tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33212177551677191392024-03-05T05:39:07.192-08:00That's the Point!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-68941527453137734342013-06-25T11:23:00.001-07:002013-06-25T17:53:16.731-07:00What’s Your Social Media Personality?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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First of all, a clarification… By “social media” here, I
mean “Facebook.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s because, as I’ve
said many times, it’s the social media platform for the “Everyman and
Everywoman.” With over 1.1 billion (yes, billion) users, Facebook is fairly
ubiquitous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along with that kind of
omnipresence, comes the fact that you have both the initiated and the uninitiated
user making his/her her way through there, leading to a wide, but fairly
predictable range of “personalities” one will see in his/her newsfeed at any
given moment (certainly dependent on the choice of Facebook friends).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gFNf04VKOrn0BQdac-AKbGQvWVw5ffZ8VqIBrUkhQVwtoCeF3s7mU_1v9P7OPlgTtqx8CLsyZbRkop_Y7ArUZovj_hYohT95V-1F9-NY16nBXL8LrNekn7D6VtXQY-W4Y_aw9AI-Fd7F/s1600/Facebook+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gFNf04VKOrn0BQdac-AKbGQvWVw5ffZ8VqIBrUkhQVwtoCeF3s7mU_1v9P7OPlgTtqx8CLsyZbRkop_Y7ArUZovj_hYohT95V-1F9-NY16nBXL8LrNekn7D6VtXQY-W4Y_aw9AI-Fd7F/s200/Facebook+Logo.jpg" width="187" /></a></div>
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</div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
To be fair, personality differences are evident on the other
social media platforms as well. It’s just that they, by design, are more subtle.
Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and Instagram are the platforms I’m addressing. They tend to
be populated by the more erudite and sophisticated social media users who are
more likely to adhere to the social “norms” on these sites. That leads to a
narrower band of personality deviation as their users stay “inside the lines,”
or risk being branded as plebian and unknowledgeable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To a lot of Google + users, Facebook is the
“Land of the Unwashed Masses.” To that end, because the typical “Facebooker”
isn’t into the vagaries of social media propriety and boundaries, that
personalities are more evident – the main reason many Google +’ers abandon
Facebook altogether.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCo1AvUVxFT06oGHsDO3HAaPSHAVY7JxPuwcqtmp5s-k_n6LSBr6HAaZJbP1duQZ4uffsVxYELnPtv3_eJkMePGFMp9qshyVt_SgyvO3Fce_onc0w2DJ40M2IjBLACrsDVXEx4SNaPOAIB/s1600/Google%252B+Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCo1AvUVxFT06oGHsDO3HAaPSHAVY7JxPuwcqtmp5s-k_n6LSBr6HAaZJbP1duQZ4uffsVxYELnPtv3_eJkMePGFMp9qshyVt_SgyvO3Fce_onc0w2DJ40M2IjBLACrsDVXEx4SNaPOAIB/s200/Google%252B+Logo.png" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, without further fanfare, these are the predominant distinct
personalities I’ve seen, witnessed, and engaged on Facebook (social media). This
list is NOT all-inclusive. Note that I am NOT judging any of these or saying
what’s good or what’s bad. They just ARE : </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b>The Life Chronicaler</b> – The person who tells you what they’re
doing at any given time, what they didn’t or can’t do because of the weather, a
backache, or because they’re tired. They will also tell everyone “goodnight”
before retiring.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgnAitd4uRtqlw6_kTo-sbc9hETXNQWDnywv3ehgANtnPQfcia-QJ6ga1inUX90Y2IpY0crjzBarh4YZqv5ZCoT-TTXblPK4QBK_D08Y766zsfX2Vr_Q2hFWlkXjTb7iDfh0h1gNXMUv7/s1600/LinkedIn+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgnAitd4uRtqlw6_kTo-sbc9hETXNQWDnywv3ehgANtnPQfcia-QJ6ga1inUX90Y2IpY0crjzBarh4YZqv5ZCoT-TTXblPK4QBK_D08Y766zsfX2Vr_Q2hFWlkXjTb7iDfh0h1gNXMUv7/s200/LinkedIn+Logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>The Comedian</b> – The person who’s always quick with a joke. They
have a retort, a funny witticism, a funny video.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>The "Hey, I'm Just Here To Keep Up with My Friends and Family"</b> - This is the official "Facebook Fall-Back Position. After all, that IS why we're there, right? </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>The Spammer</b> – The person who makes you think their account’s
been hacked because there’s always an ad for purses, athletic shoes, or some
other item. Note: these are usually bots or phony accounts. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbOfPDdN3ALhE3Pi-qY09lLsU3i4G3MHdnQ6eczbqYOso3hQ6Xi6kAKdqX5LLay7KXYVt56fmBKdNuMfHRkdUDaqU3ZvKrtC_PfWAGMxzQ_1IXsUGhrTK44tcII4PeczcGdVZxGuR8BBj/s1600/Twitter+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbOfPDdN3ALhE3Pi-qY09lLsU3i4G3MHdnQ6eczbqYOso3hQ6Xi6kAKdqX5LLay7KXYVt56fmBKdNuMfHRkdUDaqU3ZvKrtC_PfWAGMxzQ_1IXsUGhrTK44tcII4PeczcGdVZxGuR8BBj/s200/Twitter+Logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Cam Girl</b> – Usually from
another country, they friend mostly guys and other Can Girls. They post
suggestive or downright explicit pictures and try to get these men to go to
their sites and “vote” for them.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Network Marketer</b> – They are the go-to for a particular
product. Their walls are replete with pictures of them winning awards, at
seminars, before-afters of people, posts telling you how you can supplement
your income, and invitations to seminars and meetings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Business</b> – This is the account known as the name of the
business only and interacts as if it’s a “person” with its friends. A select
group of “insiders” know the true identity of the account-holder.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWOo1ycJ-WoR9Et9VbuHwQR6W44YdfrtlnchxbxL2bLFP_hfaCMxhN7rUr0TN5Fxi_G4lsabUWW0eF_dM9xVFBdyPtpCle59rPUUV94wHm7QPmdaLNIrrmbjOvxpo40CCdoJnd9UhKkFw/s1600/Instagram+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWOo1ycJ-WoR9Et9VbuHwQR6W44YdfrtlnchxbxL2bLFP_hfaCMxhN7rUr0TN5Fxi_G4lsabUWW0eF_dM9xVFBdyPtpCle59rPUUV94wHm7QPmdaLNIrrmbjOvxpo40CCdoJnd9UhKkFw/s200/Instagram+Logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Politico</b> – This person posts incessantly about partisan
politics. Need I say more?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Bon Vivant</b> – The partier… Pictures abound of the latest
party or event they went to. Several posts appear on their wall of people
telling them what a good t time they all had at the latest soirée.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Traveler</b> – From Amsterdam
to Moscow… Back
to NYC, then across to Honolulu.
They take you with them virtually with great stories and stunning pics.</div>
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<b><b>The
Social Media/Business Conglomerate</b> – <span style="font-weight: normal;">They have LOTS of Facebook friends,
Twitter followers, Google +, and LinkedIn connections, and are all over all the
other platforms. Their posts are aimed at THE WORLD, and are of general nature,
with little personal information given out.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Not
many of us are exclusively one personality. We sometimes exhibit facets of other
of these listed above. One does predominate, however. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><b><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Where do you fit? Are
there any others you’ve seen? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cbm_UOCnOMIWlegpZcFntJPGhk7CHOJjAkFaxarXg0lS9uhNNckmst6ik7NvvOz0lOS8DC2L62C04_ToYSpwu9vQC9d_6C0a6Npwf5uE0ZFAVu8SHVt1jhjlVII-XYo5MxNdsij4OC9X/s1600/WomanSocialNetwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cbm_UOCnOMIWlegpZcFntJPGhk7CHOJjAkFaxarXg0lS9uhNNckmst6ik7NvvOz0lOS8DC2L62C04_ToYSpwu9vQC9d_6C0a6Npwf5uE0ZFAVu8SHVt1jhjlVII-XYo5MxNdsij4OC9X/s320/WomanSocialNetwork.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</b><b>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">That’s
the point!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Tony</span></div>
</b><b><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
</b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-67708238974071718902013-06-07T11:29:00.001-07:002013-06-11T12:25:41.177-07:00You Are What You Choose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BFFS_KgIRCDOYkeE5v5DJswGRCYDgjJhYRCIcq_d-R-RRxKXAZWckY_qjfMDyR1sIutMzbA3gMRcOgXilgPWpAuFHXfA6hA-qNASb9HuCLaIjBeWTDUHj2ucEiLMC5h6PwCRPn6eh_Wa/s1600/Choice1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BFFS_KgIRCDOYkeE5v5DJswGRCYDgjJhYRCIcq_d-R-RRxKXAZWckY_qjfMDyR1sIutMzbA3gMRcOgXilgPWpAuFHXfA6hA-qNASb9HuCLaIjBeWTDUHj2ucEiLMC5h6PwCRPn6eh_Wa/s320/Choice1.jpg" title="You Are What You Choose" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Choices...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have them, we make them, we live by them,
we die by them. The right one can have as impactful a consequence as a bad one.
Needless to say, the ability to make the best one at the right time can determine
success or ensure failure.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GlQkhmf0I8xhBDhr61uwvclGvvsBgv1jOcbcytdLXvW0hFAXlvN3TaaQpuekhzTDx3XRzVYhPCiVl6f-ydP1nsLqXahUuse5mcWWHo1TgRRJiuQKN2diYpSKNq8TzGieF5YROgWjbdff/s1600/Success+failure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GlQkhmf0I8xhBDhr61uwvclGvvsBgv1jOcbcytdLXvW0hFAXlvN3TaaQpuekhzTDx3XRzVYhPCiVl6f-ydP1nsLqXahUuse5mcWWHo1TgRRJiuQKN2diYpSKNq8TzGieF5YROgWjbdff/s320/Success+failure.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Every day,
as I see my two children leave for school or some other activity, my admonition
to them is not the typical "be good." No... I tell them, "Make
good choices." Why? Because what happens (or doesn't happen) to them
around that activity is solely dependent on the consequences of the choices
they make (or don't make). </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HKAjQkGdw-Q0twnntVbOYFELWfaQCn3P2FT-TrOkmlFeQycktG2R4R1JfUdzPkeMEpLUblasgKis6PVoAF-x8ynO1flDRLX7QdSB0DNMUHxe5efGuFK2baSsknUK1z7h7vbHnwWgjAZk/s1600/choices.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HKAjQkGdw-Q0twnntVbOYFELWfaQCn3P2FT-TrOkmlFeQycktG2R4R1JfUdzPkeMEpLUblasgKis6PVoAF-x8ynO1flDRLX7QdSB0DNMUHxe5efGuFK2baSsknUK1z7h7vbHnwWgjAZk/s200/choices.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">We alone
have sole ownership over our choices. In an era when people are wont to not
take responsibility or accountability for their actions (choices of actions,
that is), it's important to get back to that very critical basic. We are a
product of our choices. In any situation you ALWAYS have a choice. Think about
it... The anticipated or calculated consequences of whatever choice you make
certainly determine your choice. That's what decision-making is all about.
That's also what separates those deemed successful from those who aren't. It
also separates those who are happy from those who aren't. </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">That is
the one common factor that can be ascribed to the happy and the successful:
they realize and have control and ownership over their choices and they realize
that they aren't responsible for the choices of others. Confronted by adversity
or something bad? Choose your actions and behavior. Triumphant and in a state
where all is going your way? Choose your behavior. The results either way then
serve to define you.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxpqTiXnA_bUrsR7vMRTwwrDscdrKWpp5oBpZjlXszaG9Kf0_fImY8uMJOTqJbatV0aEqRO-UcrXJKcALfA6lX-liuAUOC0ZHhqroYM2CC0HXtRXuqfTbd7JBg2H1rcUJR7VSKNT3gI7L/s1600/Choice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxpqTiXnA_bUrsR7vMRTwwrDscdrKWpp5oBpZjlXszaG9Kf0_fImY8uMJOTqJbatV0aEqRO-UcrXJKcALfA6lX-liuAUOC0ZHhqroYM2CC0HXtRXuqfTbd7JBg2H1rcUJR7VSKNT3gI7L/s320/Choice.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="Body1">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">One of my
old <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Pfizer" target="_blank">Pfizer</a> Regional Managers, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/michael.kraft.165?fref=ts" target="_blank">Mike Kraft</a>, told me at a time when I had to
terminate a pharmaceutical representative in my District that, "whatever
choices people make, you've got to understand that their intentions were
good." How true is that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
just that, in that case, the drug rep made the wrong choice. There's we get
into the art of decision-making (a future topic for discussion here, I'm sure),
that is, the suitability of the choice made for the time and situation in which
it was made.</span>
</div>
<div class="Body1">
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The
empowering thought here is that, whatever happens, whatever is done to or for
you...whatever happens, you alone choose your action, reaction, response, and</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> behavior.
Whet happens subsequent to that, then, is the consequence. As the saying goes,
"If it is to be, then it is up to me." Get me? </span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">So, as you
go about your day, be cognizant of all that goes on. Take note of all the
various and sundry choices, implicit and obvious, that are required. Then note
the results - the consequences of those choices. Take that, and take control of
your life. </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDm3ZGSnF3apfWSr6VpsUqGYpxqzoo6FRVFnlolhL8oGYuAkjum7lVoHrKpRP1dfaf2Sli9A4ORVXqHhi9O1pNWhpHGIuhtN0vg39Dos90td0ovHLGgR9Yzo5Tr-2Yufwelh9XHZToQWCr/s1600/Success+is+a+choice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDm3ZGSnF3apfWSr6VpsUqGYpxqzoo6FRVFnlolhL8oGYuAkjum7lVoHrKpRP1dfaf2Sli9A4ORVXqHhi9O1pNWhpHGIuhtN0vg39Dos90td0ovHLGgR9Yzo5Tr-2Yufwelh9XHZToQWCr/s1600/Success+is+a+choice.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">After all,
you ARE what you choose.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">That's the
point! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-language: AR-SA; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Tony<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<![endif]-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-26275355026914885372013-05-25T14:29:00.000-07:002013-05-25T14:29:44.455-07:00On Turning 55…<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Pw3YZbhiSokdNhmHLCS6sEn9dUm7qpvTlnxhHYK81wGaDYDA9Vcdk34rC3G04wKjY55pT-up3Oz5DEqDFLqqrYcImRBHyFI-8cfr-HRoxZvWBSmwAu4Tb6kVHaOvNtCcydDzRA-921DJ/s1600/Bourbon+cigar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Pw3YZbhiSokdNhmHLCS6sEn9dUm7qpvTlnxhHYK81wGaDYDA9Vcdk34rC3G04wKjY55pT-up3Oz5DEqDFLqqrYcImRBHyFI-8cfr-HRoxZvWBSmwAu4Tb6kVHaOvNtCcydDzRA-921DJ/s320/Bourbon+cigar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Yep, that's me. I’m 55 years old today. By the time you read
this, I’ll be 55 and two or more days though, because I sit with my writing
partner <a href="http://www.facebook.com/michelle.andres2" target="_blank">Michelle Andres</a>, of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/michelleandresconsulting" target="_blank">The Art of the Well Lived Life</a>, on Wednesdays and
we write our blogs together. Michelle's is called “<a href="http://www.michelleandresart.com/" target="_blank">The Art of the Well Lived Life</a>,” but I digress.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCPHf3q1916Sr8d0fo-LKUBJ75a0kRin7eYGz6rqpmzvtsz_g9-lIbpuLwO2PRon7bh9j2os-bz1No7DtZ8sHgUDfliIzUzSaT1xvO6qTPLhFoHK6Zvh2kj1RhL3rYBnj-5zxNiy887kb/s1600/Tony+HMB+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCPHf3q1916Sr8d0fo-LKUBJ75a0kRin7eYGz6rqpmzvtsz_g9-lIbpuLwO2PRon7bh9j2os-bz1No7DtZ8sHgUDfliIzUzSaT1xvO6qTPLhFoHK6Zvh2kj1RhL3rYBnj-5zxNiy887kb/s200/Tony+HMB+1.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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I say all that because it’s been my history, throughout my
adult life (30’s, 40’s, and now 50’s) to get really introspective every 5<sup>th</sup>
year. Well, this is that year. I’ve actually warned those closest to me to
“stay away” this day because I anticipate being bad company. The word
brooding comes immediately to mind. You know, I brood about my mortality, my
legacy, my brand, my family, my friends, my value, my worth, all of that. Guess
what? THIS year, I’ll do my brooding right HERE! Ann, that means dinner with
you and the kids tonight will be great! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcR4ruvgVGweFiG2EYS8O8sX6qvz5LrKPiXzXL3Iupj6iI0UcVPzoU1O8zGem9mGt6K2l-Vt6CMqcxDZzSjXYfGSF0I56ig8Zz59b-iEg_Iu_wEd6ZCPtxROhPDuMrJmoABoZjlQeVQAPG/s1600/Dancing+with+Madness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcR4ruvgVGweFiG2EYS8O8sX6qvz5LrKPiXzXL3Iupj6iI0UcVPzoU1O8zGem9mGt6K2l-Vt6CMqcxDZzSjXYfGSF0I56ig8Zz59b-iEg_Iu_wEd6ZCPtxROhPDuMrJmoABoZjlQeVQAPG/s200/Dancing+with+Madness.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8r9OOY9rH3snyvTYgYt6sCV_w1-BuWgHMsrD3JH_hZ4fQFZavzN51Gw-x8vYdxhBH19MKJOIu_ME5PTe3sDFzkn2kpnRYoZNVKrpHeOzR22N6EfEzTr_kjksevOQUPjwZodYlBBbM43d/s1600/In+Shadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8r9OOY9rH3snyvTYgYt6sCV_w1-BuWgHMsrD3JH_hZ4fQFZavzN51Gw-x8vYdxhBH19MKJOIu_ME5PTe3sDFzkn2kpnRYoZNVKrpHeOzR22N6EfEzTr_kjksevOQUPjwZodYlBBbM43d/s200/In+Shadows.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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A couple of years ago, I was given one of the absolute best
birthday gifts I’ve ever received. It was from one of my very best friends, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/apelletier11" target="_blank">Amy Pelletier</a>. Amy’s a writer, a poet, and a real provocateur. Check her out at <a href="http://www.wiltedrose.com/" target="_blank">Wilted Rose</a> where she
expounds on, primarily through poetry and erotica, what goes on inside her very
attractive head. She’s written two books, <a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/amy-pelletier/dancing-with-madness/paperback/product-3696282.html" target="_blank"><u>Dancing with Madness</u></a> and <a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/amy-pelletier/in-shadows/paperback/product-6444661.html" target="_blank"><u>In Shadows</u></a> (and I’m proud to say I have
both).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made a mention about getting
older (so uncharacteristic of me), and she replied with this:</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i>"Oh, and you are NOT old! You're the perfect age.....the age </i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i>where a </i></span><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">man truly becomes comfortable with himself....and </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">learned, and now shares that wisdom with others.....he </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">better cigar.......and last, but not least,</span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i> he knows what it </i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i>truly means to be a man....."</i> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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Now, thanks to Amy, I live my life to honor what her erudite
words have laid out for me… and I LOVE IT!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Being fifty-five, the “Big 55,” the “Double-Nickel” is really<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cool!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thank you again, Amy.
<br />
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Think about it, who else is 55? Michelle Pfieffer, Steve
Buscemi, Alec Baldwin, Caroline Kennedy, Andie MacDowell, Anita Baker, Reggie
Theus, Maria Conchita Alonso, Ellen DeGeneres, Russell Simmons,
Kelly McGillis, Denis Leary, Donny Osmond, Sheila E, Lyle Lovett, Donna Dixon,
Holly Hunter, Gary Cole, Giancarlo Esposito, Melanie Griffith, Matt Lauer, Laura
Branigan, Ice T, Eve Plumb, Gloria Estefan, Martin Luther King III, Timothy
Busfield, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tony Cox, Steve Schirripa (former Sopranos
star, now author of my favorite parenting book, <u>Big Daddy’s Rules</u> – yes,
I’m a Big Daddy: Big Mouth, Big Temper, and Big Heart), and Linda Kozlowski, to
name just a few.
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I’m in GREAT company!! I’ve also have some amazing personal
friends who are 55. So, who am I to not get with the program and be the vital,
energetic, stylish, confident, secure, competent, fun, and sexy person that
being 55 dictates? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2J7lqsk79Ap46fQLebNt8f9jcoBWqSJN_JNszzaQZ-Aqt8ADUgtMfsVLwDZt_Ftmw0PKNxDGIpvlWg1jCJr1YogZo6nvBALitAzTTRGMdJKKmSkk9tZWD88YxiH3HOps9JWfPXXXjYZks/s1600/Alejandro+and+Me+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2J7lqsk79Ap46fQLebNt8f9jcoBWqSJN_JNszzaQZ-Aqt8ADUgtMfsVLwDZt_Ftmw0PKNxDGIpvlWg1jCJr1YogZo6nvBALitAzTTRGMdJKKmSkk9tZWD88YxiH3HOps9JWfPXXXjYZks/s200/Alejandro+and+Me+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I never could drive 55, so why start now? This is gonna be a
GREAT year!!</div>
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That’s the point!</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Tony</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-15305324127734213402013-05-17T16:01:00.000-07:002013-05-17T20:48:22.600-07:00The Fallacy of Social Media ROI<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->Return on investment, getting one’s money worth, making it
“worth it.” We seldom do things with absolutely no thought of a benefit for
ourselves, either immediately or somewhere down the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only does this hold true for us in our
personal lives,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it’s ESPECIALLY true in
world of business where EVERYTHING is measured in terms of profit and
loss. <br>
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I’m a businessman… I get that. </div>
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I’ve got to say though (those who have listened to my radio
show “Socially Business with Tony Gates” on <a href="http://1talknetwork.com/">1TalkNetwork.com</a> or heard me speak know
this) that what really makes me crazy (a term I stole from my Pfizer Regional
Manager Mike Kraft, another amazing leader) is the fact that so many people
look to social media as a typical bringer of ROI. IT’S NOT!! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9oQItTM8wFhHsIo0FqfqQSIaxwr7oJT-KK-g7ZPXe1kqQFmxzwVlT2H9CztRoeHesi-UwTHk058Hno7nzVbBajQiBh3-w6GfwFHJWE9s-H7gX2XM2wXol_DKSFP1NE_s-XdWEdmEbAye9/s1600/1talknetwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9oQItTM8wFhHsIo0FqfqQSIaxwr7oJT-KK-g7ZPXe1kqQFmxzwVlT2H9CztRoeHesi-UwTHk058Hno7nzVbBajQiBh3-w6GfwFHJWE9s-H7gX2XM2wXol_DKSFP1NE_s-XdWEdmEbAye9/s1600/1talknetwork.jpg"></a></div>
If you’re looking
for immediate and traditional ROI with social media, look elsewhere, or get
someone to explain how it REALLY works. You simply can’t tweet or create a
Facebook business page (no, we don’t say “fan page” anymore, unless you’re a bona-fide
celebrity with fans) and post your way to immediate revenue.</div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would submit that there are things we as people and as
business entities do that aren’t necessarily tied to the immediacy of dollars
in the cash register. We do them for good will (charitable donations and
sponsorships), we do them to “get our name out there” (naming rights and
networking), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">and we do them because “that’s just what legitimate businesses
do.” </span>I mean, no one asks what the ROI of
that new, big, nice expensive new oak board room table is, do they? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No…
These are things that businesses do that are a part of doing business. Is there
eventual ROI? Absolutely! <br>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAx_XWyDxJGbDgn30o0pdYp6if9IcT1CaBUY0u6wy-K-zsZDtXqqHYFa0KV9xwCXKCNcjB39am2CZyXM1mLEm6Orfa4L3cSE88m6CZJckSBgbKHeFziA7MYr9HMQrOs58wXkp0WKniYOc9/s1600/Your+Name+Here.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAx_XWyDxJGbDgn30o0pdYp6if9IcT1CaBUY0u6wy-K-zsZDtXqqHYFa0KV9xwCXKCNcjB39am2CZyXM1mLEm6Orfa4L3cSE88m6CZJckSBgbKHeFziA7MYr9HMQrOs58wXkp0WKniYOc9/s1600/Your+Name+Here.jpg"></a></div>
What about
the ROI of your email address?<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidk68bS-D59u9heM5rdunRwCExHnrBvNwFvQ8FATzTuSj8yrdnz0nzmB994kokkaXCi4TmdmPinWDW3SMPd_pa_0nn9It6CzsHT-w3k2P7UNWhDUEoIaMqcArCMERUTODt3q8e3uAtmBLF/s1600/conference+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidk68bS-D59u9heM5rdunRwCExHnrBvNwFvQ8FATzTuSj8yrdnz0nzmB994kokkaXCi4TmdmPinWDW3SMPd_pa_0nn9It6CzsHT-w3k2P7UNWhDUEoIaMqcArCMERUTODt3q8e3uAtmBLF/s1600/conference+table.jpg"></a></div>
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Think of social media the same way. It’s a NECESSITY for
doing business in the 21<sup>st</sup> century. Poo-poo or ignore it at your and
your business’ own peril. Your competition is there. If you’re not, you are
automatically and immediately at a disadvantage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you know that Facebook business (or biz)
pages are now the #1 way customers interact with businesses now? <a href="http://www.dynamicsignal.com/Post/More-than-1-million-websites-have-integrated-with-Facebook-in-various-ways/8246f68b-d1bf-4c69-9492-99ed903b7466" target="_blank">Did you also know that over 1 million websites have integrated with Facebook?</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/25609/80-of-Social-Media-Users-Prefer-Facebook-for-Connecting-With-Brands.aspx" target="_blank">Did you know that 80% of users prefer to connect with brands through Facebook? </a><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_frpZJiUfP4d5Y8wZp9HVmEoZqR76hfXosJfvHx2P-n5BhDroFds7PIIpn0hkKrZOD2GOiFkjhvV5_iKyzX9Mvwaj-3JFUN_ekaNOFz17wuoufWfNHrcrUWzksSRGyrnT_54xPFJgKclf/s1600/facebook-biz-page.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_frpZJiUfP4d5Y8wZp9HVmEoZqR76hfXosJfvHx2P-n5BhDroFds7PIIpn0hkKrZOD2GOiFkjhvV5_iKyzX9Mvwaj-3JFUN_ekaNOFz17wuoufWfNHrcrUWzksSRGyrnT_54xPFJgKclf/s320/facebook-biz-page.png" width="320"></a></div>
They beat out
websites 2 years ago. </div>
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THAT’S the business advantage social media provides. You can
connect, talk, interact, add to the conversation, and, most importantly, brand
yourself and add value with social media. Social media is actually a business
multiplier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That people have to ask
about its ROI is an indicator that they’re already way behind the power curve.
I feel the same way about businesses restricting employees’ use of social media
during business hours as well. If you’re a business who does this, stop!
Establishing some guidelines, then allowing your employees access to social
media can really be a (you’ve heard this before) multiplier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0GOTQt2wENTaPtBNpLtB_HbD5Q1lmzDakOuORu_a5AMpVP2IOTfjhCqvrnvM8F2yyiHCwDmjAueEl9JnQ46Fnmp9HKqy632cQFcqGW1yrzYR6otMkPhT5QVklEYArtJJQWYAolWipCW5/s1600/SM+Policy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0GOTQt2wENTaPtBNpLtB_HbD5Q1lmzDakOuORu_a5AMpVP2IOTfjhCqvrnvM8F2yyiHCwDmjAueEl9JnQ46Fnmp9HKqy632cQFcqGW1yrzYR6otMkPhT5QVklEYArtJJQWYAolWipCW5/s320/SM+Policy.jpg" width="239"></a></span></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br>
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</div>
<br>
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<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvSXcoXvEDxvsiHZkYKPAH8XaKdccp467ykDFOvs4bjZdS_YuixJ3NAm62OpXKckMGlyeunL1dLEA3g2vz7Rc8VXWnDW4WhE-0HxxrgdayqslDHkVbdsWeW6ysGp6BgN8FOPyfNlTQixp/s1600/smartphone+SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvSXcoXvEDxvsiHZkYKPAH8XaKdccp467ykDFOvs4bjZdS_YuixJ3NAm62OpXKckMGlyeunL1dLEA3g2vz7Rc8VXWnDW4WhE-0HxxrgdayqslDHkVbdsWeW6ysGp6BgN8FOPyfNlTQixp/s320/smartphone+SM.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
They’re using
their smartphones to do it anyway! Let them post and tweet about all the good
things your business or organization is doing. It’s like having a sales and PR
force out there on your behalf.</div>
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That’s the point!</div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Tony<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-33830700902786634022013-05-08T13:50:00.000-07:002013-05-08T14:02:56.814-07:00Where Has All the Civility Gone?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">We’ve all been cursed with “earwigs” from time
to time. What’s an earwig? An earwig, or a “tune wedgie” as my friend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/martha.glunt" target="_blank">Martha Glunt</a> puts it, is a musical tune that sticks in your head that you can’t get
rid of. It tunnels its way into your ear and burrows itself into your brain</span>. Think <a href="https://www.facebook.com/officialpsy" target="_blank">PSY’s</a> "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0" target="_blank">Gangnam Style</a>," <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Carlyraejepsen" target="_blank">Carly Rae Jepson’s</a> “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWNaR-rxAic" target="_blank">Call Me Maybe</a>,”
or<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/katyperry" target="_blank">Katy Perry’s</a> “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F57P9C4SAW4" target="_blank">California Gurls</a>.”<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEGhX9mWTKHGCXVrAsQ4ur4p6-0JMN73nwIqAUJq5t80WXHw427w_3LSz64P1rF4dVNFIQbw2P1hS-VvhDtSD7l_9I8nGLmSCXOdZzTolxIBA1nexDyhq215LrCaoh5rT1hDKko-69aeH/s1600/PSY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEGhX9mWTKHGCXVrAsQ4ur4p6-0JMN73nwIqAUJq5t80WXHw427w_3LSz64P1rF4dVNFIQbw2P1hS-VvhDtSD7l_9I8nGLmSCXOdZzTolxIBA1nexDyhq215LrCaoh5rT1hDKko-69aeH/s1600/PSY.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PSY</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
With me, as I was going about my day a while back, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/paulacolemusic" target="_blank">Paula Cole</a>’s “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPR108kwNo4" target="_blank">Where Have All the Cowboy’s Gone?</a>” kept running through my
head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As this, admittedly catchy, tune
kept replaying in my mind, I was also reminded of an ever-increasing frequency
of examples of people being, well, just plain mean to other people. This happens
almost as much in real life (offline) as it certainly does online. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72qmEyIznLGa30spY_T8vrKCOZ_iRxwuVgVby_vbWZGYvPXjO_CHJwmb5VAhvPX4Yu-OpACn3Y2JtmZurqQKh5d9OfohIICgdppyZSNT8MS-4tSS4oFtpZndbshQN8kfE7vDst1OG9L-k/s1600/Paula+Cole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72qmEyIznLGa30spY_T8vrKCOZ_iRxwuVgVby_vbWZGYvPXjO_CHJwmb5VAhvPX4Yu-OpACn3Y2JtmZurqQKh5d9OfohIICgdppyZSNT8MS-4tSS4oFtpZndbshQN8kfE7vDst1OG9L-k/s1600/Paula+Cole.jpg" /></a></div>
You’ve seen
it - people cutting each other off, or speeding up to make an entry or passing
more difficult on the road, the name calling and degradation in political
discussions, the lack of “pleases” and “thank yous,” throwing money down on the
counter at stores instead of handing it to the clerk… It goes on and on. </div>
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<br /></div>
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My question is why? Where, indeed, has all the civility
gone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “Where Have All the Cowboys
Gone?,” Paula Cole tunefully muses,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Where
is my John Wayne? Where is my prairie son? Where is my happy ending? Where have
all the cowboys gone?” It’s a harkening back, a yearning for classic chivalry,
classic politeness. She hit the nail right on the proverbial head.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfK0YQ7N54noHmpRAfoS9oEP47Cz4FJXG6nnoIUFFYlPTHyWd9s7z_WvoIq5QyjUkKQYfdDkHVW7XXkeLqOM9b8iJjd91CKHv9GfJu_98uiZaiL8LJPVuW_5v6_uSrO1wb4ibnS3oJ5zLq/s1600/pregnant-on-train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfK0YQ7N54noHmpRAfoS9oEP47Cz4FJXG6nnoIUFFYlPTHyWd9s7z_WvoIq5QyjUkKQYfdDkHVW7XXkeLqOM9b8iJjd91CKHv9GfJu_98uiZaiL8LJPVuW_5v6_uSrO1wb4ibnS3oJ5zLq/s320/pregnant-on-train.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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To me, it has it’s genesis (as so many things often do) to
childhood and parents. It’s a culture we’ve developed into… Immediate
gratification, parents treating their children as friends, giving them what
they want, when they want - sometimes just to keep the peace, assuage guilt, or
just to make sure their children “love” them back. Whatever the reason, it
needs to stop - now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, a simple
incident of a teacher <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It must be
that the teacher’s lying because of some bias against their sweet little bundle
of joy. If you doubt me, volunteer to ride a school bus and see how “these
little angels” behave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfW4lfXw7bQyt-zRP-Bjw15THp1uMW518eW3kv_usmCjp0nQ5KQbpfIWz9EfAQQvZAN6OIJ7WHNw5T9aBR4IXVmnytsglS-rH6X6agATXumCD21Exjefo8NVGotbNiPcu7m0drBxqJ6q2s/s1600/Kid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfW4lfXw7bQyt-zRP-Bjw15THp1uMW518eW3kv_usmCjp0nQ5KQbpfIWz9EfAQQvZAN6OIJ7WHNw5T9aBR4IXVmnytsglS-rH6X6agATXumCD21Exjefo8NVGotbNiPcu7m0drBxqJ6q2s/s320/Kid.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Reporting that a child has misbehaved almost requires
that the teacher – the authority figure and professional, by the way - have an
attorney. Parents now, almost reflexively, believe that THEIR child couldn’t
have POSSIBLY misbehaved!</div>
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Getting back to classic child-rearing (Ann and I are big
fans of Dr. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/johnkrosemond" target="_blank">John Rosemond</a>), teaching politeness and respect for adults and
authority, having children address adults by their titles, not their first
names, teaching them to say “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me” is a great
start. Even better, how about we adults <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3R5VrKFCSao1Ie62jrU9qpMjvBS2EpMJGsoo6nnZAsfubco1GCbc_KUjRMuO6v7eTCqCMEeBA1fpwynCZVOzv7wW5BFbvvjhAaC3EeGRjBLZV3Jn2x2OemXw9r-UgED-KPt_I7IgNpIKn/s1600/rosemond-feature-610x366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3R5VrKFCSao1Ie62jrU9qpMjvBS2EpMJGsoo6nnZAsfubco1GCbc_KUjRMuO6v7eTCqCMEeBA1fpwynCZVOzv7wW5BFbvvjhAaC3EeGRjBLZV3Jn2x2OemXw9r-UgED-KPt_I7IgNpIKn/s320/rosemond-feature-610x366.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
MODEL that behavior? We adults (parents
or not) are role models for children. They watch and see how we respond and
behave in situations and model that very same behavior.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So, “Where is my Marboro Man? Where is my shiny gun? Where
is my lonely ranger? Where have all the cowboys gone?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you think about it, they all really
haven’t gone. Civility really hasn’t gone. It’s still there, hanging in…hanging
on. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see it pop up in stories of police
officers buying boots for homeless people, people rushing in to help or rescue
others in distress, gentlemen offering seats to ladies in crowded buses,
conversations that could easily turn toxic and uncivil, that, suddenly,
thankfully, deescalate as the participants let their better selves surface.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Civility has gone nowhere. It remains where it’s always
been… in our hearts. Let’s let it come out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0vN0q5o2W4Bx2J_kd_nm4k7PW7nCDw7OeuuK2aptJmvHqRBDSfJDAyUIGN4xDktMERW-cLUeKTEFbywRn6MrwQsEwfZHaygMW7BtA5OSi_GV_Q5t9esNYcmdYbT5isGc5W4hyzr1q3Ab/s1600/Offering+a+seat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0vN0q5o2W4Bx2J_kd_nm4k7PW7nCDw7OeuuK2aptJmvHqRBDSfJDAyUIGN4xDktMERW-cLUeKTEFbywRn6MrwQsEwfZHaygMW7BtA5OSi_GV_Q5t9esNYcmdYbT5isGc5W4hyzr1q3Ab/s320/Offering+a+seat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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That’s the point!</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Tony <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-34027207685617876272013-04-26T10:26:00.000-07:002013-04-26T10:36:32.463-07:00Focus on Your Strengths and Delegate Your Weaknesses<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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The rules in the Gates-Grottveit household are simple: last
one out of the bed makes it; keep non-food things off the kitchen counters
where food is prepared; feed Blade (the younger puppy) at 5:30 pm, and feed
Vader (the adult dog) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">and Bella (the elderly cat) at 6:30 pm; and he/she who is
better at something is the one who does that thing. What that means,
practically speaking, is that Ann handles the finances and I handle the
laundry. </span>Ann cleans inside the house, I
clean outside the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ann handles our
family social activities, I handle the maintenance and upkeep of our cars. You
get the drift.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6QuX3_HmmTy8x30rJpxtgTJEU-bMc-_hidc4N7ofTiwjenY6afKOY7aET8_H2671dNpmQL0It5lAmFestriGwcWhQ_srdvu-CRjxabNJkwimC7afdzDvEYi9symv3OphLcVNd15R74WU/s1600/Vader+and+Blade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6QuX3_HmmTy8x30rJpxtgTJEU-bMc-_hidc4N7ofTiwjenY6afKOY7aET8_H2671dNpmQL0It5lAmFestriGwcWhQ_srdvu-CRjxabNJkwimC7afdzDvEYi9symv3OphLcVNd15R74WU/s320/Vader+and+Blade.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>(Vader - larger and Blade - smaller)</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AL-ATGtZVmB1JoDb4lFTfBRdquPS8tvtjeQ9Y8UUyZK3-kSOn7yDghzWcLCgEKXZgwPe32NJRmPxmX_w-cxHxOk5PMWMh5tHYcyZh8TE1IkH47MnnPz1BDcQqyhP44zOQlExUuHZAXy5/s1600/Bella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AL-ATGtZVmB1JoDb4lFTfBRdquPS8tvtjeQ9Y8UUyZK3-kSOn7yDghzWcLCgEKXZgwPe32NJRmPxmX_w-cxHxOk5PMWMh5tHYcyZh8TE1IkH47MnnPz1BDcQqyhP44zOQlExUuHZAXy5/s320/Bella.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>(Bella)</i></td></tr>
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Simple, right? Ann would fade and shrink and discolor our
clothing, and she can’t iron at all. I would quickly, stylishly, bankrupt the
Gates-Grottveit conglomerate by buying everything and anything that suited my
fancy at the time. We’ve learned that it’s best and things run the most
efficiently and smoothly if we each stay in our respective lanes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some caveats to this, however. We
reserve the right to delegate these tasks to our 13 year-old boy-child, and our
almost 11 year-old girl-child for the sake of their development. Face it, they’ll
both need to learn to cook, manage their own finances, and clean, etc. What
better learning laboratory for those domestic tasks is there than the home,
right? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
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Now don’t get me wrong… We don’t totally abdicate these
tasks to the other. We have a system of checks and balances that keep each
other “honest” and informed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolute
power does corrupt absolutely, and all that. There’s also the “in case you’re
hit by a bus” contingency as well. We have regular briefings to keep each other
updated on the goings-on of the other’s area of expertise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I call that oversight. </div>
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Ultimately, we are each responsible to the other for the
conduct of the business that is our marriage and our household. Yes, I said
it... Marriage IS a business. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXq8KME4b97lBxUePK-mIJDz1AQNNhQWywhgndPRLZeDXNSiQ8XLsl1ArfhTow4CYFkmBPW2hJHMoPwsuBRTXNeLealnEMSY6eMrRKASLaMnxmmRcyYd_zTTr9xhclycY8G2Dz8dfdyvJd/s1600/Marriage+is+business.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXq8KME4b97lBxUePK-mIJDz1AQNNhQWywhgndPRLZeDXNSiQ8XLsl1ArfhTow4CYFkmBPW2hJHMoPwsuBRTXNeLealnEMSY6eMrRKASLaMnxmmRcyYd_zTTr9xhclycY8G2Dz8dfdyvJd/s320/Marriage+is+business.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The same holds for more conventional business. If there’s an
area of your business, be you an owner, a senior-level executive, a director or
manager, or a staff member or associate, if there’s something you’re not good
at, DELEGATE it to someone who is. The caveat to that is, especially applicable
to those at the staff-associate level, you may well have to get training and
acquire that expertise yourself. Otherwise, you’ve been hired, selected,
appointed, or otherwise chose to embark on that path because of your
qualifications and potential, so if there’s a specific aspect you’re not good at,
get help and get someone in there to manage that for you.
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As with the example for my home-life, that delegation does
NOT mean abdication. You remain responsible for everything your enterprise does
and everything it fails to do. You’ve got to check, follow-up, insure,
question, and all the other common-sense things that go along with delegation. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqeEv-BIX5ori7-roBcsaD3fF-WpNlXLxupX24TbLUHCfu3gGyphpCvHCdXLV3cnHxbZ27yDvdHC1x5sr6HWP0IJqXHd7hp69_0DZpAmQ4UfEDclvpfa8p_EkBy2tvCZf5dINZaZy3OGQ/s1600/leadership(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqeEv-BIX5ori7-roBcsaD3fF-WpNlXLxupX24TbLUHCfu3gGyphpCvHCdXLV3cnHxbZ27yDvdHC1x5sr6HWP0IJqXHd7hp69_0DZpAmQ4UfEDclvpfa8p_EkBy2tvCZf5dINZaZy3OGQ/s320/leadership(5).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You’ll find that doing this makes you a better, more
effective leader, business-owner, staff-member, associate (not to mention
partner or husband/wife). You’ll have more time to think, to plan, to expand
and to execute your vision.</div>
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That’s the point!</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Tony</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-56663392057597208022013-04-20T17:08:00.000-07:002013-04-22T12:46:24.293-07:00Just Shut Up and Get It Done<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I saw a post someone “put” (spelled s-p-a-m-m-e-d) onto my
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/tonygates44" target="_blank">Facebook</a> wall last week. It was encouraging me to click on a link and see how
some doctor would show me how to take the “Law of Attraction” even farther by
showing me techniques to actually implement it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just for funsies, I clicked on it. As I figured, it was a really general
description replete with the compulsory big words and jargon, but no specifics.
No… for the specifics, you’d certainly have to plop down your hard-earned money
and buy the CD, DVD, book, and/or fly to Florida or somewhere warm to attend
the in-person training.
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Typical, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I actually commented with my thoughts on this type of scam.
Don’t worry, I didn’t spend a lot of time on the response because I really
didn’t think anyone human would see it anyway. I felt a little bit better,
though! Cathartic, y’know? </div>
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I hold what may be a really controversial stance on people
like this. I won’t call out any names, but you’ve seen them, the motivational
gurus who claim to help you make tons of money, good-looking, big smiles,
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekmVekk28SVZK9JVJraXMiwXcOQbzaoPB-iJC9k4HKPd9odQPQS_CT-6bPwFZGXXM3XdV5r-D4-8ar6ztaobllrdid06e_qYbWFzYc8sBwYCUJ6_Gl_hm7p9TJrmC31DMf1i-PrIvwb27/s1600/Speaker+and+crowd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekmVekk28SVZK9JVJraXMiwXcOQbzaoPB-iJC9k4HKPd9odQPQS_CT-6bPwFZGXXM3XdV5r-D4-8ar6ztaobllrdid06e_qYbWFzYc8sBwYCUJ6_Gl_hm7p9TJrmC31DMf1i-PrIvwb27/s320/Speaker+and+crowd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
secrets of life, get rich by listening to me, just follow my system and
everything else will take care of itself, blah, blah, blah. Well, I’m not
buying it (or anything they sell, for that manner). I’ll admit, part of my
disdain may be jealousy that I’m “missing out” by not jumping in with my own
“system” (honestly, ANY halfway competent salesperson can do it). Good PR, good
marketing, good timing, a good look, you really can do it. <br />
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I’ve heard (and really believe) that the only way to make
money from a motivational, get-rich, self-help book is to write one. The
industry (yes, industry) and people involved prey on the helpless and desperate
and use the money gained from them to propel themselves upward and give the
impression of even more success, which, in turn, draws more desperate people. </div>
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<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnm2-hzG311BqHWMyBdBBKe3lrZCqAubcBCHo-eGYcD3gLP7UB2cqqhMs-wNxUCvNoLDHcSjZ8bVoCyKw9wm_MaLpsA3NGOiVLpYmaZaCVC7uugS-caxByEznz2a4EkR9BoAOwiE9YjZ_a/s1600/Think.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnm2-hzG311BqHWMyBdBBKe3lrZCqAubcBCHo-eGYcD3gLP7UB2cqqhMs-wNxUCvNoLDHcSjZ8bVoCyKw9wm_MaLpsA3NGOiVLpYmaZaCVC7uugS-caxByEznz2a4EkR9BoAOwiE9YjZ_a/s1600/Think.jpg" /></a></div>
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Why not just do it all yourself? Like the ubiquitous Nike
tagline… “Just Do It.” Really! Say what you will, but big business does a lot
of things right. The techniques and lessons learned really can be made
applicable to the small business and entrepreneur. These are tried and true and
are written and used by successful <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">people </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMhIO9SJRGoA_Eu9EE_M9_1BiEZPm9k67iF0zL4DJR6gJqOoVyRQSWmmkcnFvmxVaSBznEvpCRhvpJwQubWZtvNrVIaJICJehWGVSWDLN9nixxVMGpWvUFXCTCiuqvQQM6n3fJvp5xA9Y/s1600/Nike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMhIO9SJRGoA_Eu9EE_M9_1BiEZPm9k67iF0zL4DJR6gJqOoVyRQSWmmkcnFvmxVaSBznEvpCRhvpJwQubWZtvNrVIaJICJehWGVSWDLN9nixxVMGpWvUFXCTCiuqvQQM6n3fJvp5xA9Y/s1600/Nike.jpg" /></a>to help successful people, or people
who aspire to be successful. They don’t involve the wishing and hoping and
hocus-pocus aspect a lot of these other books and systems tend to have, There
are no baits and switches, no training sessions in warm locations, no bells, or
whistles that do nothing more than enrich the “guru.”<br />
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The preeminent book, in my opinion, you should get, read,
digest, and implement is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Execution-Discipline-Getting-Things-Done/dp/0609610570" target="_blank"><u>Execution – The Discipline of Getting Things Done</u></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5reP2I9PzPDBgJOvkRQG6zcmm7d8Ri-ReZmQm4w6teoM1HYAesiOfuxUTekAVChRYXBRKfKBXbmr35uGDSSFkalSzIekRmZWDSA02Io3LAdNKdaqU6ylRk7jb6qBf7ATWzaAjL4EQoON/s1600/Execution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5reP2I9PzPDBgJOvkRQG6zcmm7d8Ri-ReZmQm4w6teoM1HYAesiOfuxUTekAVChRYXBRKfKBXbmr35uGDSSFkalSzIekRmZWDSA02Io3LAdNKdaqU6ylRk7jb6qBf7ATWzaAjL4EQoON/s1600/Execution.jpg" /></a></div>
See? Even the title is no-nonsense, let’s get
to work. It’s written by Larry Bossidy, former Chairman and CEO of Honeywell
International, Ram Charan, who also wrote <a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-CEO-Wants-You-Know/dp/0609608398/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366497915&sr=1-1&keywords=what+the+ceo+wants+you+to+know" target="_blank"><u>What the CEO Wants You To Know</u></a>,
with Charles Burck. I got it as a District Manager at Pfizer and have used its
tenets to make me an even better manager and leader. Apparently, I’m not the
only one. It’s been reviewed and praised by the CEOs of various and sundry
Fortune 500 companies, world-renowned business publications, and a bevy of
others, including Jack Welch. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY1M9kjSlgWwTRcy2lwrsiNsAF7r2wKSRz0aPlQKLDK9XTH5jJAkQYKVS-Vkcn3mJggc0GrpyXwvTkJnTVEUWQA16xSQm4S-ErVzpP-Bsiv3yMhYNysLlV2QE8QNhqG104XbHIKvwDOz-/s1600/What+the+CEO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY1M9kjSlgWwTRcy2lwrsiNsAF7r2wKSRz0aPlQKLDK9XTH5jJAkQYKVS-Vkcn3mJggc0GrpyXwvTkJnTVEUWQA16xSQm4S-ErVzpP-Bsiv3yMhYNysLlV2QE8QNhqG104XbHIKvwDOz-/s1600/What+the+CEO.jpg" /></a></div>
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Where this book, and thus, this philosophy, goes is far away
from the “forces of nature,” “fate,” karma,” and “spiritual forces” thing of
which I see way too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I like to
call “the discipline of getting things done” is just that – a focus on
discipline, accountability, metrics, and success versus failure, all aimed at
getting what needs to be done, done. You don’t see that with the standard
self-help fare. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That very discipline is
one of the two main things that separate the successful from the unsuccessful.
The other is decision-making. Timing runs a close third. Look for future
thoughts on those two factors from me.
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As I intimated in <a href="http://tonygates44.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-price-of-words.html" target="_blank">“The Price of Words,”</a> it’s not what you
say, much less hope or wish for, it’s what you DO that counts. Let’s get away
from spending and wasting valuable resources on someone else to get you up,
motivated, at it, and successful… The only person to do that is YOU!</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Tony<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-60881880299259151992013-04-13T16:00:00.001-07:002013-04-13T20:47:19.302-07:00Drive-By Friending, and other Facebook Crimes and Misdemeanors<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><br />
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</style> <![endif]-->Social systems have structure. They all do. From the golf course, to the race track, to the dinner table, to all manner of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>things where people interact, structure, both written and unwritten must exist for things to move along and progress to be made. This is actually true for things in nature as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWg1HbNXkcImSYW1fIpwQXfIbYNRzPOuRrK7EC8byjchCOytx98dk2z9EQvoaVTp0CYRBfc_34917O1kiCeEeC7jTUf1NZu3yu-vBUGtujuoUgwJ0r-FYyTtR14yKW8AGq17Xz3MlvpiB/s1600/Cars+at+an+intersection.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWg1HbNXkcImSYW1fIpwQXfIbYNRzPOuRrK7EC8byjchCOytx98dk2z9EQvoaVTp0CYRBfc_34917O1kiCeEeC7jTUf1NZu3yu-vBUGtujuoUgwJ0r-FYyTtR14yKW8AGq17Xz3MlvpiB/s1600/Cars+at+an+intersection.bmp" /></a></div>
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As is true in the offline world, so, too, is this true in the online, virtual world. We even have derisive names for those unfortunates who break these rules. Spammers, trolls, and noobs immediately come to mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has really made itself seen in the world of social media. While there are several different social media platforms on which to look at and observe this social structure, I want to focus on Facebook. Facebook, almost ubiquitous with now over a billion users, is the logical choice.<br />
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There are several rules, again, written (as in Facebook’s Terms of Service and the now-infamous “Big 5” for Business Pages: 1. no images that are more than 20% text; 2. no purchase information, such as “40% off, or “download it on…”; 3. no contact information like a website address, email, mailing address, or information that should go in the Page’s “About” section; 4. no references to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share” or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features; or, 5. no calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends”), but even more intriguing and interesting, the unwritten, “everybody should just know” types of guidelines. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note though, if you’re a business and you have someone managing your<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Business Page and it has any of these “no-no’s,” get someone else in there, FAST, before Facebook shuts down your page. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re a social media “pro” and are doing this stuff to your clients, first, you’re really no “pro” in the first place, and, secondly, imagine how THEY’LL react when Facebook takes action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yep… it won’t be pretty!<br />
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I’ll use that as a jumping off point to point out some other “high crimes and misdemeanors” I see way too often while traveling the highways and byways of Facebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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One of the things that I actually consider rude is “drive-by friending.” Those who have heard me speak on social media and Facebook know what I mean here. Drive-by friending (I predict “friending,” and its antonym, “unfriending,” will be designated as verbs in Webster’s Dictionary before the end of 2014, mark my words.) is the phenomenon where someone you don’t otherwise know sends you a friend request with absolutely no accompanying information. No PM (personal message) explaining why, or context for the request. Even now, most people at least call first before dropping by your house. Why not the same with your Facebook home? (I’ll use the “Facebook as home” metaphor several times in this post, so be ready.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to friend someone on Facebook (Twitter, and the other platforms where connecting doesn’t use the request-approve methodology Facebook, LinkedIn, and some others have, are exempt from this “rule.”), send them a message, most often in the form of a PM, but is also allowable in a comment thread (as long as it doesn’t violate the “hijacking” offense I’ll address next), in person at an event you’re both attending, or by some other venue. You get the drift. Something along the line of “I’m growing my network and I see we have some friends in common. Would you like to connect?”, or; “We met at the party at Paul’s house and would like to connect with you here;” or “I see that we both RSVP’d to the Young Sacramento Mixer. May we connect here?” You get the idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcPL7g47Ut5bAg9tERhlGfaDWOo4h6TFeaJ1nxJZDUqkbagpLKViDB1PT4htHzEPxFYdFwcDiaOD4WvtVNaKIyffstRAtha2fl7YDtAUFFnlop_jnkAVbAv6r8npPJbRRUELCPbPAbuvh/s1600/facebook_friend_request1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcPL7g47Ut5bAg9tERhlGfaDWOo4h6TFeaJ1nxJZDUqkbagpLKViDB1PT4htHzEPxFYdFwcDiaOD4WvtVNaKIyffstRAtha2fl7YDtAUFFnlop_jnkAVbAv6r8npPJbRRUELCPbPAbuvh/s1600/facebook_friend_request1.jpg" /></a></div>
Have you ever commented on a post from a Facebook friend, say about a new puppy they’ve brought into the family?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The subsequent posts then congratulate the friend, tell them how cute the puppy is, asks the name... you know, things that are RELEVANT to the original post. Now, imagine (you’ve seen this, I’m sure), out of the blue, someone (usually not even a connected to the original poster) comments with “Hey Beth, you need to call me. Cousin Heather’s going to Las Vegas, and we want to get as many of us as we can together to go with her.” Beth answers (still on the new puppy thread), “Las Vegas? Really? Okay. I’ll be at your house tomorrow, we can talk about it over a glass of wine.” The response, “That sounds good. I just got my carpet cleaned, so we’ll have to be careful.” THAT, ladies and gentlemen is called “hijacking a thread.” In a word: don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
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While these “sins” I’m addressing may seem “official,” some are no more than my personal preferences and pet peeves. But, you have to admit, these deeds of wrongdoing are universally frustrating, no?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5EhZsc6D4cIXN_k7TCCqmq5mzuWBR3deyHIX79UHjYZWvulMdCA0Xsfp3ew7ezBu5ms6BfEwFNtKO0tzfngVK_pttPjUM97gUevwxug6LJPbrEvJ9adLuIu8ocZre0xCcANT44y7YOT5/s1600/facebook-poke-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5EhZsc6D4cIXN_k7TCCqmq5mzuWBR3deyHIX79UHjYZWvulMdCA0Xsfp3ew7ezBu5ms6BfEwFNtKO0tzfngVK_pttPjUM97gUevwxug6LJPbrEvJ9adLuIu8ocZre0xCcANT44y7YOT5/s320/facebook-poke-1.png" width="148" /></a></div>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">On that particular list is the Facebook
phenomenon of poking. Facebook intended it to be a way to quickly, easily let
someone know you’re thinking of them, I imagine. Here’s the thing…isn’t the
BEST way to let someone know you’re thinking of them to just go to their wall
and post that you’re thinking of them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>What ends up happening is, you poke me, I poke you… You poke me, I poke you back. An endless game of poke ensues and stunts more conventional, more adult communication. I don’t poke, but you can imagine with 5,000 Facebook friends how often I get poked by various ad sundry people. My typical response was to go onto the “poker’s” profile, look for the music they like, then post a YouTube music video in that genre. I’d let them know I got their poke and that this was my poke back. I’d then go and delete their poke notification. Poking (the Facebook kind) is infantile and juvenile. If you do it, please stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Spamming is one of those things that pretty much everyone knows is offensive, wrong, and just really, really tacky and pedestrian. There’s not much more to mention in respect to that EXCEPT that there are the “innocent” spammers out there. Unfortunately, some are really savvy and know exactly what they’re doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are the people who, without your knowledge and permission, post an event THEY’RE doing onto your wall. They promote themselves or something they want people outside of their current friends list to know about - they may not think it’s spam, but it is. Anything posted on your wall meant to advertise, promote, or sell something with which you, yourself are not involved, is spam. Period. People with large friends lists tend to get targeted with this sort of spam way too often. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89TzbAD2AQafmRbBL-tihBBd4LiMDSQgSl0VhgxeJcRtj0Jn5beD89nJAlL5gNcV6Cw-G6-e-u1W-AgQymf_wzj1_kJ9OQ0Y5P0fPqKu3CLQOjYBP2oEKK1QfosuIh4yhyphenhyphen-QUTm9KClKU/s1600/Two-Free-Southwest-Airlines-Tickets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89TzbAD2AQafmRbBL-tihBBd4LiMDSQgSl0VhgxeJcRtj0Jn5beD89nJAlL5gNcV6Cw-G6-e-u1W-AgQymf_wzj1_kJ9OQ0Y5P0fPqKu3CLQOjYBP2oEKK1QfosuIh4yhyphenhyphen-QUTm9KClKU/s320/Two-Free-Southwest-Airlines-Tickets.jpg" width="320" /></a>There are no free lunches. That’s true in life, and especially true on Facebook. If you see a link on your wall and offers of free Southwest Airline tickets, iPads, or anything else, please do NOT click on it. If you see a link (from a friend, just as with the free stuff offer), and it mentions an embarrassing video of you or a view of Osama Bin Laden’s body, or some young sweetie exposed, please do NOT click on the link. I would go so far as to say, if there’s ANY link on your wall posted by a friend without any explanation, don’t click on it until you’ve had a discussion with that friend and he/she confirms that it’s benign. What happens when you click on the link, is that it activates a virus that instantly sends the same offer to your ENTIRE friends list. The more malicious forms actually phish info, gets passwords and locks you and your friends out of their accounts and sends their personal information to a third party where even MORE damage is done.</div>
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You are, no matter what your privacy settings are, a public persona when you are partaking in the sweet nectar Facebook has become. There are advantages and disadvantages of that. Whatever they are, there is absolutely no reason to “inside statement” everyone. It’s akin to saying something out loud that is obviously an inside joke. Posting “Whew, that was close” and nothing else, with no explanation, then rebuffing the obvious, concerned questions, with “I can’t tell you yet” is plain rude! Please don’t do it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwzBCUQq8DGSxKNP2eUeZtDp-4WmGZZpSEL9eGX8LK_CYGtQlHSwoSHcR6oKzBKFV96otP6yoMTYjGXubjV6ZQBYJbrR0mAi26DD6uQvKuESaQpfWFGfizgGTRn9Nfd9cj7uQc7DxmFh_/s1600/facebook+break.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwzBCUQq8DGSxKNP2eUeZtDp-4WmGZZpSEL9eGX8LK_CYGtQlHSwoSHcR6oKzBKFV96otP6yoMTYjGXubjV6ZQBYJbrR0mAi26DD6uQvKuESaQpfWFGfizgGTRn9Nfd9cj7uQc7DxmFh_/s320/facebook+break.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Speaking of attention-seeking behaviors, if you’re going to take a break from Facebook for a while, for whatever reason, please do, but there is absolutely no need to make a big, public announcement. That you’re not commenting or posting is notice enough. Those who know you and who are close to you can, and will, call, email, or text you if they’re concerned. Otherwise, it really just looks like a plea for attention and the joy that comes from a myriad of people telling you to please don’t leave. Honestly? Those people are just being polite. People who feel the need to wish Facebook goodnight, are you listening?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just get thee to bed, We’ll “see” you in the morning.<br />
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Having “post-gasms” (the act of posting multiple things is a very short period of time) usually results in people just ignoring you, “Boy Who Cried Wolf”-style.” Limit the number of consecutive posts to two or three in an hour. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it’s a special kind of event (Superbowl, Grammys, Oscars, Emmys, etc), and you’re doing a play-by-play, please go for it. You’re providing value, something that’s always encouraged in social media. (Leave out the “Twitters-speak,” though.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, it just becomes “white noise” to be ignored. </div>
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As for “Twitter-speak,” that is, symbols and combinations such as RT, @tonygates44, and other signs and symbols that are from obvious tweets, when you’re on Facebook, speak Facebook. Hashtags are slowly making their way to Facebook, which, personally, I love. This is not Google +, however, were the great majority of users are social media adept. This is Facebook (over 1 billion users, remember?), the social media platform for “everyman and everywoman.” Treat it as such. If you ARE going to use hashtags, follow Twitter etiquette and keep them to three or less per post. My prediction? The hashtags for Facebook trend will fade. </div>
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If you’re on Facebook as a business, then be on Facebook as a business and get a Business Page. Businesses masquerading as “people” isn’t right, and allows the offending business to intrude on people and their lives without permission. Would you actually wish a business happy birthday? C’mon!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would you feel if Coca Cola tried to friend you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This also skirts Facebook’s TOS (Terms of Service).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Another thing done that skirts the Facebook TOS (and is against the law in California) is the fake profile. If you have a profile where you purport to be someone you aren’t, you can be arrested and jailed (in good ol’ Cali), or just banned from Facebook. I’m kinda like that with multiple profiles. I know people with “alter egos” or alternate profiles that keep their lives/friends/content/family segmented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My suggestion is to just create lists that segment these entities and post within that list. Facebook will catch this as well, especially if your alter-ego is named something obvious like “Sports Junkie” or "Ben Dover."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span><br />
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I could go on, but at the risk of being sanctimonious (this post is twice as long as my typical post - a sure indicator of sanctimony), I’ll stop here. There are others, but we can save those for future posts. </div>
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Facebook is an amazing tool. But it is just that – a tool. We should use it (within the official and unofficial social guidelines and mores set forth) and not let it use us. As good and useful as it is, it is just as important to get out there and “shake hands and kiss babies.”</div>
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That’s the point! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-9960427097750353882013-04-05T22:45:00.000-07:002013-04-05T22:45:51.538-07:00The Price of WordsMissouri. The “Show Me State.”<br />
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Words. Better, it’s a nice, catchy state slogan like the 49 other (at least mostly) catchy state slogans. That was until I met my first “real” (meaning non-military) boss, Kevin Fowler. Even better was that Kevin Fowler is from this very same “Show Me State.” Who better, then, to actually push, cajole, kick, reward, and, really, lead me to the belief that is this state slogan as well? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjDHbSu_mxaawvEz2rj9cdpiy3yYPL1q5dvxa4_c9yif4HBaZ05bsZWfCU_bpDS2NpzP9p6_OnWotchh95eYL2ux82l0mWPe90qwHl70uRINa3VqqqEIYoo8thK-Leiaw8llnOCU345n_/s1600/Kevin+Fowler.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjDHbSu_mxaawvEz2rj9cdpiy3yYPL1q5dvxa4_c9yif4HBaZ05bsZWfCU_bpDS2NpzP9p6_OnWotchh95eYL2ux82l0mWPe90qwHl70uRINa3VqqqEIYoo8thK-Leiaw8llnOCU345n_/s320/Kevin+Fowler.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>(Kevin Fowler)</i><br />
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Pfizer was my very first “real” (civilian) job after spending 11 years in the Army as an artillery officer. Oh I was hot stuff - a West Point graduate, commanded troops, worked with nuclear weapons, responsible for the actual and literal lives of every man and woman in the units under my command… I was IT! I was trained by the world’s best leaders, at the world’s foremost leadership institution. I have classmates and close friends in a graduating class that has more than its share of General officers… I also served as a young officer under a bevy of leaders, some better than others, but that’s what I did. I led. I was a leader, I got things done.<br />
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Or so I thought. Kevin was my District Manager when I was a pharmaceutical sales representative for the largest drug maker on the planet. I would, thanks to Kevin and his boss, Regional Manager Duane Putnam, learn what leadership was and would use those very lessons and techniques when I was eventually promoted to District Manager. I went in thinking that these “mere civilians” (although Duane was a former naval officer) could teach me nothing more about leading people. Boy, was I wrong! Kevin (with lots of help from Duane) LED me out of my shaky Pfizer start by demanding I stop doing something that actually worked to get me through a pretty good Army career... He made me get past my tendency to “talk a good game.” I was good at it too… I would readily and easily tell people that I had everything under control, that everything would be okay, that I was on a path to success… to “watch my smoke” when I was assigned a task or had to give a status update. I let my words speak for me. <br />
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Kevin would frequently, and to great effect, call my bluff EVERY time. I came to almost (aw, who am I kidding… I really disliked him and dreaded our field rides together) regard him as “the enemy” and treated him as such. I’m certain that he didn’t relish his time with me either, but he stuck with it, and me, as any good leader would. I like to think it was because he saw something in me. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ucbxsIM1UcwqLz_3CvFl2xs2Wavd8KjUqxNv_Zw91x_Ef8MQhpn1yR0JJnloqrsGJUlklCbxbJnQr5Sxms1JlJC-vM6qnc4S5eTPF_qPw1iPArXF5czAjpdWcTJUbJb6_4MzrO_e_Czq/s1600/Pratt+Chicago+South.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ucbxsIM1UcwqLz_3CvFl2xs2Wavd8KjUqxNv_Zw91x_Ef8MQhpn1yR0JJnloqrsGJUlklCbxbJnQr5Sxms1JlJC-vM6qnc4S5eTPF_qPw1iPArXF5czAjpdWcTJUbJb6_4MzrO_e_Czq/s320/Pratt+Chicago+South.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>(My Pfizer, Chicago South District)</i><br />
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I saw that his making me show him, not tell him was having a positive, a really amazing result on my sales performance. I started to really enjoy calling on my physicians and providers and actually making a difference in their patients' lives thanks to the accurate, well-presented clinical information I was giving them. They WANTED to see me… They, and their staffs LOOKED FORWARD to seeing me. I was getting beyond the surface, beyond the superficial, and helping. I ended up winning a multitude of sales awards, including the Representative of the Year Award for two of the four years I was a sales rep. I attribute my success to Kevin and will be eternally thankful to him. We are great friends still (this all happened in the 1992 – 1996 time-frame). <br />
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What’s more, is that as a part of the Pfizer expansion, Kevin left to St Louis (we were in the Chicago South District at the time) to manage a newly-created District, and promoted ME to come be his Institutional Sales Rep – a promoted position to help him!! Further, after a stint at Pfizer Training (a promotion I got because of Kevin’s fierce advocacy), the Regional Manager who promoted me to the coveted District Manager position was, yes, Duane Putnam! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ob9cpHaanF1wirgjkIAUZfxRA7ihDhiIAwkBnZ4qwKzQbBIlfv5yTCEALOX6k3NqDNucxlI43aLatW3FTSZBm8ZAvv95Y_0YV9kl8Xwt9hhas9LTILA146Blfl-EpJIiqFyYDPi6cH_v/s1600/MW+Region+Managers.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ob9cpHaanF1wirgjkIAUZfxRA7ihDhiIAwkBnZ4qwKzQbBIlfv5yTCEALOX6k3NqDNucxlI43aLatW3FTSZBm8ZAvv95Y_0YV9kl8Xwt9hhas9LTILA146Blfl-EpJIiqFyYDPi6cH_v/s320/MW+Region+Managers.jpg" /></a><br />
(<i>Me with fellow District Managers JoAnn Yeksigian, Rodney Stewart, and Regional Manager Duane Putnam)</i> <br />
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I don’t want to discount the hard work, effort, great teammates and counterparts that made me successful at Pfizer, but that effort NEVER included my telling anyone to “watch my smoke.” I let my actions speak for me.<br />
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“Good things come in small packages,” “I’m going to do a great job for you,” “I’ve done this before, trust me,” “I’m an expert in my field,” “I’ll get it done on time,” “I love my family,” “I take care of my kids,” “I’m not a racist,” “I won’t let it happen again,” “You’re special to me,” “I’m a great leader,” and “I love you.” are ubiquitous. I’ve heard them all before, as, I’m sure you have. My answer: “Don’t tell me, show me.” I’ve also been known to say: “Don’t tell me about the labor, show me the baby.”<br />
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Kevin, a kidney transplant recipient, now works with Transplant Experience, a program that helps transplant patients get the most out of each day, and helps them get ready for what’s ahead. Their website is http://www.transplantexperience.com. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznqRyA0FRs0Fzoy4vGU-WGZAOj4ZypBeNlMLRqtJ9H_1WO7pQ4Xz5BdHLGX5w3JdPbRmianyhiLPtnB40nXolmCk15JRNnmUk_qKvYHvkYr6L5FwjcDS9N9uUuEO0J8rZIXLD8bbUgI_v/s1600/Transplant+Experience.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznqRyA0FRs0Fzoy4vGU-WGZAOj4ZypBeNlMLRqtJ9H_1WO7pQ4Xz5BdHLGX5w3JdPbRmianyhiLPtnB40nXolmCk15JRNnmUk_qKvYHvkYr6L5FwjcDS9N9uUuEO0J8rZIXLD8bbUgI_v/s320/Transplant+Experience.png" /></a><br />
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On a Google + post about social media “experts,” and some ways to make sure they actually know what they’re talking about, a gentleman who I don’t really know, but now plan to find out a LOT about (I just got an alert saying he just added me), <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/108814740443144160153/about">Tim Southernwood</a>, had a great statement that really struck me. That he made it the same day I knew I was writing this, was poetic serendipity. Tim wrote: “Generally speaking, most experts don’t have to proclaim their expertise. It’s evident.” Kevin would approve and agree.<br />
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Words don’t cost much at all, making them worth very little. Actions, however, are gold.<br />
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That’s the point!<br />
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- Tony <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-33434409146334116642013-03-29T16:36:00.001-07:002013-03-30T11:19:00.403-07:00Rearranging the Sweater ShelfWell, it’s that time again. You’re hearing everyone talk about spring cleaning. “I need to do this,” “I need to do that” statements abound.<br />
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For me, the heralding of springtime typically means two things: clean out the garage, and clean out, refold, and rearrange the shelf of sweaters in my closet. I live in Northern California below the snow line. That means that it gets chilly in the winter, with a number of days at or below freezing, but no snow. My need for sweaters is definitely not what it was in frequently-below-zero Omaha, Nebraska, my home before moving to the Sacramento area. <br />
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My sweater shelf is just above the area where my suits hang. Those who know me know that I’m a lover of suits, and you’ll seldom on a workday see me without one on. It’s all about dressing your brand. (Hey, a topic for a future post!) On that shelf are several sweaters, thick and thin, mostly blacks and whites with a few beiges and grays mixed in. On the rightmost section on the shelf, I have folded the few pairs of jeans (and a pair of cargo pants) I own. There are also some “special” t-shirts and polos there - mostly my coveted “Cheer Dad” t-shirt and Pleasant Grove Jr Eagles themed shirts. <br />
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I have a system… My thicker, and thus less-worn sweaters are on the left in the harder-to-reach section (it lines up behind the always-opened closet door requiring me to close it to access them). The more moderately-thick sweaters and long-sleeved turtlenecks, mock turtles, and zip-ups are in the easy-to reach middle section, then the jeans. <br />
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So, there’s a method to the madness. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem1D2jFo1t8sBBEgtSYkSwNPtTYbLPHHrbRr3s9WavpjwlNrH80XT4cqNdeKtyKUJ-ZAgIrT_8fTk53PHqKcMUjLI4wt-3JZg7cLF5nLOK1eJob13hQvdxhXpdU5PpWmR_lZUa6vi0Xuv/s1600/Sweaters+folded+on+a+shelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem1D2jFo1t8sBBEgtSYkSwNPtTYbLPHHrbRr3s9WavpjwlNrH80XT4cqNdeKtyKUJ-ZAgIrT_8fTk53PHqKcMUjLI4wt-3JZg7cLF5nLOK1eJob13hQvdxhXpdU5PpWmR_lZUa6vi0Xuv/s320/Sweaters+folded+on+a+shelf.jpg" /></a><br />
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The purpose of the annual straightening is to get everything back on track and in its rightful place. It’s to throw away the old and make hard decisions on whether or not to keep the things I hadn’t used. The hustle and bustle of daily living, as it does with most things, causes disorder. That disorder begets more disorder, and, before you know it, it’s all a catch-as-catch-can mess. I end up not knowing where particular items are because they get lost in the mess. One other advantage of straightening the shelf: finding sweaters I forgot I had!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHVCYVbcccblqHUCyyBLCQvJTzA79q_5x47qlRtEJmxJWCeCyvyxHwpg8mQh_Lyo1jve3FSs2WduavAXAdoUWuy95RxTVYQAAuTstj_tUgmDKWHnKeirNQhmS3UxOn8-R900bBheNKlZn/s1600/Happy+person.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHVCYVbcccblqHUCyyBLCQvJTzA79q_5x47qlRtEJmxJWCeCyvyxHwpg8mQh_Lyo1jve3FSs2WduavAXAdoUWuy95RxTVYQAAuTstj_tUgmDKWHnKeirNQhmS3UxOn8-R900bBheNKlZn/s320/Happy+person.jpg" /></a><br />
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We can apply this same thought process to life and living. I run into people all the time stuck in a messy, chaos-filled, disorganized shelf of a life. What’s the solution? Clean that shelf! Organize it, put sense and a purpose into it. Know what goes where. Throw or give away the old, things you’re not using, or that don’t fit anymore. You’ll feel better, be happier, and will be able to attack life with a renewed sense of purpose. <br />
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Clean that shelf…<br />
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That’s the point! <br />
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- Tony<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-38786205085633486372010-11-28T23:30:00.000-08:002010-11-30T21:41:08.470-08:00Do Year End Bonuses Motivate?End of year bonuses, particularly during these economic times, are being evaluated closely by businesses large and small. This issue becomes especially sharp with the generally limited-budgeted small business, however. Overall, I would say that, in general, these discretionary bonuses do little, if anything, to motivate employees. They do generate warm feelings and goodwill, but those feelings fade as soon as the money is spent. <br /><br />If the goodwill they generate among employees is your goal, then have at it. Let me recommend, for maximal impact, these disbursements be awarded on the last working day before Thanksgiving. That way the employee can use the money to shop on “Black Friday.” <br /><br />If your purpose is to actually motivate employees, then you need to take a different approach. It will require more effort on your, the small business owner’s, part, but will be well worth the investment. <br /><br />Start planning for these non-discretionary year-end bonuses at the beginning of the year and incorporate the potential to earn them when you discuss performance objectives with your employees. These performance objectives must be based on and support your overall business strategy and be S.M.A.R.T. That is, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. That way, they are truly objective and there will be no room for any subjectivity. You can also add an element that ties a part of it to the earnings and profitability of your business. <br /><br />From there, it will be important to codify this in writing, and review it - and the employee’s progress toward earning it - at each performance review during the year. It is this consistent review that will keep this fresh in your employees’ minds and serve as a key motivator. Do not just “fire and forget,” or mention it early, and not address it again until the year’s end. That gives the program the perception of being capricious and arbitrary – an obvious de-motivator. Once the objectives and KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) are set, do not change them or raise the bar mid-stream. That is most definitely another de-motivator.<br /><br />Once it does come time for the final review and determination of an employee’s receipt of the end-of-year bonus, be fair and have an eye toward the awarding of it. The immediate reaction and subsequent behavior and performance would show that this is truly the way to go for motivating your staff. <br /><br />Learn more about small business and employee coaching and management at http://www.calsmallbiz.com.<br /><br />That's the Point!<br /><br /> - TonyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-62375590095401925742009-11-12T13:29:00.000-08:002009-11-12T14:04:38.047-08:00Developing and Communicating Your VisionIn my last blog entry, I talked about teams performing their best when there’s a vision of success. I mentioned that it is the leader’s job - moral obligation, actually – to concoct and communicate this vision. He/she must then follow up to insure that this vision is internalized and lived by the team. I also said that the ability to do this is a critical discriminator that separates effective from ineffective leaders. This is the second of three blogs and will cover the development and communication of the vision of success. <br /><br />As an aside, I referenced my son’s football team. Please allow me to very proudly announce that they won the Division Championship!! See? They played with a shared, internalized vision of success. (A killer defense helped!) <br /><br />So, how does a leader develop this vision of success? My immediate answer is that it’s done with a lot of help. I received a lot of great feedback and commentary on my last post, and a point was made that the team must be involved in this. I agree wholeheartedly. Buy-in to anything is best achieved when those who must implement it have an active role in the development. This vision must satisfy the goals and objectives of each team member. The goals and vision of the parent organization also come into play. That is best accomplished by finding out what the leader’s superiors’ goals are and making sure the vision marries up with and is supportive to the organization’s objectives. That is the key, critical task…taking the various and sundry entities involved and meshing and melding sometimes conflicting goals, agendas, and objectives, flavoring them with the leaders own “spice,”then boiling them all down into a solid, easily articulated vision for the team.<br /><br />Once done, the next task is communicating this vision. In the age of email, websites, Twitter, etc, that can be a tricky task. In addition to calling the team together (in person, preferably) and reviewing it, the vision must be formalized into the rating and evaluation “system.” I’m a big believer in frequent, documented (written) feedback and communication between leader and team. That feedback must then follow, or track, to quarterly, semiannual, and annual performance reviews. These reviews should and must have an input mechanism for the individual being rated or evaluated. Make that vision a part of this input, regular feedback, and formal reviews. In addition, the leader’s supervisors must be in on and supportive of this process. Individual behaviors that support the vision should be noted, as are behaviors and performance that detract from the vision. <br /><br />I’ll cover acting on these behaviors and performance in the last part of this trilogy, as part of inspiring, training, educating, coaching, and motivating. <br /><br />Again, importantly, it’s the leader’s ability to get his/her team through this process, that will, in large part, determine the success of the team…and the leader. <br /> <br />That’s the point! <br /><br /> - TonyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-41418992510539691902009-10-01T15:28:00.001-07:002009-10-01T15:28:49.101-07:00The Vision of SuccessMy 9 year old son plays on a football team. During one of his football games, I saw the sheer desire, the absolute will to win that his coach had. I also noted that that same will to win had not found its way to my son, nor the rest of the team that fateful Saturday morning. Needless to say, they lost. <br /><br />I've managed and led teams of salespeople over the years in different industries. I’ve also led teams of various sizes during my 11 years in the Army. Each of these teams has been successful. My son’s football team won the league championship last year and, under the same excellent coach I mentioned above, has compiled a 2-1 record so far this season. My sales teams have consistently led in market share attainment and new-product launches in one industry, and have been a company leader in attainment of plan in the other industry. My military teams have also led in the categories that count. Turnover in all my teams has also historically been very low. All of these are markers of success.<br /><br />I would propose to you that there is a commonality in all of these that is a trait of being successful. That commonality is a shared vision of success. Some may argue that this is a bit too simplistic – that it is much more than that. Allow me to disagree and tell you that everything else a team does and doesn’t do to be successful starts with this shared vision. It is this vision that inspires. It is this vision that motivates. It is this vision that permits each individual team member to do whatever it takes (and more). It is this vision, then, that become the rallying cry for the team when it is faced with challenges. It is this vision that buttresses the team to success in overcoming these challenges. <br /><br />It is up to the leader to concoct and then communicate this vision. Once that is done, his/her main job, then, is to inspire, train, educate, coach, and motivate the team so this vision is inculcated, internalized, then implemented by each member. I hear the question frequently, what is leadership? I would submit to you that if the ability to do this well isn’t leadership, it is definitely a discriminator for effective leadership. <br /><br />So, how do you concoct, then communicate this vision of success? How do you go about the leader’s everyday job of training, motivating, educating, and inspiring? How does a leader get his/her team to internalize then implement this vision? I’ll address that in the next edition.<br /><br />After all, that’s the point! <br /><br /> - TonyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321217755167719139.post-24674906695414562452009-09-05T14:28:00.000-07:002009-09-05T15:18:55.091-07:00What's the Point?I've blogged before in lots of forms and in even more forums over my years of being in school, in business, and now, currently. It just wasn't called "blogging." Heck, I didn't even know it was "blogging!" It was just a way to get something out....to get something off my chest...to show...to teach...to motivate...to inspire...to question...to challenge...to be challenged.<br /><br />My most recent foray was as a part of the Nutrisystem weight loss online community, where, after having gained too much weight as a result of fatherhood, not paying attention to my health and fitness, and having high-pressure/low free-time jobs - the usual suspects, I had my first "real" blog experience. I called it "Tony's Rant" and I, at first, detailed my trials, thoughts, and advice as I lost 32 pounds using their food and the program. (I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to lose weight - it works!) After I lost the very unhealthy weight, I noticed that my success, as well as the others who were similarly successful, was based on a very pragmatic, no-nonsense, tough-love mindset. I adopted that mindset in my blogs subsequent to my weight loss. I also took on some "sacred cows," and caused more than a little controversy. It was a place where people came not only to have their virtual butt's chewed on, but to receive a parting inspirational, motivational "shot"...along with my offer to assist in any way I could. It was therapeutic, not only for me, but for those who read it as well (so the readers told me). I received numerous coaching offers and engagements from many of the readers based on what was said and the ensuing feedback. I know now that that therapeutic result can be equated to "value." <br /><br />I intend to do the same here. It is my sincere hope that I can add value to anyone who drops by and takes a read. That value can take several forms. It can make you angry, make you talk, make you care, make you think, and make you act. I would appreciate knowing your thoughts, your feelings and your points of view. As I bring value to you, I will, in turn, get value from you. <br /><br />What's the point? That's the point!<br /><br /> - TonyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09342399732666559265noreply@blogger.com1