Even if it is taught in every management course and written in every manual for supervisors: It is not true that the qualification interview forms the basis for open communication between employees and supervisors and contributes to a trusting working atmosphere. The reverse is true: open and informal communication and a trusting atmosphere are the foundation for constructive performance reviews. Without a positive working climate throughout the year, the appraisal interview becomes as stiff as Christmas at the home of disagreeable in-laws with whom one has hardly any contact during twelve months.

But how do you create a working atmosphere in which employees feel comfortable and perform well? Not by the boss acting like a buddy. That comes across as chumming up. A good supervisor does not deny the hierarchy gap and is always aware that he or she is in the driver's seat - this way, he or she does not run the risk of using the lever unnecessarily and unjustifiably. In addition, anyone who does not only thank employees for their performance at company events, does not only inquire about the employee's well-being after the vacations and shows empathy, makes a human contribution to a climate in which it is possible to talk openly. But it takes more than that:

"Nothing motivates your employees more than sincere praise," writes communications consultant Patrick Rohr in his book "So meistern Sie jedes Gespräch" (How to master every conversation). Christoph Blocher sees things differently. He said when he was still a Federal Councillor that he wasn't paid to praise, but to criticize.You can have that opinion, Patrick Rohr doesn't share it: "I'm convinced that every employee always needs feedback to know that they're on the right track." Because everyone needs recognition, feedback is always needed - the quicker, the better. "That way, the employee knows what's bad about their work or why it's good," Rohr says. As in soccer, any criticism or feedback should always be aimed at the ball, not the man. In other words: It is not the other person's personality that should be criticized, but his or her behavior. Moreover, all people are more willing to perform if they are shown appreciation.

The appraisal interview is a time to take stock: What went well, what went badly? What got better thanks to positive feedback, and what got worse despite warnings? Where is there potential? Where do the boss and the employee want to be in a year's time? It is important to record the answers in writing. Minutes of appraisal interviews are the basis for promotions, references and, in the worst case, dismissals.

Do you need legal advice?
The Beobachter Consulting Center offers you and your employees expert telephone consulting on legal issues concerning your company - 6 months for only Fr. 99.-. Order the consulting package for SMEs at www.beobachter.ch/kmu or 0800 83 0800.

Book tip
How to master every conversation. Arguing courageously and confidently - at work and in your private life
Communication professional Patrick Rohr shows you how to conduct conversations with confidence. Learn how to argue convincingly and hold your own in any discussion. 240 pages, Fr. 45.-, 2nd edition, 2010 ISBN 978-3-85569-437-2, Beobachter-Buchverlag.

An ad campaign in the women's magazine Annabelle draws attention to the new lingerie collection.

Responsible at Perosa: Roger Schärer. Responsible agency: Ideart. Photographer: René Schwerdtel, Germany. Creation: Ludek Martschini.

The heart and birthplace of the idea for the alternative Christmas shopping village is the large Christmas market in Zurich's Plaza culture club. It will be colorful there from December 17 to 22. During the days of the Holy Bimbam, around 40 daily changing exhibitors will transform the club into a dazzling Christmas department store on three levels - with a program against the Silent Night: DJs, Runfunk.fm, cupcakes and mulled wine provide the pre-Christmas beat. The Christmas market in the Plaza, which follows on from the success story of the summer Monday market in Rimini, is intended to act as a pull for Kreis 3+4 newcomers.

The campaign will be communicated from December 1 by means of a special street map of the shopping village, on which an Advent calendar is integrated, presenting the stores and pointing out the aperitifs that take place almost daily in the Christmas village. The street map is available free of charge in Zurich stores and cafés and, thanks to partner Zürich Tourism, also in travel centers and hotels. However, what is hidden behind the little doors is only revealed in the virtual Advent calendar, which you and your loved ones can sign up for at www.montagsmarkt.ch.

Responsible at Montagsmarkt: Katja Weber and Vania Kukleta (concept/implementation). Responsible at Designerclub: Reto Gehrig and Ryosuke Kawaguchi Zopfi (Art).

 

At Ppn.ch advertising customers will in future have the opportunity to book performance and targeting advertising on 20 Minuten Online, Blick.ch, Newsnet, NZZ-Netz, Search.ch and other media company websites, as detailed in a press release issued on Wednesday. According to Netmetrix Profile, the network reaches 74 percent of all Swiss Internet users and will also be open to high-reach websites of other companies after the introductory phase.

By working together in the area of performance and targeting advertising, the media companies want to actively help develop the Swiss online advertising market. The aim with PPN is to create a neutral performance and targeting network that can be booked by all media agencies, marketers and direct advertising clients. The NZZ Media Group, Ringier and Tamedia attach great importance to transparency in the collection and use of the recorded user profiles. Technically, the new network is based on the technology platform of the Norwegian company Cxense, which was developed under the leadership of Internet pioneer Dr. John Markus Lervik.

Under the leadership of Marco Billeter and Tony Hrnek, the newly founded PPN Switzerland, a subsidiary of Cxense, will take over the marketing of the online advertising network. The NZZ Media Group, Ringier and Tamedia are each represented with a seat on the Board of Directors of PPN Schweiz AG and have the option of jointly taking over the company by 2013.

The establishment of the Premium Publisher Network will be notified to the Swiss Federal Competition Commission and is subject to its approval.
 

77% of the Swiss population aged 14 and over use the internet, almost all of them at home. At work, 43% of users use the internet, which is 56% of the Swiss working population. 26 percent (20 percent of the Swiss population) are also online on the move, mainly using smartphones. "The average Swiss user uses the internet for three quarters of an hour per day," explains Prof. Michael Latzer from the IPMZ at the University of Zurich, under whose direction the study was conducted. The proportion of so-called light users is high: around half of both women and the 60+ generation spend five hours or less a week on the Internet. According to the study, there is practically no gender gap between women and men.

From message search to contact exchange

In Switzerland, the Internet is used for a wide variety of media. For example, it is used for digital orientation: 92% of internet users use search engines, 75% search for news, 73% consult online encyclopaedias and 68% look for health information. In terms of digital recreation, 66% of Internet users visit video portals, 54% listen to music and 43% listen to radio broadcasts. 37% watch time-shifted television, 35% watch live television and 33% play games online.

78% of internet users search for product information, 74% obtain information about travel, 65% compare prices and 63% buy and pay online. These applications can be summarized under the term digital economy.
Email, for example, is considered digital socializing and is used by 96% of online users. Half (54%) are on social networks - more in private networks (46%) than in professional networks (23%). 43 percent use instant messaging, 31 percent make phone calls on the Internet and 10 percent use dating sites. 59% of Internet users upload photos, 34% participate in discussion forums, 29% upload music videos and 14% upload their own videos. These activities can be described as digital creation.

Information more important than entertainment

"The internet is considered more important as a source of information than as a source of entertainment," says Prof. Latzer. But in terms of Swiss society as a whole, the Internet is behind the traditional mass media as a source of both information and entertainment. For Internet users, however, the Internet is just as important a source of information as other media such as newspapers, radio and TV. But Internet users also prefer to entertain themselves by watching TV or listening to the radio.

At least half of the content on the Internet is rated as credible by three quarters of the Swiss population. They differentiate between professional content and user-generated content: While most of the content on the SRG website and the websites of governments and authorities is considered trustworthy, less than half of the content on social media is.

Concerned about control and abuse

39% of the Swiss population are or would be very or extremely concerned if a credit or debit card were used online. A further 33 percent would be somewhat concerned, while only 12 percent are not at all concerned. 29% of internet users feel that their personal data has been misused or passed on. They are far more concerned that their internet behavior is being controlled by companies (43%) than by the government (28%). For all questions on concern, these worries increase with age: in the older generation, the proportion of those concerned is twice as high as in the younger generation.

Great scepticism towards digital democratization in Switzerland

The study also showed that internet users are generally more politically active than non-users. However, political activity on the Internet decreases when the demands on political activity increase. For example, the Internet is used more for searching for information than for political discussions. Two thirds of online users also continue to discuss political issues exclusively offline. The Internet is not trusted very much: Only a fifth (22 percent) of the Swiss population believe that it is safe to say whatever you think about politics on the Internet. There is also strong scepticism regarding the positive effects of using the internet on democratization: only a small minority in Switzerland believe in digital democratization. The most likely assumption (20 percent approval) is that politics can be better understood. Only 11 percent believe in more participation. Less than half of the population believe that people should be allowed to freely criticize their government on the Internet. 29% reject free criticism of the government online. 41% are against the expression of extreme opinions online. 31% think it is okay for extreme opinions to be expressed online.
 

The campaign motto: Don't let the dirt speak for your company. The dirt monsters on the flip charts appear on double and half pages in the business press. The campaign kicks off with a double page spread in today's Handelszeitung.

Responsible at Real Clean: Toni Romano (overall responsibility). Responsible at Ruf Lanz: Markus Ruf, Danielle Lanz (CD), Maren Beck (text), Isabelle Hauser (AD), Dave Schellenberg (graphics), Kristina Burch, Doelkar Monkhar (consulting). Photography: Getty Images. Image processing: Isabelle Hauser.

Nevertheless, a solution in the form of continued employment has so far been found for around 85 of the 300 employees affected, according to a statement on Wednesday. In addition, the company has decided on measures that complement the existing social concept.

At the center of the clarifications was the proposal submitted by a works committee together with the Syndicom trade union to continue the St. Gallen site with a reduced workforce of 70 employees. The management of Swissprinters rejected this proposal, as the cash flow required for the medium-term continuation of operations could not be generated even in this formation, assuming realistic capacity utilization and taking into account the current price trend.

However, the proposal to keep a prepress team in St. Gallen was accepted. This will be supplemented by a number of employees from customer advice, reader service and sales. As of January 1, 2012, Swissprinters will also transfer its sheetfed offset activities in German-speaking Switzerland to the Neidhart & Schön Group, which will offer 46 employees of the Zurich operation continued employment. The 16 apprentices from Zurich and St. Gallen can complete their training at Swissprinters or at other companies.

Of particular importance for the employees affected by the closures are the accompanying measures that have been adopted. These are aimed at providing financial compensation as well as advisory services and further training opportunities and thus complement the existing social concept.

Existing orders of the plant in Zurich will already be executed by the Neidhart + Schön Group as of January 1, 2012, while production in St. Gallen will be discontinued by June 30, 2012 at the latest.

 

At Westside, there are very special Christmas delights to experience during the Advent season, as the agency writes in a press release. Under the motto "Merry Shopping - Give the gift of joy!", the experience and joy of Christmas shopping will be staged. In addition to the right Christmas presents, Westside will be offering craft and baking sessions for children, concerts with South American Christmas carols, signing sessions with SCB players and much more. And on December 1, the big Christmas promotion kicks off. Every day, a window of the giant Advent calendar will be opened with a prize worth 500 francs.

The motto is continued in the visualization of the Christmas campaign. It shows suitable gift ideas and the joy of giving and receiving presents. A magazine, posters, advertisements, DM, online, promotions, center decorations and signage are used as advertising media.

Responsible at Westside: Philipp Schlyja (Head of Marketing/Communications EKC GMA); Ludwig Nehls (Center Manager), Marc Käser (Head of Events), Franziska Goldinger (PL Marketing Communications). Responsible at Republica: Roger Keller (overall responsibility), Stéphanie Schneuwly, Ramona Blatter (consulting), Re Wilk (CD), Youri Laubscher (AD), Tugba Kirac (graphics), Bruno Böhlen, Christoph Emch (magazine editors), Gary Jude (image editing); photography: Eliane Clerc, 7pictures Bern; online: Shahri Roth, Goldbach Interactive.

 

Naomi Meran has spent the last few years working intensively with social media, most recently at Isuntu as a social media consultant, the digital marketing agency said in a statement. Prior to that, she spent six years as a PR project manager, primarily overseeing online projects. She studied journalism and psychology at the University of Zurich.

 

The categories represent the broad range of dialog marketing channels and reflect the diversity of the industry, according to a press release. Five special prizes will also be awarded. In the "International" category, agencies from abroad submit their successful campaigns. The "Campaigns for Non-Profit Organizations" category is the platform for this important dialog marketing sector. Winning the "Audience Award" is a special honor. Online voting will be used to determine the favorite work of visitors to the dialogue marketing exhibition from Thursday, March 1, 2012 to Monday, March 5, 2012. Equally coveted is the "Platinum Prize", with which an expert jury will honor the most outstanding work of the entire year. The range of categories is rounded off with the "SDV Junior Award". This can be a springboard for young talents in the industry who want to present their skills to a wide audience. Last year's winning entry in this category will be presented this year under the motto "Play me the song of victory". A competition entry can be awarded in several categories.

All entries will be judged by a panel of experts, including Martin Spillmann (Spillmann/Felser), Frank Bodin (Euro RSCG Worldwide), Pierre C. Meier (Werbewoche) and René Eugster (Agentur am Flughafen). Advertisers, marketing experts, representatives of universities of applied sciences and clients are also represented.

The complete participation dossier is available at Dm-award.ch. Members of the SDV partner associations ASW, BSW, Schweizer Werbung, SMC and Swissfundraising benefit from reduced participation fees. The deadline for entries is January 31, 2012, so saddle up, put your spurs to the wheel and register now! The winners will be celebrated at the Award Night on June 22, 2012 in the large saloon of the Kongresshaus Zurich. The winning entries will be included in the creative ranking of Advertising Week, which is compiled in collaboration with the Art Directors Club Switzerland.
 

The Swiss magazine for animals and nature Tierwelt will have a new publishing director with immediate effect. The 49-year-old Thomas Schwabe, federally certified sales manager, could be won for this challenging task, as the media company writes in a statement on Wednesday. His professional career has led him to work in the areas of placement, consulting and sales of advertising media for daily newspapers and online platforms. Still in the pioneering days of the new media, he launched an important online job market for Switzerland. Subsequently, he deepened his expertise for online classifieds marketplaces at leading Swiss online portals. In his current role, he is responsible for all cross-media sales within the Zofinger Tagblatt media group. In addition to his great professional commitment, he teaches at the Sawi training institute in the specialist areas of advertising management and print media.

The 40-year-old Marco Piffaretti, a trained and federally certified media manager, joined Zofinger Tagblatt AG a few weeks ago as key account manager for new media. Thanks to his extensive experience as a media consultant in various renowned media agencies in Zurich and his various training courses, he has acquired a high level of expertise in all media genres, according to the statement. He will be Head of Crossmedia Sales and a member of the extended management team.

Kurt Lipp is now responsible for the organization of the Reiden sales agency and directly manages the entire advertising sales team in Reiden. Kurt Lipp's main focus is on the development and expansion of Lucerne's weekly and advertising titles. His portfolio includes the Luzerner Nachrichten, Oberwiggertaler and the newly designed regional newspaper Surentaler/Trienger Anzeiger. In addition to these demanding challenges, there is also the sales activity for wildlife in the new geographical area.
 

Family vacations can be enjoyed anywhere, Matter & Gretener said in a press release. But not everywhere as child-friendly as in the Free Republic of Saas-Fee. This is confirmed by an analysis carried out by experts for the UK's most important family vacation website: Takethefamily.com. Saas-Fee scored best of all Swiss destinations in terms of child-friendliness and came in an excellent second place in an international comparison - ahead of all major ski resorts in Austria, Italy, the USA and Canada. The fact that the ski pass for children up to the age of nine is free in the Free Republic of Saas-Fee contributed to this excellent result. This is an economic advantage that more and more adults are attempting to obtain. At least that's what the latest tongue-in-cheek news program on vacation republic television reported.

The viral spot was created by Matter & Gretener in collaboration with Condor BB/A and will hopefully find as many friends as the last "Ferien-Rundschau": This mischievously pointed out the advantages of a snow-sure winter sports resort and was worth a cover story for "20 Minuten".

Responsible at the Free Holiday Republic Saas-Fee: Pascal Schär (Head of the Department of Recreation), David Graefen (Head of the Office for New Citizen Recruitment). Responsible at Matter & Gretener: Daniel Matter (Creative Direction), Dominik Imseng (Text), Julia Batzlen (Graphics), Marcus Gretener, Simone Frei (Consulting). Production Viralspot: Condor BB/A, Olivier Egli. PR: open up, Melanie Schneider.

FFSF News 3: Child friendliness from Matter & Gretener on Vimeo.
 

FFSF News 2: Snow already from Matter & Gretener on Vimeo.