How do you communicate your message best to your audience whether in business or in your personal life? That is the focus of th book Publishing 2.0 Workshop I am attending this weekend. Today we are looking at personality types as a way to help us understand how to reach people we may not be naturally prone to reach through our common style of sommunication.
Use this simple personality test to determine which Meyer's Briggs type personality you are. It will appear in a four letter sytle. For example, ENFP which is my type.
Then check out your profile to find out more about yourself. It begins with getting to know yourself better. The next step is get to know the other types. This will help relay your message to others in a heated debate, a friendly conversation, a written exam, or getting know someone new.
Have fun! :-)
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Do you see what I see?
It has always amazed me how two people can experience the same event but each has a completely unique perspective on it. Now I finally GET it! I have heard many theories over the years about this and I have recently come to a conclusion...
There are many people who believe that our experience of a situation is mirroring information back to us. Basically, whatever we see in other people is a reflection of something we can repair in ourselves.
To practice this, sit in a public space. Watch the people walking by. What is the first thing you notice about them? Are they shy, quiet, loud, angry, happy, frustrated, etc.? Make a list of the things you notice in other people. Now take this list and look at yourself. These are the aspects of yourself that are asking to be seen. Basically, you reflect back on to yourself that which you are wanting to repair, even if it is subconscious.
What do you think about this? What was your experience?
There are many people who believe that our experience of a situation is mirroring information back to us. Basically, whatever we see in other people is a reflection of something we can repair in ourselves.
To practice this, sit in a public space. Watch the people walking by. What is the first thing you notice about them? Are they shy, quiet, loud, angry, happy, frustrated, etc.? Make a list of the things you notice in other people. Now take this list and look at yourself. These are the aspects of yourself that are asking to be seen. Basically, you reflect back on to yourself that which you are wanting to repair, even if it is subconscious.
What do you think about this? What was your experience?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Are you a Millennial?
I know the name keeps switching. Gen Y, Generation Next, Millennial Generation and Net Generation are a few named in Wiki.
My favourite that I have heard is Millennial. Not only because it makes us sound very important...ushering in the new millennium...but also because I think this is how different we really are. We are growing up in a different millennium than any other generation.
This may not sound important as you think back to New Year's Eve 1999 when seemingly nothing happened... Let me take you back to that night for a second. What did you think was going to happen? Catastrophe? A new beginning? Nothing? I remember watching all day and night as coverage of every New Year's Eve celebration could be found on national TV. I had never felt a connection like that with the entire planet and everyone in it. Even thinking about it now, almost ten years later, I feel choked up about the experience. To me, this is what changed. For the first time in my known history, the world was coming together in something amazing. Sure, this had happened before say at then end of the world wars, the great depression, the first computer, any many more. The difference was the accessibility. It was live and in living colour!
We were all in it together whether is was catastrophe, a new beginning or nothing. We were all the same. With our anticipation and fears in tow, we ushered in the new millennium.
Now, before everyone who watched the moon landing, Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, or the assasination of JFK chimes in, I will address this. I did not experience these events and I understand they were incredibly powerful and life altering events. This is my reason for including people born before 1982 within the term Millennial. I don't think it has as much to do with our age, as our mentality. The hippies for instance had some of the qualities that we need to bring through the changes we are to make in this world. So, I would ask anyone with that Hippie Heart inside them, to come forward and help the younger generation with compassion and understanding. Just like I experienced on December 31st, 1999 - we are all in this together.
There are a lot of positions to fill. What would you like yours to be? I'm not here to hand out the parts to the play of life. I'm here to get you moving in your own direction. We need everyone. We need you to figure out what you are passionate about and for you to start on your own discovery and mastery.
My favourite that I have heard is Millennial. Not only because it makes us sound very important...ushering in the new millennium...but also because I think this is how different we really are. We are growing up in a different millennium than any other generation.
This may not sound important as you think back to New Year's Eve 1999 when seemingly nothing happened... Let me take you back to that night for a second. What did you think was going to happen? Catastrophe? A new beginning? Nothing? I remember watching all day and night as coverage of every New Year's Eve celebration could be found on national TV. I had never felt a connection like that with the entire planet and everyone in it. Even thinking about it now, almost ten years later, I feel choked up about the experience. To me, this is what changed. For the first time in my known history, the world was coming together in something amazing. Sure, this had happened before say at then end of the world wars, the great depression, the first computer, any many more. The difference was the accessibility. It was live and in living colour!
We were all in it together whether is was catastrophe, a new beginning or nothing. We were all the same. With our anticipation and fears in tow, we ushered in the new millennium.
Now, before everyone who watched the moon landing, Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, or the assasination of JFK chimes in, I will address this. I did not experience these events and I understand they were incredibly powerful and life altering events. This is my reason for including people born before 1982 within the term Millennial. I don't think it has as much to do with our age, as our mentality. The hippies for instance had some of the qualities that we need to bring through the changes we are to make in this world. So, I would ask anyone with that Hippie Heart inside them, to come forward and help the younger generation with compassion and understanding. Just like I experienced on December 31st, 1999 - we are all in this together.
There are a lot of positions to fill. What would you like yours to be? I'm not here to hand out the parts to the play of life. I'm here to get you moving in your own direction. We need everyone. We need you to figure out what you are passionate about and for you to start on your own discovery and mastery.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Lack of Interest in Twitter?
Me Too!
I have never really understood the purpose of Twitter. I get why people use it and how it is used as a marketing tool. But, for my time I think there are much more productive social media to use both personally and in business.
In conversations with other people my age and younger, I have found that most do not use Twitter and I realized why today.
It is so clearly laid out in a post by Scott McAndrew.
"High on the list of Millennials core values are authenticity and transparency. And, what do Millennials use social networks for? To build and nurture relationships. Stopping right there the preference toward Facebook over Twitter seems obvious."
I could not have expressed my feelings more succinctly than that! That's why I have an issue with it. I do however have a Twitter account...with 1 tweet.
Check out the full post andresearch.
Also, I would like to know how you feel about Twitter...
I have set up a survey, let me know if you are a Twitterer.
I have never really understood the purpose of Twitter. I get why people use it and how it is used as a marketing tool. But, for my time I think there are much more productive social media to use both personally and in business.
In conversations with other people my age and younger, I have found that most do not use Twitter and I realized why today.
It is so clearly laid out in a post by Scott McAndrew.
"High on the list of Millennials core values are authenticity and transparency. And, what do Millennials use social networks for? To build and nurture relationships. Stopping right there the preference toward Facebook over Twitter seems obvious."
I could not have expressed my feelings more succinctly than that! That's why I have an issue with it. I do however have a Twitter account...with 1 tweet.
Check out the full post andresearch.
Also, I would like to know how you feel about Twitter...
I have set up a survey, let me know if you are a Twitterer.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Social Entrepreneurship
For the past week I have been thinking about what Social Entrepreneurship really means.
Today I realized that it is a shift of paradigms.
Business is not what it used to be. When I say business, I mean all aspects and everyone involved with it. That means YOU! There may be a few exceptions to this, but if you think you are one of those exceptions, keeping reading...
As a business owner, it is up to you to stay current about and implement the best ways to create ideal working environments. Help your managers and employees see why their actions are important. Allow them to see how their contributions add to the whole company. If it were not for them... Be honest and transparent with how the company operates. Everyone can find out this information anyways, why don't you tell them? Have you ever been in a relationship without honesty? How well did that work? If you begin to think about your employees as the other person in a relationship with you, you will make mutually beneficial decisions together. I know it sounds kind of lovey dovey, but see it in action. Zappos.com, Mind Valley and of course Virgin are great examples of this kind of business. See how it is working for them!
As a manager of a business, it is up to you to stay current about and implement the best ways to creat an ideal working evironment for your team. Happy team = productive work. I know it sounds simple, but if you can master this art, wow! It's time to allow your team to let their creative juices flow. Encourage the people in your team to come up with ideas about a project, the work environment, the business, etc. You have to mean it. Even if you are unable to implement some of their ideas, hear them. People need to be heard.
"The reason history must repeat itself is because we pay so little attention to it the first time." ~ Blackie Sherrod
My question to you is, are you paying attention the first time? If not, are you always coming up against the same issues at work?....
As an employee of a business, it is up to you to take charge of your own job. It is YOUR job after all. If you have a manager that uses tactics that don't work to motivate you, tell them that...nicely. Don't look outside of yourself for motivation or answers. You already know what you have to do. Think one step ahead and no one will be hounding you all the time. Be innovative. Don't be afraid to speak up about changes that could improve the company environment. Do this constructively and tell the right people. It doesn't take long to know who the decision makers are in a department. Find them and discuss your ideas with them. If they are innovative and fresh, they might just go for them. It's your life at the end of the day. Make it count, regardless of what you are doing.
Try to leave everything a little better than when you found it, whether it is your mess or not. This can apply to any situation from interactions with others to cleaning up to doing something nice without being asked. Try not to fall into the "that's not my job" mentality, whether in daily life or work.
Basically, what I realized is that this shift we want to make to a more socially based business model is up to every one of us. Don't wait around for your company, managers or employees to change. YOU begin the change. It's not all up to you, but some of it is. If no one starts, nothing changes.
Tomorrow I will discuss the non-profit sector and how it fits into this model. I haven't forgotten about you...you are in a business as well. Businesses don't have to be profitable, in fact many are not! I have run a few of those myself!
Today I realized that it is a shift of paradigms.
Business is not what it used to be. When I say business, I mean all aspects and everyone involved with it. That means YOU! There may be a few exceptions to this, but if you think you are one of those exceptions, keeping reading...
As a business owner, it is up to you to stay current about and implement the best ways to create ideal working environments. Help your managers and employees see why their actions are important. Allow them to see how their contributions add to the whole company. If it were not for them... Be honest and transparent with how the company operates. Everyone can find out this information anyways, why don't you tell them? Have you ever been in a relationship without honesty? How well did that work? If you begin to think about your employees as the other person in a relationship with you, you will make mutually beneficial decisions together. I know it sounds kind of lovey dovey, but see it in action. Zappos.com, Mind Valley and of course Virgin are great examples of this kind of business. See how it is working for them!
As a manager of a business, it is up to you to stay current about and implement the best ways to creat an ideal working evironment for your team. Happy team = productive work. I know it sounds simple, but if you can master this art, wow! It's time to allow your team to let their creative juices flow. Encourage the people in your team to come up with ideas about a project, the work environment, the business, etc. You have to mean it. Even if you are unable to implement some of their ideas, hear them. People need to be heard.
"The reason history must repeat itself is because we pay so little attention to it the first time." ~ Blackie Sherrod
My question to you is, are you paying attention the first time? If not, are you always coming up against the same issues at work?....
As an employee of a business, it is up to you to take charge of your own job. It is YOUR job after all. If you have a manager that uses tactics that don't work to motivate you, tell them that...nicely. Don't look outside of yourself for motivation or answers. You already know what you have to do. Think one step ahead and no one will be hounding you all the time. Be innovative. Don't be afraid to speak up about changes that could improve the company environment. Do this constructively and tell the right people. It doesn't take long to know who the decision makers are in a department. Find them and discuss your ideas with them. If they are innovative and fresh, they might just go for them. It's your life at the end of the day. Make it count, regardless of what you are doing.
Try to leave everything a little better than when you found it, whether it is your mess or not. This can apply to any situation from interactions with others to cleaning up to doing something nice without being asked. Try not to fall into the "that's not my job" mentality, whether in daily life or work.
Basically, what I realized is that this shift we want to make to a more socially based business model is up to every one of us. Don't wait around for your company, managers or employees to change. YOU begin the change. It's not all up to you, but some of it is. If no one starts, nothing changes.
Tomorrow I will discuss the non-profit sector and how it fits into this model. I haven't forgotten about you...you are in a business as well. Businesses don't have to be profitable, in fact many are not! I have run a few of those myself!
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