“In this new world of business, companies and leaders will have to show authenticity, fairness, transparency and good faith. If they don’t, customers and employees may come to distrust them, to potentially disastrous effect. Customers who don’t like a product can quickly broadcast their disapproval. Prospective employees don’t have to take your word for what life is like at your company—they can find out from people who already work there. And long time loyal employees now have more options to launch their own, more fleet-footed start ups, which could become your fiercest competitors in the future.” {Forbes Magazine, September, 2011}

Welcome to Social Power & The Corporate Revolution according to the recent cover story in Forbes Magazine.

The resistance is still powerful.  Legacy leaders struggle with the loss of control.  Fear a shift in the balance of power. Underestimate the impact and influence of the revolution.  Discount a new breed of competition. Resist the notion that the way we connect, communicate, collaborate and choose has changed.

Shift.

The days of command and control communication, leadership and operational strategy are over.  Welcome to an era where collaboration and connectedness flourish.  We are just getting started.

This isn’t a marketing conversation.  This is a business performance conversation where the outcome is about the impact on results.

What you do is increasingly a commodity.  What you do is easily replicated.   What you do is readily available elsewhere. What you do isn’t that special.

How you do it is the ever increasing opportunity to differentiate in the people economy.

A question worth considering:

What are you willing to do for people that the competition simply isn’t?

The onus is on companies to care more.  About customers.  About employees.

I illustrated this notion in the enclosed video excerpt during my keynote last week referencing my relationship with Delta Airlines.  This is one example of a company that embraced change, evolved communication and turned challenges into a real opportunity to care and connect customers to a better brand experience.

 

Posted in Brand, Communications, Leadership, Social Media, Uncategorized

Tags: Brand, Delta Airlines, Forbes, Revolution, Sales 2.0, Social Media

I love Chicago.  A few summer’s ago I actually lived downtown.  Who doesn’t want to be in Chicago during the summertime?  So for 3 months I rented a loft and made Chi Town my home.  It was a great experience.  I am excited to be back.

I will be attending the 2011 Illinois State SHRM Conference this August 22-23.  I will be presenting on an agenda with some outstanding keynotes and concurrent sessions.  I am excited for both.

This event represents an opportunity for me to listen, learn, laugh, engage, grow, improve, connect and consume the ideas, insights and inspiration of one of the strongest lineups of thinkers, doers and leaders in the human capital space.  It is quite evident the IL SHRM State Council took great care in assembling the content for this event and the crew that is going to be sharing and socializing the content as it is delivered.

I expect this event will be social.  I expect this event will be collaborative.  I expect this event will be filled with actionable content.  I expect I’ll have a healthy “to do” list when I leave. I expect to make several new, meaningful connections.  I expect to consume a Chicago Dog.   I expect to have a whole lot of fun!

To make your event experience more memorable I’d encourage you to spend a few minutes online getting to know some of the people participating in this year’s event on the Social Media Press Corps.  Their properties are included below.  I think you’ll be impressed and find that in meeting them personally they all share a vested interest in elevating the practice of people and willingness to help wherever they can.

I hope you can join us.  I hope to see you at the Meet Up Monday night.  I hope we get to connect.

Blogger                         Blog Site & Twitter Handle

Robin Schooling           The HR Schoolhouse @RobinSchooling

Jessica Miller-Merrill     Blogging 4 Jobs @blogging4jobs

Jennifer McClure           Unbridled Talent @cincyrecruiter

Joe Gerstandt                Joe Gerstandt @joegerstandt

Jason Lauritsen            Jason Lauritsen @jasonlauritsen

(Also Talent Anarchy)

China Gorman           China Gorman @chinagorman

Dwane Lay                  Lean HR @dwanelay

Mike VanderVort        Human Race Horses @mikevandervort

Jason Seiden              Jason Seiden @seiden

Ryan Estis                  Passion on Purpose @ryanestis

Trish McFarlane      The HR Ringleader @trishmcfarlane

William Tincup           Drive Thru HR @williamtincup

Charlie Judy              The HR Fishbowl @HRFishbowl

Curtis Midkiff             SHRM @shrmsocmedguy

Maren Hogan         Marenated @marenhogan

Geoff Webb            Radical Events @radicalrecruit

Bryan Wempen       Drive Thru HR @bryanwempen

William Tincup        Drive Thru HR @williamtincup

Posted in Social Media

Tags: Conference, Illinois SHRM, Keynote, SHRM, Social Media

This afternoon I will be speaking on Sales 2.0 & The Social Shift to Executives at the ACA International Convention.  We will address a few core issues that will be top of mind to attendees:

1.  Is social media a business tool or waste of time?

2. Show me the money (this one is easy).

3. Can I get an advantage over my competition?

4.  Do my prospects and customers care about social media?

5.  Won’t my competition be able to see who I am connecting with or learn more about us if we are more social?

I just finished reading the Ad Age article, How Social Media Can Derail Your New Business Efforts.  I was also asked during my breakfast business summit last week about the danger of the competition seeing your contacts on Linked In.

It is true.  Your competition can and will learn more about you if you go social.  My thought about that.  So what?

My advice to any sales organization, leader or individual contributor would be to focus on being better than the competition.

Social Media doesn’t make or break your sales strategy, process, work product, pitch plan, preparation cycle or prospect and customer experience.  They merely serve as access points and additional opportunity to demonstrate your value proposition.

I hope my sellers (they know who they are) are reading this and connecting on linked in early and often.  I hope they are selling with carefully researched and expertly crafted POV (Point of View & Position of Value).  I hope they are presenting clear and compelling proof of concept with case studies that include ROI. I hope they wake up ready to step into the arena of competition and lean into the challenge of taking on the very best.  I hope they out prepare, out think and out hustle the competition.  I hope they present to win. I hope they put their process, strategies, ideas and insights on display for the whole world to see, including the competition.  I hope they earn commitment and identify next steps at every inflection point in the sales cycle. I hope they never worry about what the competition might see, think or know about what they are doing, who they are connected to or where they are checking in. I hope they are that confident.  I hope they are that much better.

Sell from a position of strength.  Not fear.  Focus more on the customer.  Less on you.  Even less on the competition.

If you are with us in Dallas join me this afternoon at the #acaconvention.

Posted in Sales, Social Media

Tags: ACA International, Ad Age, Sales 2.0, Social Media, Social Selling

I am not a social media expert.  Whatever that means.

I talk about it.  The Social Shift.  The impact and opportunity.  I can site examples.  I live it everyday through blogging, updating, posting, connecting, tweeting, checking in and occasionally checking out. I know it has been a catalyst for growth in my business.  I believe it has also been a catalyst for growth in my life.

In truth Social Media has been one interesting experiment.  I had no idea what was going to happen the first time I Linked In.  I was doubtful anyone besides my mom would subscribe to this blog. I could still care less about what anyone I know had for #lunch in 140 characters or less.  But I see the transformation .  I know this is just the beginning. I like being there.  I love being here.

Ironically several of my friends (not on Facebook) that used to mock my social curiosity now want to understand how to make the segway into social media for business benefit.  So occasionally I find myself sitting across from a friend, fellow Gen X business pro (usually in sales) who two years ago couldn’t fathom a Facebook account but now wants my advice/instruction on how to make the social shift.

This morning I will be coffee shopping it to help my friend. He asked me if I could help him “go viral” (any ideas?).  Our first sit down will go something like this:

1.  Meet me at the coffee shop at 6:45 a.m.:  If you want to ever build a following, have an impact, connect consistently then it is clear to me you’ll show up early.  Stay late.  Put in the work. Yes, it is an investment of time.  So, you can cut into sleep or skip American Idol and Dancing With the Stars.  Your call.  He pushed the meeting to 7:15.

2.  Bring me a gift (I don’t work completely pro bono): The idea is to get in the habit of giving value first. Expect nothing in return. Get used to the idea that nobody really cares all that much about you or your stuff.  They care a whole lot more about their own stuff.  If you can help them with their stuff they might get a bit more interested in your stuff.  Especially important to understand this if you are in sales.

3.  Go meet a stranger in this coffee shop right now and exchange business cards:  Awkward?  Of course.  Will be a bit amusing for me. Try it sometime.  How did you do? Is it all that different online?  Think about your approach. Think about the other person. Think about why they should/would connect with or follow you?

4.  Give me one good, compelling reason why I shouldn’t get up and walk out of the coffee shop right now (friendship is off limits during the work session and by this time I assume he will be frustrated)?  I am distracted.  Busy.  Overwhelmed.  Stressed. 17 other people just like you want to talk to me. I already have one of you that does just fine.  I want to get on with my day.   If he doesn’t come up with a reason I will seriously consider leaving. Welcome to sales.

5. Write down what you want from this effort?  When? How you intend to help others? Why?  It pays to begin with the end in mind.  That informs strategy and tactics.  It pays to determine if you can really help. That informs whether any of this is worth doing if your intention is to build your business.  Plenty of other reasons can make social media worthwhile (I heard Farmville is fun). He just needs to decide.

He will have some homework.  He will set up his accounts. He will retweet.  Comment on blogs.  Join groups.  Pay attention.  Then eventually contribute. If he contributes quality consistently, then eventually someone might pay attention back.  If he helps people in a BIG way they might be inclined to evangelize his work and tell others.

Who knows?  Maybe he will Engage, Crush It, Win Friends and Influence People and start a Tribe!

I just know he better like this on Facebook.  And buy breakfast.

Posted in Social Media, Uncategorized

Tags: Crush It, engage, Social Media, Social Shift, Training

Eighteen months ago I was preparing and packing to speak at the 2009 SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition.  I had just started my new company and was excited to head to New Orleans.  And while reviewing the agenda with KJ, I recall clearly a question she posed:

KJ: Are you registered to attend the Tweet Up?

Me: The Tweet What?

KJ:  It’s a sponsored party where people on Twitter who attend the conference Meet Up to connect, converse and generally speaking, have a good time.

Me:  Really?  Sign me up and we can check it out.

Upon first being exposed to Twitter I wasn’t moved.  Did I really need to know what my friend from college had for lunch?  But being in the brand strategy & communications design space I opted in and caught on quickly.  To this day I get asked all the time:  Is Twitter a business tool or waste of time?  My answer is always the same:  It’s both.  If expanding and accelerating relationships and listening to and learning from leading experts is part of your business strategy then Twitter can be a powerful tool.  I can also tell you from personal experience that incorporating a Tweet Up into your social strategy is a very good idea.

On a rainy night in New Orleans we showed up at my first Tweet Up.  A small, private bar in the back of a restaurant.  About 100 people from the conference (which had about 8,000 attendees) attended, which wasn’t an overwhelming turn out.  But the people who showed up….well, in a word they were special.

They were the early adopters.  Producers, creators, writers, entrepreneurs, speakers, thinkers, influencers, practitioners and doers.  That generally speaking wanted more.  Out of the conference.  Out of the work experience.  Out of their network.  They were opting in and asking questions.  Of each other.  Of an industry.  Perhaps of themselves.  A very smart and skilled collective that to me represented a shift.  Certainly in how we were going to attend and experience a conference.  Definitely in how we could expand and influence our professional network.  And for me personally, that night also represented a shift in the way I was going to approach work.

I got to meet new and interesting people like Kris Dunn, Mark Stelzner, Lance Haun, Jessica Lee, Michaeal Long, Laurie Ruettimann, Mary Ellen Slater, Josh Westover, Jennifer McClure, Peter Clayton, Mark Christensen and Michael Vandervort.  I didn’t know any of them well then.  I know most of them better now.  And that makes me better.

I didn’t blog then.  I do now.  And because I didn’t blog then I didn’t have a keynote about Leadership & Culture called Passion on Purpose.  I do now.  And those things have accelerated my business.  Twitter and specifically that Tweet Up put me in what I commonly refer to as a “state of action”.  I wanted to contribute more.  And that makes me better.

Listening and learning is perhaps the best opportunity social media affords.  It’s also important to know who to listen to and learn from.  My suggestion:  next time you attend a conference get plugged into the channels.  Be curious.  Step out of your comfort zone.  Make new connections.  Have rich, meaningful conversations with people who are contributing to what is next and new.  You might be surprised what happens next.

If you are a Meeting Planner or Association Membership Chair there is tremendous opportunity to elevate the event experience and deliver more value to your membership.  It isn’t necessarily about the technology and tools.  It’s about the trend.  That people want more opportunity to contribute and connect in a meaningful way if they invest their time and money.

I still don’t care about what my friends from college had for lunch.  I will also be at the next Tweet Up that affords me an opportunity to connect with interesting people doing relevant work.  The enclosed video recap is from the recent Twighlight Tweet Up at the SHRM National Leadership Conference. Check it out.

SHRM10Lead Official TweetUp Video from SHRMSocMedGuy on Vimeo.

Posted in Recruiting, Sales, Social Media, Uncategorized

Tags: Conference, Conventions, Events, Human Resources, Meetings, Social Media, Tweet Up, Twitter

This is a compelling presentation that does a fantastic job explaining the social media revolution. The notion that we are experiencing a fundamental shift in the way we connect and communicate is right on point. The game is changing – and smart/savvy organizations playing the new game, the right way, will generate a significant competitive advantage.

Posted in Brand, Communications, Uncategorized

Tags: Social Media

Attending the Blogwell event at General Mills in Minneapolis this week provided some interesting insights into how big brands are leveraging social media.  While the big brands each had varying degress of entrance into leveraging new tools there were central themes throughout the day.  One of those being the strong desire and interest among each brands community to connect online.  Lee Aase of Mayo Clinic talked about Mayo’s digital footprint and provided insights into their Sharing Mayo Clinic Blog that serves as a destination for the many wonderful stories inside the clinic.  Walmart talked about their MyWalmart Assocaites web page that connects over 430,000 regular users in their employee population (although banning access at work seemed a bit contradictory to their desire to foster these connections – trust?).  McDonalds talked their efforts around motivating and connecting employees to leverage their own social networks as Brand Ambassadors for the Golden Arches through strategies like Station M, where approximately 40,000 crew members engage.   And my favorite presentation of the day, from Ford’s Scott Monty depicted Ford’s Social Media Strategy: “to humanize the company by connecting consumers with Ford employees and with each other when possible, providing value in the process.”  My sense is while his toolkit may change, his strategy won’t and it’s a big part of the reason that Ford is one of the top social brands in the US.  It’s completely clear that brands large and small need a strategy.  With a clearly defined objective, some commitment and the requisite tools to build and measure the effort a value proposition around the investment can be derived.

The other great lesson of the day was the importance of listening, learning and participating as an active voice with your community.  Scott described it as “setting his content free” and each presenter seemed to recognize the relinquishing of control in the new communications landscape.  Conference host Andy Sernovitz (author of Word of Mouth Marketing) commented in his session on ethics that the biggest risk for a big brand in social media is the failure to train your team.  It’s important to understand how to use the tools and that knowledge can certainly minimize risk and enhance reward. Coincidentally one of the large health care brands in my hometown now has a Twitter account devoted to Careers.  The brand is a follower of mine (and I follow back).  Recently the brand sent a tweet and link to a requisition of a key management opening in their organization.  I responded back with a DM offering to connect them with someone in my network who met all the requirements and would have been an ideal fit for the position.  I never heard back.  And my point for this brand is…what is the point?  They miss the voice.  The human element.  The participation.  The opportunity.  And are falling well short of the new communication expectations on the social web.  As Scott Monty included in his presentation:  90% of social media is just showing up.  It’s the other half that’s hard.

Posted in Brand, Communications, Employee Engagement

Tags: Brand, Social Media

I have a number of friends and professional acquaintances doubling up on their smart phones.  Typically the corporate issue Blackberry and the personal i-phone.  i-Life junkies?  Not really.  The common  dilemma for the double down is to stay connected to one’s network (yes that would be facebook, twitter etc.) at work.  Someone, somewhere didn’t quite grasp the benefit of a connected workforce and decided the potential for lost productivity was too great a risk.  So the ‘Social Ban’ is on.  And the lost opportunity to harness all of the good that comes from these connections and lack of trust the organization is demonstrating is in full effect. Professional speaker and thought leader Tim Sanders offers up some terrific commentary in his The Digital Benefit Post.  His thought:  “offer the digital benefit or lose the upcoming war for talent.” On the money (and if you ever get a chance to see Tim speak live, don’t pass it up).  I had an opportunity to talk with Todd Raphael and Raghav Singh for an ERE Podcast on Social Media and recruiting and expressed my opinion that the ‘Social Ban’ is short sighted and simply isn’t in the best interest of the organization.  The foundation of any good relationship is trust.  The employment relationship is no different.  It is the very core of employee engagement.

Posted in Communications, Employee Engagement

Tags: Social Media

I had the pleasure of attending two very valuable business breakfasts this week.  A Twin Cities HR Leadership Round Table sharing best practices on the evolution of Talent Management and the Twin Cities Social Media breakfast hosted by Partner Up and Deluxe Corporation HQ.  Two very different groups, agendas and turnouts.  And most of the discussion in both meetings was very focused on a common theme:  Communication.

In attending my first social media breakfast I was in awe of the turnout and how connections in social media advance much faster when you extend them offline.  Both presentations offered some thoughtful insights  including tips and tools on the evolution of communication, connecting, collaborating, consuming and creating all with a much stronger sense of being part of a new community.

How these transformative tools impact corporations and careers was certainly part of the consideration at the Round Table.  The notion of building communities of talent and leveraging technology to communicate and connect more effectively internally were offered up for discussion.  It was evident through the dialogue that even some of the most highly regarded, progressive organizations in the Twin Cities are just beginning to consider how to approach Talent Management more holistically and strategically with recognition that retaining and engaging the High Potentials/High Performers will be essential to accomplishing key business  goals.

It was obvious to me after attending both breakfast meetings that the quick and aggressive application of new tools and technology will afford more progressive organizations an advantage in their quest to build high engagement work cultures that offer mutliple connection points to our varied communities in the workplace.  And no doubt that will be a heavy focus on the agenda at next week’s Annual SHRM Conference and Exposition.  As 10,000 HR Professionals descend on New Orleans they can look forward to a new conference experience that will include an offical conference blog, a steady twitterstream and of course a variety of pods, videos, media releases, reviews and updates travelling across the web in real time.  I am looking forward to participating in the conversation, being part community and surviving the 105 degree heat in NOLA!

Posted in Communications

Tags: Human Resources, SHRM, Social Media