Some of the most useful (and entertaining) professional development classes I’ve ever taken have been improv-comedy classes. Besides making me a little less unfunny at parties, I’ve learned some powerful and practical communication skills in these classes. One of them came from a brilliant teacher, Tim Whetham. (He was the teacher who pointed out on the first day of class that, “everyone is already good at improv, we do it 24 hours a day). In a class on performing an improvisational scene with a partner, Tim pointed out that your focus in the scene should be to validate the choices the other actor makes. In the heat of the moment it’s … [Read more...]
Relationships are the New Job Security
If you haven’t noticed, the way the world works has changed a lot. Daily life is going to be a lot different for my children than it was for my parents. In times of change, we yearn for security. Unfortunately, the places that we’ve traditionally found security – career, families, culture - are where most of the changes are happening. One area this is obvious is the lack of traditional job security. Flexibility = Insecurity From a historical perspective, it was way easier when you knew that someday you would take your parent’s job. Millers milled, Porters ported, Smiths smithed (I’m pretty sure I know what my forefathers did for a … [Read more...]
The Clues Hidden in the Structure of My LinkedIn Network
Updated December 2018 Back in the day, LinkedIn offered a service that let you graphically represent your LinkedIn network. It gave you a way to visualize what how your connections were linked to you and to each other. Unfortunately, it's not possible to use the service anymore. But they contained some great lessons to be pulled from what my LinkedIn network looked like back then. The Power of 2nd Level Connections Here's what mine looked like: Think about what you are seeing here. This is my personal org chart. This visually describes how I'm connected to everyone I know and how they are connected to each other. These … [Read more...]
You Should be Sharing Photos in LinkedIn Status Updates! Here’s Why (and How)!
This was a view from my hotel room at a recent speaking engagement. A little more engaging than posting on LinkedIn "I'm speaking at a conference in Mexico", right? Many of the professionals I train are resistant to social media because they think it's simply a way for people to waste time. They think social media consists of updates on what people had for lunch and random pictures of themselves and their kids and their friends and their pets. And the problem is, they aren't completely wrong. Pretty much everyone has a camera in their pocket on their phone; and sites like Facebook and Twitter (not to mention Pinterest and Instagram) … [Read more...]
Don’t Like Other Networking Events? 5 Steps to Running Your Own!
These days it seems like networking events are springing up everywhere. No matter where you live and work, you could find a networking breakfast or cocktail reception to go to every day of the week. Many of these events brag about how large they are, and how many people you can meet by attending. There’s nothing wrong with going to these large events, but many people find them overwhelming, and it’s hard to make good connections in the hustle and bustle of a crowded room. What can you do...? Try this: put together your own networking event. It’s not as hard as it sounds, and it can be very rewarding. The goal here is not to have … [Read more...]
Hey Recruiters, Here are the 3 Things You Totally Screw Up On LinkedIn
One of the first groups that really wrapped their arms around LinkedIn was the HR crew, and specifically the recruiters. On LinkedIn, where everyone is posting what amounts to their resume on their profile, it's like being a kid in a candy store. If you are looking for candidates, LinkedIn is the place to find them. I've gotten to work with professionals from all fields, industries, and departments on how to maximize their LinkedIn presence. That includes a lot of HR folks. I've even run a booth at LinkedIn's TalentConnect conference to work one-on-one with recruiters on refining their profiles. So I've seen a lot of … [Read more...]
When It’s Not About the Nail…and When it Is
Breaking news! Women and men tend to have different communication styles! Yeah, I know, it's not new news at all. But it's funny, because we so often persist in talking to each other like we all have the same style. In fact, each of us goes around thinking that everyone has the same style, and wants the same things from a conversation, that we do. The gender difference is one of the more obvious, but it can vary based on a host of other factors, including where someone is from, their age, their cultural background, and, duh, or their personality. https://youtu.be/-4EDhdAHrOg I know I tend to be pretty analytical and solution … [Read more...]
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