Becky Robinson's Blog, page 84

Featured on Friday: Don Maruska & Jay Perry

Curious about the Featured on Friday posts? Learn more.

This week we’re igniting the buzz for Take Charge of Your Talent. The official buzz week begins on Monday, but today we’re giving you a preview of what you have to look forward to, and letting you in on all the details of how you can take part in the events. In Take Charge of Your Talent, the authors promote the idea that by developing your talent, you can help others find and develop their talents as well. At Weaving Influence, we are enthusiastic about seeing potential and developing talent, so that’s an idea that resonates, and it’s one of the many reasons that we’re excited to introduce you to to the authors of this amazing book.

MEET DON MARUSKA & JAY PERRY

Individually, Don & Jay have impressive resumes. Don Maruska is founder and CEO of three Silicon Valley companies, venture investor, and recipient of the National Innovators Award. The first in his family’s history to attend college, Don earned a BA magna cum laude from Harvard University, and subsequently earned an MBA and JD from Stanford University. After spending twenty years in Silicon Valley, Don became a Master Certified Coach, focusing on helping leaders and teams to cultivate success in their organizations.

Jay Perry, a fellow Master Certified Coach, was one of Don’s mentor coaches while learning the coaching profession. Jay earned a BFA from Boston University and an MFA from Ohio University. Known as one of the world’s leading mentors for new coaches seeking professional certification, Jay has coached and led workshops for thousands of people around the world. Additionally, he volunteers his time at jails and prisons, bringing the benefits of coaching to traditionally underserved and at-risk populations.

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR TALENT

Together, Don and Jay have created the Take Charge of Your Talent community, developing talent champions. Through their Champions Training Program, you can become a Certified Take Charge of Your Talent™ Leader, with the opportunity to contribute to thought leadership and development of the Take- Charge movement. In January 2013, Don and Jay celebrated the publication of their book, Take Charge of Your Talent, with a foreword written by Jim Kouzes, coauthor of the bestselling The Leadership Challenge.

HEAR IT IN THEIR OWN WORDS:

TAKE PART IN THE TALENT BUZZ WEEK:

Take Charge of Your Talent Resource Page – Use these resources to share with your online communities, and encourage your friends to check out the book.

Send a Tweet – Go ahead and get the buzz started today by sending a tweet to your friends about the upcoming webinar.

Leave a Review on Amazon or Goodreads – Authors love to see new reviews go up, and we love to encourage people to write them during buzz weeks!

Share a Graphic – We would love to see social media sites flooded with some of these graphics next week – will you help us? (Right click to save & share)

               

CONNECT WITH DON & JAY:

Visit the Take Charge of Your Talent website, download a sample chapter, follow Don, Jay, and Talent Champions on Twitter, and connect on Facebook, and LinkedIn.

UPCOMING EVENT: FREE WEBINAR

Make plans to join Don Maruska, Jay Perry, Jim Kouzes, and Becky Robinson next Thursday, October 3 at 1 pm (ET), for a one hour Talent Champion webinar. It’s free to join, so sign up today and invite your friends. Don and Jay will be sharing concrete actions that you can use to start taking charge of your talent. Rearrange your schedule and make plans to spend an hour learning from these amazing leaders.

Share Your Thoughts:  Do you know what your strongest talent is? If you could ask Don and Jay one question, what would it be?

 

Is Building Online Influence a Worthwhile Investment?

As the owner of a social media consulting/implementation company, questions about the value of investing in social media keep me up at night. They wake me up in the morning.

I want my contributions to clients to be valuable and worthwhile. I want to sell services that are valued and useful. I want my work to make a difference for others.

So I ask myself: Is the advice I offer useful and helpful to people? Do the implementation efforts we expend on behalf of clients make a difference? Is our time well spent? Will the money our clients pay us bring the results they desire?

Is it enough to offer a set of services and deliver on providing the service we’ve offered? Or should we also make promises about the results of our work?

Do we bring value? Or are we all (me, my team, our clients, and the millions of people using social media channels) wasting our time and money?

If there is value in social media, where do we find it? How can we capture it?

Though I do consider these questions thoughtfully, both late at night and early in the morning, the truth this: my life and choices demonstrate my belief in the value of building online influence.

I can say, without a doubt, that my own investment in social media channels has been of inestimable worth for my life and business. I measure that value by the quality of the relationships I’ve formed online. And through those relationships, this abundance: learning, growth, encouragement, opportunities, joy, love, and support.

We each define value for ourselves, and the value we find is likely related to our willingness/ability to see finding value online as a long-term investment, rather than a get rich quick scheme.

You can’t make money in the stock market until you invest in the stock market. And you are unlikely to realize a return on your investment unless you play the odds over time.

You cannot realize a return on an investment you never make.

With social media (like the stock market), you must choose to invest before you will see a return.

The value is with you. What value can you bring? What value will you add? How will you make a difference?

If your focus starts with what you can get from social media and on the return you hope to realize, you will be paralyzed from the start.

Value from social media is realized most fully when we are willing to give first, going all in with the intent to add value for others with no expectation of an immediate return.

We must add value through social media channels before we can extract value. In that way, social media investments are like any other investments. First you invest, and then you see the return — not overnight, not instantaneously, but at-the-right-time and in proportion to what you invest.

What returns can you expect?

You will be remembered. If you consistently share value and show up to relate to people, you will create an online brand that is memorable and recognizable. You will become known, online, for your real-life expertise. You will be find-able, relatable, and top-of-mind to your current customers and potential buyers.

You will be relevant. Increasingly, potential buyers size us up online. Even if your customers are not heavy users of social media personally, they will leverage Google to learn about you before hiring you or your company. What information will they gain from viewing your online profiles? Social media channels allow you to show display your expertise and relevance to your prospects.

Your messages will be amplified. When you make true connections online, and when people find value in your content, you will create a community of supporters who will reshare your messages. Over time, you will see your content read and shared across social networks, exposing your message to a growing audience. Your ideas will make a bigger difference by reaching more people.

You will create possibilities. When you connect through social media, you’ll connect with new people and create possibilities for yourself and others. Every relationship you build represents possibility and opportunity. You can’t predict the growth and opportunities you will create when you show up to add value online.

Tell me something! How do you assess the value of the time/money you spend building your online influence?

Vital Tips to Prevent Social Media Fails

Social media is vital for all types of business, including brick-and-mortar businesses not just online retailers. It provides an opportunity for effective and personalized communication, and to grow awareness in this new culture of “online living” that now permeates society.

Social media is a vital and affordable marketing instrument that will yield solid results, if it is given the time to learn and practice regularly.

It won’t work if you post once in a while. Such a practice is as bad as not using social media at all. It is important to be actively involved in sharing information with readers online, so more people can relate to you as a person, not just as a business or product.

Unfortunately, there continue to be many business owners who don’t understand or care about social media communication. Allow me to share a few mistakes to avoid while actively pursuing this valuable avenue of showcasing yourself and your brand.

Weak Business Profile – The profile you construct has to be appealing. Up-to-date information and specific details of who you are and what you do is important. A profile that is tight and informative will engage the viewer and hold fast interest in what and who you are. Many times I see business owners have spotty information. Include your background, your interests, your goals.

Repetitive Posting – You may be active on your social media site, but if your posts and content are dull and repetitive it will backfire on you and will cause you to lose readers and prevent growth. Everyone likes new information and fresh ideas. Posting the same thing over and over is off-putting. Avoid grammatical errors, keep informed of ongoing local events and popular culture. Use your own voice and stay away from writing corporate-type prose.

Self-Serving Posting – The premise of using social media to increase sales and promotion of services, doing it blatantly and making every move and post seem like an advertising campaign, will put off readers. Be subtle, stay away from boasting. Offer tips, incentives, fun facts, and ways readers can gain from your knowledge.

Allowing Social Media Efforts To Stagnate – Social media is about maintaining a dynamic conversation between you and your customers. Build your content so it gets out in multiple places. Answer blogs, respond to tweets, engage Facebook “friends” to post on various sites so your content is shared through RSS and multiple page views. Social media is a long-term commitment. This becomes possible through personalized messages and posts, replying to queries, and expressing gratitude for comments and feedback. This connection with people can pay off and benefit your business tremendously.

Not Posting Personal Pictures – I don’t like my picture being taken either, but people like to see the face of the person they are dealing with. They need to relate to you by seeing an individual’s face on their social media site, so get a decent photo of yourself taken now and add it to your marketing tools.

Blindly Posting Without knowledge Of The Tools - The worst thing you can do is to start podcasting, blogging, tweeting, friending on Facebook, and posting YouTube videos without knowing how each site works or who will manage them. Be proactive in learning how to post on each type of site you choose to communicate through.

Posting Without Thinking - Social media is a network and word spreads quickly, especially in a small community. Anything posted with indiscretion and unprofessionally will have disastrous effects. At all times, keep that in mind, so that everything written and posted is appropriate rather than damaging for any section of people.

Perhaps the biggest mistake is that many individuals want quick results and feel that social media should help their business awareness grow overnight. This does not happen. Don’t be discouraged if you’re just starting out, and leave this as a business promotion tool and give up on posts and updates if you don’t see immediate results. Being patient and focused holds the key to success in anything you do. Starting may be slow sometimes, but it will catch on and will become a vital and integral part of your business and marketing tools.

[image error]photopin

Featured on Friday – Guest Post: Imperfectly, Perfectly Me!

We’re celebrating with Bethany Connor as she launches her new book, Cherished. To cap off her week of book launch celebrations, we’re honored to have her guest posting for Featured on Friday. Join us in buzzing about her big week – read the post, then send a tweet.

Fourteen years into my journey as an Army Nurse Corps officer, I seemed to be at the pinnacle of my career. I had fast tracked through the Army ranks, was promoted early, had received awards, was well known and well respected for my impact within the Corps. I was on my way to the top.

And yet, it was during that same time period where I struggled through the most challenging part of my life thus far, both personally and professionally. But I had been taught to keep it all together; to fake it till I make it; to never let them see me sweat. So, I did not share those struggles. Instead I kept on the masks and maintained the perception that I had it all together. After all, people were looking up to me. What would they think if they really knew the ‘truth’ about me?

What was the truth – the truth that even I did not own up to? The truth was that I was human. And just like every other human, I had struggles, and I had experienced pain. I did not understand the power of that truth. I did not understand that it was through the struggle that strength was giving birth.

“Think of the butterfly in its cocoon. It must struggle to get out of the cocoon in order to gain strength it needs to become a beautiful butterfly. If someone tried to help it out of the cocoon and it did not go through the process, then it would die and would not become the beautiful creation that it was meant to be.”

~ An excerpt from Cherished: One Woman’s Journey to Love and Be Loved

I did not understand the power of vulnerability: that I could be more powerful as a leader by being real. I could command more respect from those I worked with by taking off my masks and by stepping into my authenticity than by looking like I had it all together.

I had to hit rock bottom. I had to break down to break through. I had to come to a place of letting go, yet holding on to hope. It was there at rock bottom where I was able to embrace my humanity. I was able to accept the fact that I was imperfect and yet, I was imperfectly perfect just as I was.

“What is really hard, and really amazing is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself”

~ Anna Quindlen

As I began to own my imperfections, to unmask and to allow my authenticity to shine through, I gave others the courage to do the same. I was able to take my leadership to a whole new level by being who I was designed to be – imperfectly, perfectly me.

[image error]Shutterstock

Featured on Friday {Guest Post}: Imperfectly, Perfectly ME!

We’re celebrating with Bethany Connor as she launches her new book, Cherished. To cap off her week of book launch celebrations, we’re honored to have her guest posting for Featured on Friday. Join us in buzzing about her big week – read the post, then send a tweet!

Fourteen years into my journey as an Army Nurse Corps officer, I seemed to be at the pinnacle of my career. I had fast tracked through the Army ranks, was promoted early, had received awards, was well known and well respected for my impact within the Corps. I was on my way to the top.

And yet, it was during that same time period where I struggled through the most challenging part of my life thus far, both personally and professionally. But I had been taught to keep it all together; to fake it till I make it; to never let them see me sweat. So, I did not share those struggles. Instead I kept on the masks and maintained the perception that I had it all together. After all, people were looking up to me. What would they think if they really knew the ‘truth’ about me?

What was the truth…the truth that even I did not own up to? The truth was that I was human. And just like every other human, I had struggles, and I had experienced pain.

I did not understand the power of that truth. I did not understand that it was through the struggle that strength was giving birth.

“Think of the butterfly in its cocoon. It must struggle to get out of the cocoon in order to gain strength it needs to become a beautiful butterfly. If someone tried to help it out of the cocoon and it did not go through the process, then it would die and would not become the beautiful creation that it was meant to be.”   ~ An excerpt from Cherished:One Woman’s Journey to Love and Be Loved

I did not understand the power of vulnerability: that I could be more powerful as a leader by being real. I could command more respect from those I worked with by taking off my masks and by stepping into my authenticity than by looking like I had it all together.

I had to hit rock bottom.

I had to break down to break through.

I had to come to a place of letting go, yet holding on to hope.

It was there at rock bottom where I was able to embrace my humanity. I was able to accept the fact that I was imperfect and yet, I was imperfectly perfect just as I was.

“What is really hard, and really amazing is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself” ~ Anna Quindlen

As I began to own my imperfections, to unmask and to allow my authenticity to shine through, I gave others the courage to do the same. I was able to take my leadership to a whole new level by being who I was designed to be – imperfectly, perfectly ME!

This article was written by Authentic Leadership Expert Bethany Connor. Bethany has a deep passion ~ awakening authentic leaders. Through speaking, facilitating and coaching, she supports the transformation process of individuals and organizations in creating culture change from the inside out. Bethany is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Nurse Corps and a Registered Nurse with an advanced degree as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. She also serves as a certified coach, speaker and trainer for The John Maxwell Team. Bethany is the author of Cherished: One Woman’s Journey to Love and Be Loved.  Connect with Bethany at www.acherishedwoman.com.

Image from Bethany Connor via Shutterstock

Best Book Launch Tips: Gather a Library of Content

Chances are, if you’ve written and published a (business) book, you’re an experienced content creator.

Over the years, you’ve written articles or blog posts, curriculum, newsletters, training materials, assessments, keynote speeches, or workbooks. Or perhaps you’ve created video content or recorded podcasts and webinars.

Whatever the medium, I find it impossible to imagine a world in which you’ve written a business book but have not also, along the way, created a lot of other valuable material in developing your ideas, voice, and expertise.

The good news: while the content you’ve created in the past may not be new to you, many of the people who follow you online have never seen/heard/read it.

While you may have created content that would print on reams of paper, you likely don’t have it organized in a way that is ready for sharing across the web. You may have it shoved in drawers, collected on floppy disks, or stored on a dusty external hard drive.

As you prepare to launch your book, I encourage you to organize your previously created content so that you can systematically repurpose and share it online . This is a valuable activity that will help you in establishing yourself  as a thought leader. Though it may seem like an overwhelming and tedious task, you will position yourself to be more consistent in your online efforts.

Your content library doesn’t need to be fancy. My team uses a multi-page spreadsheet on Google Drive to organize our clients’ content social media strategies and content creation efforts.

The content library can be one page of your larger system in organizing your online presence.

Just create a spreadsheet and add title, type of content, link for any blog posts, articles, or videos you have on the web. If your content exists elsewhere, on a hard drive or in a paper file, indicate that on your spreadsheet as well.  Categorize your content and consider which categories are most relevant to your current book project. If you include a category, you can also sort by category to identify areas for future content development.

Once you’ve organized your past content, you can implement a system for planning future content — an editorial calendar. And you can use the content in your library as you plan and share content through social media channels.

Tell me something! Do you have a system for gathering the content you’ve created? What has worked for you? What other ideas can you share?

photo credit Yuri Levchenko

A Leadership Lesson from the Jumbo-tron at Miller Park

Have you ever noticed what happens when people appear on the jumbo-tron in a sports arena?

Suddenly, in that moment of recognition, they become more: they smile bigger; their faces light up; they make silly faces or dance. When a spotlight shines on people, they become their most beautiful, most energetic, and best selves.

I spent Saturday at Miller Park with my family, watching the Brewers lose (boo!) and observing people’s reactions to appearing on camera. One happy bride-to-be appeared on camera several times with her bachelorette party friends. Even the repeated on camera exposure did not diminish her excitement.

The almost instantaneous and universal reaction displays one important lesson for leaders. When you give people positive attention, they will become more of their best selves.

Who doesn’t love being asked to talk about themselves? Their dreams? Their aspirations? Their likes and dislikes?

Who wouldn’t appreciate a kind, listening ear?

Can you slow down enough to put the spotlight upon someone else? To let them shine? To give them a moment to express themselves uniquely in the moment? How can you create jumbo-tron moments in your organization, giving people positive attention and recognition?

 

Avoiding Legal Pitfalls on Social Media

With all the rage about social media these days, it’s easy to get hyped up about it. After all, if you have an email account, in a few simple clicks you can create a user name and password to just about any online platform and, before you know it, you’re broadcasting to the world! It’s exciting and fun, yes, but not without its challenges.

Most who spend time on social media soon learn the fundamentals of appropriate online behavior, ranging from basic netiquette to maintaining proper privacy settings. Yet, there are some not so foreseeable legal pitfalls you might encounter, as well, and this blog post aims to offer guidance on a few of those so that your social media experience can be more rewarding.

Know Who You Represent

Whether you are a professional in a service field, identified with a high profile brand, or volunteer for a local non-profit, adhering to the social media policies and laws related to the organizations you represent is essential. Posts or pictures that are associated with trademarks, professions, or brands subject you to the social media policies and laws governing related organizations and, if those policies or laws are not adhered to, could put you in a legal crunch. To avoid this pitfall, make sure to read and observe the social media and legal policies of the organizations you represent online.

Do Not Post About Your Legal Matters

If you or an organization you represent is involved in an ongoing legal matter, whether as a party, a witness, a jury person, or otherwise, don’t post anything about it online. Really. Don’t! Once you do, that post becomes evidence and is subject to discovery. Removing it also subjects you to charges, fines, and penalties. Therefore, rather than taking your legal matter online, leave it to the justice system to handle. Period.

The World Is Not So Small

While social media outlets seem to make the world within reach to anyone with a computer and internet access, if you’re faced with a legal challenge in Hawaii when you live in rural West Virginia, the world can become a pretty big place. Trying to defend cases related to your online activities in jurisdictions miles away can be costly and stressful. Purposefully availing yourself to another jurisdiction in your posts and online agreements may subject you to a long distance legal fight. To avoid this pitfall, avoid promoting activity online that targets those outside of jurisdictions where you intend to be subjected and read terms of service on sites you regularly utilize so that you know when you’re agreeing to a jurisdiction outside of your own.

Generally speaking, by using some common sense, being nice, and heeding your mom’s old adage, “if you wouldn’t want to see it on the front page of the New York Times, don’t put it in writing,” you can steer clear of a lot of trouble. When in doubt, leave it out – but don’t forget to have fun, as well. Informed, intelligent use of social media can be rewarding and profitable. So use caution, but engage.

Layne Diehl is an attorney who is committed to supporting the legal needs of small businesses and entrepreneurs in the state of West Virginia. You can learn more about Layne by visiting her firm’s website at http://www.diehllaw.net, by liking her firm’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/diehllaw, or by following her on twitter at @laynediehl.

Disclaimer – This blog post is designed to provide general guidance about a limited few of the legal pitfalls associated with online activity, but is not intended to be an exhaustive discussion or a replacement for professional legal advice. If you have questions of a legal nature related to your online activity, you are advised to consult a licensed attorney experienced and competent in the areas of internet and social media law.

Image Credit: Michael Theis

Featured on Friday: Meet Our Buzz Builders – Edition 1

Success never happens in a vacuum, and we have found tremendous help in the form of our Team Buzz Builder community of bloggers and leadership experts. These faithful folks are some of the first to sign up for all of our book launch promotions, provide book reviews, share their online influence, and tell their friends about our authors. While we work with the authors and create the resources to share, it is Team Buzz Builder (TBB) who really help us spread the word.

Today, it’s our honor to share four of these fantastic people with you. Visit their blogs, follow them on social media, and get to know them. We know that you will go away energized and encouraged.

Meet Our Buzz Builders…

John Smith – Otherwise known as The Strategic Learner, John is regularly found sharing his “thoughts from the Heartland” on his blog. It’s hard to recall a book launch where John hasn’t been an active participant in our promotion campaign, and we appreciate his selflessness in promoting others. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn.
Martina McGowam – Physician, leader, and active blogger, Martina McGowan is a faithful member of Team Buzz Builder, and always quick to jump in to support and promote those around her. Her blog is filled with positivity and encouragement, and she’s quick to encourage others to grow. We love that! Find her online: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.
Tanmay Vora – Bringing leadership experience and HR wisdom from India, Tanmay Vora takes an active role in TBB promotions. Tanmay has been blogging regularly since 2006, and in 2009 he published his first book, #QUALITYtweet, 140 Bite Sized Ideas On Practical Aspects Of Quality Management. This is a man that you’ll certainly want to add to your Twitter lists and Google+ circles. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.
Paula Kiger – Team Buzz Builder member Paula Kiger discusses running and books on her blog, Perspicacity. Known as the BigGreenPen on Twitter, she’s quick to join in on tweetchats, build community, and help out with book promotion, and she always has something interesting to add to the conversation. Look for her on Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.

Join Team Buzz Builder

Would you like to join John, Martina, Tanamy, Paula, and the rest of Team Buzz Builder? Are you interested in reviewing preview copies of new leadership books?

We’re always looking for additional TBB members to help us spread the word about upcoming launches, and you can start by filling out a form.

As part of the team, you’ll receive early notice about upcoming launches, opportunities to sign up for free books, and be a part of an important and welcoming community of supportive people.

What are you waiting for? Join us today!

Featured on Friday: Meet Our Buzz Builders {Edition 1}

Success never happens in a vacuum, and we have found tremendous help in the form of our Team Buzz Builder community of bloggers and leadership experts. These faithful folks are some of the first to sign up for all of our book launch promotions, provide book reviews, share their online influence, and tell their friends about our authors. While we work with the authors and create the resources to share, it is Team Buzz Builder (TBB) who really help us spread the word.

Today, it’s our honor to share four of these fantastic people with you. Visit their blogs, follow them on social media, and get to know them. We know that you will go away energized and encouraged.

Meet Our Buzz Builders…

John Smith, otherwise known as The Strategic Learner, is regularly found sharing his “thoughts from the Heartland” on his blog . It’s hard to recall a book launch where John hasn’t been an active participant in our promotion campaign, and we appreciate his selflessness in promoting others. Follow him on Twitter ,  Facebook ,  Google+ , and LinkedIn .
Physician, leader, and active blogger, Martina McGowan is a faithful member of Team Buzz Builder, and always quick to jump in to support and promote those around her. Her blog is filled with positivity and encouragement, and she’s quick to encourage others to grow. We love that! Find her online: Facebook , Twitter , Google+ , and LinkedIn .
Bringing leadership experience and HR wisdom from India, Tanmay Vora takes an active role in TBB promotions. Tanmay has been blogging regularly since 2006, and in 2009 he published his first book, #QUALITYtweet , “140 bite sized ideas on practical aspects of Quality Management.” This is a man that you’ll certainly want to add to your Twitter lists and Google+ circles! Follow on Facebook , Twitter , Google+ , and LinkedIn .
Team Buzz Builder member Paula Kiger discusses running and books on her blog,  Perspicacity . Known as the BigGreenPen on Twitter, she’s quick to join in on tweetchats, build community, and help out with book promotion, and she always has something interesting to add to the conversation. Look for her on Twitter , Google+ , and LinkedIn .

Join Team Buzz Builder!

Would you like to join John, Martina, Tanamy, Paula, and the rest of Team Buzz Builder? Are you interested in reviewing preview copies of new leadership books? We’re always looking for additional TBB members to help us spread the word about upcoming launches, and you can start by filling out a form. As part of the team, you’ll receive early notice about upcoming launches, opportunities to sign up for free books, and be a part of an important and welcoming community of supportive people. What are you waiting for? Join us today!