DIGITAL DIALOGUE By Jacque Brittain, LPC Brittain is editorial director, digital, for LP Magazine. Formerly a director of learning design and certification, Brittain managed the development of the LPC and LPQ certification programs in collaboration with the Loss Prevention Foundation. Prior to that he was vice president of operations for the industry’s largest executive search and consulting firm. In his thirty-plus years in the LP industry, he has helped build and enhance many learning initiatives and provided career counseling for thousands of industry professionals. Brittain can be reached at jacb@lpportal.com or by phone at 704-246-3143.
Cold Heads, Warm Hearts, and Social Media
T
he nature of our role in loss prevention forces us to focus on many of the negative aspects often associated with social media. From the malware that slows our computers and corrupts our systems, to the spiders that grab our information and track our habits, to the criminal elements looking for ways to steal identities and breach company servers, we regularly face the worst of the digital community. When not focused directly on the sludge of society, we often center our attention on looking for strategic means to reveal and battle these adversaries, protecting the precious resources that sustain our customers and support the business. But there are also many positives that genuinely deserve our accolades and appreciation. Information that once took an eternity to gather is now right at our fingertips. Opportunities to communicate that could only be imagined only a few short years ago are now commonly used to reach those that share our lives—whether friends, family, or business partners. We’ve opened the door to countless possibilities that touch the way that we conduct business, buy and sell goods, perform job responsibilities, and generally build our personal lives and professional careers. But there are other advantages as well, and those prospects are equally deserving of our thoughts and attention. Bringing all of us together to overcome some of our greatest challenges is certainly one of those benefits.
neuromuscular diseases worldwide, and people of all races and ethnic backgrounds are affected. Over the past several weeks, the Ice Bucket Challenge™ has quite literally “soaked” the nation. Everyone from athletes and celebrities to politicians have poured buckets of ice water over his or her head and challenged others do the same or make a donation to fight ALS within twenty-four hours. Just since the end of July, the ALS Association has received more than an astonishing $108 million in donations from the cold heads and warm hearts of these wet benefactors. Contributions further the mission to find a cure for ALS, while funding the highest quality of care for people living with the disease. “We have never seen anything like this in the history of the disease,” said Barbara Newhouse, president and CEO of The ALS Association. “We couldn’t be more thrilled with the level of compassion, generosity, and sense of humor that people are exhibiting.While the monetary donations are absolutely incredible, the visibility that this disease is getting as a result of the challenge is truly invaluable.” As one might expect, the loss prevention community has been actively involved in these efforts. LP Magazine’s EyeOnLP has traversed the country looking for loss prevention practitioners and solution providers who are issuing and accepting the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. EyeOnLP was there to watch Executive Editor Jim Lee, LPC, along with Editor and Publisher Jack Trlica call out their challenges, and many others have followed suit. To watch Jim and Jack take theirs and see some of the others who have accepted the challenge, visit the EyeOnLP page at lpportal.com. There are many tremendous causes that are deserving of our efforts and attention, and we should never lose sight of the possibilities that we can overcome and the things that we can accomplish when we work together. To learn more about ALS or make a donation, visit alsa.org. We encourage all of our readers to step up and take the challenge. Yes, we’re calling you out. Are you ready to get wet?
Accords Reached in New York
LP Magazine’s Jim Lee and Jack Trlica challenge LP industry professionals in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological condition that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. It is one of the most common
70
LPM 0914-B.indd 70
Significant attention has once again focused on separate claims of discriminatory profiling that surfaced late last year. Those incidents have resulted in recent settlements with the New York Attorney General’s Office, to include substantial financial resolutions as well as progressive measures intended to improve training, enhance awareness, and prevent similar issues moving forward. “Recent allegations of racial profiling at some of New York’s most famous stores stand as a stark reminder that
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
|
LPPORTAL.COM
9/8/14 2:12 PM
