Social Media – Page 4 – thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

3 Lessons on Using Social Media for Your Business, Courtesy of Your Local Mechanic

February 2, 2011/7 Comments/in Customer Service, Guest Blogger, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s guest blogger is Tanveer Naseer. You can read about him at the bottom of this post. If you haven’t read his blog yet, you should go read it and subscribe to it by clicking here. Enjoy!

The start of a new year often fosters discussions over what will be the key events to occur over the next 12 months. So far, many pundits are pointing out how 2011 will be the year of mass adoption by businesses of social media platforms as part of their marketing, management, and employee retention efforts. Given the fact that Facebook has surpassed Google as the most visited site on the internet in 2010, as well as the deepening integration of social media platforms into people’s everyday lives, there’s no question that businesses will have to adapt and incorporate social media into their various processes.

Granted, there are many businesses which are already fairly active on the various social media sites. Of course, while some of them have been shining examples of how businesses should use social media, most are still struggling in large part because they haven’t quite understood how they should be using social media to benefit their organization.

So why are some companies able to join in the social media scene and within a short period, reap the benefits while others were better off before they made the jump into these online social spheres? To help answer this question, I’d like to first start off by sharing this example of an interaction between a small business owner and a customer from the ‘real world.’

Join the Revolution! End the Meetings!

December 10, 2010/0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Communications, Guest Blogger, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

As you folks know I occasionally recruit experts to come share their perspectives on this blog. Lately I have a hot button (and it launches a nuke) for meetings (for example, check out this post on the topic). So who better to have share some thoughts on how to fix the issue than Meeting Boy himself? For you twitter fans out there I am sure you will recognize @MeetingBoy and for those who haven’t met him yet, strap yourselves in. If you thought I was edgy wait until you get a taste of Meeting Boy’s perspectives on the topic. Just to give you a taste of his perspective, here’s a sample of his tweets:

– Let’s say “excellence” a few more times. That should solve everything.
– The project is poorly managed. What was your first clue? Four people managing three workers? Let’s start there.
– When I asked you to repeat what I said in your own words, I didn’t mean start presenting the idea as your own.
– This presentation is double-sided, so while it wastes the same amount of time, it wastes half as much paper.
– **High Priority** emails are just like regular emails except the sender has a very high opinion of themselves.

Yes we’re here to bash meetings but it gets better! Not only is Meeting Boy here to share some ideas, he and I are launching a meeting revolution for 2011. It all starts with this Meeting Limitation Act (sorta like the Contract With America or the Patient’s Bill of Rights only better). Meeting Boy and I are co-sponsoring this non-partisan legislation and we’re looking for you to both sign the petition and add amendments to the Meeting Limitation Act by commenting on the post.

So without further ado, I’ll let Meeting Boy kick off the premise behind this landmark legislation and we’ll explain how you can help workers around the world get this bill passed by signing the petition, forwarding it, and adding amendments. Heeeeere’s Meeting Boy!

The Best of thoughtLEADERS 2010: The Greatest Posts You’ve Ever Seen

December 6, 2010/3 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Career, Communications, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Innovation, Leadership, Sales, Social Media, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

2010 is almost over so as usual it’s time for the year in review list of the BEST posts we’ve published in 2010.

We’re now making this an annual event therefore the award needs a name. I proudly introduce you to The Figgies! A tip of my hat to all my McKinsey buddies who used to call me that. Winning a Figgie is indeed prestigious. Here’s how it goes: this list is comprised of our most viewed, most forwarded, quirkiest, most provocative work as judged by you the readers (with a little of our discretion thrown in). We’ve also included a few hidden gems we think deserve another shot in the spotlight. There’s also a kicker bonus post on the list just for good measure (it’s a “wayback” – and speaking of wayback, check out the photo on the trophy… yes… that’s me ’80’s style baby!).

Enjoy. Share. We’ve loved writing them. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading them. I don’t ask a lot of you folks so here’s my one request for a holiday gift – invite all your coworkers, friends, and family to come check out the blog and become readers. The only way we get better is by raising everyone’s game. I would love if you would invite your friends and colleagues to come read our stuff. I’m not asking a lot here. If you found this blog helpful at all this year, here’s your chance to return the favor for all our hard work. Just email them and tell ’em to come take a look.

Thanks for your incredible support in ’10 and best wishes for ’11! We hope to be a part of your future success! A little foreshadowing for 2011 – I’ve signed a book deal with Jossey-Bass and my book on leadership will be hitting stores next fall. This is a REAL book (not one of those self-published vanity press jobbies). I hope you’ll sock away a few bucks and save up to buy a copy. More to come on that soon.

Enough sentimentality. Here’s the best stuff we’ve written all year:

Five Steps to Entrepreneurial Success on the Web

September 15, 2010/0 Comments/in Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s guest post comes from across the Atlantic. Straight from Denmark I’m delighted to bring you Steffen Hedebrandt, COO of VintageandRare.com.

Do you know the recipe for transforming your passion into a global business?

Here’s a real life start-up story where someone did exactly that.

As newly appointed Chief of Operations at VintageandRare.com (a company focused on vintage and rare musical instruments) I have learned a lifetime of entrepreneurial lessons within a very short period. I have identified five crucial elements that when combined can transform a seed of passion into a growing and sustainable global business.

These five elements are: passion, persistence, people, SEO, and social media.

Passion

My partner Nicolai Schneekloth, the CEO and Founder of VintageandRare.com is a lifelong guitar player, collector and aficionado. He has always been completely captivated by guitars. Their sounds, details and uniqueness fostered and reinforced this enthusiasm which grew into a lifelong passion. This passion impelled him to perform as a solo artist, to become a band member of a national hit band, and a singer-songwriter expressing the grief of the loss of his mother through music.

Today, the same passion has driven him to become the CEO and Founder of long tail company at the tipping point of its full potential. His passion has taken the business there.

What in your life is so captivating that you cannot resist the temptation of getting engaged? What makes you feel energized and stimulated? What makes you get out of bed every day? That is your passion.

It’s Okay to be a Social Networking Clown

March 8, 2010/0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Communications, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

Nothing annoys me more than being told how to do something. It’s okay to have an opinion but to put oneself in a position of authority as an expert and tell others the right and wrong way to do something is a slippery slope. Unless you’re instructing someone on brain surgery, defusing a bomb, or landing a plane, you really have nothing more than opinion.

If you’re at all like me you’re probably sick and tired of people telling you the “right” way and “wrong” way to use blogs, twitter, facebook, LinkedIn, and any other communication tool. Heck, I’ve been guilty of telling you how not to destroy your network by using such tools.

The problem is we forget one major thing – we’re human and we each have individual personalities that are as unique as snowflakes. All these “experts” telling us the “right way” to use these tools squash that individuality and personality. Conformity breeds contentment, boredom, lack of innovation, and general curmudgeonliness.

I’m here to spread a different message today – it’s okay to occasionally act like a clown (and I know clowns can be scary but there’s therapy for that). And if you’re not doing so, you’re really missing out. How dare I say that? Here’s how…

Think about three people you love being around (other than your family). Now why do you like being around them? Likely because they’re interesting. They’re fun. They’re different than everybody else (including you). They make you laugh. They make you think. Sometimes they get you pretty upset. But they’re anything but boring.

The Best of thoughtLEADERS 09: Why Your Team Hates You and Other Gems

December 29, 2009/1 Comment/in Career, Communications, Customer Service, Leadership, Social Media, Strategy, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

I’m an idiot (no comments). I almost forgot to give you this year in review list of the BEST posts we’ve published this year. This list is comprised of our most viewed, most forwarded, quirkiest, most provocative work as judged by you the readers (with a little of our discretion thrown in). We’ve also included a few hidden gems we think deserve another shot in the spotlight. There’s also a kicker bonus post on the list just for good measure (it’s a “wayback” – and speaking of wayback, check out the photo on the trophy… yes… that’s me ’80’s style baby!).

Enjoy. Share. We’ve loved writing them. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading them. Thanks for your incredible support in ’09 and best wishes for ’10! We hope to be a part of your future success!

Enough sentimentality. Here’s the best stuff we’ve written all year:

Most Viewed and Forwarded Post: 10 Reasons Your Team Hates You (They Just Won’t Say It To Your Face). This post was viewed over 20,000 times. In 2 days. Wow. I’m pretty sure I pushed every button I could when I wrote this (insecurity, paranoia, a 10 point list, etc.). Learn the 10 most destructive behaviors you can exhibit as a leader (and learn how to fix them).

Did You Blink? 4 Leadership Trends You Can’t Afford to Miss

November 23, 2009/1 Comment/in Communications, Customer Service, Innovation, Leadership, Sales, Social Media, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

It’s been a crazy year. Bank implosions, wars, Adam Lambert not winning American Idol… craziness I tell you! It has also been a crazy year for leaders. Leading organizations through a turbulent economy has been a Herculean effort.

Fortunately for me, I sit in a position where I can watch leadership trends unfold across the many industries and companies we work with here at thoughtLEADERS. We’re blessed to have the opportunity to train some of the brightest client organizations out there.

This year, we’ve seen four major trends take center stage. If you’ve missed them, you’re missing huge opportunities to improve your organization. As a leader, you need every edge you can get so I encourage you to explore these trends and figure out how you can take advantage of them. So in no particular order, here are trends you can’t miss as a leader:

Lessons from Leonidas the Spartan King: Why Shrinking Your Business is Smart

November 4, 2009/2 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Social Media, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s guest post is written by Brian Ahearn (no, that’s not his picture at left). Brian’s one of the most knowledgeable guys I know on the subject of influencing people (which is why he’s been a guest here before). Enjoy!

I conducted a workshop recently called Principles of Persuasion. During a break, one of the students said she’d had a conversation with her five-year-old son and expressed parental surprise over something he said. She told him she was going to a meeting about leadership at work. He told her they had talked about leadership at school and he knew what a leader was. He said leaders were people who had followers. Simple and to the point, his definition was right on. Out of the mouth of babes!

Let’s look at this leader/follower idea as it applies to the online world. If you’re on Twitter then you follow people and people follow you. In a sense, for those who follow you, you’re a leader. You might be a leader by virtue of your expertise in an area or simply because people find you interesting. But, by definition of our young friend, people have chosen to follow you and therefore you’re a leader.

Are You Slowly Destroying Your Network?

June 22, 2009/13 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

Web 2.0. Social networking. LinkedInPlaxoTwitterbarf. Blogaroni and cheese. Some people would have you believe we’ve entered a new era of business where the rules have fundamentally changed. I’d submit that the rules are the same and the way we’re behaving is self-defeating.

One of the most valuable resources you have as a professional is your network. All the people you meet in your professional and personal life enter that interconnected web of relationships.

But your network is only worth what you put into maintaining it. And many of us are destroying that resource. All this interwebz garbage makes us lazy. It provides an easy out. It enables us to expand our reach beyond our ability to control or maintain meaningful relationships. Admission is the first step to remission – there are two behaviors you need to stop right now.

The Poor Man’s CRM System

March 9, 2009/11 Comments/in Career, Communications, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

There’s nothing more valuable than your network. It leads to sales, new partnerships, friendships, and career opportunities. For your network to be useful, however, you have to actively maintain it.

There are plenty of expensive ways to do so (like buying a CRM system from a vendor who promises to double your sales) as well as manually intensive ways (like keeping stacks of business cards in your wallet so it resembles George Costanza’s on that episode of Seinfeld).

Me? I like traveling light but I have a large network of clients, friends, partners, and contacts to keep up with. If I let my wallet get too fat with business cards, my sciatic nerve gets pinched and I’m laid up in bed for days. Fortunately I’ve found a solution.

For your network to be useful, it has to be current, categorized, and connected (Wow! I’m using alliteration first thing on a Monday morning. My 12th grade English teacher Mrs. Morgan would be proud). Sorry. Enough rambling. On to how you can maintain your network and keep it healthy.

Get Jacked Up on Caribou! 3 Key Networking Tactics

March 2, 2009/11 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

If you’ve read this blog for more than a week, you’ve probably figured out I’m usually jacked up and hyper-caffeinated. As Texas Ranger says in Talladega Nights “I’m all jacked up on Mountain Dew!” While it makes me more productive, it’s also a key to networking success. In my case it’s not Mountain Dew though – it’s coffee so I guess I’d have to say “I’m all jacked up on Caribou!”

People sometimes overcomplicate networking or view it as something mysterious. It’s not. The best kind of networking is simple and personal. I won’t go into the value of networking (aside from pointing out the best business and career opportunities come from having a strong network). Instead, I’m going to elaborate on three simple networking tactics that can help you advance your business or career agenda.

These ideas aren’t new. They’re not revolutionary. I’m going to ask you one question though: when is the last time you did these things? If the answer is “it’s been a while” then get cracking.

“Expert?” Um, I Don’t Think So…

February 2, 2009/21 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Customer Service, Leadership, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

Warning: this post is a bit of a rant (but does have a story and some practical advice). Does it seem like every day there’s a new pile of “experts” cropping up on every subject imaginable? Social media expert. Blogging expert. Communications expert. Strategy expert. Wingdings font expert. It’s enough to make me gag. Sorry but having a bunch of twitter followers or being at the top of the twitter elite for a podunk little town doesn’t make you a “social media expert.”

Even worse than the seemingly-viral proliferation of these “experts” are the egregious rates they expect for their services. Just because you call yourself an “expert” it doesn’t mean you’re entitled to the fee levels “real experts” charge (then again, if you’re the individual hiring an “expert” and paying them ridiculous fees, I can’t save you from your own insipidness).

Lastly, the worst aspect of these “experts” is the damage they can do to your organization. In some cases I’d love to sue some of these folks for malpractice of the trade they proclaim they’re an expert in.

So how can you as a leader of your organization protect yourself from the damage false experts can cause and how can you find the real experts among that mess? How can you ensure the expert isn’t like the false tailor and you end up like an emperor with no clothes?

It all boils down to asking the right questions.

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