The Significance of Storytelling: Translating Vision into Narrative Messaging

    Over the past couple of weeks we’ve covered the importance of leadership and vision in strategic communication and emerging media.  These are the quintessential foundations for strong and effective strategic communication plans.  However if the vision isn’t translated into effective messaging and placed appropriately for the intended audience a grand vision can easily go unseen and unheard.   That to me is a sad, sad predicament.  So how does one translate vision into strategic messaging and place such a message in the most advantageous communication avenues?  How can a vision be shared with others in a way that will strike a chord internally that motivates and encourages the necessary actions to bring that vision into fruition?   Tell them a story.  Translate that vision into effective narrative messaging.  Howard Gardner, an American developmental psychologist, who is well-known for his theory of multiple intelligences said, “Stories are the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.”

      I happen to agree, I think truly visionary leaders are more often than not extremely skilled storytellers. They are able to share their vision through story, and humans love a good story. In fact, there is scientific data to support this claim.  Paul Zak, in Harvard Business Review, wrote, "Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling" (2014). In it he stated, “many business people have already discovered the power of storytelling in a practical sense – they have observed how compelling a well-constructed narrative can be. But recent scientific work is putting a much finer point on just how stories change our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.”

     Years ago Zak’s lab discovered that when the neurochemical oxytocin was produced it, among other things, motivated cooperation with others. He explained that, “it does this by enhancing the sense of empathy, our ability to experience others’ emotions. Empathy is important for social creatures because it allows us to understand how others are likely to react to a situation, including those with whom we work.”  More recently, Zak’s lab wondered if they could “hack” the oxytocin system to motivate people to engage in cooperative behaviors. To do this, they tested if narratives could cause the brain to make oxytocin. “By taking blood draws before and after the narrative, we found that character-driven stories do consistently cause oxytocin synthesis. Further, the amount of oxytocin released by the brain predicted how much people were willing to help others; for example, donating money to a charity associated with the narrative.”

     Subsequent studies have deepened their understanding of why stories motivate voluntary cooperation. (This research was given a boost when, through funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, they developed ways to measure oxytocin release noninvasively.) Zak’s research team discovered that, “in order to motivate a desire to help others, a story must first sustain attention – a scarce resource in the brain – by developing tension during the narrative. If the story is able to create that tension then it is likely that attentive viewers/listeners will come to share the emotions of the characters in it, and after it ends, likely to continue mimicking the feelings and behaviors of those characters. This explains the feeling of dominance you have after James Bond saves the world, and your motivation to work out after watching the Spartans fight in 300.”

     This research also covered the vision and organizational story.  Zak added, “Finally, don’t forget that your organization has its own story – the founding myth.  What passion led the founder(s) to risk health and wealth to start the enterprise? Why was it so important, and what barriers had to be overcome? These are the stories that, repeated over and over, stay core to the organization’s DNA. They provide guidance for daily decision-making as well as the motivation that comes with the conviction that the organization’s work must go on, and needs everyone’s full engagement to make a difference in people’s lives.”

    Support through scientific-data not enough to sell you on storytelling as an effective messaging format for vision?  Here are a few other reasons why telling your audience a story is a great way to translate vision into a message that motivates:

   1) Storytelling is as old as the hills and as hot as your latest iPhone app. Storytelling has been around for thousands of years because it’s a sophisticated, high-level form of communication. Stories engross people—just like a great movie or book.

  2) Stories you help connect with people, logically and emotionally. In an Age of Distraction where people’s attention gravitates to their BlackBerrys and iPads, stories give people a reason to keep listening to your message.

  3) Stories help people remember your important point. As a vision, “we need to grow by 15 percent” is an abstract statement. It’s not going to inspire people beyond your board or C-suite. But a story sticks, and a great story is something that people will share, spreading your vision (Weighhart, 2016).

     The author of Leading Change, John Kotter shared that “over the years I have become convinced that we learn best–and change–from hearing stories that strike a chord within us…Those in leadership positions who fail to grasp or use the power of stories risk failure for their companies and for themselves.”

     In “Converting Vision and Strategy into Action:  Three Strategies for Turning Words into Results,” (2016) author Weighart focused on clear guidance for using storytelling to translate a vision into motivational content to promote the action of others.  “More than anything, though, stories are an opportunity to capture, bottle, and share the steps people are taking to drive growth for your organization.  Your vision and strategy may be compelling…but they’re abstract concepts.  When you share a story, you’re telling people what you really mean when you’re talking about the culture you want to create.”  In this piece, Weighart goes on to add that, “in short, storytelling is not a nice to-do activity; it’s a must-do essential for leaders looking to make great things happen.”

     He goes on to clearly illustrate these steps in the “Bates Story Structure” – Weighart claims that using this story-structure tool can take any powerful experience – personal or professional – and turn it in to a three-minute, six-part story that will resonate with your audience.  Here is the “Bates Story Structure” tool illustration followed by a step-by-step breakdown:

   1) The Setup: The who, what, when, and where of the story.
 2) The Buildup: A problem, conflict, challenge, or obstacle faced.

   3) The Scene: A “moment of truth” or specific point in time when you walk the audience through exactly what happened.

   4) The Resolution: How did that conflict or problem turn out?  What was the outcome?

   5) The Lesson: What did you learn or take away from this experience?

   6) The Audience Theme: How does that lesson connect to an important point that you want to make to the specific audience that is listening to or reading your story now?

    

     Try it, take your own vision statement (if you don’t yet have one I encourage you to find it) and follow these steps to turn that vision into a story.  I’m working on mine now.  I’ll be sharing it in the coming week’s bonus share.  The total takeaway from this week’s blog is simple, turn vision into a story and share it with others.  In the words of, Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center, “stories are how we think. They are how we make meaning of life. Call them schemas, scripts, cognitive maps, mental models, metaphors, or narratives. Stories are how we explain how things work, how we make decisions, how we justify our decisions, how we persuade others, how we understand our place in the world, create our identities, and define and teach social values. ”

Works Cited:

Weighart, S. (2016). “Converting Vision and Strategy into Action: Three Strategies for Turning Words into Results.” Retrieved on 22 November 2016 from www.bates-communication/

Zak, P. (2014).  “Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling.” Retrieved on 21 November 2016 from https://hbr.org/2014/10/why-your-brain-loves-good-storytelling

  

24-Karat Leaders

24-Karat Leaders

     This week’s Leadership and Emerging Media’s graduate course assignment covered numerous informative readings, some video content review, and self-directed research which all dealt with various aspects of leadership and communication.  The common thread through all of this information was a focus on a few fundamentals of genuine leaders, their vision, the environment they create, and their communication.  It has been said that “all that glitters is not gold,” but when studying leaders – transformational leaders – visionary leaders, these folks are the exception.  Their charisma, passion, and drive toward their vision glitters to the point of blinding brightness and they are indeed 24-karat leaders.  Just like 24-karat gold they are genuine, honest, and pure.  In the article, To Lead, Create a Shared Vision, these individuals are described as “…forward-looking--envisioning exciting possibilities and enlisting others in a shared view of the future…We know this because we asked followers” (2009).  Driven by this forward, innovative sight, 24-karat leaders are practicing Habit #2 that Stephen Covey calls “beginning with the end in mind” in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989).  Covey goes on to describe this habit as being “based on the principle that all things are created twice.”  He states that in order to have a physical creation (2nd time) it has to have been visualized or imagined first (1st time).  Visionary leaders use this power of visualization to tap into their imagination.  They then put those visualizations into vision statements and this becomes the framework for goals and actionable end results.  In researching this topic I have come across some true gems of vision statements.  Take for instance the beautiful clarity and inspirational brevity of these select few:

Feeding America: A hunger-free America.

Make-A-Wish: People everywhere will share the power of a wish.

Oxfam: A just world without poverty.

Habitat for Humanity: A world where everyone has a decent place to live.

     When looking at specific visionary leaders and their forward-thinking perspectives we have the dreams of John F. Kennedy to put a man on the moon, or Eleanor Roosevelt’s visualization of a world where there would be equal opportunity for women and minorities (Ryan, 2009).  Visionary leaders are known too for their inspiring quotes.  Take for example Sir Winston Churchill’s motivational, “The empires of the future are empires of the mind.”  Or there is Michelangelo’s famous line, “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”  These type of legendary figures bring their visions to life in a way that is bright, inspirational and seemingly larger than life.

      Another reason I’ve given such leaders the 24-karat descriptor hearkens back to the age-old “Golden Rule” with a leadership twist.  So we all know the “Golden Rule” premise of treating others how you want to be treated.  This fundamental principle is also a prime example of the Law of Reciprocity in social psychology.  It is the social rule that states we should repay in kind, what another has provided to us.  We, as humans, are hard-wired in this way.  Here’s the leadership twist, as spoken by Simon Sinek at Global event in March of 2016, “Be the leader you wish you had.”  These seven words when put together in such a way become the “24-Karat Rule” for leaders.   

     As mentioned earlier, the research this week emphasized three elements of leadership: vision, communication, and environment.  Let’s look a bit closer at each of these.  First, the vision which is bigger than just the leader.  In combination the vision through the creativity, focus, and passion of the leader pull people in and inspire them into action.  The followers become passionate about the vision and adopt it as their own.  Humans, inevitably, want to be a part of something that is bigger than the individual concept.  The “manner in which” these 24-karat leaders “demonstrate what is important to them becomes the inherent message they send to those who follow” (Wriggle, 2006).  Second, the environment a leader establishes for his followers is of critical import to the success of the manifestation of the shared vision.  There’s the key, shared vision is what happens when a 24-karat leader connects with followers and their passion for the vision becomes a shared force among those in the group.  This most always happens in an environment where there is trust and safety.  An environment where the leader genuinely understands the people, and the people know they are understood and cared about.  This understanding also allows a true leader to learn what it is that motivates these followers.  A third leadership element that was repeatedly focused on was the leader’s communication style and methods of delivery.  Communication is incredibly important in so many ways and none more so than in being a 24-karat leader.  It goes without saying that leaders have to truly know their followers, but they too, must have earned their trust.  This trust is important within all three of the elements.  Trust means that the followers can believe in the vision, they are safe in their environment, and they are free to communicate with and about the shared vision.  In the words of Gerald Loeb, founding partner of E.F. Hutton, "the desire for gold is the most universal and deeply rooted commercial instinct of the human race."  Though he undoubtedly was referencing financial gain and the monetary value of gold, I think it is fitting here too.  If leaders are 24-karat figures, then surely their vision is the glitter and the pure gold.

     For this week’s wrap up I’d like to tie this all back to the first installment of Strategically Yours and our discussion of Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation Theory (2003).  Applying this theory to leadership one can see how truly visionary leaders are indeed innovators.  Their vision(s) are best shared by and through an accepted understanding of Sinek’s why, why is this vision important.  When opinion leaders (passionate followers) buy in to the vision they then naturally are driven to diffuse the vision throughout groups, organizations, social media, etc. and when enough followers support that innovation a critical mass is reached.  This critical mass then propels the innovation, the leader’s vision, to the tipping point and the sheer momentum of diffusion and growth carry that vision and supported actions on throughout the final stages. 

     This week’s bonus share is from Travis Air Force Base.  I am a member of this base and proud of it.  Last week I shared about a commander’s call and the messages that were shared from base leadership.  This week, that message – our leader’s vision was distributed internally via email and externally to our neighboring community partners.  Communication – check.  Our leader made every effort to meet face-to-face with all base personnel at commander’s calls to ensure his followers shared in his vision and had the passion to carry out the actions to fulfill that vision.  It was a positive, safe environment that fostered the teamwork necessary to carry out actions required to fulfill the vision.  Environment – check.  Vision – check.  For the reader’s consideration I submit the 60^th Air Mobility Wing’s mission, vision, and priorities and the original internal communication of same.

Works Cited:

Covey, S.R. (1989) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Simon & Schuster. New York, NY.

Kouzes, J. and Posner, B. (2009) “To Lead, Create a Shared Vision.” Retrieved on 14 November 2016 from https://hbr.org/2009/01/to-lead-create-a-shared-vision.

Ryan, J. “Leadership Success Always Starts with Vision.” Retrieved on 14 November 2016 from http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/29/personal-success-vision-leadership-managing-ccl.html.

Wriggle, R. (2006). Strategic Leader as Strategic Communicator. U.S. Army War College. Philadelphia, PA.

Leading in Circles: Leadership and Communication

     No it’s not a typo, this week’s blog title is all about circles, in a good way.  It’s about the communication methods and leadership skills that successful leaders already know, and of which aspiring leaders should take note.  Every pun intended, this week’s blog circles back to Simon Sinek’s 2009 TEDTalk on “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” and pulls from his most current TEDTalk in March 2014 called, “Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe.”  With these TEDTalks in mind we’ll look at leadership and communication within an organization.  More specifically we’re going to look at transformational leadership and transactional communication.  Finally, this week’s blog will conclude with a personal share from this week’s quarterly commander’s call at the Air Force base where I work.

Transformational Leadership

     

     The “Golden Circle” was coined by Sinek and represents how leaders can inspire action by making sure that members of their organization understand and support the organizational why.  The mission and the vision of an organization is made up of the three do’s: what they do, how they do it, and why they do it.  Sinek clarifies with this, “Leaders tell people why – Authority tells people what to do” (2011).  Along these lines I have had the privilege of serving in and working for the U.S. Air Force.  During my experiences I must concur with the others who find military leaders often have a specialness to their leadership.  “Military leadership is based on the concept of duty, service, and self-sacrifice; we take an oath to that effect” (Kolditz, 2009).  Kolditz goes on to point out that “our leadership extends to caring for the families of our soldies, sailors, airmen, or marines, especially when service members are deployed” (2009).  Military leaders, great military leaders, employ transformational leadership.  Kloditz points out that this occurs when followers are “led in ways that inspire, rather than require, trust and confidence”.  He also goes on to say that, when followers have trust and confidence in a charismatic leader, they are transformed into willing, rather than merely compliant, agents.  “The best leadership-whether in peacetime or war-is born as a conscientious obligation to serve.  In many business environs it is difficult to inculcate a value set that makes leaders servants to their followers.  In contrast, leaders who have operated in the crucibles common to military and other dangerous public service occupations tend to hold such values.  Tie selflessness with the adaptive capacity, innovation, and flexibility demanded by dangerous contexts, and one can see the value of military leadership as a model for leaders in the private sector” (Kolditz, 2009).

     These snippets from Kloditz’s article, “Why the Military Produces Great Leaders” ties in nicely with Simon Sinek’s most recent TEDTalk entitled “Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe” (2014).  This talk is a powerful commentary on leadership.  Not surprisingly in his talk the first narrative he shares is of a military-related story (I won’t spoil it for you, the link to this TEDTalk is in the works cited below).  One of the key aspects of this story is that good leaders will sacrifice so that their people might gain.  This differs from many business leaders because we often see and hear of their self-gain at the sacrifice of others.  Additionally, Sinek likens good leaders to good parents in that both groups give opportunities, discipline when required, coach, and support.  All of this to “build them up to achieve more than we could have imagined for ourselves.”  In another TEDTalk, this one by a retired 4-star general and West Point graduate, Stanley McChrystal, aptly titled, “Listen, Learn…Then Lead” (2011) he states that “leaders can let you fail and not let you be a failure.”  In so doing good leaders create a circle of trust within their organization, much like how good parents create an environment of trust in their family.  People feel safe and in turn, they will support each other.  Leaders can be found at any organizational level, they are the folks who are taking care of the person to their right and left.  They are the folks who are establishing the circles of trust, guiding people to the golden circle and the why we do it, and building upon their shared purpose, values, and beliefs with the people on either side.  In another TEDTalk, Drew Dudley claims that everyday leadership is the “everyday act of improving each other’s lives” (2010).  He goes on to end his talk with a powerful Marianne Williamson quote from her book A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles, “our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

Transactional Communication

    It’s tremendously important that your organization foster an atmosphere of openness and create systems that will lead to the freest flow possible of, not only information, but ideas, feelings, and a sense of shared purpose” (Rabinowitz, 2015).  This shared sense of purpose unifies an organization and promotes transactional communication.  Transactional communication, simply put, is when people are simultaneously sending and receiving messages.  This method of communicating, which focuses on a symbolic and functioning model, is of import to organizational communication because it is “more interactive and more of a social interaction” (Barnlund, 2008).  With the constant emergence of newer electronic methods at our disposal it is apparent how transactional communication is becoming more prevalent.   

     In the article entitled, “E-Communication and the Art of Leadership” (Klein and Klein, 2016) the E stands for electronic, but it just as well could have stood for emerging.  Electronic communication is a large part of how organizations communicate in today’s environment.  Methods range from Blackberry to smartphone, intranet to internet, shared drives to emails and these all allow leadership to engage, share, and disseminate throughout their organization.  In this article the authors point out that for all of the advantages to e-communication there are also possible negative side effects.  So e-communication helps us connect faster and from farther distances, but at the same time it is removes some of the human interactions from the communication equation.  Our emails do not emote, no matter how much emotion we may put into these messages.  This is a type of “buyer beware”, or in this case I’d like to call it “communicator considerations”. 

     As we discussed the power of the circle of trust it should be noted that there could be issues with that trust from a misuse of e-communication.  “More damaging is the potential for micromanagement and the erosion of trust” say Klein and Klein.  “With the ease of gathering and sharing information some of the decision making and responsibilities are shifted and this shift can lead to disempowerment and damage to trust within the organization.”  The authors do not advocate for an end to shared information, they only point out that it has negative potential.  The main point I’d like to stress from this article is “the potential impact leaders should be most mindful of is how our communication style affects trust” (Klein and Klein, 2016).

Just This Week

60th Air Mobility Wing, Commander’s Call

hosted by 60 AMW/CC, Colonel John Klein

     First, for my readers not familiar with a commander’s call I’ve called upon our friend Wikipedia for some help.  “A commander's call is typically a mandatory gathering in which a commander speaks to his or her people (i.e. in the Air Force, those assigned to his or her wing, group, squadron, or flight, depending on the position of the commander) regarding pertinent current or upcoming information (such as a work section opening/closing, or a new program being implemented) or concerns (such as an increase in Driving Under the Influence incidents). Commanders are usually required to address their people quarterly per year (at a minimum)”.

     During this quarter’s commander’s call as I was sitting in the, filled to capacity, base theater, on one of the six sessions being offered for the week, I found myself completely tuned in to what our commander was communicating to his people.  After a process review of the wing’s mission, vision, and priorities, by an all rank inclusive group, Colonel Klein was prepared to communicate these new actionable items to his followers.  From start to finish, I was impressed with his use of circles, transformational leadership, and transactional communication.  Here is an Air Force leader who “gets it”.  He started with the why and easily shifted to a unifying vision that established trust through a shared sense of purpose.  I even took note of a few phrases I felt were especially compelling for those under his command. Colonel Klein, when discussing the implementation of the wing’s golden circle of why, what, and how said, “there is no playbook.  You are the playbook.”  Everyone has a part in the success of this wing’s mission, vision, and priorities and with such charismatic leadership odds are good that under his command success will be met.  He ended his call with these words, “Does anybody want to be the 2^nd best mobility force in the Air Force?  If you say yes, I don’t think I want you on my team.  Don’t ever underestimate the importance of what you do.”  Now that’s a communication style and a leader I can support wholeheartedly.     

*BONUS SHARE* This week’s bonus share is in honor of Veteran’s Day on the 11^th day of the 11^th month.  Please take a moment to thank a veteran, “All gave some; some gave all.” 

                                           

 

Works Cited:

Barnlund, D.C. (2008). A Transactional Model of Communication.  Communication Theory.  Retrieved on 7 November 2016 from https://www.degruyter.com/downloadpdf/books/9783110878752/9783110878752.fm/9783110878752.fm.xml#page=45.

Klein, J. Official Air Force Biography.  Retrieved on 9 November 2016 from http://www.travis.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/816530/colonel-john-m-klein-jr.

Kolditz, T. (2009) “Why the Military Produces Great Leaders”. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved on 7 November 2016 from https://hbr.org/2009/02/why-the-military-produces-grea.html.

Rabinowitz, P. (2015) “Promoting Internal Communication”. Retrieved on 8 November 2016 from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/leadership/effective-manager/internal-communication/main.

Sinek, S. March 2014. “Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe”. Retrieved on 7 November 2016 from https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_safe?language=en.

Sinek, S. April 2011 “First Why and Then Trust”. Retrieved on 7 November 2016 from http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxMaastricht-Simon-Sinek-Firs.

Sinek, S. September 2009. “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”. Retrieved on 16 October 2016

https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en.

Williamson, M. (1996). “A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles” 

Harper Collins, New York.

Commander’s Call. Wikipedia.  Retrieved on 8 November 2016 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commander%27s_call.

*Bonus Share* In Honor of Veteran's Day - Sacrifice

Navigating the Social Media World with a Professional Strategy

     For this week’s professional blog assignment students were asked to conduct literature reviews, assimilate a few TEDTalks, and upload an original photo to our blogsite.  I’d like to start with the easiest of those tasks for me, my photo share.  This picture was taken in the spring of 2015 while on a, cross it off of my bucket-list, trip.  We were able to spend over a week in a place I had long hoped to visit.  A place of sun-washed, blue-roofed buildings perched cliffside overlooking ancient calderas and the mediterranean blue of the Aegean Sea – our destination was the island of Santorini.  This photo is of us on a sailing trip around that gem of an island.  

Santorini, Greece -  April 2015

     So it would seem that developing a professional social media strategy is much like the navigation required for a successful sailing experience.  Think about it, you need a destination (social media goals), then you also need to choose your mode of sailing i.e., vessel type (social media platform), next you want to chart a course (create a strategy).  Of course all along the way you’ll need to keep scanning the horizon, monitoring communication channels, adjusting the sails, etc. to plan for and predict a successful voyage.

     Sailing analogy aside, let’s consider a few examples of professionals who could benefit from a social media strategy.  Then we’ll look at a few social media platforms and how they can best serve you professionally.  Finally, we’ll move on to cover several elements to consider when developing that strategy.  There can be no doubt of the importance of a professional social media strategy because in the words of Benjamin Franklin, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” 

     I’ve drafted a list of examples of various professionals who could benefit from a social media presence and strategy:

1) A transitioning military service member creates a LinkedIn profile to network with employment recruiters.  

2) A freelance photographer uploads various pictures to build a professional gallery on Instagram. 

3) A strategic communications graduate student creates and contributes to a professional weekly blog. 

4) A mid-level manager stays up-to-date on the latest leadership and management topics in open discussions about and weekly readings of the Harvard Business Review newsletter on Facebook. 

5) An aspiring comedian joins Twitter and scans daily “tweets” for trending comedic value.

     Establishing a social media presence is one thing, but having a strategic plan for your professional objectives is an additional step that many folks are missing.  Ariane Ollier-Malaterre suggests that it is important for professionals to “make strategy choices for themselves” (Harvard Bus, 2015).   In order to establish a strategy, we need to understand a bit about what various social media platforms can best do for us.  First, let’s look at LinkedIn.  A professional networking site, LinkedIn is best known for expanding career-minded connections.   Because of the professional nature of this platform it is ideal for promoting a professional brand.  Here the resume takes on a visual look in a virtual format.  Additionally, there are numerous career related groups to join in order to grow your social sphere.  Unlike other platforms, LinkedIn is a “personal” free zone, it is entirely focused on professional networking.

     Next, let’s examine the benefits of Instagram.  This mobile photo sharing application is now part of the Facebook family and it goes without saying that the acquisition led to an increase in users.  Instagram is all about visual content.  The adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words” rings quite true for this platform.  A professional could quite possibly turn that adage into: a picture is worth a thousand likes or shares.  Additionally, Instagram has capability for 15-second video uploads.  There is even the capability to embed these short clips to website and/or blogs.

     Speaking of blogs, the blog remains an extremely effective tool in the development of a strong professional strategy.  The key item is content, content, content.  A professional blog can help establish authority, which in the world of persuasion leads to credibility with your audience.  This is a winning combination for today’s professionals.  Additionally, a successful professional blog can be profitable in and of itself. 

     Let’s consider the advantages to a professional strategy using the Twitter platform.  A social networking platform that consists of “microblogging” real-time posts called “tweets” of 140 characters or less.  As with all things internet related Twitter has evolved and that change has been a content related shift toward more current news and trending topic discussions.  This site encourages connections of like-minded individuals with similar interests and the following of leaders in industry.  Additionally, photos can be uploaded for visual “tweet” enhancement.

     Finally, there is Facebook, that multipurpose social networking platform that can no longer be considered a social connection site only.  No, this mega-web service site keeps adding on to the services available to users.  From the initial status updates to Facebook live there are numerous tools for developing your professional brand and strategy.  Joining professional groups that align with your business interests can help generate connections, provide useful information, and offer a place to engage in industry related discussions.

     Now that we have covered the basic premise for a few social media platforms let’s consider how to develop an individualized professional social media strategy in a general sense.  An article written by William Arruda entitled, “Three Elements of an Effective Social Media Strategy,” provides that an effective social media strategy should be built on these tenets: “Be real.  Be focused.  Be consistent” (Forbes, 2013).  Sure there are many more “how-to” references for developing your own professional social media strategy but these three elements are clear, concise and at the core of everything I’ve come across in my readings and research.  However, it should be noted that these were developed with a personal strategy in mind.  That being said elements two and three remain unchanged.  Element one requires the slightest adjustment if we keep in mind what Soumitra Butta said in his “Managing Yourself: What’s Your Personal Social Media Strategy?” piece (Harvard Bus, 2010).  He clarified, “It helps to look at the two spheres of social media activity – personal and professional – against the target audience – private and public.”  

     The first element of an effective professional social media strategy is to “Be real.”  There is absolutely no substitute for authenticity.  Arruda asserts that “your virtual world brand must match who you are in the real world” (2013).  Even for a professional strategy your professional brand should be an actual reflection of who you are and what you hope to one day become.  I feel that in all we do there should be some evidence of who you really are.  The objective is to be the real you, focusing on the professional version of the real you when executing the various stages of your social media strategy.  Emphasis should also be placed on keeping your personal profiles separate from your professional profiles.  Each type of profile has a distinct objective and equally distinct strategy.

     “Be focused” means set clear objectives and stay the course with your chosen platform(s).  The internet is unquestionably vast and one of the keys to the successful implementation of a professional social media strategy is honing in on the business community that will serve you and your career the most.  In addition, being focused can relate to being selective.  You’re developing a professional strategy, keep this in mind with each friend request/follow/connection/retweet/like, etc. you consider.  Finally, the third element is to “be consistent”.  This covers time management, the actual scheduling and prioritizing of time set aside to upload, post, tweet, blog, follow, like, and/or comment.  Because of the vastness of the internet there is literally no way to have a presence on everything, everywhere, all of the time – so set your goals, pick a few platforms that work for you, and professionally navigate your way through the social media seas.

Strategically Yours,

Autumn

*Bonus Share* I was fortunate enough a few months ago to attend a workshop in Napa Valley where I met and became friends with a truly inspirational woman.  She is indeed an innovator, but she is also diffusing her innovation.  Lynda Nguyen is coming in to her own as founder/CEO of newly launched  www.friendtier.com a site where “We are dreamers doing. We connect and create.”  And this site, all about connecting and creating, is linked up to all of the biggies – follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

  

A few more pics of our once-in-a-lifetime kind of family vacation:

Works Cited

Arruda, W. Three Elements of an Effective Social Media Strategy. Forbes (2013)

Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2013/08/27/three-elements-of-an-effective-social-media-strategy/#266b1f227543

Duuta, S. Managing Yourself: What’s Your Personal Social Media Strategy? Harvard Business Review (2010) vol 88 issue 11 Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2010/11/managing-yourself-whats-your-personal-social-media-strategy

Ollier-Malaterre, A. and Rothbard, N. How to Separate the Personal and Professional on Social Media. Harvard Business Review (March 26, 2015).  Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-separate-the-personal-and-professional-on-social-media