Blogging4Jobs

Call it whatever you like, the grapevine, water cooler, gossip, or the rumor mill.  Conversations among co-workers happen.  As human beings, we are social creatures who crave community, engagement, and interaction.  Whether it’s talking shop about the boss, layoff rumors after a less than satisfying quarterly earnings report, or gossip about Susie in Accounting and her supposed office extra-curriculars, conversations among co-workers are a guarantee. Management has battled with gossip and the grapevine since the beginning of time.

Supervisors are quick to lay blame to wildfire rumors, half truths, and innuendos at the office as being detrimental to workplace productivity and under-mining management authority.  However, a recent study by two doctoral candidates at the University of Kentucky sheds some light on the positive power of gossip in the workplace (Harvard Business Review 9/2010).

Some Points to Ponder

• Gossip improves an employee’s social understanding of their environment. This concept is the basis of cultural anthropology and the concept of micro-cultures.  Workplace cultures and understanding these norms are no different. 

• Gossip is natural. According to a recent study by the University of Kentucky, 96% of employees admit to engaging in gossip at work.

• It’s not all negative. Seventy-two percent of gossip was evenly blended both positive.  Only 7% of gossip was largely negative.

• Negative gossip is a symptom of a larger organizational problem. Just like a fever or runny nose alerting a person to an infection, negative gossip is no different.

• Perception is Reality. Prior to the written word, the grapevine was a form of historical storytelling. Sometimes the spoken word is more reliable than the written word in the workplace.   Visit any break room or smoking section as a covert HR operation, and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

Just like social media is about engagement and influence outside of a brand’s scope of control, the workplace grapevine to a manager is no different.  Gossip just like social media is an exchange of information between two or more people typically about a third, absent party.  However, managers view this lack of control and democratic environment as a threat instead of a tool or channel in which to diagnose or influence a situation or scenario.

The Solution

Just as in social media, there is no silver bullet to managing gossip in the workplace or via the internet.  One size does not fit all.

Some Thoughts to Ponder

• Conversations require at least TWO people. Managers must be talking to their teams just as companies should be talking to their customers.  After-all employees are our biggest asset and advocate for our companies and brands.

• Don’t bribe or threaten the community. Just as in branding you must be authentic.  People are smart, cynical, and suspicious.  Have conversations, mean what you say and keep your promises.

• Don’t be afraid of the negative. Hearing feedback that is negative about our style as a manager is hard, but it we fail to listen to our audience (our consumers) we risk feeding the beast.  With the internet, nothing is secure.  Your team is not only gossiping at work but also online on social platforms and forums and not just Facebook.  Glassdoor and Forums on Indeed are common sites where employee go to let off steam squarely with in the public eye and with open access. 

• Survey the troops. You don’t have to be a big brand to survey your employees waiting around for your organization to facilitate an employee engagement survey.  Tools like exit interviews and surveys can be created for free using online tools like Survey Monkey. 

About the University of Kentucky study—With Travis J. Grosser and Virginie Lopez-Kidwell, both doctoral candidates in management, Joe Labianca examined the social interactions in a branch of a U.S. company, surveying 30 of its 40 employees about their social networks in the office, whom they gossiped with and how, and how much informal influence each colleague had.  The more staff much members gossiped, the better their understanding of their social environment and the higher their peers rated their influence.

Photo Credit Mushon.

Thank you to the hard sellers, posers, underqualified, over-enthusiastic, and those that rely solely on their charm and good looks.  Thank you for the bottom of my heart.  You’re lack of dedication and preparation is what has helped me catapult my business.  Your lack of seriousness has allowed me amazing opportunities and a chance to rise above.  Your over-aggressive methods and scare tactics have helped clients determine what they don’t want and taught them to ask the right questions.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Not sure where I’m going with this?

As a job seeker or business person who is in the business of selling yourself or your company, knowledge is a key part of preparing for battle in every situation.  By preparing for an interview or a business meeting, you are putting your best foot forward, collecting your thoughts, and developing your game plan and strategy.  And part of any effective strategy involves research by online channels like a company’s website as well as offline channels and your personal network.  Your personal network can tell you what the company’s about page cannot–local history, company culture, environment, and information about leadership.

In business, there are those that rely solely on their enthusiasm, fancy titles (social media experts), and aggressive behaviors to get their foot in the door.  For some this proves to be an effective method, however, I choose to rely on experience and providing value.  While my sales cycle may be slower, the idea is that my reputation can proceed me while also creating a solid relationship foundation with the long-term future of my business in mind.

While I understand and empathize for people in life situations who are out of work or are trying to establish a business (like myself), I feel little sympathy for persons who do not take the time to research, develop a strategy for battle, or use methods in bad faith.  In these economic times, most people cannot rely strictly on their charm, good looks, or charisma to get the job done.  And if they do, it makes setting myself apart that much easier.

So continue doing what you do.  Sell your snake oil and make promises you can’t keep.  Go for the hard sell and avoid me when I walk into the room.  Because without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Photo Credit Dan Hollings.

One day it happened.  I fell out of love. . . with blogging.

For the past four years, blogging has been a passion, a point of inspiration for me and my business.  But lately blogging has become more of a chore, an action, a requirement, and something that is expected.  Over the last month, I’ve fallen out of love with blogging.

Like folding the laundry, it has become something I avoid, and I’m not alone. . .

Ask any blogger that’s been dedicated to the craft of blogging and you’ll hear about this cycle.  Inspiration, creativity, passion or love is not a constant.  Your level of creativity and commitment ebbs and flows.  About once every 12-18 months, I seem to shift my thinking and sometimes lose some focus around my blog.  Like any commitment or relationship, blogging takes a level of dedication and persistence.  It’s not for the faint of heart.

• Set low expectations. I mean manageable expectations.  Don’t over commit.  Creativity can’t be scheduled and neither should your blog.

• Write what’s easy. Historically, for me a blog post doesn’t take more than 15 minutes because I write about what I know and what I’m passionate about.

• Target your business. (or your personal brand).  The topics I blog about are tailored to my blog audience and prospective clients.  Sometimes I completely bomb on a post and other times I hit a home run.  The point is that I learn from my mistakes and successes driving me to do and be better in business.

• Visual matters. Half the fun in writing a blog post is searching and finding a fantastic photo to go along with it.  Use graphics, photos, and titles that draw the eye in.

• SEO sometimes matters. Everyone talks about links and making your blog search engine optimized.  It really depends on your audience and for whom the blog post is intended.  It only takes one view a blog post to sometimes close the deal.  While I recommend link backs and hyperlinking, it’s not the be all end all solution.

Find your inspiration point or place and bring your intentions and passion with your blog back into focus.  For me, I took a technology time out over the weekend and spent some time writing out my personal and professional goals related to Blogging4Jobs and blogging in general. Having an idea and goal in mind helps me to remember what’s important and stay centered with my goals in mind.  You can too.

As someone who’s been a blogger for four years, I can talk about the amazing benefits personally and professionally.  Blogging is a great way to go beyond 140 characters and share with your readers more about you.  And after being part of the Gotta Love Chevy OK Program, I realized I wanted to bring awareness to this powerful group of people (thousands of us) who live all across the state of Oklahoma.

And after talking with other Oklahoma bloggers who I admire, I thought it would be a great to coordinate a week in Oklahoma to recognize the bloggers from all over the state.  This week will be to network with other bloggers and share best practices and lessons learned along the way.  More information about when and how the week is coming soon.  And if you’d like to be the first to learn about the big announcement and who I am partnering with, please complete the information form (below).  And if you prefer, you are welcome to email me at blogging4jobs@gmail.com.  Please include your first name and last name, your email, and blog or website address.

I will add your name to the distribution list to receive updates BEFORE the announcement hits the internet.

Photo Credit DailyNugget.

You may remember that I had the opportunity to test drive a Chevy Malibu for 4 weeks as part of the Gotta Love Chevy OK Program.  It’s been an amazing experience and sadly late last week I had to say goodbye to the Chevy Malibu.

I enjoyed the experience and was more than satisfied with the Malibu and the way it drove.  It felt comfortable and worked well especially since I am always on the go as a mother and entrepreneur.  And last Wednesday I returned the car I was not able to record a video because of a nasty allergy attack that resulted in me loosing my voice.  While I’m happy to say I am fully functional and able to actually have real live conversation, I did decide to share with you my iTunes playlist, Life with Malibu.

One of the great features about the Malibu was the USB port built into the stereo.  I could easily charge of iPhone as well as play songs and playlists directly from my music listing.  In fact, Greg and I were able to charge both our iPhones at the same time–one with the USB outlet and the other with the cigarette outlet which worked great for us.

Goodbye Malibu. . . It’s been real.

Photo Credit Flickr.

Four and a half years ago, I was new in town looking for a job and opportunities to network and build experience.  A phone call inquiring about volunteer opportunities led me to HeartLine.  HeartLine is an non-profit that services the entire state of Oklahoma doing a lot of different and valuable services including suicide prevention and awareness training, 211, and their 1-800 CareLine.

• HeartLine’s 2-1-1 service provides Central Oklahomans 24/7 access to information on any type of health or human service, and this easy-to-remember telephone number is the best first place to call to get help, or give help.

• HeartLine’s CareLine Call Specialists are available 24-hours a day, every day of the year, offering compassionate listening, crisis intervention and suicide prevention. 848-2273 (CARE)serves Central Oklahoma.

• HeartLine’s Suicide Awareness and Prevention Programs target two separate populations – one that serves youth and one that helps the elderly:

• HeartLine’s Problem Gambling Helpline is the result of a partnership with the Oklahoma Association for Problem & Compulsive Gambling.  The 1-800-522-4700 Problem Gambling Helpline provides problem gamblers and family of problem gamblers throughout the state of Oklahoma information about treatment and hope for overcoming their addiction.

Every year HeartLine’s fundraising event is the Festival of Hope Gala, and this year’s event is Friday, August 13, 2010, at the Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum in Oklahoma City, OK.  In addition to recognizing some amazing folks including Tom & Lisa Price, Santa’s Cause, and Larry Hawkins, they host an annual silent and live auction to benefit their organization.  This year is special for me because I am the Auction Chair.  We have a number of amazing trips, weekend get-a-ways, and auction items that will appeal to each and every attendee.  One in particular that I am very excited about is a Hermes Birkin Bag and Wallet combination valued at more than $10,000.  It is the single largest auction donation item in the history of HeartLine and was donated by a very special friend of mine, Ties to Tattoos™ author, Sherri Elliott-Yeary.  (Thanks, Sherri!)

The Birkin will be part of the live auction and you are certainly invited to get in on the Birkin bidding auction.  Tickets to the Festival of Hope are still available on HeartLine’s website for $125 a person or $1,000 a table.  Feel free to give me a call (405.912.4885) directly or email (blogging4jobs@gmail.com) if you have any questions about the event.  Xceptional HR is sponsoring our own table as well as live tweeting and streaming the event.  Be sure to follow the Twitter hash tag, #hope as well as @HeartLine for real time insights and information into the Festival of Hope.

Hope to see you there.

Whether you are an Human Resource professional or business person, the game of life and business is ongoing.  Environments change, rules evolve, and business expands and progresses.  To stay on top of your game as a professional and leader in your industry and organization, you must always be pushing yourself to do and be better.

Being successful in business is more than business tools like income statements, P&L’s, and the process of SWOT analysis.  Even more importantly, providing value and continued benefit to your employees, team members, and yourself through professional development can be an effective tool in retaining top talent in tough economic times through training, education, and information.  Project Management is one of those essential business tools that all professionals can use every day.  PM is very rewarding and useful tool that can be leveraged in a variety of business as well as human resource situations.

Earlier this year, you might remember I wrote about the Cat Herding/HR Connection.  I snagged some awesome “I Herd Cat Pins” for me and some of my HR Evolution (un)conference friends.  The Persimmon Group, the creative geniuses behind the Cat Herding Pins offer a fantastic Project Management Training Class in addition to their consulting services.

The Persimmon Group and I have teamed up to offer some Project Management classes in the Oklahoma City Metro Area.  While I will not be teaching the classes (I am sadly not qualified), I am more than willing to write and talk about their upcoming training class called, “Surviving Project Management.”  It is a three day intensive and hands on class that provide participants with the foundations of project management.

Details. . . .

• August 22-25 in Oklahoma City, OK from 8:30-4:30 daily

• Meals and snacks included

• Course Materials, CD-ROM, and handouts provided

• Class is approved for 21 PDU Certification Credits

• Limited to 20 just participants

Registration for this three day intensive Project Management training is $995.  You can download information either HERE or below to learn more or contact 918.592.4121 to register or for more questions.   This class is available and open to all Blogging4Jobs readers.  Developing and improving your skills set is important to stay competitive and at the top of your professional game.  The Persimmon Group’s Surviving Project Management class can help.

Surviving Project Management

FTC Disclosure: I received compensation for mentioning the product listed above as part of one of the services I offer my clients. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Social Media case studies abound have hit the social media interwebs this week.  Three very powerful and different cases have reared their heads.  It is very important to conduct a SWOT analysis to analyze the environment in everything we do.  As the grey area between professional and personal continues to lessen, what we say offline is impacting every fiber of our lives more and more every day.

As someone who is blogging for Chevy, as part of the Gotta Love Chevy OK Blogging program, I am considering these things every day.  A well executed, communicated, and strategic plan like Chevy’s can go along way.

That’s where a SWOT Analysis comes in.  SWOT is a planning method and acronym that to evaluate the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats involved in projects and decisions both personal and professional. By taking a few minuets to step back and scan the environment and evaluate the impact of a decision on our surroundings, we strive to make a better and more strategic decision.

The beauty about SWOT is that simply an organized way clear your head and evaluate a decision, environment, and process. that can take a little or as long as you like.  And because social media is instant and continuous, a SWOT Analysis can be an extremely valuable, versatile, and effective use of 2 minutes or 2 days of your time.

CASE ONE–Double Shot, Tulsa, OK.

@thedoubleshot.  On Monday, a single, solitary tweet led to a social media firestorm for a Tulsa, Oklahoma coffee shop.  Mothers and supporters of breast feeding in minutes all over the globe tweeted quickly and fiercely after the following was posted from @thedoubleshot’s twitter feed, “Notice: No breastfeeding at the DoubleShot. Thank you.”

Mothers, bloggers, local news media, and websites including the Consumerist picked up the story.  Brian Franklin, the owner of Double Shot has since deleted his original tweet and posted a retraction, yet the damage is done.  Coincidentally, this week is World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1-7th).

CASE TWO–#ILSHRM10

Using hash tags and live tweeting from conferences are a great way to virally spread the word increasing your online presence.  The Illinois Society for Human Resource Management felt so strongly about their views on using social media as a form of communication and promotion, that they brought in a team of bloggers to attend the Illinois State HR Conference but when tweets began flying during a HR session on social media, many felt that those microblogging and blogging were being extremely harsh, rude, and over critical.

Mike Vandervort, of the Human Race Horses and one of the Il SHRM conference bloggers weighed in.  “The organization sponsoring a social media squad takes some risk, including the possibility of generating controversy from time to time. The members of the social media team have a purpose, which primarily is the education of conference attendees and the external audience of titter followers and blog readers,” said Mike.

CASE THREE–#tacotuesday. Okahoma City, OK.

Another hash tag controversy.  Late last week, Chef Ryan Parrott, co-owner of the Oklahoma City restaurant, the Iguana Mexican Grill received a cease and desist order from Taco John’s demanding the local restaurant no longer use the hash tag #tacotuesday to promote their $1.00 tacos.  Taco John’s choose to respond via Twitter sending the local social media community (including myself) into action.  In just under 24 hours, 1,100 tweets, a Facebook Fan Page, a Twitter petition, newspaper and television media, and two spoof Twitter accounts have been created (@tacojohnz and @tacojohnspr).

The 452 location restaurant chain, Taco John’s is claiming infringement and violation of copyright.  Instead of quietly settling, the letter has set off a social media firestorm with hundreds of supporters arriving to celebrate Taco Tuesday at the Iguana Mexican Grill this week.  The Iguana has used #tacotuesday hash tag since July 2009 with great success.

The good news is that we can learn from situations and case studies such as this.  When it comes to social media and real time engagement, I recommend clients and companies follow three rules:

1. Analyze your audience. Understand your audience, who your messages and actions will impact.  Anticipate actions, possible outcomes and plan your strategy using tools like SWOT Analysis.
2. Evaluate & filter your content. After conducting your preliminary research, determine your content and different methods in which to respond or promote your message.
3. Engage (or not). Reacting quickly and swiftly either retracting a statement or refraining from posting a message can be more powerful.  Each action and reaction depends on a unique set of situations and scenarios that you craft using your best judgment.

FTC Disclosure:  The Gotta Love Chevy Blogger Promotion is being sponsored by the Oklahoma Chevy Team Dealers.  Three women bloggers (including me) have been provided a Chevy Malibu vehicle to test drive for four weeks.  The program includes weekly fun activities or projects for us to complete.  Bloggers  been provided gift cards in which to complete these assignments.

Photo Credit Worship House Media.

Being a mom is hands down the hardest and most rewarding jobs I have ever done.  While I’m only 18 months into my lifelong tour of duty, I feel pretty comfortable about where I’m going.  Put another way, my priorities are on straight, but it’s been a struggle balancing “momminess” with being a wife, friend, and corporate professional.  The art of momminess led me and my family to take a leap of faith working for myself and Xceptional HR full-time as a HR and business consultant.  And according to the Harvard Business Review, I’m not alone.  Nearly 31% of women leave the corporate world off-ramping their careers and voluntarily leaving their corporate jobs an average period of 2.7 years behind.

The traditional role and understanding of women in our culture is shifting.  Women are more than just mommies but respected professionals, driven, educated, and super moms who are changing the face of the workplace and consumer industries.

Super moms and professional women who took a non-traditional career trajectory re-entered the workforce or on-ramped a number of different ways.  Forty percent returned back to the corporate folds while 23% found part time jobs and 7 % (like me) became self-employed.  Even during an economic recession (the survey was completed in 2009) women and their families made the decision to drastically alter their lifestyle choosing flexibility, family, and non-traditional career paths.

And while women are re-entering the workforce after transitioning to a non-traditional career, a larger percentage of women are serving as the family breadwinners or the sole income earner in their households.  The survey  was first conducted by HBR in 2004 and again 2009, found  a 28% increase in professional woman with nonworking husbands.  While we don’t know for sure whether this increase in “house husbands” is directly correlated to the recession and increase in unemployment and job loss, I believe that the female bread winners can also be attributed to the increase of women college graduates since the 1970′s and beyond.

In fact by 2004, Columbia University found that 58% of women were earning bachelor’s degrees compared to 42% of men in the United States.  As the increase in educated women professionals has increased so has their years of experience as they climb the corporate ladder.  And although households are predominantly 2 incomes, studies such as Columbia and HBR are indicating a continued career path shift as the role of women as parents and professionals continues to change in the eyes of the family unit, professional world, and public in general.

What this means for your workforce is that professionals with gaps in employment who are educated are making choices that are non-traditional and different from corporate executive’s point of view.  And different is not necessarily a bad thing.  This pool of non-traditional talent could be a variable gold mind for your future and current workforce needs.  Mommies, daddies, and family care takers are  focusing on family and paving their own career paths without the need or desire to climb the traditional corporate ladder.  For many of us including myself, we are shying away from what’s expected, understood, and predictable opting for the stairs or none at all, instead of the elevator to the corporate office.

As for me, I think I’ll take the stairs.

Photo Credit Jamie Hornbaker (my sister, the super-mom with her little guy, Keaton. She’s a mom of three (11, 6, & 3 mo.) & Public Relations Pro in Kansas.)

Change.  It’s coming.

The concept of change is an underlying theme and focus for the 2010 Global SHRM Conference where I am serving as a member of the SHRM Blog Squad.  Certainly, the simple fact that I am a member of this group of bloggers is reflective of the concept, necessity, and importance of change even for a large and respected organization such as SHRM.  And when I think about the process of change, its meaning, the internal and external struggle, all while considering the necessity of change, I am excited.  I am energized, and I am hopeful.

The Human Resource profession is at a cross-roads.  Issues like  healthcare reform, work/life issues, economic change, and social tools are driving organizations and companies like SHRM as well as your own into a new and different direction.

It is conferences such as these that I feel as though I’m a Change Lepper, embraced and understood by a small percentage of a new movement within the Human Resource professional I call HR 2.0.  As a blogger and social media Human Resources professional I represent HR 2.0 and change, a very big shift in the profession in which I’ve been a member of for over 10 years.

It’s beneficial for the traditional Human Resource population to embrace your leppers of change like me for a variety of reasons.  A change lepper lives on the edge working hard to push the envelope.  You may have a CL at your office.  They are the person that are constantly providing you with creative and innovative suggestions by many that is seen as far fetched.

The question for CL’s is also how to engage and reach the traditional HR audience to help promote our message and educate others on the importance and benefits of  HR 2.0.

Get outside your comfortable zone and try something new.  Push yourself and your organization or someone else will.  Start getting real with change and begin embracing new ideas, new people, and the new and different world in which we live in.  Set aside your excuses, your preconceived notions, and opinions and listen.  Listen to your interns, Generational Y, or even your mother and be open to a new and different perspective.

Be open to possibility, new tools, and information.

Photo Credit Boston Herald.

Sunday’s conference festivities kicked off with an impromptu flash mob dance at SHRM’s Annual Global Conference held in San Diego, California June 27-30th, 2010.  The more than 11,000 attendees, up 4,000 from the 2009 conference heard SHRM CEO, Lon O’Neil (@ShrmCEO) discuss the changing field of Human Resources and business and how SHRM is moving to Next to help move companies into the new workplace and business environment.

We Know Next is SHRM’s new initiative toucing on three key strategies to bring companies, HR, and global human resources into the future:  Focus on Members, Be a Global Organization, and SHRM as Active Advisor and Advocate.

O’Neil says, “Healthcare Reform is most critical issue for business and Human Resources professional.   Face to Face seminars launched in 10 cities to help educate and discuss the issue of healthcare reform.”

Part of the transformational changes that SHRM hopes to bring to its own organization is about giving members what they want and staying ahead of the fast moving and business environment while also focusing on the economy.  Social media was mentioned as a way in which to help make these changes happen.  O’Neil even went on to reference LinkedIn, Facebook, and the conference’s first ever Official SHRM Tweetup the evening of Monday, June 29th.

Steve Forbes took the stage and once again mentioned the topics of healthcare, economy, and added taxes for good measure.  His keynote reminded practitioners these issues are only the beginning of increased government and HR regulation for business.  Forbes outlined his recommendations including ways to strengthen the dollar, the value of work, and a proposed flat tax for all U.S. residents.

The keynote and kickoff session ended as people quickly headed to the Expo hall grabbing food and swag goodies and visiting the more than 600 booths.  Popular give-a-way items by vendors included an assortment of Apple products including iPads, iPhones, and gift cards by vendors from large to small.  Blogger squadders scored items like sombreros, flip flops, and fun winter hats from job board companies including Hot Jobs and Snag-a-Job.  Look for pictures and livestreaming video on Monday from the Beyond.com booth for a special edition of the Job Search Secrets webshow with me, Blogging4Jobs.

Photo Credit Problem Solving Fire.

As a member of the SHRM Blog Squad and an author who writes about the business case for social media and who is also an experienced HR practioner and consultant, I don’t mind talking about why social media matters.  And I’m proud of SHRM for jumping in with two feet into the world of social media.

Picture social media like a giant 18 hole golf course.  You and your some business associates are golfing to benefit a local non-profit.  Aside from your friends on your scramble team, there are millions golfing on this social media golf course at the same time although maybe for different reasons.  And while you tee off, you laugh, joke, and maybe enjoy some adult beverages with your conversation weaving in and out of topics from personal to family, and business with your friends and those around you.

Just like in real life sometimes those conversations and connections with your golfing buddies move and flow with no real purpose or agenda.  What matters from a business standpoint isn’t the business conversations but the personal relationships that are developed that benefit you and your new friends in the long term.

This is social media.

And because this golf course has millions of professionals across industries and across the world, you can get golf tips, business recommendations, and suggestions with just the click of a mouse.  Bloggers, writers, practioners, and professionals are writing and offering their opinion, suggestions, and recommendations trusting you as a member of the social media country club.  And this country club has open access to anyone at anytime with little or no cost or barrier to entry.

Just like golf, social media is not for everyone.  It is however, a recognized game of business where individuals seek to become skilled and comfortable with the different clubs and learn to navigate water hazards and sand traps hoping to improve their game to benefit themselves and their business in the long term.   And just as in golf, what often matters more is not being the best on the course but understanding the strategy, the economics, and the global and local context in which your company or business works while providing your company an advantage at the same time.

Because as an HR professional we seek to help grow and benefit our business with a new and different human capital perspective and if golf course can help you help your organization, isn’t it worth giving the swing of the clubs a chance?

This is social media.

*Get the inside scoop on the SHRM Global Conference happpening June 27-30th by visiting the SHRM 10 Blog Squad’s site. Me and three other blog squad members will be blogging and posting multiple updates throughout the conference.

Photo Credit Hartwigquentinyunn.

Last week I presented to a group of Restaurant Human Resources Professionals as part of the People Report Summer Camp Symposium in Dallas, Texas.  The event was hands down the best conference I have ever presented at or attended.  I led a session titled,  ”Blogging for Dummies.”

Blogging is an interesting topic for Human Resources and Corporate Recruiting Teams.  An amazing corporate blog can help effectively communicate change to your current employee base while also providing potential candidates a look inside your company and corporate culture.  Recruitment and HR blogs should be managed by their respective departments and not marketing.  Marketing should work hand in hand with their talent team and serve as a consultant or advisor.

For the individual, blogging in my opinion is an absolute must to help define and control your personal brand.  Blogs are a great way for companies and clients to learn more about you outside of your professional resume or social profiles like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.  Blogs can be the difference maker for job seekers and are the Resume 2.0.

My talk’s foundation started with what I call the 5 P’s of Blogging.  Although similar, the 5 P’s of Blogging are different from the 5 P’s of Marketing you might remember from your undergrad marketing class.

• Purpose. Your blog as a corporation, collaboration, or person must have a purpose.  Similar to a corporate mission statement, your blog’s goal must be defined and like any marketing or branding tool must be developed to attract and inform a particular segment of your audience or market that you have defined.  Too often, we start a blog without the proper research or understanding of what we want to write about or who we want to engage.  Developing and defining your purpose is by far the most important step.

• Platform. The decision to create a blog starts with the decision to use a blogging platform or service.  I encourage you to play with some of the platforms before you make this decision.  I say this from my own experience.  My first blog, BloggingforJobs was on a free platform called Blogger before I moved it to its own domain and transferred my blog to another platform called WordPress.  A third and very common blog platform is TypePad which my good friend Kay Stout uses.

• Planning. Hands down your first 10 blog posts are the hardest so it is important for you to plan, research, and prepare for these first few articles.  This is an important part of defining your blog’s writing style, your own style, and setting up the structure surrounding how often, who, and when your blog will release its posts.  If you have a collaborative, corporate blog, I encourage you to work with at least 4 bloggers who will commit to writing at least one blog post every two weeks.  Personally, I commit to no less than 8 blog posts a month myself for Blogging4Jobs and have for the past four years.

• People. Second to Purpose, this is the most important step.  People are the social aspect of blogging.  Ask your entire company to help you promote leveraging their own networks.  Setting up a simple RSS feed or newletter can help leverage your contacts both inside and outside the company as well.  Both these tools allow persons to subscribe to your blog updates while keeping your brand and company at the top of their mind.  Blogging should be a two way conversation and I encourage you to keep the comments open both good and bad.  Candidates realize that companies aren’t perfect and its the conversation and culture that sets companies apart.

• Promotion. Promoting my blog on social networks is a huge part of my blog’s success.  I recommend using social bookmarketing sites to promote your blog like Digg, Stumbleupon, Technorati, and LinkedIn Groups in addition to popular social platforms like Twitter and Facebook.  Your marketing department is key in helping your blog gain momentum and popularity as they are experienced in online press releases with services like Pitch Engine.

Want to bring an corporate, personal, or professional blog to myself and the reader’s attention?  Leave a comment below and recognize them for a job well done.

Photo Credit Farm3.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, transparency is defined as (1) : having the property of transmitting light without appreciable scattering so that bodies lying beyond are seen clearly or  (2) : free from pretense or deceit.

Transparency.  The words sounds good.  The concept sounds nice.  As a consumer, I have access to a company’s business, their strategies, financials, and intentions instantly.  Transparency is all about full-disclosure, being open, and honest in everything we do as a business and personally both good and bad.  While I encourage people and businesses to be real, engaged, and interested providing their audiences with conversations, information, and content, no one can provide 100% transparency and full-disclosure.

It just can’t happen.

Because companies who are transparent provide full-disclosure telling me as a consumer, employee, or world citizen like it is.  But the real-world isn’t like that.  Imagine BP taking full responsibility for the oil spill and fully disclosing their plan or lack of one from the beginning.  How would this effect their marketing campaign, their profit margins, or consumer opinions?  Public relations crisis management would cease to exist.   Or personally, you disclosing your financial problems, failed marriage, drug problem, or family income all in the name of personal transparency.

Are you or your business transparent or is it something else?

What I’m talking about is the Transparency Myth.  The concept of transparency is a word that makes executives and consumers sleep better at night but the fact is that as humans we don’t want transparency.  Wives in reality do not want their husbands to tell them that they really do look fat in that dress.

Because a company who is transparent will openly admit to treating me like I’m a dollar figure on their income statement.  And as a employee, I’m nothing more than a sales figure or productivity rating.  I’m here to tell you that the concept of full transparency cannot happen.  Full transparency doesn’t work in marketing and it certainly doesn’t work with your employees.  Because we all know that honesty is not always the best policy in business.  Because if we truly believed in transparency, we’d tell job seekers more than the standard, “You weren’t the best fit for the position.”  We’d tell them, “We like the other guy better,” or “My boss is a jerk and he decided to cut my budget and I can’t fill the position.”

I’m in favor of a new concept I call Controlled Transparency.  You manage your brand, control your content, and monitor your company’s message both internally and externally.  As a business or person, you provide a controlled message, responding when needed, and providing them nuggets of information without overloading your audience.  A successful controlled transparency model involves engagement, interest, a message that is strategically planned free of dishonesty, pretense, or deceit.

So keep that engagement flowing and work to create a controlled and transparent dialogue that satisfies our need to feel open and honest keeping the consumers, candidates, or clients flowing with controlled transparency.

Photo Credit Ideal Gadget.

Hat tip to William Tincup.

I try really hard to not be one of the people who is all talk and no action.  I talk a lot on my Job Search Secrets webshow and this blog about job seekers and professionals encouraging them to get outside of their comfort zone, defining your personal brand, and networking.  I will tell you that I am doing all those things on Wednesday night at Ignite Dallas.

Ignite Dallas is a networking event and presentation extravaganza on steroids.  Myself, along with 15 other speakers will be giving five minute presentations to 500 plus people with 20 slides that automatically advance every fifteen seconds.  Yes, fifteen seconds in the Big D, Dallas.

An event like this is good for a number of different reasons.  I’m putting myself out there as a speaker and taking a chance in a new city where I’m looking to build my network, make new friends, and grow my business. As a attendee, you get to meet some of the most creative and networked people in the city at a cost of only twenty bucks.  Events like Ignite Dallas are held all over the world.  In fact, Ignite OKC is next week and sadly I will have to miss because of travel.

If you happen to be in Dallas Wednesday evening, I’d love to see you.  There’s still time to register for the event.  Great networking, good times, and ME hanging with YOU.  The event opens at 6:00 PM CST and talks start at 7:30 PM.  For those that are unable to make the trip to the Granada for the event, you are welcome to watch the live stream (www.ustream.tv/user/ignitedallas) and tune into my talk and the 15 other brave soles who will also be giving talks on the Granada stage. I’ll make sure to alert the Twitterverse and Facebook folk before I go on stage.

My talk will be “7.2 Ways to Get Fired with Social Media.”  I don’t want to give the secret away but I plan on getting into character during my talk for some HR humor.  You won’t want to miss either an amazing presentation or a glorious disaster.  Either way, I can’t wait.

Photo Credits Launch DFW & GTPC Perth.