Can't We All Just Get Along

I remember a few years back initiating a conversation in a LinkedIn group. What I thought was a topic that would inspire thought leadership turned into a war of opinions. I remember thinking to myself, "I'll never do that again". Not many things remain consistent in the ever-evolving world of social media, but my apprehension to participate in LinkedIn group discussions has.

Here are 3 trends that put a sword through the heart of the intended purpose of LinkedIn Groups:
1. "Vendors" use a "buyers" search for a solution
as an invitation to showboat
2. Personal indiscretions derail healthy debate
3. A discussion is created to bait competition

Why Decision Makers Only Passively Use LinkedIn
I remember being in an interview just out of college. I was nervous. I met a hiring manager at a run down motel to talk to him about his business. I think they supplied roofing materials to various hardware stores....? After being berated with questions, the "roofing guy" asked me if I had any questions for him. I asked him one in reply of which he went into (another) 10 minute diatribe that ended at something worlds away from the question I had asked. I didn't get the job but I learned an early professional lesson: Being a self-important jerk is no way to succeed.

...which leads us to a fundamental failure in LinkedIn groups. In order to aid an educational seminar I was conducting, I asked a question in a LinkedIn group. A person replied in terms that related completely to the company I worked for and his perception of us. He did not answer the question because he saw my request for collaboration as an attempt to sell something. Though my intentions were genuine, I can't say that I blame him.

You Suck (and other contextual abuses)!
I'm not sure I have heard the above noted 2 word salute in any given LinkedIn group but I can tell you it's come close!

Here's how it works:
1. A well-intended late adopter of social media builds up the courage to ask a question of the group
2. The sharks smell blood in the water
3. An argument over which vendor's solution is better ensues
4. Personal indiscretions arise from the thread

The aforementioned 4 step process emphasizes why decision makers shy away from social media. Like the "roofing guy" some see a request for information as a right to advertise.
Social Media is not a place for salesmanship! If you think that you are going to close a deal by touting your solution, website, and cell phone number in a LinkedIn group you are high as a mofo!

Posers
There are a slew of people (and you know who you are) who get a pay check from a "vendor" but pretend to be independent consultants. They bait the competition, the sharks bite, and they use their political science degree to dispel the over-aggressive sentimentality. I can't say I blame them either.
Influence is not for Sale!

I think it is really important to consider this when participating in LinkedIn groups:
1. Direct selling in social media is a one way ticket to hackville.
2. Until "vendors" start acting like adults in social forums, your buyers are not going to play in your sandbox.
3. The internet is written in ink.

I petitioned several times to be a speaker at a variety of conferences. I was consistently denied because I framed my intent so as to downgrade my competitor’s solution and promote why my widget was better. Over time I learned that people spend time away from their families at conferences because they want an outside source to tell them why their job is important. That is what differentiates a partner from a vendor.

So I took on the practice of sitting in on conference sessions and gauging the presumed buyer’s reaction.

Here's what they hate:
1. Product dumping
2. Promotion of the products of the company who paid for your flight and hotel room
3. Death by PowerPoint
4. The speakers abuse of the attendees time by thinking he/she knows more than they do

And then the doors opened...

* I learned to stop talking and to start listening.
* I learned people hate so-called experts.
* I learned that people who buy things and people who sell things share the same passion.
....and that most sales people have a knack for destroying this commonality within 5 minutes!

We are all in this together. The reason why it seems otherwise is because your bravado caused your audience to instantly distrust you!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The Black Licorice Theory

“We're like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice.”
― Jerry Garcia

I recently re-read a friend's book on "PUSH marketing". From what I could ascertain there were two main themes in his book:

1. Quantity not Quality
2. Ideas must be Commercialized to gain adoption

.....I emphatically disagree with both of these misguided principles!

Far too often in the Social Media space, I see users with 10,000 followers who produce no relevant material. Therein lies the problem. The people with great content shy away from social media because they see the aforementioned popularized user producing irrelevance. The system is broken. Trending topics do not encompass specialized content, popular users are not experts, and the opportunity of thought leadership sharing has been trumped by the commercialization of ideas.

Introducing the Black Licorice Theory:

• Quantity is a smokescreen
• The experts have been forced into Lurkerland
• Personal connection is all that matters

You have 10,000 followers....what does that really mean?
I read an article a while back about how to use LinkedIn. The well-intended author gave bullet pointed advice on how to gain followers. All points probably would enhance one's profile....Now you have another 100 followers, most of them independent staffing professionals.

Following the PUSH marketing strategy on LinkedIn commoditizes your life's work. Once you commoditize yourself your differentiated relevance is forever gone. Now you cannot attract the people with whom you actually want to connect.You are a person not a product.

Why I don't use Facebook
I am a self-professed social media evangelist. Admittedly, I don't have a Facebook profile. Like so many, I fell victim to the frustration of irrelevance. Tons of content - all vapid to the point of enticing me to rip my eyeballs out. Unfairly, I forever wrote off Facebook as a thought conveyor for the thoughtless.

Today, a one day Facebook advertisement generates more attention than a Super Bowl commercial. The collective of Facebook users is the third largest nation in the world. Unfortunately, the marketers forecasted these amazing statistics, commoditized a Facebook strategy, and squandered an opportunity to make meaningful connections.

One (is not) The Loneliest Number!
It takes an incredibly intelligent person to assess social media before they jump in.

There is only one piece of advice I can give you:
Be Yourself

You cannot pretend to be of a certain professional ilk to impress your buying public. Best case scenario, you actually get to meet them and they discover your masquerade. Then you have wasted your time and you have blown your credibility. Don't pretend to be someone you are not.

Honesty and Negativity are different concepts. I remember attacking someone on my friend's blog who had insulted my intelligence. When I revisited the feed I realized that I had been disregarded. A thousand people viewed my tirade and all of them knew better than to justify it with a response. In the right social forums the villagers rule with dignity and empower you to act accordingly. With great power comes great responsibility!

In the movie Office space, Michael Bolton compromised his integrity to impress his assumed future bosses. He sold himself down the river in an effort to keep a job he didn't want in the first place. It is the ultimate lesson in compromise. If your goal is to be regular, achievement is inevitable.

Business is driven by new ideas. Truly innovative ideas are very hard to come by. All you have is your unique thought and it is imperative that you protect it. No one ever changed lives by selling out.

PUSH Marketing sucks! Black Licorice is Delicious!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave     
   

Sales 2.0

Over the last few weeks, we reviewed the concepts of Social Selling and The Social Enterprise. This week we will marry the aforementioned concepts in the revolution known as Sales 2.0. In my estimation there are 3 key characteristics to Sales 2.0:

• Introducing Compelling Content
• Performing Rock Star Presentations
• The Forgotten Concept of Human Interaction

Cold Calling is Dead
Very few people answer the office phone, everyone has caller ID, and calling from a blocked number is a poor way to establish trust. Everyone is busy and interruptions are never well received. Even the magic phone controllers of yesteryear need a point of reference these days.

In order to make an impact you need content to support your prospecting efforts that is easy to access and simple to understand:

• Value propositions must be conveyed within 10 seconds
• Content has to be written in your prospective customer's language
• The best way to intrigue your buying audience is by entertaining them 

Maybe you have a knack for writing concise and meaningful emails. You might be able to peak customer interest through video sharing. Maybe social media has served as an engagement point. These days a phone call or smile without significant content attached to it will commoditize you as another pretty face.

Wake Up Call
Sales teams spend countless hours preparing for the big pitch. We think ourselves in circles obsessing over the intricacies of our products and services. We get in front of a prospective customer and take them way down the rabbit whole....a 90 minute crash course training on how our products works......without considering WHY they would want to use it. Repeat this pain staking process 4 times and you have a day in the life of a buyer....no wonder why they're grumpy.

All sales people want to be Rock Stars....your content and how you present it is your Rock Opera!

You can differentiate yourself from the other boring presenters by doing the following:

• Deliver multi-media presentations that are "fun" for your audience
• Consult in an interactive manner
• Articulate a business solution (not a product or service)

We all know the fine points of where we are better than our competitors....our buyer doesn't care. The key to wining is presenting as if you were a co-worker not a potential "vendor".

The Secret Sauce
The sales folk are aggressive and articulate but they still seem to believe their gift of gab is all that matters. The marketing folk have amazing content but engaging at the point of sale requires more than product functionality. Sales 2.0 brings great content and differentiated consultation together. But, don't fall into the trap. There are products built by brilliant programmers who know how products function but are unable to articulate why they will make a potential customer's business better. It's not about the widget!

The key to winning in sales is to develop the ability to become a consultant not a salesperson, a partner not a vendor, a friendly advisor not an annoying product pusher.

Consider This....

• Don't demonstrate a product, present a solution
• A brand is only as good as the people who represent it
• Make is easy
• Make it fun!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave          

Now Boarding...The Enterprise

I remember giving a seminar to HR Professionals in 2007 extolling the virtue of what I called "Social Networking Tools". At that time, Social Media (as it would come to be tagged) was still suffering from the Paris Hilton stigma. This was the perception that tools like Twitter were of the same ilk as Facebook and that they had no business relevance. The crowd of HR Pros embraced the story I told of recovering addicts who used Twitter to encourage one another throughout the day. But, they still left with eyebrows raised.

Times have changed! I was blown away when I heard Salesforce.com's CEO, Marc Benioff, advocate the virtue of what he called "The Social Enterprise" a few years back. The spirit of the keynote inspired business progress through collaboration not competition. This was a foreign message to the cut-throat sales professionals in the room....but Benioff had conviction in his cause and it caught fire!!!!

Last week, I attended another Cloudforce event, sponsored by the aforementioned cloud computing maverick organizational leader. The message again redirected: Social Networking Tools evolved into Social Media which has now become "The Social Enterprise". The social enterprise has adopted two primary functions:

• Internal Strategy Platform
• Customer Community

#Chatter
There is a problem with email, it is nontransparent! I can cc the team on project objectives but this traditionally leads to one off cyber-conversations that create silos. What if it was all out in the open? What if you couldn't hide information or misstep deadlines any more? Salesforce.com developed Chatter a few years back. Chatter is a social application: an internal platform to share best practices. But, Chatter's divine power lies in transparency. No longer are there side roads in the path to success...we all face it together. Collaborative, Transparent and All-Accountable!

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
People fear social media because the interpretation of intent is a very slippery slope. "give them an inch and they'll take a mile". In other words, if there is an application central to my organization that I can access any time, I might go to happy hour, log-on, and tell them what I really think. So, we turn a blind eye to that which is there to help us for fear that it may expose us. The kids will not learn to play fair in the sandbox if you keep them tied down in their swings.

#CustomerService
Today you can go to Twitter, hashtag a company name, voice an issue, and get a reply in real time. No more waiting on-hold. Your issue is out in the open for millions to see....frequently asked questions in real time. An unavoidable basis for pro-active problem solving. Faults can no longer be put off or avoided. The sooner your problem is fixed the sooner they get off the front page. Today everyone works for Consumer Reports!

Customer Community
Let's not mistake the issue, social access is not an invitation to complain. We all simply need to adjust our frame of thinking to collaborate not compete. Before we know it we will all be on the same side of the screen.

The world's best companies are developing communities for their advocates to communicate across the Globe. It's product development through consumer input. You are no longer on the side lines, you are in the game, and your voice matters. Reviews are no longer confined to professional news publications, the board of directors voice is dwarfed by unavoidable customer input, and leader interpretation is backed by metrics from a thousand sources. The only solution is to get better, quicker. That's a good thing!

Mending Fences
We are at the crest of a tidal wave. Companies locked in buildings are becoming communities of unique individuals free to share their vision. Companies are no longer hiding their mistakes, they are inviting others to help create their destiny. Giving up control is no longer a sign of weakness but an invitation to consistently evolve. We live in real-time and everyone has something to teach. The opportunity is massive, if you ignore it, the wave will swallow you.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave       

People Not Contacts

It was a great day in San Francisco on March 12th. The Sales Giants of Tomorrow braved the time change to attend Inside View's Insider Summit. It was a well put together event...great keynote, 1 minute sponsor intros and short/informative breakout sessions. A lot of information in a snapshot....such are times in which we exist.

Umberto Milletti eloquently delivered the message of the day.....selling is about people not contacts. Umberto told us that he, as a buyer, does not answer the phone and rarely replies to email. He then noted that commercial real estate agents are among the most pushy salespeople but when he requested information for commercial space on Twitter only 2 people replied. A reflection on the swinging pendulum of sales. It is no longer about having the gift of gab or an extroverted personality. It is about doing your research, differentiating your solution to the personality of your buyer, and finding a creative way to access them. The game is changing and if you stick to your old methods your forehead will start bleeding.....from running into walls!

Introducing the 3 Stages of Social Selling:
Personal Access
Differentiation
Silver Bullet

How did you know that?
....because it's on your facebook page.

Still to this day people are surprised when I mention their favorite baseball team or a current event at their alma mater - and this is the easily accessible information. Don't worry about freaking out your buyer. You can find out a lot about a person in a 15 minute review of their LinkedIn profile, Twitter page, Facebook posts and/or blog. If they put it out there it is yours to share in....the key is using the information in a differentiating way without creeping someone out!!!!!!

Information is not an Invitation!
Be an advisor not a stalker! Use the elements of a person's personality conveyed through social media only in ways applicable to your products/services.

Don't:
Tell someone their daughter is beautiful!
Revisit a political or religious opinion that may have been posted!
Ask if you can have permission to date the aforementioned beautiful daughter!!!

Do:
Mention an industry relevant article or case study that they posted, retweeted, or favored
Mention a common professional connection
Correlate the benefit of your solution in metaphor to their favorite team winning (...tricky...)

The introduction is over
People's time has never been more precious. They will smile and entertain your personal probing questions but they would rather you cut to the chase. You can now access the answers to all the stupid "ice breaker" questions before you check in with the receptionist.

With all the information at your finger tips everything you say should be direct and relevant. Formulate and customize a presentation (or conversation strategy) that is personally engaging. If you are smooth in your delivery (which every salesperson should be) you will come off as a subject matter expert: "This guy knows my business and his product matches what I do really well".

The New Age in Sales
* Everyone thinks sales people are pushy. You have a direct path to victory if you can dispel that presumption.
* Time is money: be relevant, precise and direct.
* Know not just what they do but why it matters and how you can help.

The tools are there but they are commonly avoided. The salespeople who are winning have put themselves on the buyers side of the table through research and the ability to differentiate. The salespeople who are losing think they can still rely on their big mouth to impress people.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"   - Albert Einstein

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Enterprise 2.0 - Part 2.0

Earlier this week, I wrote of the mind meld that is Enterprise 2.0. The Santa Clara Convention Center and the Twitter back channel was filled with awesomeness this week. Consultants, Entrepreneurs and Community Advocates from Major Corporations gathered to contribute their Thought Leadership in development of a strategic approach to Social Media.

As a Social Media Evangelist, I can say this conference was equal parts inspiring and alarming. We are always trying to use technology to support our companies and customers in the best way possible. We want to keep up with trends while protecting our public reputation. It's tricky!

I pointed out the superstars of the convention earlier this week. Today I have a few take aways to challenge those who believe in the power of social media.

The Art of Presenting
I've been to a thousand conferences.....Human Resources, Training, Coaching, Sales, Music Industry....whatever. The thing that differentiates tech conferences like Dreamforce, Tech Crunch and E 2.0 from the others is the matter in which people present.

Two Things to Consider:
1. It seems a lot of the population in the tech industry are young entrepreneurs who are programmers by nature.
2. The Tech Crunch Ethos has created a very narrow window for presenting.

The aforementioned pre-qualifiers make for presentations that are either really good or really bad. The Great Aaron Levie of Box gave a super-charged keynote that included a plethora of information at rapid fire pace. He was focused, fluid, and passionate about the topic he presented. The Twitter back channel seemed lost in his pace of verbosity.....but I thought it was the perfect way to present.

A few things Presenters should be aware of:
1. Don't Product Dump!
2. Don't Tell Us About YOUR company exclusively
3. Act like you are actually interested in your topic
4. Deliver your message with passion

I would consider presenting at Enterprise 2.0 to be a pretty big deal. I was surprised how many people were unprepared. Just kind of reading slides. I understand that not everyone is comfortable presenting in front of people. All you need is a little humor, some energy, and a message that your audience can relate to.

At Dreamforce I saw an Executive from a Fortune 20 get in front of the audience and talk about her company...on and on and on.....The fact that this person is a Millionaire is disconcerting. If I am in the audience to improve my organizational strategy, I don't need a case study on YOUR company's success. I need you to tell me how your strategy can enhance my company. Show me the WHY not the WHAT.

FUN!
The most heated back channel discussion at E 2.0 involved Gamification. There are emerging companies that are using game theory to engage their employees. The crowd of ferociously competitive young professionals seemed put off by the idea that "work" would be a "game". Gen Y stereotype dispelled!

Gamification is a slippery slope. I have no issue with adding a creative way of bringing employees into a forum to showcase their degree of engagement. We got a peek at VMware's Niko Niko, a single-touch daily employee feedback function. There are other concepts of Avatar driven virtual rewards that employees seem to view as a waste of time. As long as the metrics of the "game" attach business critical behaviors to organizational directives a little creative design never hurts.

You Are Welcome   
As evolved as Social Media has become, it can still be a good old boys/girls club. In participating in Social Media people also submit themselves to criticism. The attendees at E 2.0 seem to be aware of this and were thus massively supportive. In a Twitter back channel of thousands of posts, I saw very little negativity. People were also willing to have in-person discussions. The mood was profoundly upbeat. There was not a feeling of competition but a Community of Collaboration. It feels great to walk into a conference with the willingness to share without being judged. Thanks to everyone who made me feel at home in Santa Clara.

Parting Message:
Adoption is Social Media's greatest challenge. People are apprehensive to participate in social media for fear they will have their message misinterpreted, will be judged, and will ultimately have their reputation (and the reputation of their company) damaged.

For those who participate in social media forums.
* Judge Not!
* Try to see all sides
* Be Positive

For those on the fringe.....as I stated earlier this week, Social Media is no longer the elephant in the room ~ it is a Fire Breathing Dragon! It is not a fad, it is not going away, and it will be a pre-qualifier for your next job! It is very important to put your predisposition aside and get your feet wet.

Know this, your reputation will not be damaged if your intentions are good:
a. Share in the interest of everyone
b. Don't assume people think a certain way by researching their profile/company
c. Don't be an asshole!

Collaborate!

Don't Forget to Remember!

- Dave Kovacovich

Observations from Enterprise 2.0

Every year people gather in various cities to discuss the next phase of the inter-webs....also know as Enterprise 2.0. This conference is a thought leadership explosion uniting the directives and intangibles that guide the next day of the ever-evolving world of social media and the like. The degree of collaborative thinking is encouraging to say the least. New platforms are introduced and strategies are discussed. We learn how to measure the ROI of social media, how to sell it our executives and what trends to adopt/ignore.

With my blogger pass proudly displayed around my neck (pictured). I braved the halls of the Santa Clara Convention Center. Here's what I learned on days 1 and 2:

Community Evangelism
We often think about social media as it applies to the organization that employs us: our employees and how they can use it to boost revenue, our executives and their degree of adoption. This year's focus has been firmly on product end-users, program administrators, and customers. It has become abundantly clear in 2011 that company reputations are rooted in social media. Product reviews, staff responsiveness and leadership accessibility are always on trial in the social media world. It's not just an awareness of poor Yelp reviews anymore. Great companies are embracing transparency and are showcasing their customer service practices on Twitter, Facebook and the like. Fan pages have become a community for those who love certain products to evangelize. The question at E 2.0 - how do we incent our community of customers?

Erica Kuhl of Salesforce.com lead a great break out session on Monday. She introduced the Salesforce MVP program. This program recognizes the world's best salesforce.com Administrators. This is not a passive customer loyalty program. MVP's are granted access to product managers, invited into exclusive community forums, and empowered to drive the success of their companies by improving product development at SFDC. The concept was fresh and inviting to me. Show us you love our products/services and we will give you not a gift card, but more work to do....the difference: the people who work as salesforce admins love their work. They are willing to do more to make product administration more streamlined to their companies.

Throughout the sessions presenters have differentiated customer satisfaction from Community Evangelism. Lessons learned that social media is no longer an option, it is a necessity that drives your organizational reputation. Ignore social media and your customers will ignore you.

Organizational Contortionists
At Dreamforce 2011, the great Gary Vee was asked by an audience member how she could evangelize social media to her reluctant organization. Gary commented that you don't need a title to sell the merits of social media internally. Along this line of thinking, Daniel Zucker offered the description of Social Media Leads at Autodesk as Organizational Contortionists. (he wanted me to be very clear that this phrase was coined by his manager, Maura Ginty)

Gary's advice and Autodesk's qualifications are the essence of the existence of social advocacy. Great organizations have the ability to find their catalyst. That person who represents well...sometimes its a Sales Professional to speak at a conference, sometimes its a programmer to share her vision with a client. At present, the social media realm is not completely defined - an opportunity for advocacy.

I find it a great luxury to work for a company that has empowered me to drive organizational social media strategy (albeit as a volunteer). I also see it as a massive opportunity for anyone who has the willingness to lead the charge.

Simplicity
The standout Keynote of the Enterprise 2.0 event was presented by Tim Young, VP of Social Enterprise at VMware. Tim introduced the concept of About.Me as the template for future of social media. In short, simplicity rules. No one can argue that adoption of social media will require executive approval. Bring a CMO a list of 28 sites you wish to integrate into a congruent strategy and she will slap you across the face. Tim's message was perfectly appropriate, if you are asking people to do something new make sure it is a simple transition. Words to live by.

As we move forward....
I love being in the presence of people who have something to share. The feeling that there is something new that will change the way we work is massively empowering.

A resounding message from Enterprise 2.0:
Social Media is no longer the Elephant in the room...it is a Fire Breathing Dragon!

It is no longer an option to ignore social media. Your customers, competitors and your girlfriend are in the community.....if you pretend it doesn't exist, neither will they!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave Kovacovich

Get Grounded

I had a great little getaway to the coast with the family this weekend. I told a friend about it this morning and he said - "wow, I want to see pictures". I didn't have any. I almost felt defensive that my description of the Central California Coast did not quench his intrigue. His defacto response may have been a way to avoid conversation...if I had emailed him a photo album he could breeze through it and interpret for himself if he would ever visit. This is a sign of the times....send me something, I'll look it over, and we can discuss later if I see anything worth talking about.

He to whom I told of my vacation aside, the traveler himself can get caught up in a need for documentation. People tweet their activities from poolside in Hawaii, they compile unlimited photos to prove they had fun on the family vacation, they load the facebook page with visual proof that they are enjoying life....and you are not! Yes, it may be said that our need for documentation is not in memorial of a joyous time but justification of the money spent to put smiles on our faces.

Think about the greatest times in your life. Do you have pictures of them or are the memories permanently ingrained in your mind?

The immediacy of technology has destroyed our ability to enjoy ourselves! We take time away from our loved ones to put our head in our phone. We miss irreplaceable moments with our children because we are busy texting about them.

I would challenge that we need to get grounded!

We need to put away the handheld and participate in our life's memories. We need to get away from the lap top and truly enjoy a little time off. We need to stop taking vacations for the sake of visual content.

Three Bigger Questions:
Are you engaging in meaningful conversation?
Do you know how to craft a story?
Have you taken time to say I Love You?

It's Great to Hear Your Voice
How often do messages get misinterpreted via email or in social media forums. Words can be taken out of context, we say things hiding behind a computer that we wouldn't say to someone's face, our emotions get the best of us. Unfortunately, the Internet is written in ink. We can never take back what is documented.

We have gotten to the point that it is more convenient to email a customer and wait until tomorrow to address the real issue...that doesn't make it go away. When a co-worker has had a long day, it is very difficult to feel their troubles through a computer screen.

Good old conversation is the only way to ensure we are making communicative progress. It's never easy to confront the elephant in the room but elephant's eat the notes that you try to leave at their feet!

Story Telling
Peter Guber has received great accolades for his book Tell To Win. The general premise is that people have a better grasp for products and services when told to them in dramatic terms. I will always remember your presentation if you deliver it in the context of a personal experience that makes sense to me.

Drama aside, a lot of us simply have lost our ability to talk to people. After a day at the computer, we spew words at people without considering the setting in which our story takes place. Every day, I hear people talking to one another in insulting terms (even though they have good intentions).

Stop being defensive, stop pretending you know everything, and step out of your digital sanctuary.

I & Love & You
The Avett Brothers once proclaimed in song that the three words that are hardest to say are: I & Love & You! Ain't that the truth! Nowadays if we really need to tell someone we love them we can send them an email or write a cheesy facebook tribute. This way we get the emotion out of the way without truly having to engage in it.

As hard as it may be you need to hug your Mom, grab her by the cheeks, and tell her you love her! It might get weird for a minute but these are the things that genuinely matter!

The question that looms like a cheap chandelier:
Has Convenience Replaced All That Is Sacred?

Can we not visit the beach without taking a picture of the sunset. Can we not watch our children play without sharing the image with the world. Have we forgotten how to Love because it always requires editing?

Social Media rules! God bless Steve Jobs for giving us the I-phone! Thank goodness computers have helped us achieve more in less time!

More important than all of it, are the people we walk past every day....neglecting to say hi because we are texting them from across the room.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Personal Public Persona

Earlier this week I authored a piece about social media in potential hire profiling. The responses have been varied but one point has become certain:

Without your boss sitting on your lap at all times, the choices you make are your own!


This sentiment is not specific to social media but it may be the area in which it is most prevalent. Tony Bruno was suspended this week for his choices and many others have suffered an even worse fate. As Erica Albright stated, "the Internet is written in ink". So unavoidably true. Your company cannot police your every thought, your opinions may fall into the wrong inbox, and interpreting the mood of the written word is very difficult. We are not governed by the platform or the organization with which we are affiliated. We can only monitor ourselves. This is a massive responsibility!

I don't believe that Tony Bruno is a racist, he just got caught up in the moment. This week I saw that a person trying to help another revealed confidential mental health information about that person. The intention was good but the after effect served to further limit the person she was trying to help. I saw another post asking sorority women to disable their facebook pages during their recruitment period..? That's a super secret society.

I don't know about you but I'm not willing to give up that easily. I strongly believe that every company should be aligned with their core values (from CEO to Intern). The most prominent core value of any company is: TRUST! If you want a productive and empowered workforce...trust is essential. Everyone appreciates being given the club with the power to swing it as they wish. No one likes rules, restrictions and/or regulations (necessary as they may be).

This social media thing is not going away. In fact, more people communicate through facebook than email these days. We have an opportunity to use the power of our personal influence for good...why ignore it or attempt to regulate it. Like anything else, we learn from our mistakes in social media. We stop putting down others in blog chats, we stop voicing our opinions after 4 beers, and we refrain from jokes that may be conceived as bullying.

For the first time in my professional lifetime the villagers have more influence than the king. The voice of the people has never been stronger. Twitter is the voice of the NFL players union, blogs speak louder than the New York Times and Facebook has more citizens than most countries. We must understand that with great power comes great responsibility. We need to be aware that our words have consequences and that they cannot be erased. Accept the privilege and proceed with riotous intent!

It is certain that social media will improve our communication. We will learn what to say and when to say it. We will stop protecting our words and share them. We will grow, in honesty, together!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Social Profiling

Do you use social media to profile your job candidates? Is it even legal to do that? (these are not leading questions, I am actually curious).

It seems Social Media is here to stay. These multiple interactive platforms are an extension of one's personality that cannot be conveyed through a resume or interview. Unfortunately, people can also misrepresent themselves in these forums. People are still getting fired for saying things on Twitter or posting pictures on Facebook. There might be fringe subject matter that can be held against you in the workplace. If people know your political affiliations these things may be frowned upon at the water cooler (without you knowing it).

Do we still need resumes if we have LinkedIn?
Do we still need personality screening if we have Facebook?

Could social media participation actually benefit your job prospects? Maybe you have made meaningful professional introductions or have created a forum to share relevant industry information via social media. It  might be hard to imagine but your blog might actually give you a leg up in the hiring process?

Still many professionals are completing ruling out Social Media in their career development. There are still people who tip a few beers with the I-phone in hand and "tell us what they really think".

Is not a professional organization a collective of personalities? Do we not differentiate our company by the people who work for us. Can we not get to a point where we celebrate personalities and trust our employees to promote our brand?

Will we ever get to the point where it will be completely OK to be a person in the workplace? If you didn't always have to police yourself and those around you would you be a more productive professional?

I have a dream today....that every person in every company can wear what they want, to understand (or disagree with) one another, share their personality, kiss a co-worker and even shed a tear if they need to. Is that so hard to imagine?

Don't Forget to Remember!

~ Dave    

SHRM 2011: The Good & The Bad

I must admit, I went into SHRM11 feelings a little apprehensive. The expectation of programming that might let attendees down, the prospect of standing on my feet for 3 days straight, and the pre-formed guilt of the swag footprint always makes me painfully self-aware. As usual, I was wrong to go in feeling uninspired! I saw so many of my virtual friends in the Social Media lounge, was totally blown away by the keynotes, had great conversations with HR Pros from all over the world, and discovered some really great new companies.

In all, it was a marvelous time in Las Vegas. Our company was smart enough to put us up at the Green Valley Ranch; far enough from the strip to avoid creating the concept for Hangover 3. We behaved well at night and we're charged up to make the most of swagville by day.

The Good:
* Tony Hsieh - I have always enjoyed Tony's fun loving approach to doing business. I have seen him present before and have read his book. It is awesome that he was willing to promote his vision to the world of HR. John Hollon wrote a great piece on Tony's Keynote - check it out!

*The SHRM HR Blogging Community - It is no secret that I Love Laurie Ruettimann - she is like the little sister I never had. Totally upbeat but perfectly realistic. The Great Robin Schooling dropped by our booth to discuss wine, the lottery and the Saints. She honors the namesake of her favorite football team. Paul Smith dropped in during down time for a meaningful conversation about influencing managers to help employees make good decisions. Paul is one of my favorite writers and even more engaging in person. I also waived at China Gorman, gave Charlie Judy a high five, and exchanged salutations with my friend Trish McFarlane. The degree of influence that social media has gained @ SHRM over just the last 3 years because of the aforementioned people is simply remarkable! Keep fighting the good fight!

* Bright - My favorite new company....They have a super cool platform, totally engaged employees, and a feeling of purpose in their booth that radiates hope.

* Dice - This vendor hired Laurie Reuttimann, Steve Boese, and China Gorman to speak as HR Experts in their booth - a inventive and profitable decision.

*TLNT - I thought it was just a blog...apparently it's an actual company. Amazingly cool people and great writers who are kind enough to throw us all the part. The troops are throwing an event in Austin this is a can't miss.

The Bad:

* The only complaint I have about SHRM11 is the immaturity of vendors. Several times members of competitive organizations came to our booth in request for information. Some sent their loved ones, others dressed in costume, and there were those who were bold enough to show up and take our collateral (readily available on our website). While their methods were varied they have one thing in common: They think we're stupid! I know who you work for and I don't care what you know about my company. I never worried about competition. I concern myself with forging great relationships, finding customer's who mirror our company philosophy, and developing ways to make companies better.

"Don't Chase the Paper, Chase the Dream" - P Diddy

Thanks to Fabulous Las Vegas and all the people that made SHRM11 a massive success!

See you in Atlanta in 2012!

Don't Forget to Remember!

- Dave

Freedom

"Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitude"
- Harvey "Joe" Henderson

This quote resonated with my friends and I as we pumped Public Enemy on our way to our favorite skateboarding spot. It was a Hilti distribution center outside of Detroit, MI - just off Freedom Road.

I've opposed the trend of Generational Diversity because I find it confining. But, I can't seem to get away from it. I guess my hypocrisy keeps life interesting.

Today on the Howard Stern show. The elder statesman host gave a young upstart some advice. John Suscovich is leaving the staff at the greatest show on Earth to ride his bike around the world. Mr. Stern advised the young man that this idea was "ape shit crazy". John being grateful for the sage-like advise from the King of All Media nodded, smiled, and thanked Howard for the opportunity. Well played John!

What Howard doesn't understand is that the world doesn't work the way it did in when he was holed up in a Detroit Motel room waiting for his next radio show. John Suscovich appreciates the opportunity but he is not bound by it. I love the old school work ethic of the baby boomers but the angst comes from generational miscasting. I am of Generation X and even when I got out of college I rushed to the first company that would employ me....grateful for the opportunity, ready to work my way up the ladder.

Times have changed - Deal With It!

There is a pivotal scene in the movie "The Social Network" when the Dean of Harvard advises the Winklevi that at Harvard they create their own careers. That is inspiring advice. I wish someone would have given me that perspective. I didn't know I had the option of creating my own company and selling it to Google. Howard Stern, at the time he graduated BU, simply didn't have that option. So...we look upon the young with a sense of jealously and say - "there is no future in riding a bike".

"It's not about the bike"
- Lance Armstrong

I wonder if my grandfather wishes he didn't spend every day of his working life in the Iron Ore mines of upstate Minnesota? I bet he would have shaken his head at my pink shirt. He probably would have been in disbelief that a social network would be worth 20 billion dollars as well.

We have to be honest with ourselves. If we worked at our own pace, maintained our health, did not have to punch a clock, and made twice as much as we did today ~ that would be awesome! Freedom of schedule and work/life balance are nothing to be envious of. There are something to be admired.

If you ground your hands down to put food on the table, that is something to be proud of. If you came up with an idea and were given a million dollars for it, that is something to be proud of.

We are free to live the life we wish to. Some of us just choose to do the safe thing!

Don't Forget to Remember

Dave

Collaborate

Welcome to the first installment of the Employee Purpose Perspective. This is a 7 part blog series that will challenge you to breath the winds of change into your organization.

Salesforce.com has become one of the most profitable companies in the world over the last five years. The interesting thing about Salesforce.com is that they have developed camaraderie in the cloud. First, they developed a world class CRM tool, then they invited potential competitors to create apps to compliment their service suite.

Imagine that...an industry leader focused on collaboration not competition...?

In the advent of social media we have seen a shift from company logos to personal brands. We have found ways to share ideas instead of locking them away. An individual (who may not have a leadership position within the walls of their company) has an opportunity to reach far more people through their blog, twitter or facebook page.

We drive ourselves nuts worrying about the competition. What if that didn't matter? What if we could work freely without paranoia of giving away secrets? What if we could look our competitors in the eye and say, "this is what we do, try to stop us". What if we could coexist in an industry space without having blood money circumstance? My contention is that the transparency of open business practices forces us to have better customer service, better relationships and tailored solutions. We are not fighting for the same customers, we are developing lifelong partnerships. There is no blood in the water because we are all sailing in our own direction.

Companies like LinkedIn and Zappos have created a space on Twitter to address customer issues. Completely out in the open. It would seem that you would have to have great confidence in your customer service to open a complaint file for millions to view. Either that, or you are willing to share the hiccups and your ability to cure them. Honesty driving business efficiency....another shocking development!

There are 3 Principles to Collaboration:
1. Shared Vision
2. Profitability
3. Rewarded Resource Allocation

Vision
Everyone wants to work with the Fortune 500. If you run a 5 employee start up, you may not have the bandwidth to service GE. 'Tis better to understand your limitations than to drain the bucket pretending it can contain a big fish.

Profits
Would you rather spend all day trying to please one customer or service 100 customers with organic efficiency?

Our most difficult customers are difficult because we bent over backward pretending we could please them...and have been performing back flips ever since.

Rewards
Thank You is a great thing to hear. Great expectations and their according challenges are any customer's right to business elevation. But, this has to be an empowered process. If you are always asking for more by the entitlement of a paid invoice, you are missing the point of partnership. Say Thank You after every challenge is over come....and learn to forgive if the effort is there and human error wins over once in a while.

The first step in making the career you want out of the job you have is finding the right customers. If you force partnerships you will....drain your resources, piss off your co-workers, spend your days checking your phone and spend your nights awake.

Define your target market and utilize your time accordingly!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The Last Rights of Social Media

I have spent nearly 3 years heavily involved in the practice of social media activism. I have learned one distinct lesson:
* Very little good comes from participating in online forums.

LinkedIn is a masterful tool, I benefit greatly from writing this blog, and I hope my involvement in Twitter brings inspiration to others...? 100% of the time that I have participated in a LinkedIn group discussion, Wiki open forum or a blog debrief; my thought intent has been taken out of context, co-horts have ganged up on others, personal opinion has overwhelmed healthy discussion, and cyber-bullying has been the end result.

In 2010, we saw people initiatives created to protect young people from one another in cyberspace...laws enacted to prevent cyber-bullying. Guess what, cyber-bullying is just as prevalent in HR forums lead by industry veterans.

There seems to be a strong case mounted for free speech on the internet. Unfortunately, freedom of common sense and/or the ability to promote thought (instead of deterring it) seems to be on hiatus.

There are those waiting at lap top to pounce on anyone brave enough to promote ideas (original or otherwise). There exists a group of so-called experts that promote unwritten standards for social media and elect themselves to police social media forums with only malicious intent in mind.

It's not working! LinkedIn groups have lost their focus; invaded by spammers, negative thought and assumed right of authority. One cannot blog a collection of personal ideas in an effort to empower others without having their positive intent torn down and ridiculed.

So here are my suggestions for Social Media interaction in 2011:
* Encourage Only Healthy Discussion
* Make It A One Way Street
* Stop Participating

Keep Fighting the Good Fight
I just saw a posting from a so called 'social media expert' filled with infantile ideas. I applauded her post while others sited case studies and their assumed standards to disparage her advice. She had the courage to write the article, she put herself in the game....those who sit on the sidelines with arms crossed have no right to pass judgement on the Quarterback.

If you are going to put yourself out there you have to channel opinions into facts or points of encouragement. You have to develop the ability to ignore opinion fueled detractors and empower those who recognize courage.

Post Once
Where social media forums dissolve is when two people bicker back and forth in front of thousands. Develop a strong entry and own it....you DO NOT have to defend your thought process!

Sunsetting Discussion
...or you may choose to give up on these forums all together...and I don't blame you if you do. If you have a job to do, a child to look after, or a team to coach; you cannot have your day derailed by the opinion of a nameless, faceless, avatar with only ill intent in mind.

So next time you see a post by a person that seems off base, think about 2 things:
1. Is this person's intent to empower others?
2. What will be the potential backlash to my comments?

Keep it positive, do not let your ego override logic and do not respond to people who are only interested in picking a fight!

You only get one reputation...OK, you get two(one online and the other 'real life' reputation). Either way, you would hate to be denied the Presidency for a comment you made 10 years prior.

Inform, Encourage and Be Strategic!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Choose Your Voice

(the editorial on suicide prevention is featured below: 9-17-10 post)


There seem to be two certainties in life:
* Everything Written Can Be Misinterpreted
* Our Ability to Gain Insight from the Dissension of Others Drives our Success

We all want to be liked by everyone. To build a robust network of followers and receive LOL validation to the ideas we share. The questions that have to be asked are...
1. Who do I know?
2. What can I help them learn?

If you really want to get something out of this social media thing you have to make choices. You have to paint statements, stand by your work and accept input from others to more fully form your view. You cannot expect to tell 100,000 people (who have no relevance to your business process) things that they do not care about.

I have a few in-game suggestions:
* Post no more than 20 times a day
* Avoid telling us about your personal actions
* In-Put YOUR personality and Ideas

Brevity is King
It's pretty simple. If you are on Twitter and/or Facebook all day people are going to start wondering about your productivity. These tools can be a great escape and a driving force to our business prospecting. NO ONE wants to open their page and see your profile 18 times in a row.

Learn to consolidate your ideas. Know that you don't have to RT everything. Read more than you write.

Just left the bathroom..
...are you kidding me? No one cares if you are going to the store, we don't need to see a picture of your food and we do not care about hygiene activities.

I am the first to contend that the practice of 140 characters may make more concise communicators of us all so we need not Tweet our every personal action.

No One Cares!

Choose Your Voice
The great Chris Guillebeau made some excellent points in his recent blog. The premise being that your self expression will determine your network.

Think about it....why do you want 1,000 followers who sell social media e-books or are ladies of the night? Odds are the aforementioned folks are not decision makers in buying your products or services.

You need to establish a personal strategy that creates a system of advising and promoting your vision. Start helping people who really need what you can provide. You can make really meaningful connections online. You will compromise meaningful partnerships by being boring, uninformative or self serving.

Make new friends and keep the old. But do not be afraid to lose friends that don't help you challenge yourself and enhance your personal vision.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

If You Really Knew Me...

...you would know that I am Super Awesome!

Before this concept became a hit show on MTV, my friend Mike Robbins was work shopping it as a form of conflict resolution with some of the world's most prominent companies.

It always seems that our best intentions get misinterpreted...especially in Social Media forums. It seems without exception that every time I post on a blog or tweet something, emotions surface and the defenses go up.

So in today's blog post let's workshop a little conflict resolution by touching on some key points:
* Words are Just That
* Emotion is an Evil Mistress to Contrary Opinion
* Does it Really Matter?

Interpretation is in the eye of the beholder
Sometimes you see a blog post with which you agree. You voice an excited opinion and the author writes to the forum that you are attacking him/her...? What gives...?

Blogging is mostly based on opinion. We build our network of trusted advisers and reciprocate like minded verse. Because there is strength in numbers we tend to come to our friends defense when he/she has been embarrassed by someone. Social Media is not a popularity contest, as the golden rule goes, the more friends you have online the fewer you have in REAL LIFE! Be advised that there is an obligation to free speech that means reeling your friends in if they are off base. You don't HAVE TO agree with someone just because they are your friend online. You don't HAVE TO defend someone if you don't agree with them.

That's how this things work. Promote new thought and allow your detractors to help you consider all the angles.

Don't Be A Sissy!
No one likes to be told they are wrong. Just because your opinions are challenged doesn't mean they are wrong. Where we get ourselves in trouble is by ganging up on someone because they feel differently than we do. We are all entitled to our Thought Leadership, there is no right answer and if we ignore contrary thought we are defeating the purpose of participation.

Take the emotion out of it! You can be wrong and do not have to apologize to the world for it.

Stay Level Headed! Don't let emotion based defense mechanisms drive you to a self preservation campaign.

Take a Breath! Before you let your anger prompt a forever documented tirade...take a breath, soak it in, consider the rival opinion and grow from it.

It's Twitter People....
Come on, do you really care what a recruiter in Australia says about your Best Practices case study? You will probably not meet any of the people with whom you share a network, their thoughts may be taken out of context and they might live in their Mom's basement. The best way to protect your personal brand is to have thought promotion strategy that includes avoiding unnecessary bickering.

Just because one person disagrees with your thoughts doesn't mean that the other 32,000 do. The way to compromise your brand with everyone is to get defensive and get into a war of egos.

We live in an exciting time! We can now share ideas with billions of people in real time. We do not work with them directly so they are usually more candid in their communication.

Participate, Learn From Your Detractors and Grow Your Collaborative Strategy!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Own It!

There are two things that upset Thought Leadership in Social Media:
* Bickering
* Compromise

I recently participated in a forum among which our moderator did an amazing job presenting an intriguing topic to the group. My respected colleagues presented their thoughts and experience regarding a touchy subject. As the conversation continued participants misinterpreted postings, called out the author and forced him/her to defend their thoughts. I would like to propose that social media forums are not for pro/con opinion blasting. You document a (well developed) thought pattern and evolve your view based on feedback.

When you reply to a detractor to defend your comments a few things happen:
* You cheapen your original Thought Leadership
* You turn a Philosophical Conversation into a bitch fest
* Those who originally respected your point of view...lose respect!

Please be advised: no one learns from a pointed discussion that ends in 'send me an email and we'll meet for coffee'.

Formatted discussions thrive on rival points:
- You don't have to sight a discrepancy in another's point for them to understand your opposing view point (and to benefit from it).
- You don't have to reply to someone who misinterpreted your advice.
- Those who respect you will understand your point of view.
- Those who misinterpret you will still respect you if you hold your ground.
- If you need validation to a point you are unsure of then why present it?

Proposed Social Media Forum Discussion Strategy:
Post Once

You can evolve a more fully formed thought process based on someone's feedback without an emotion driven public retort. Social Media forums are valuable because they involve real thoughts in real time. Don't cheapen the Thought Leadership Incubator with opinions based in self defensive.

Post, Provide Defensible Thought Leadership and Hold Your Ground!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Social Mediation

Friends -
I love "social media". I am a big fan of Twitter, LinkedIn and this Blog. I find the process of expressing one's thoughts, with your name attached to them for millions to see, to be an exercise in accountability.

Make no mistake about it, social media takes courage. It is an act of bravery to express ones opinion and field the backlash. You will learn to be accountable to the material you produce as soon as you submit a comment that is unpopular with any of your cohorts. You will learn from insults and compliments alike to be considerate in the line of your our truth. All good things!

The cowards are those who criticise social media platforms without participating in them. Those who submit criticisms and then cannot take the retort. Those who attack and become defensive when attacked. Those who mask their true intent in watered down, politically correct bravado. Those who (literally) pretend to be someone they are not.

Think before you respond, try to consider all the angles, express yourself at the expense of being unpopular with the crowd and own the results!

Here are 3 things to consider:
* I get as much out of reading tweets from skateboarders as I do from Business Advisers.
* LinkedIn Groups are a Trap!
* This Blog is as much for me as it is for you.

Express Yourself: I love twitter for the dissemination of information that I feel to be relevant and the group I have chosen to disseminate it. In one read through Twitter I can learn more in 5 minutes than I would in a 20 minute read through the newspaper.

I feel it is important to consider the following in the Twitter world:
* Don't tell me about your personal actions
- No one cares if you just dropped your kid off at school
* Have relevant information
- Attach a link to greater thought development
* If you tweet more than 20 times a day you are being excessive
* Show me your personality
- If you love bowling attach a link to a You Tube video of King Pin

Don't Get Sucked In: The world of social networking is full of people who are unemployed or bored at work. They will bait you into conversation just to discredit you. Opinion polls on LinkedIn groups are a way for salespeople to bait you into explaining your programs so they can offer you an alternative. Your competitors will invite your opinion to bait you to expose your strategy. Do not participate in LinkedIn discussions - final answer!

For Us (not them): I am always approached by people who have SEO platforms that will improve my blog viewership by 5000%. I don't care how many people read this blog. I write it for a select group of people who are genuinely engaged in progressive thought. It is also profoundly beneficial for me to get my thoughts on paper, re-read them and continue to grow.

Epilogue:
Don't be afraid to express yourself but know that when you do you are subject to criticism. Don't take any backlash seriously but be willing to learn from it. As soon as you read feedback try first to laugh at it.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Social Media @ SHRM10

Ponder with me...

• Have you ever tried to register your content as a speaker at a major conference?
• Do you ever wonder if anyone reads the post session survey cards that you fill out?
• Do you think the whole concept of the Exhibitor Hall has lost it's intended purpose?
• Are you offended by speakers who work sales pitches into their educational content?
• Do you find attendee objectives to be against the intended conference purpose?
  
  Now you have an avenue....SOCIAL MEDIA!
  
  The 2010 Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference was inundated with real time reviews of the sessions, the speakers, the event culture and tips on the hottest swagville give-aways. Those who missed certain sessions, were working a booth or didn't attend the conference were able to get real time reviews from our favorite Social Media Opinionists via the #SHRM10 Twitter conference board. Not only did I find the influence of the hash tag culture informative, I was impressed by SHRM's willingness to embrace this inevitable movement of people empowerment.
  
  It is assumed that vendors could give two shits about session content and are simply there to hand out logo-ed head bands - not so in my case. As such, it was great to track the insight of:
  Mark Stelzner, Laurie Ruettimann, Michael VanDervort, Jennifer McClure and Matthew Stollak during sessions.
  
  It was also encouraging to see SHRM giving Curtis Midkiff a forum to reign in the 'reviewers board' in an attempt to encourage healthy conversation.
  
  Jessica Merrell and Robin Schooling gave me a full overview of their climb to influence, the power of the unconference and the undeniable influence that is being recognized to the power of the pen (keystroke). For the record, I have seldom met a group of people more willing to educate...I must say the formal education process is not always as forthcoming.
  
  My challenge to SHRM is to continue to evolve content by presenting an alternative track where the unconference thought leaders can facilitate round table discussions. In doing this, those attending can challenge views of the content and present the objectives that make best sense to their organizational culture. Content without interpretation is just notes on a page; never to be revisited.
  
  I applaud SHRM for opening the can of Social Media worms. HR is understandably the last to adopt personality driven directives...but, the Blogger Bus has arrived at the conference center!

• Do you want those with a voice to millions to be a promoter or a detractor?
• If we pay $1,200 to attend/exhibit at a conference shouldn't we get more out of it than a bag full of swag and a hangover?

Baby Steps.....

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave