Thursday, April 29, 2010

My Brother, Allen Schaefer, 1928-2010

My brother, Allen Schaefer, passed quietly last night. During the past years we had shared much affection and attention. His son, Roy, was with him much in the last days. He is also survived by his daughter, Jill, and his wife of over a half century, Beryl. I will miss his humor and his poetry, but most of all his deep wisdom.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Almost Moving Day

A Poem In Remembrance and Anticipation
Almost Moving Day

I unplugged the fountain
its reassuring gurgle now silenced.

The plants take up residence
at the mother-in-law’s later -
my leafy children off to foster.

Knickknacks and tchotchkes
pruned, scattered to friends -
small memory gifts of going.

The purge is painful
yet therapeutic -
a peek at the waste of want.

But your precious items -
notes written in that wise hand,
the letters clear as a mountain spring;
the eyeglasses that framed your
noble nose, sat upon your chiseled cheeks,
the comb that slid through your graying hair,
your toothbrush, dear,
that touched those teeth
that my tongue oft lapped
when we lay in deep embrace;
your silk royal blue boxers - so sensual,
the ‘bumblebee’ stripped cotton ones -
so humorous;
these, dear, I’ve placed like treasures
in one small drawer to accompany
me to the new world.

©Susan Schaefer 2010

Yesterday was the birthday of playwright August Wilson, who said: "Confront the dark parts of yourself. ... Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing."

Friday, April 23, 2010

The love continues


A visit to Martijn's grave on this sun lit sping morning, the 79th birthday of his mother whom I brought a lovely bouquet earlier. A meditative break from non-stop preparations for my upcoming move next Thursday.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Communications Ethics

Public or Private:

Institutions Need Communications Ethics

Author's Note: This article was written on July 29, 2001 prior to the key events that have defined personal and professional life in the subsequent decade: 9-11 and the current fiscal debacle. At that time I was an adjunct faculty member University of St. Thomas Graduate School of Business, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, and the past president Public Relations Society of America, Minnesota Chapter. The company referenced was a major health care system, providing relevance in light of America's current bold health care initiative. I have added it to my Schaefer Communications website as well.

Allina Health System responded to the investigation of its operations by hiring outside communications consultants. Articles in the Star Tribune raised issues about the merits of this practice; a subsequent commentary piece struck an apologist chord for communications consulting.

Both parties miss the point. The real consideration is not whether organizations hire external expertise, the issue is about ethics, the role of professional communications, and the public’s right to know. Imbedded here is a sublime irony in the intense scrutiny of public organizations and relative disregard of private companies.

Professional communicators are in a unique position to guide overall decision-making at all levels of organizations, whether as insiders or outside counsel. A practitioner’s purest role is to track and analyze global and local issues, attitudes and trends, aligning the policies and procedures of an organization accordingly.

How do they do this? As was the case with Allina’s outside counsel, they use internal and external research, analyze the data, make recommendations that detail the impact of actions on the organization, and design communications programs to implement these recommendations, including how to respond to the media.

However, if Allina had and/or used a qualified senior communications officer in an executive management position of equal power and standing with its legal, financial, and operations executives, it could have avoided the problems that sparked the controversy to begin with. Hiring outside counsel to help in a crisis isn’t wrong. Allina’s seeming lack of dependence on ongoing ethical executive-level public relations practice is.

Lack of full and open disclosure about their operational practices, failure to cooperate with authorities, the arrogance of top management, are all aspects of the organization’s poor public relations. And least your reading public think that Mr. Quimby’s commentary speaks for our profession, it is never our role to “push the bounds” in any direction that is outside that of the public interest!

Many communications professionals, particularly those who choose the voluntary public relations accreditation (APR) offered by such national organizations as the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), are committed to a professional Code of Ethics that includes such precepts as: “conducting their professional life in accord with the public interest; never intentionally communicating false or misleading information; and never engaging in any practice which corrupts the integrity of the channels of communications or the process of government.” It is their role to insure that the organizations they serve follow suit.

Unfortunately, it seems that Allina and many organizations use their professional communicators as mere order takers rather than the reputation managers they are trained to be. Worse, many practitioners aren’t trained or don’t adhere to these standards.

Professional communicators use methodology and theory from such social sciences as sociology, anthropology and psychology, to determine human behavior. They study journalism, economics and organizational development. The best and brightest are trained to think and anticipate. It is their job to help organizations link and apply their findings to the legal, operational and economic aspects of the organization. This advice and counsel provides the ultimate vehicle for organizational success because it directs its gaze outside the organization and holds high an ethical perspective.

Yet, what makes the news are the misuses or transgressions of the profession. As in any field, there are good and bad public relations practitioners and good and bad public relations practice.

This gets us back to the question about public vs. private disclosure. It is naïve to demand less from private institutions than from public ones. How outdated this mindset seems. The very technology that many private organizations use to their marketing advantage holds the equal and opposite disadvantage (their view) for full and open disclosure of operations. Only the most proprietary data need be protected in our information-driven world.

Forward thinking CEOs understand that reasonable maximum disclosure creates trust with their multiple constituencies. Trust leads to credibility. And credibility builds a positive reputation or image. Nothing sells their products, services or stock better than a positive reputation. Communication professionals are uniquely trained and qualified to serve the role of reputation manager within an organization. Bringing such counsel into the mix as part of business as usual will keep organizations more in the favorable court of public opinion and less in the expensive courts of law.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Reflections on Turning 60

Suze and Pia at Ipanema Party, April 3, 2010
Suze and Sandra celebrate in Limburg's mellow countryside
April 5, 2010
Privileged to be with Sandra and Maurice's family, Levi, 11 and Britt, 10

It has been a monumental birthday, beginning with my trip to Florida, buying a new home there, reconnecting with friends and family, to returning to my home for the past almost six years here in Maastricht, Limburg, the Netherlands.

Transitions ideally should be made with great intentionality; some, of course, overtake us, like Martijn's illness and death. But even then if we prepare ourselves we can and should develop the awareness necessary to experience/feel the changes, integrate the feelings (sorrow, joy, fear, even neutrality), and hopefully transcend them. It is said that those who cannot feel deep sorrow can also not experience great joy. And so, I admit freely the depth of my continued sorrow at simply not having Martijn's joyous being by my side for this historic birthday anniversary. However, please don't mistake this sadness for depression; I am embracing the next phases of my life; I am sensing how much happier I would be if I could share it with Martijn; and, I nevertheless also am grateful for all the blessings I have.

Incorporate and transcend: I now will work with great intent to build on all I have in order to create a solid and wise next foundation. Thank you to all my dear friends and family for your amazing and continued love and support.

Monday, April 05, 2010

An afternoon with Jacques Ogg: Maastricht’s early music maestro returns to his roots

Back Story: Here is article I wrote for Crossroads Magazine last July 21, 2009, about my dear friend, Jacques Ogg, who performed for my 60th birthday. I am blessed.

An afternoon with Jacques Ogg: Maastricht’s early music maestro returns to his roots


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Sunday, April 04, 2010

Hitting the 60s in style

April 3, 2010 Susan celebrates her 60th birthday
at the Ipanema Cafe on the River Muese
in Maastricht.
Susan accepts a birthday toast offered by Bob while family and friends look on.
My dear friend, Sueli Brodin, kindly captured the evening (click to see photo album) which featured a concert by Jacques Ogg, Pia Brand and La Rosa, as well as duos by Bonnie and Piet and Sandra and Maurice, followed by dancing to Mowtown Sounds into the wee hours.

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Entering the Seventh Decade in Style

Tonight here in Maastricht I'll celebrate 60 years of life in a wonderful cafe situated along the River Maas with about 60 people. There is a certain symmetry in this. We will enjoy each other's company, conversation, performances, good food and drink, and dancing, dancing, dancing.

Friday, April 02, 2010

Finding Family

In this short video, my brother, Allen Schaefer, waxes eloquent over a snippet of our dad's history. This was shot in August 2008 at Allen's home in Allentown (a big joke of his that they named an entire city after him) Pennsylvania. Now Allen is critically ill so join me in however way you feel comfortable to send healing his way.