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“Creating Successful Leaders”

Category Archives: Better Business

June 24, 2015 Capitalizing on Your Diverse Workplace with Insights® Discovery

Your workplace is diverse, whether you know it or not. You may all be similar in appearance, but what about your interests? Work styles? Ways of thinking and doing? Diversity goes beyond ethnicity, gender, culture, and age. It also has to do with diversity of thought and behavior.

Such a mix of perspectives can be healthy for an organization, but only if it’s leveraged correctly. If the minority voices are constantly silenced by the majority, then any diversity your organization may have will not be used effectively.

Understanding and accepting differences in others is fundamental to the success of an organization. It’s what leads to great idea-generation, creativity, and an energized workplace. As a leader, your goal should be to encourage all voices to be heard, and all individuals to be valued.

But where to begin? Insights® Discovery (a tool for understanding and developing unique personalities) provides us with a great model to follow to embrace workplace diversity. Here are their five steps:

  • Build Self-Awareness: Every person brings a unique set of knowledge, experience, capabilities and behaviors to the table. Organizations can and should help their people fully understand themselves and recognize their individual capabilities. We can’t really begin to understand and accept others, unless we know ourselves.
  • Gain Understanding: As individuals, we need to understand ourselves, understand others, and be understood by others. This means approaching diversity with an open mind—a willingness to learn about your co-workers and how they think and perceive the world.
  • Adapt and Connect: Organizations should help their people adapt and connect to get the most from their teams. Adapting and connecting helps you achieve better engagement and interaction with others. Yes, connecting with people who think differently than you may stretch your comfort zone, but you’ll probably be surprised by how much common ground you share.
  • Find Value in Diversity: Insights calls this phase “Moving from frustration to fascination.” Instead of being frustrated by others’ differences, learn about them. Appreciate what they bring to the table and how it adds richness to your work experience. Make your work environment an inclusive one in which differences are appreciated and valued.
  • Leverage differences: The best teams are comprised of a diverse group of people who can bring out the best in each other. This can only happen through honest, open dialogue and a work environment that encourages diversity of thought and perspective.

HOW can you make your workplace open and inclusive? Stay tuned for next week’s blog!

Want more information on how Insights® Discovery can help your workplace? Contact me today!

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May 13, 2015 Social Media and Your Personal Brand

Last week, we talked a little bit about social media marketing in general; this week (to continue social media month), I’m going to address social media and your personal brand. Your personal brand is synonymous with your reputation–it has to do with how you show yourself to the world AND how the world sees you. Creating a positive personal brand doesn’t happen over night. We build our brands every day, little by little, through our actions and words. So how does this tie to social media?
A big part of your personal presence is now online. The way you communicate with others, what you post on your social media platforms, and your interactions with both people and groups says a lot about who you are. On the other hand, lacking a social presence says something too. Others might wonder if you are slow to adopt new technologies/practices or if you’re trying to blend into the shadows. Here are some tips for creating a great personal brand through social media:

1. Have a consistently positive presence

Even if you’ve had a rotten day, Facebook is no place to gripe about it. Next time you feel like posting about your troubles at home (or, heaven forbid, the workplace!), think about how you can frame your message in a positive light. Try posting something like, “Lots of challenges were thrown my way today, but I overcame all of them!” or “I made lemonade today out of my lemons.”

Turning negative occurrences into positive statements shows that you’re able to rise above challenges and aren’t bogged down by the minutia in life. And believe me, people take notice of your overall “mood” on social media. Think about how you want to “show up” every day.

2. Choose your friends wisely

Anne Pryor, LinkedIn expert and founder of Meaningful Connections, once told me that it is unwise to accept every invitation to connect. Just as in “real life,” you are judged by the company you keep on social media. Don’t associate yourself with people who are negative, disreputable, or who post things in poor taste. Anyone can view your connections, and it’s best to be proud of your list of friends and followers than embarrassed.

3. Let your brand shine!

Sure, you should be cautious on social media, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun. Post interesting articles, photographs, quotes, and videos. Engage your audience by asking questions or asking for their opinion. Feel free to tell (clean!) jokes, celebrate your favorite actors’ birthdays, or post photographs from the baseball game you’re attending. Just make sure it’s you. Social media is a great way to let your best side shine, and showcase your areas of expertise. Your audience is looking for a healthy balance of fun, engagement, and industry knowledge.

Happy socializing!

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May 6, 2015 Social Media Month (plus, 3 strategy tips)

Happy social media month! If that phrase makes you roll your eyes or shudder, you’re reading the right blog post. Many small business owners cringe when they think about social media marketing. They don’t know where to begin; they’re not sure why it’s valuable; they don’t know which platforms to choose. I cover all of this in greater depth in my May newsletter, but for now, let me lay out a few basics for the reluctant social media user:

1. Choose the platforms that are right for you.

There are dozens of social media platforms in existence today–everything from Instagram to Tumblr, Facebook to Ello, Flickr to Pinterest. What’s right for you? If you truly don’t know where to begin, hire a social media strategist to help get you on the right track. Or, if you don’t mind doing your own research, hop online and look up companies that are similar to yours. Find out what social media networks they’re the most active in, what kind of things they post, and how often they post. Or, you could always ask your teenage son/daughter for some help!

2. Create a sustainable plan

Once you’ve determined which social media platforms you’d like to use, figure out a posting strategy. Typically, you’ll want to post something at least a couple times each week (more for Twitter or Pinterest), and a social media strategist (or online research) can help you determine the best course of action. HOWEVER, do not commit to a schedule that isn’t going to be sustainable for YOU. Even though it may be optimal to post to Twitter 8 times per day, do you really think you’ll be able to keep up that pace? Figure out what works for you. Maybe you’ll choose to post a relevant photograph twice a week; maybe you’ll post a business tip once a week. Create a schedule, stick with it, and adjust the schedule as needed down the road.

3. Foster community

Remember, social media is not about YOU (as counter-intuitive as that may sound). It’s about your network, your community. If you’d like to engage and energize your network, be sure to make them feel included. Ask them questions (i.e. if you sell apparel, ask your audience what their favorite travel outfit is. OR, if you sell flowers, post a few pictures of different floral arrangements and ask your audience to vote on their favorite). Also, give your audience bits of relevant, useful information they can use. I often post career tips and tricks, or links to my latest blog posts. Don’t forget to visit others’ profiles and “Like” or re-post their content. This demonstrates that you are active in the community and excited about what others are doing (and not just focused on yourself or your own business). Besides, there’s a lot of great information out there. It’s fun to see what others are sharing.

Good luck with fitting social media into your marketing strategy. It’s a valuable way to connect with your audience and reach a wide range of people at a low cost. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming or intimidating if you stick with the three main guidelines I laid out. Relax, have fun, and socialize!

If you’d like any additional guidance, please feel free to reach out and contact me.

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