I left work after 10pm one evening this week with my head spinning with ideas – new clients to reach out to, contracts and proposals to write, and wondering how I was going to manage all of it with limited time.

I was approached by a woman on the train platform.

For those who are unfamiliar with NYC subway etiquette – you don’t approach strangers.  And you certainly don’t approach them and hand them anything.  But she was dressed in professional work clothes and didn’t seem like she might be harmful so I glanced down at what she handed me.

It was an Avon catalog. Continue Reading »

I am reading Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. It is a fascinating book of how history unfolded “very differently for peoples from different parts of the globe” going back 13,000 years. I’m just eighty-pages in but the account of the capture of Inca emperor Atahuallpa and his subsequent beheading by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizzaro is mind-boggling.

The encounter between Atahuallpa and Pizarro occurred on November 16, 1532. Atahuallpa’s army of 80,000 soldiers were defeated by Pizarro’s army of 168 soldiers! The fact that 168 soldiers were able to defeat 80,000 is rife with insight about human behavior and patterns and the notion of access (privilege?) you and I should heed in the 21^st century.   Continue Reading »

© iStockPhoto/swedeandsour

So do you need a strategy for social media? Or can you just wing it? Well it depends. Having a Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook fan page without knowing why is really pointless. I’ve been asked by friends and acquaintances if they need to be on a specific social networking site. And the answer is no. Pick what works for you and forget the rest. There isn’t time in the world to be on every network.

What are your goals and objectives
First understand why social media matters to you; what are your goals and objectives also how they tie into your overall career goals. Use S.M.A.R.T – (Keep it Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic/Relevant, and Timely) goals as a starting point.

The next step for creating an effective social media strategy is research.
Make a note of which social media sites you would like to engage with people. The list will most likely consist of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and some select blogs and forums. Review each of the social media sites on your list and do additional research to determine how relevant looking for your competitors, your target keywords and people/businesses you’d like to work with.

Have conversations
They build relationships. Respond to blog posts. Answer questions on LinkedIn, Twitter or Quora. Start developing relationships by following and friending influencers and those in your industry. Quality not quantity is what matters. Tons of followers without a “real” connection isn’t going to enhance your life. Because ultimately it isn’t only about what you do but who you are.

Strictly Business or Personal?
Personal choice really. I know some people who only connect with friends and family on Facebook and keep networks like LinkedIn and Twitter for all other connections. I connect with 99% of the people who send me invites on LinkedIn. However, I don’t give recommendations to people I’ve never done business with.

Create stronger connections
Take the relationships offline. Have a tweetup – an in-person meeting of Twitter users. HOW TO: Organize a Successful Tweetup has some great tips and ideas on how to setup an event. Can’t meet in-person have an online meeting. Virtual options are only limited by your imagination – dinner, coffee, maybe even a movie night.

Measuring your success
Well increased site traffic, more true partners are all indications of success. More referrals from your network. Positive feedback from others.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. Failure to adapt kills many an idea.

If you want to know what others are doing in social media then take a look at the Social Media Marketing Report from 2010.

It’s all about connection so reach out and touch someone in a way that works with your personality not against it.

(c) iStockPhoto/marekuliasz

What is Visual Thinking?

Visual Thinking is a highly effective thinking support process that provides a simple, quick and easy way to greatly expand our thinking potential on a continuous basis.

Visual Thinking uniquely combines:
Thinking tools
- Magnetic modelling tools on whiteboards and Visual Thinking software
Modelling Methods
- A large toolkit of trusted modelling methods and techniques to lead the thinking process
Mental attitude of enquiry
- Guiding principles help maximise the benefit of the process

How Visual Thinking Tools help?
The tools help a person focus on what is the most important, manage the challenges of a problem projectively and agree from a wider range of possibilities.

Visual Thinking Improves Group Interaction through:
- Providing an environment that supports trust, openness and understanding
- Facilitating diversity, making contributing easy and appealing
- Promoting positive dialogue and challenging mental models for new perspectives
- Encouraging group dynamics that build on agreement for better insights, options and shared solutions

Visual Thinking Software
The most widely available software for visual thinking is mind-mapping software. There are several options web-based, desktop and mobile applications. I taught a webinar several months ago on the topic of mind-mapping. Below is the presentation and it includes resources not only on learning how to mind-map but a list of applications as well.

Recommended Books on Visual Thinking:

• The Mind Map Book: Radiant Thinking – Major Evolution in Human Thought by Tony and Barry Buzan
• The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures by Dan Roam
• Unfolding the Napkin: The Hands-On Method for Solving Complex Problems with Simple Pictures by Dan Roam
• Marks and Meaning by Dave Gray
• Idea Mapping: How to Access Your Hidden Brain Power, Learn Faster, Remember More and Achieve Success in Business by Jamie Nast
• Thinking Visually: Business Applications of 14 Core Diagrams by Malcolm Craig
• See What You Think! How to Work Better and Faster with VisiMap by Norah Bolton