see you on the other side</p> <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/194/472097903_b781a0f4f8.jpg" mce_src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/194/472097903_b781a0f4f8.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></p>lauralynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059988445682563321noreply@blogger.com1