A-List Bloggers Network

Social Media X Leadership = Lazy Leader

Cynthia D'Amour — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:52:54 +0000

Who knew?

Lately I immersed myself in exploring the potential of social media.

Supporting chapters.
Fueling a movement
Building community.

Started seeing lots of similarities to my latest book.

The Lazy Leader’s Guide to Outrageous Results.
Transforms do-it-all martyr leaders.
Into Lazy Leaders who involve many.

Social media strategies and Lazy Leaders both:

Let go of control.
Let others get personal with content.
Encourage the party.

The former competitive math student in me saw the light.

If you look at key elements of embracing social media.
And apply to how you lead.
You become a Lazy Leader!

My book teaches leaders how to make the transition - pretty cool!

Makes me think of chapter leaders…can you translate what your chapter does into a simple formula?

Lazy Leader Sneak Peek! � � I’m so excited! My new book is� four...
The Lazy Leader Transforms America One Volunteer at a Time. Have you ever challenged yourself...
Finally I Made It On a Cover! � � I look fab, eh? My new book is...

Personal vs professional social media identities

Maddie Grant — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:18:00 +0000

Check out this fab slide deck by Kivi Leroux Miller. Nice nonprofit examples, and she raises the questions you're probably asking yourself too. I have a pretty clear opinion on this issue, and I believe it will become more and more impossible to separate personal and professional digital identities, but I also think that many of us are in the pretty enviable position of being able to think about this from the start. See what you think.

Personal - Professional Mix in Social Media: For Nonprofits

View more presentations from kivilm.

Friday Top 5

Elizabeth Engel — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:40:00 +0000

You know how they say the best boat is a friend’s boat? That’s where I am this weekend. The Top 5 things that are great about a friend’s boat:

Getting to spend a whole weekend with two people we really love and don’t see enough of.
Boats are FUN!
This particular friend’s boat is REALLY sweet (that’s not their exact boat, but it’s pretty damn close).
The cruise itself sounds great - it includes a sports theme, and what with training camp kicking off in just over a week, the timing couldn’t be better.
Being able to walk away from the responsibility and expense of the boat after helping with the cleanup on Sunday afternoon.

The Friday Top 5 Top 5 Fun Things I'm Doing This Weekend:Oyster Riot!Trip to...
The Friday Top 5 Top 5 Things I'm Going to Do While Jim is...
The Friday Top 5 Top 5 things that I'm looking forward to about Web...

A Wake-Up Call for Associations

Tony Rossell — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:29:00 +0000

Most associations that I interact with view competition as coming from the association next door. Going forward, I think that it will most likely be coming from a for-profit company. And in my mind, the best way to protect and grow your association before this happens is to build relationships and connections through membership with your market.

Companies moving into the traditional association marketplace are eager to fill any vacuum that they can profitably find in the markets you serve.

That’s why developing or hiring expertise in membership marketing is more important today than ever for associations.

Here is one example, Merion Publications; the publisher of ADVANCE Newsmagazines. They provide a magazine, current job listings, education/events, job fairs, and communities to professionals in the following fields.

Nurses
LPNs
Imaging & Radiation Oncology
Directors in Rehabilitation
Physical Therapists & PT Assistants
Occupational Therapy Practitioners
Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists
Audiologists
Long-Term Care Management
Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine
Administrators of the Laboratory
Medical Laboratory Professionals
Health Information Executives
Health Information Professionals
Nurse Practitioners
Physician Assistants
Healthy Aging

I do not want to communicate that there is anything unethical with companies moving into the realm traditionally owned by non-profits. They see a market opportunity and have taken advantage of it using the marketing and sales expertise that they have honed over the years.

The questions associations should ask themselves are: How well prepared are we to deal with for-profit competition? Should this be a wake up call for our association? Is business as usual sustainable?

As I have shared on this blog, building the membership relationship is driven by making prospective members aware of who you are, actively recruiting these prospects, engaging new member in the organization, and effectively renewing them.

Agree or disagree, please let me know your thoughts on this.

Marketing General, Inc. Announces Merger There are some areas – in my estimation -- where...
Insert Your Name Here For awhile now I have been writing about the integration...
Associations “Get it” that it is all about the Relationship If you read this blog frequently, you will know that...

Yahoo Search Pad for Automatic Notes

Rebecca Leaman — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:25:00 +0000

If Yahoo Search is your search engine of choice, you may have noticed a new feature recently. Yahoo Search Pad kicks in automatically when the engine detects a pattern of search that suggests you’re researching a specific topic, and unobtrusively tracks the sites that you visit. While it’s no substitute for a full-blown research aide like Evernote, Yahoo Search Pad is certainly one step above your browser History. It grabs a screenshot of each site, to make it easier to identify the sites you want…(read more)

Multi-feed RSS Consolidation While I normally keep my posts a little less technical...
3 New Search Tools to find Research Data, Statistics, Answers On the Internet, our challenge is not simply to find...
Checking in on SEO Essentials for the New Year With the new year under way and the economic landscape...

NTEN Water Cooler Social Media Chat 7/16

Maddie Grant — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:14:00 +0000

Your friendly neighborhood Socialfish will be “IN” the NTEN Office Hours Communications Chat Room every Thursday (that’s today!!) at 3 pm EST. Got burning questions about social media strategy? Or just want to hang out and shoot the breeze and get a break from work? Now’s your chance!

So we skipped our chat last week, as we were Buzz‘ing. The week before, we had a very fun conversation about my new iPhone, (must have apps - Shazam, Urban Spoon, FourSquare, Tweetie), of course about Buzz, about Second Life and some other non-serious stuff including this fabulous bullsh*t generator.

This week, we’re unfortunately off again as we have a Buzz debrief with the SmartBrief gang - where we’ll be discussing the evaluation comments we’ve had so far, among other things (if you haven’t done yours yet, go here to post your feedback) but we’re SO lucky to have our lovely friend and awesome blogger Deirdre Reid hosting for us. Thanks Deirdre!

Whether the conversation is deep or just a nice break from the dullness of your daily routine, though, we’re all about sharing. Pick our brains, we’ll tell you our take on things.

Click HERE for the chat room if it’s not working well embedded below.

[chat room removed after chat]

——————————————————–

NTEN Water Cooler Chat 12/18 Your friendly neighborhood Socialfish will be "IN" the NTEN Office...
NTEN Water Cooler Chat 1/22 Your friendly neighborhood Socialfish will be "IN" the NTEN Office...
NTEN Office Hours Chat 9/18 Your friendly neighborhood Socialfish will be "IN" the NTEN Office...

Tech 2010 Call for Presentations

Elizabeth Engel — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:59:00 +0000

Friday, July 17 (aka “tomorrow”) is the LAST day to submit proposals for the ASAE 2010 Technology Conference.

What would make a good submission? Glad you asked!

According to the conference web site:

Being socially responsible with technology
Business intelligence
eLearning strategies
Emerging trends
Enterprise content management
Gaming examples in associations
Implementing mobile worker solutions
Security
Solutions for small staff associations
Solutions for nonprofit/philanthropic organizations
Technologies to watch in 2010
The role of the CIO/CTO
Virtualization
VOIP
Web 2.0/social networking
Web usability
Website analytics

Submit your proposal now.

Presentations This Week The next few days are crazy for me as this...
Catch me @Tech Lots of good posts about the ASAE Technology Conference to...
Nonprofit Budgets Benefit from Greener Events Isn’t it great when “doing the right thing” can show...

What I’m Reading

Elizabeth Engel — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:38:00 +0000

Latest issue of Technology Review is out, so you’ll be seeing more on that. But the first article I read is: Do dieting monkeys live longer? The answer appears to be yes, but is a permanent 30% reduction in calories realistic for people? Even if so, is it desirable? (What about contrary research that indicates that a little extra weight protects older women from osteoporosis?) And of course, it begs the question: if you starve yourself, do you ACTUALLY live longer or does it just FEEL that way?
WalMart’s public Twitter policy is awesomesauce! (And never thought I’d say that about anything WalMart-related.)
To twintern or not to twintern, that is the question. Myself, I think interns and low-level staff can be deployed to help with the doing, but I think the thinking needs to take place at a higher pay grade.
Lynn Morton urges us to Dare To Suck, which is really great advice. How else are you ever going to learn anything? Who starts out as an expert?
Is GenX incapable of management? As a proud GenXer who thinks herself to be a pretty good manager (and has reports from people who I don’t think are just trying to kiss my ass to back that up), I would say no. Thoughts from the peanut gallery?
John Haydon’s going to punch someone if he hears one more thing about “listening” in social media. OK, not really, but he has a really good point about the importance of the why behind the listening.
Brian Birch of the Snow & Ice Management Association and Acronym guest blogger asks us: who are we as association professionals? Weigh in (in 150 words or less) at Acronym.
And I’m working my way through the Benjamin January mysteries by Barbara Hambly again. Yes, as a matter of fact, I DO know what it means to miss New Orleans. Why do you ask? I must say that I’m a little disappointed that she seems to have abandoned Ben and his bride, Rose Vitrac, right at the point it looks like they’re about to get involved with the Underground Railroad.

What I’m Reading Mads reminds us of the importance of listening and provides...
Good concrete example of how to start listening on the social web Eric Johnson posted this interesting case study"Where are my people?"...
What I’m Reading Superlist of Social Media blunders. It's hilarious, and yes, I...

I Don’t Matter to You

Cynthia D'Amour — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:29:45 +0000

(Am I wrong?)

You asked me to serve on your committee.

Pretty high visi-posure.
Important work.
Required my special skills.

I attended first meeting two months ago.

Process explained.
Assignments made.
And then nothing.

I feel like I’m in a black hole.

No communication.
No support.
No clue if I’m on the right track.

Deadline is looming.

My enthusiasm has wanned.
Unreturned emails leave me wanting.
Does my contirbution really matter?

Maybe I only dreamed I was part of your team?

Makes me think of chapter leaders…do your volunteers feel like they matter to you?

The Decision to Volunteer � I got a sneak peak! ASAE and the Center...
We Care About You! � � As if. Today I got an email from...
Would You Trust This Group? After reading this, perhaps not. I just got an...

Get My Generational Ebook for Free

Jamie Notter — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:27:00 +0000

I am feeling generous and have decided to give away my ebook on Generational Diversity in the Workplace for free, at least for a limited time.

I wrote the book in 2007. It’s about 60 pages and it covers the basics of generational differences and then talks about how to apply this knowledge (getting past the hype) and examines the broad implications for leadership. I’m proud of the book, and I’ve sold over 100 copies without really marketing it much.

But it’s been out there long enough that I think I can give it away. So grab a copy. Tell your friends. It’s a quick download.

Click here to get the Generational Ebook for free.

Download the AST Executive Summary! It is my great pleasure to announce that the...
Tribal Counsel for the Association Nation What do you stand for? Does anyone care? The...
Learning 2.0 and the Future of Your Association - Webinar Learning 2.0 is the trendy “2.0″ term being used to...

Raindrop Scared Two Big College Guys

Cynthia D'Amour — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:38:05 +0000

Typical crossed wires.

Raindrop likes to snooze in the chair on our porch.

It’s one of her favorite summer activities.
Especially during the day when other dogs are in their houses.
It’s a lazy way to pass the time.

Today two college guys walked up to flyer our porch.

They didn’t see Raindrop.
They were loud in their approach.
And woke her.

Raindrop rushed the guys.

Barking like a fool.
Hoping to get a pet on the head.
She was excited to meet new people.

The young men saw something very different.

Mean black and white dog
Teeth bared
Charging them ready to bite.

The guys ran screaming across the street.

And hid behind the big evergreen.
Hoping the evil dog would not find them.
They shook in fear.

Raindrop was confused.

Stopped at the end of her lead.
Looked back at James who by now was on the porch.
“Why don’t they like me Dad?”

Raindrop is a major people lover.

But the guys didn’t realize it.
They responded to what they saw.
And then apologized when they realized the miscue.

(Still no pets for Raindrop.)

Makes me think of chapter leaders…when your volunteers seem difficult are you reading the situation the same way they are? How do you know?

She Cowered in the Corner And shook with fear. Raindrop didn’t understand what was...
Raindrop Was Attacked My heart sunk. James picked me up at the...
I Should Have Known Better… � All the warning signs were there. Tonight, we had...

Always the Last to Know - Google Chrome OS

Elizabeth Engel — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:51:00 +0000

I swear, sometimes it seems like Google launches a new major product every week. But this one’s big - a full operating system based on the Chrome browser and the Linux kernel, designed to run netbooks. And the code will be open sourced later this year.

ReadWriteWeb has some (very good) unanswered questions, but somebody’s trying to eat Microsoft’s lunch.

More stats AS you can tell, I am a huge fan of...
Caving to Peer Pressure I'm back from Tech, my head is full of interesting...
So true… :) ...

Social Media for Professional Development Survey

Mickie Rops — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:30:24 +0000

Jeff Cobb (http://www.tagoras.com) is updating the free eBook Learning 2.0 for Associations

to discuss new technologies and to offer new and different examples of the ways in which associations are using social media (blogs, wikis, social networks, Twitter, etc.) as part of their professional development activities.

To support the revised version of the eBook (which will remain free), he has launched a very brief survey to gather more information about how association professional development programs are using social media - not just for e-learning, but in all aspects of the education they deliver.

The survey should take no more than a few minutes to fill out, and survey participants will receive a copy of the results. To participate, follow the link below and complete by Tuesday, July 21.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0VZVtUUdjrs3xZgcwQ_2fm6w_3d_3d

Respond even if you are not using any social media since part of the purpose is to get an idea of how many organizations are actually using social media as part of their professional development activities.

Learning 2.0 and the Future of Your Association - Webinar Learning 2.0 is the trendy “2.0″ term being used to...
Association Social Media Usage I’m on my way back from the American Society of...
(Social) Objects of Value I can’t remember when I first came across Jyri Zengestrom’s...

Recognizing Respect

Jamie Notter — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:48:14 +0000

I noticed in my Google Analytics the other day that one of the most popular keywords for finding my blog is the phrase “what does respect look like.” I did a brief post on that in October 2007, pointing out that when I facilitate, the group frequently asks for “treat each other with respect” as a groundrule, yet that doesn’t help me as a facilitator, because I don’t know what specific behaviors will be deemed disrespectful.

I’ve done enough facilitation to know that there is a rather wide range of definitions of respect. It’s hard, because each person’s definition tends to be assumed to be universal. When your respect is violated, it often brings with it a feeling of astonishment that the other party doesn’t see how disrespectful they are being. This makes figuring out what respect “looks like” very difficult.

My understanding of respect all comes down to value (and values). To respect me, you will honor what I value. You don’t necessarily have to value it yourself, but you have to allow me to value it without making it “less than” in any way. If I spit on your flag, I make it less than. That’s disrespectful. But I don’t necessarily have to salute your flag. It’s just not that important to me. But I wouldn’t consider that disrespect.

So if you want to know what respect (and disrespect) looks like, look for “less than.” Look at your own interactions and try to notice that point in your thinking where the other person simply becomes less than. They’re not worth listening to, they don’t have anything positive to contribute here, they’re not that smart, their intentions are not worthy…you get the picture. Maybe that one idea isn’t so great, but does it warrant the drop into the “less than” category? You’re moving into the land of disrespect here.

Want more respect in the workplace? Accept what other people value. Let them value that, even if you don’t like it. Let them be them. You don’t have to agree with them, and if their values are driving behavior that has a negative impact on you or the system, then you all need to talk about it and make some changes. But keep that conversation focused on behavior and impact, and not your judgments about whether or not the other side is right, adequate, normal, or worthy.

What does respect look like? It looks like just about anything you do while you are allowing someone else to be themselves fully.

With All Due Respect… With all due respect, I think we should eliminate the...
Do versus Say Seth Godin made a good point in his blog: We...
Change them or change you? I know I've written about this before, but it bears...

Buzz 2009 Recap

Elizabeth Engel — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:33:00 +0000

OK, rather than recapping the whole thang, which you can get here or here or here or here or here, I thought I’d post all my “YES!” ideas, so you all can hold my feet to the fire about actually, you know, DOING them:

Send immediate follow up “tell a friend” emails to everyone who registers for our conferences.
Create easy share on LinkedIn/Facebook/Twitter badges for our conference registrants.
Give member hospitals something people will ask about (i.e. Association FORUM’s bobblehead.
Make all our online videos easy to share.
Organize mommy blogger tours of our member hospitals.
Consider how we can use socmed to increase the coverage/reach of our conferences (particularly since we’re concerned that attendance might be down this year).

So…what are YOU going to do?

If you are going to embed youtube videos… Make sure to select the customize button to the right...
Membership Development Ranked as Top Priority in 2009 When new association research is released, I try to stay...
Cobb on “Decision Not to Attend” Colleague and friend Jeff Cobb hits the nail on the...