Blogging, Social Media and Your Questions

I get a fair number of questions about blogging, social media, personal brands and how to balance those with my corporate responsibilities. So today I thought I would answer some of those questions. 

You may not agree with me, which is great! Let's kick around our shared ideas on how to balance this ever evolving challenge as a group.

Q - I wouldn't know what to say on social media, no one is interested in what I have to say?

A - Completely untrue! Of course you have a lot to say...you do it all day long in your job. The trick is framing up the issues that impact your work, and commenting on them, writing about them, or responding to them in a professional way. Go slowly at first, then as you gain confidence you will be more comfortable adding to the global dialogue.

Q - My company is very strict about social media, and quite honestly does not appear to understand how it works. How can I get started?

A - This is a common situation, and one I've heard MANY times! First of all, remember that the safest content you can share is your own company's content. 

They have already posted it, so sharing it is not risky, it's showing that you are a champion for your employer! 

Second, there aren't any rules that say you have to take risks on social media. 

Look to your professional association websites, credible business outlets, and basic industry news outlets as a way to get your feet wet. 

Q - I've always been curious about blogging, but how would I ever come up with all of that content?

A - I felt the same way when I was thinking about getting started...that was 9 years and 850+ blog posts ago! Whoa! Where does the time go? 

When I was working through the same challenges, I made the decision to focus on leadership issues. Others take a more expanded view, and that's okay too. Think about what matters to you. Start writing down the issues that touch you personally in your work (or personal) life. That is where you start!

How About You
Are you ready to differentiate yourself from the many hundreds or thousands of people in roles just like yours? If so, starting a blog, podcast, or other strategy might be right for you. Jumping into the social media game is not nearly as scary as it seems...just look around, it has really caught on!

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

pic

The HR Clique

Whoa! Wait just a second...a clique for HR? Impossible...we love everybody, you know...the employees, people...and stuff. Right?

The Gig is Up
I may be venturing onto thin ice here, but it seems to me something has changed in the HR space as the world of social, blogging, and conference mania has hit full force. 

While some have passionately reached out to embrace other members of the HR community, particularly new professionals...something else has happened. 

A club, of sorts? A group of close friends? A public sub-culture that speaks to an elite group of HR pros?

I'm not sure...

Growing Pains of HR or Arrogance?
Some professions have to go through a period of discovery before they are fully accepted by the other, more traditional professions (law, medicine, finance, engineering, etc.)

Is that what HR is doing now? Perhaps all of our seat-at-the-table whining didn't pan out the way we hoped, so we've turned to something else?

Are we trying to be too hip? Too trendy? Too awesome for our own good?

I'm puzzled friends. What's even more puzzling is the role I've played in our "growing up" process.

How About You
What do you think about the current state of our profession? 

Is it one of inclusion for all of us; or, have we somehow created our own class of elites, that makes sure to remind the others of their proper place in the hierarchy?

I honestly don't know...but...

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

pic

Developing Internal Blogging Teams

So, you've finally decided to execute on a robust employer brand strategy. Your career site is actually a real site, not just a job list, you're pushing content several times a week and distributing it across multiple dedicated HR social channels.

Well done!

But you're still missing out on a great recruitment, retention and recognition opportunity.

Our People...Our Most Important Asset
So many leaders talk about how important their people are, yet I rarely see those same "important" people writing about their experiences at work. 

We tell stories about them, that is a cornerstone of any good plan. However, when was the last time you saw the actual employees telling their own story?

It's not as risky as you might think

Plan...then Execute

There are several basic steps that will serve as the foundation of your internal blogging team structure.

1 - Identify several employees who have an interest in building their brand, supporting the organization, and aren't shy! Align the team members with your organizational needs (recruitment, expansion, growth.)

How do you find them? Ask!

2 - Meet with the employees and describe your goals, do's and don'ts, and reinforce that they are not uploading content, formatting, or publishing. HR handles all of those pieces. They simply need to send an email "post" to you each month.

How do I support them? Stay connected, meet for coffee, and talk through their challenges!

3 - Make sure your bloggers have up to date LinkedIn profiles, twitter accounts, and hopefully, Instagram accounts as well. If you're going to be a blogger...you need to be in the social media space!

How do I make sure this happens? Meet with them and get them set up on the spot!

How About You

I've had tremendous success using this strategy, and you can too! It doesn't matter if you're a blogger or not. The goal is to differentiate your organization from the competition. Additional benefits include helping you to create a culture that truly recognizes and showcases your employees! Now, what are you waiting for?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Going Social Transformed My #HealthcareHR Career

I didn't get into social media tools because I thought they were cool. Quite honestly, it was out of desperation. My hospital at the time had far too many vacant positions, and the traditional #HealthcareHR tactics simply failed.

Just as they still do today.

Bold Leaders Are the Only Leaders
I literally had to make a bold move or risk compromising the quality of care provided to the patients at my hospital. That was the way I looked at it. I may not have been a direct care giver, but HR plays a vital role in the patient care process. If someone tries to tell you something different, fire them.

That's right. For those HR leaders that still believe they can use approaches from ten years ago and actually make a dent in the challenges they face, they are kidding themselves...

...and are losing the respect of their "team" (if they still actually have a team.)

The Truth Hurts
Am I being critical today? Actually, no. I'm begging you to lift your head up from the comfort of your policy manual and the noise from your over-priced ad agency and make a change.

Change yourself. Change your HR culture. Change your organization for the better.

How About You
You have the power...today...to radically transform your company. Yes, you. Start by allowing yourself the freedom to explore and learn new tools. Release yourself of the burden of anything traditional, and embrace growth, performance and success.

You can do it.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.
pic

Finding Your Voice

Have you heard this phrase? ....finding your voice...

It's often associated with writing. It's intended to make the connection between what you think and believe as a person, and your ability to express those thoughts and beliefs in a blog post, article, or book. It can also apply to speaking as well. 

Have you found your voice?

Step One: Who Are You

I think the most overlooked part of the "voice" strategy is stopping to define who we really are as people. It doesn't matter if we are in formal leadership roles or not; but for those of us who lead others it is a requirement.

Yes, requirement.

What is important to us?

What do we stand for?

What is so reprehensible that we will immediately address it regardless of the situation?

What do we want to achieve in our lives?

Who is most important to us?

How do we think about work?

What role do employees play in our prioritization process?

How comfortable are we taking risks?

There are many more questions, but without answers to these questions at the outset, it will be impossible to define "who you are" and thus express your voice.

Step Two: Start

Fear is a terrible demon in the world of leadership. Fear stops us from doing the right thing. It stops us from holding people accountable. It forces us to give people one more chance (for the 10th time) simply because we do not have what it takes to lead effectively.

Fear destroys.

However, once you begin on your path of expressing your voice something very powerful happens. Fear disappears. It's as if you have taken control of your entire world. You now make the decisions, and take risks, and hold people accountable. 

The anxiety about political repercussions no longer matter. Why? Because the other weak leaders around you are watching real leadership in action, and they simply can not challenge it.

Your voice does all of these things.

How About You

Today is a good day to answer the questions outlined above. Tomorrow is shaping up to be the perfect day to start expressing your voice. Don't you think?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 

pic

500 Miles An Hour

"Direction is more important than speed. We are so busy looking at our speedometers that we forget the milestones."

- Author Unknown

This is the 500th post on NoExcusesHR. I can hardly believe it. I can still feel the moment when I published my first post...a combination of excitement and fear. I wasn't a writer (that is still true today) but I knew I had a passion for leadership that had to find a release. This blog seemed to be the perfect outlet. I still feel that way four years later.
 
Staying True
As I revisited some of my early posts I realized the same passion, energy, and focus on leadership accountability that I had back then is stronger than ever now. 

While this site is never going to be anything extra special, it has become for me, a safe place to share my feelings with you. 

That may sound odd that a public website feels safe, but you have made me feel that way...

...and I am grateful...

Taking A Stand
Over the years my confidence has grown. Not so much in my ability to write, but rather what I feel I need to write about. Issues around human rights, discrimination and racism are evident throughout my posts. 

At first it seemed a bit awkward to address some of these issues, but those feelings quickly dissipated as I recognized the need for a leadership voice in my role to take a stand publicly.

For me, taking a stand is a requirement of leadership, not a preference.

500 More 
As I think about the next 500 posts I don't feel intimidated or worried; in fact I'm quite energized! Consider this...has the leadership void been filled? Are all employees being treated fairly? Is the scourge of bigotry wiped clean off the Earth?

Alas, no...so I'm guessing that between my constant failings, and the struggles of those around us all, I will be able to find the proper inspiration going forward.

How About You
When you reach your next "milestone" whatever that may mean for you, think about what it really represents. Is it just another candle on a cake or turn of the page on the calendar? Or, do milestones represent something much more powerful in our lives?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



pic

Hey Leader...Grab A Towel!

I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking, speaking, and writing about effective leadership. It's been such a big part of my professional and personal life for so long that I don't really know anything else. Sometimes I'm convinced I've figured out the key pieces of being a leader...and at other times I feel like I'm just getting started.

...and that's where the trouble begins...

Title and Being Right
For many leaders having a fancy job title equates with their opinion always being the correct one. This is a colossal failure, and sadly happens regularly to those who find themselves with new authority or power.

Let's pause for a moment to remember what leaders are supposed to do. Our task is to guide, inspire, support and harness the power of the bright people around us. Our job is not to be an idea factory that squashes the creative genius of our teams.

Are you with me? It's not about us...it's about us leading our colleagues!

Title and Vision
Here's where thing get a little tricky. Leaders need to have a vision of how the team, department, organization or industry can be in the future. Their needs to be an inner drive to move toward that vision that gets the people around you fired up. 

However, the path to achieving that vision needs to be a shared process. When leaders who are unaccustomed to new found power, combine their enthusiasm with "their vision" we quickly find ourselves with a disengaged team and embarrassing credibility issues for the leader.

Remember the Emperor with no clothes? Well...you get my point.

How About You
Think about the leaders you work with...and think about your own leadership style. Is the combination of power and vision compromising your ability to inspire, support and leverage the team's creativity? 

If so, it might be time to reach for a towel and cover up.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



pic

The Hidden Benefit of Teams

Being part of a close team at work or in sports is special. The camaraderie, support, and understanding when something goes wrong is not taken for granted. It is usually earned through hard work and reciprocal support of the other team members.

Work Teams

When we find ourselves working in a real team environment it is terrific. The fear of retribution is replaced with support for taking risks, making mistakes and knowing that trying harder the next time is the norm. Room for error is part of the culture and is used to help others avoid pitfalls as new ideas are tested and implemented.

One of my favorite mantras is that "...we're going to try new things....if something doesn't work, stop doing it...no one is going to get in trouble..."

That is a clear message to the team about the support they have from me.

Sports Teams

The evidence about sports teams gelling has been documented many times. What I find most interesting about the sports angle however, is not what happens on the ice, field or court. What really makes a team special is what happens "in the room." 

The connection between the players in the locker room is what truly tests a team's character. They know what to do when they're "at work" playing the games; but do they support each other when mistakes have occurred, or accept room for error from their teammates?

The good teams do...and that connection often translates in to wins.

 

Blogging Teams

Unlike typical work and sports teams, blogging team members are often spread far and wide. In some cases, team members have never met, or even spoken on the phone. Yet, blogging teams...effective ones...find a way to bring a level of support and camaraderie that is quite astonishing.

Consider this: if you were supposed to work with a new employee, but your only communication was a few emails, no phone calls, no FaceTime and the only image you had of the person was their avatar from twitter, would you be okay with that? How about in sports? Forget it! It's pretty tough to run the power play if your teammates aren't in the arena.

I am blessed to be part of one of those effective blogging teams. My teammates do something far beyond writing good content, sharing their perspectives, and challenging us all to elevate our leadership games. My teammates offer support, encouragement, compliments, helped family members get new jobs, and reach out to connect on issues that have absolutely nothing to do with blogging at all.

How many of our "normal" friends do that? I think I'm discovering a new definition of friends.

How About You

I would encourage you to check out my teammates over at Performance I Create. They are not only a good group of bloggers; but more importantly, they're damn good people too.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

pic

Blogging, Work and Choosing Not to Suck at Leadership

When I started this blog my goal was to speak to one person --> me. My questions at the end of each post are mostly a challenge back to myself to react to what I've written. Sure, I love the many comments that have been added to the site over the years. But in reality, I'm the target audience.

For the most part that strategy has worked well. I've found that writing not only serves as a release, but also as a vehicle for me to process the challenges I face in my professional life. I also take advantage of the platform sometimes and discuss issues I feel strongly about (crappy meetings, racism, equal rights for our LGBT colleagues, etc..)

Work Is Hard
I love my job. But sometimes my job is hard. Maybe that is because I'm not doing well enough, maybe I have a lot more to learn, or maybe sometimes our jobs are supposed to be hard. I'm guessing it's a combination of all three factors. Blogging really helps in these instances.

Maybe you should try it?

Writing doesn't solve your problems, or help you identify a radical new approach that helps your company hit the quarterly earnings target. 

However, it does help organize what is happening in your world. Even if it's just a little problem that is stuck in your head. That alone may be a good enough reason to start writing through your problems, instead of just thinking through them.

Don't Suck
One of the unexpected outcomes of blogging, at least so far, is that once you publish your perspective on things, there is an unwritten sense of responsibility to live up to what has been put out on the web for all to see (or at least the small-but-mighty group of No Excuses readers!)

I don't want to suck at leadership...it's just too important. So I have to live by what I've written, and that is hard to do sometimes.

How About You
What strategies do you use to deal with the pressure of your work life? Have you ever considered writing down your challenges; or, perhaps even starting your own blog? For me, it has moved from being a project I was intrigued about doing, to something that I have to do...

...just for me.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



 pic