Monthly Archives: July 2009

A Social Media Caveat for Consideration

Posted on July 2009 | Leave a comment

Follow Me! Become a Fan! Let’s Connect!

Social media is here to stay, and it’s an inexpensive but effective way to market yourself and/or your business. If you’re not using social media in your marketing plan, you need to jump on board quickly to keep up with your competitors.

That said, here’s a tip on the layout of your site or blog.

Remember that the goal of your site or blog is to find qualified leads, establish relationships through your content, comments and/or responses, and turn these leads into buyers. That means that, more than likely, you would like your readers to stick around for a while, right?

If this is the case, why rush readers off by asking them to go to other sites so they can follow or friend you?

I’ve noticed that some sites — in a frenzied effort to have more followers, friends, fans, connections, etc. — put social media options at the top of the page. This has the potential to drive people to other sites and could deprive you of the opportunity to show off your expertise.

Even social media consultants and gurus need to have a web site or blog that offers more content than Twitter, Facebook or Linked In can provide. A site or blog expands opportunities for you to market to your target audience.

Communicating Your Call to Action
Important information on a site should be “above the fold.” That’s the section of your page that’s visible without scrolling (top of the page). This is prime real estate that you should use wisely.

Tell readers what you want them to do. If you want subscribers, put subscription options here. If you have free information, ask a reader to provide an email address here. Don’t ever assume that readers will scroll down to read everything on the page…because they generally don’t.

On my web site, I put social media options on my Contact page. Here on my blog, you can see that my sidebar offers a few things before it mentions any social media options:

A complimentary evaluation for subscribers
Email updates
Updates by RSS Feed
Archives
Topics
Facebook and Linked In
Twitter

My blog is a key part of my social media marketing plan. I want readers to comment and feel comfortable starting a conversation. I’ve chosen to use Twitter and Facebook simply as marketing tools.

For me, I tweet out of necessity rather than delight. However, I truly enjoy Facebook interaction on my fan page and profile page, so I post there more often than I do on Twitter. Other folks feel strongly about Twitter, and that’s okay too.

A couple of questions for you:

What does your social media marketing plan look like?
How does it fit into your traditional marketing plan?

Please click “Leave a Comment” at the top of this post and let me hear from you. Or, if you’d like to share this blog entry, use the links below to tell others.

Have a Refreshing and Productive Day! Happy Weekend!

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Posted in communication, marketing, marketing plan, social media, social media marketing

Tagged communication, marketing, marketing plan, marketing tools, relationships, social media, social media marketing

A Creative Journey Awaits

Posted on July 2009 | 1 Comment

I’ve had a Creativity Partner for eight years now. We started working together when she directed me in plays, then she was a key member of a group formed for creative encouragement and support.

Even though the group disbanded when I moved to Texas in 2003, Liz and I continued to meet by phone once a month. The fact that she’s one of my best friends only enhances our creativity and our conversations.

Recently, we’ve both been restless. Since we know each other so well, we knew that revisiting The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity was exactly what we needed to quash our fidgety spirits. We have both gone through the book two, three or four times over the years. It’s an excellent primer for anyone interested in the art of creative living.

The Artist’s Way is first in a series of books by Julia Cameron. She offers keen insight and practical exercises for artists and non-artists. She believes that everyone is creative so you cannot teach creativity, you can only “teach people to let themselves be creative.”

The book is divided into 12 chapters, all designed to help with your “creative recovery,” as Cameron calls it. The exercises gently take you through a process of rediscovering who you are as a creative being and how you can live more creatively in your life.

Liz and I are primarily literary artists and performing artists. We’re both writers and published authors (non-fiction and technical). We also act. Currently she’s in Red Herring, a murder mystery theater troupe in Colorado Springs. I’m in ComedySportz, an improvisation group in San Antonio, and I write and perform in sketches and productions at my church.

We both direct, produce and dabble in just about anything that piques our interest. Plays, museums, music, poetry slams – you name it, we’ve probably tried it. And that’s what creative exploration is all about.

Creativity and Change
One of the most amazing things about creativity is that it breeds more creativity. It also breeds some level of discontent with the status quo.

Cameron states that as you go through the book you’ll find shifts in your tastes and perceptions. You’ll want to “weed out, sort through and discard old clothes, papers and belongings.” Thus, our restless spirits need some serious creative attention in order to quiet them down.

I’m in the middle of massive change right now…and I love it. In the last two weeks I have rearranged my office and various rooms in my home, filed or thrown away paperwork, acquired new furniture, rearranged the kitchen shelves, sold things on Craig’s List simply to get them out of my house and decided to make changes to a few relationships that aren’t working anymore.

I’m also deciding on new colors for the guest bathroom – I have hated that yucky pastel peach color since I moved in five years ago. I want to paint a couple of bed frames, stain the patio swing and paint some great looking flowers on the wall in the exercise room. I’m embroidering again, starting with an old pair of jeans that had spots of paint on them.

Sound exhausting? On the contrary, it’s been the kick-in-the-seat-of-the-pants that I’ve been looking for.

Becoming your true creative self is the most refreshing thing in the world. It’s like putting on an old, comfortable sweater that fits you perfectly. Then you have an “aha” moment when you realize how much you’ve missed it because it’s been packed away in favor of more “practical” clothing.

Discover The Artist’s Way
If this intrigues you, I would recommend that you get a copy of The Artist’s Way and check things out for yourself. If you’re really adventurous, you could find yourself a Creativity Partner. Encouraging and supporting each other on this exciting journey helps. Or you can do it alone, if you prefer.

Please let me know if you decide to explore The Artist’s Way because I would like to be your Creativity Cheerleader as you go down this exciting path!

Wishing you a refreshing and productive day…

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Posted in creative living, creativity, play, The Artist's Way

Tagged artist, creative living, creativity, play, The Artist's Way

Communicating with Low Talkers and Self Talkers Can Be Funny…and Revealing

Posted on July 2009 | 1 Comment

Verbal communication is, for the most part, straightforward. You speak, someone listens. Someone else speaks, you listen, right? Good in theory, but what happens when you’re dealing with a Low Talker?

Do you remember the Low Talker on Seinfeld? It was the “Puffy Shirt” episode where Jerry accidentally agrees to wear the Puffy Shirt on the Today Show because he couldn’t hear Kramer’s girlfriend speaking. She was a Low Talker.

A couple of days ago, I had a hilarious experience with a Low Talker/Self Talker when I was returning envelopes at an office supply store. The woman at the counter looked at my receipt.

“This is over 30 days old,” she mumbled. “I need to get permission to return these.”

She grabs the nifty little walkie-talkie around her neck and begins talking. Then she waits. Then she talks again. The interesting thing was that while I saw her lips moving, I couldn’t hear a word she was saying. So I started browsing the products that sit around the counter.

Apparently, she said something to me but I didn’t realize it – I thought she was still talking into the microphone around her neck. She never looked at me; she just kept moving her lips. Finally, I heard her say “Ma’am,” then I started paying attention.

I leaned forward over the counter as she told me she had to give me a gift card because the purchase was past the 30-day limit. I said okay. Then she started opening drawers and mumbling, “Hmm, where is a gift card, I wonder where the gift cards are, why aren’t they here?…” Again, I kept waiting. I thought she was talking to me. Then I realized she was talking to herself.

There were no gift cards behind the counter, so she went to get one off the display, still chatting away. She came back behind the counter and kept talking. I kept leaning forward, thinking I was going to miss something important. Apparently, she didn’t need me or anyone else in order to have a conversation. She was doing just fine by herself.

After a while, she asked for my signature and gave me my card and receipt. She told me, in a surprisingly loud voice, not to lose my card because the store couldn’t accept the receipt without it. Then she bid me farewell.

I laughed as I was leaving, thinking this would be a great idea for one of those on-the-street prank shows or an episode of Punked.

Low Talkers have always fascinated me, probably because I’m not one. In fact, I’m anything but a Low Talker. I’m a stage actor and voice actor, so enunciation and projection is in my blood.

But Self Talkers? No fascination there. Because I am one.

I know that I talk to myself – aloud – quite regularly. But I work in my home office where it isn’t a big deal. I also know that saying “keys” aloud when I get out of my car helps me avoid locking my keys inside. Or saying “stove” aloud reminds me to make sure the stove is off before I walk out the door.

Now that I’ve admitted this, I was wondering:

Have you ever been accused of being a Low Talker? If so, what did you do about it?
Are you a Self Talker like me, 0r am I the only one willing to admit this quirky habit? If you are, do you work from home or in a public place where colleagues or customers can hear you talking to yourself?

I would really appreciate your comments. Here’s to a refreshing and productive day!

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Posted in communication, speaking, speech, talking

Tagged communication, enunciation, speaking, speaking clearly, speech, talking

Missing Walter Cronkite…

Posted on July 2009 | 2 Comments

Since I heard the news yesterday, I have shed a few tears for the passing of Walter Cronkite. He was a key reason I went into journalism. He inspired me to perform my job with integrity, as I double-checked each fact and strived for fair and accurate reporting.

I received my Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, which was also his alma mater. I was honored to meet him once. After his speech, several of us lined up to express our appreciation for this legendary man. Mr. Cronkite was extremely gracious to all of us, young, aspiring journalists who were awed by him and the gold standard in journalism that he established.

Goodbye, Walter. You were truly the most extraordinary communicator of our time.

“And that’s the way it is…”

Walter Cronkite, 1916 - 2009

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Posted in communication, journalism

Tagged communication, journalism, Walter Cronkite

Three Tips to Help You Communicate Better with Loved Ones

Posted on July 2009 | Leave a comment

Communicating with loved ones can be a challenge. These are the most important people in your life, yet sometimes it’s more comfortable talking to a stranger, right?

In my last post, I said that communicating better was based on deciding to communicate better. Personally, I committed to becoming a better listener and being fully present when talking to people.

A speaker at my church said a woman at work was talking about the recent All-Star game. He replied that he didn’t have time to watch sports, so she asked what took up all his time after work. His comments surprised me.

He said that after work he goes home to help his wife with dinner or, if she doesn’t need help, he plays with the kids before dinner. They all sit down to eat together and can leave the table when everyone is finished. With varying ages of children, he said dinner can take up to an hour or more. Knowing this speaker, I figure that time is filled with lots of laughter, listening and life lessons.

After dinner, he helps with the dishes. Then he has one-on-one time with each child and, after they are asleep, he has one-on-one time with his wife. After she goes to sleep, he has one-on-one time with God. The next day, he gets up and does it again.

I thought, “That sounds like a very full evening. No wonder he doesn’t watch sports!”

He said communication within his family is open and honest. He also said he didn’t freak out over the little things because that would encourage his kids not to talk to him when the big things happened.

I was impressed with his story and pulled three take-aways that may help all of us communicate better at home:

This couple established an environment that’s conducive to effective communication. Their family life is centered on interaction, from the moment he gets home.
One-on-one time encourages authenticity in their conversations. When you interact with someone enough, you know when things are good and not-so-good. You also know that person well enough to know how to approach him or her to discuss the not-so-good topics.
Remaining calm in the little things speaks volumes without uttering a word. So when a real emergency occurs, your loved ones will know that you can handle bad news in a rational, comforting manner instead of stressing them out with your behavior.

You may be saying, “But you don’t know my family.” You’re right, I don’t. But you do. And you probably know each of them well enough to think of some small way to open the lines of communication just a bit.

A friend of mine used to connect with her teens over episodes of “Survivor.” Watching the show together became a weekly family event. And throughout the week, there was plenty of speculation and good-natured teasing about whose favorite would get voted off next. As silly as it may sound, this type of banter helps family members connect with each other on some level.

Your first step to having more communicative relationships is to show an interest in what family members like whether it’s music, television, sports or video games. This sets the environment for genuine conversations that can move to a deeper level.

Wishing you a refreshing and productive day…and a relaxing weekend!

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Posted in communication, listening, relationships

Tagged communication, listening, relationships

Improving Communication Begins with a Decision

Posted on July 2009 | 3 Comments

My mom just left after visiting for a few days. She’s a very young 83 years old. While she was here, her doctor said she was living in the body of a healthy 70-year-old. That made her pretty doggone happy. It made me happy too — It’s nice to know that I come from fantastic genes!

We have a great relationship. It’s had its ups and downs, but our relationship improved dramatically after I attended some leadership and character development conferences last year. What made the difference?

I decided to change.

I can see you rolling your eyes now. “Yeah, right, Michelle,” you say. “It’s just that easy.”

Honestly, it is. Because once you decide to change the way you communicate, you become aware of how you communicate.

Communication skills are simply tools you use. A change of mindset, a change of heart — whatever you want to call it — is the key to making change actually work.

For me, it was important to become a better listener. I decided to be more available, more present for whoever was speaking. That meant closing the laptop or putting down the mail or stopping myself from glancing at my To Do list. I was surprised at how significant this small change was. When someone was speaking to me in person or by phone, I realized that I was truly hearing what was being said instead of existing “halfway in/halfway out” of the conversation.

Was it easy to do? Not until I decided that relationships were more important than work. Sometimes I used to get so caught up in tasks that I forgot about people. A big part of it was because I didn’t like the work I was doing. I wanted to hurry and get it over with, and I viewed interruptions as simply delaying that.

Now I’m enjoying work and people more, but I still have boundaries. Most folks know that I write in the morning. They also know that I’m exceptionally good at returning phone calls and emails. And when we talk, they know that I try to be fully present.

One important benefit: Listening well means asking better questions, which results in a more efficient use of time. (Most clients like that!)

Are you being fully present when you’re speaking with employees, colleagues and customers?
Is there a small change you can make to become more available to people?
Can you adjust your schedule so you can be fully present when speaking to people, yet protect your “closed door time” to get other work done?

Think of small ways you can make changes…once you decide to change, of course. Here’s to a refreshing and productive day!

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Posted in communication, listening

Tagged communication, decision

Enhance Your Workday with Creative Flow

Posted on July 2009 | 1 Comment

In my last post, I talked about Stuart Brown, M.D., who is an expert on the science of play. In his interview, he says playing is “outside of time.”

We’ve all been outside of time. You’ve probably experienced moments when time didn’t seem to exist because you were so focused. You may have even had moments of being completely focused on the activity while being totally aware of what was going on around you.

Athletes call it being “in the zone.” Actors call it being “in the moment.” Artists of all types call it “creative flow” or just “flow.”

No matter what you call it, you can experience flow in a variety of activities. Whether you create a beautiful painting, make an incredible shot in basketball or give a flawless speech, the act of creation generally leaves you feeling refreshed and invigorated.

Can you experience flow while you’re at work? Absolutely! Some of my most energizing moments have been at work…as long as I enjoy what I’m doing.

I can easily get into flow when I’m writing or performing. It comes naturally to me. But flow is elusive when I’m dealing with numbers. That activity just isn’t my “thing.” Yet I know plenty of CPAs who are completely in flow when they are knee-deep in the numbers.

In a perfect world, we would only have to perform the work activities we like. But since that’s not realistic, let’s look at the next best thing. More than likely, there is something in your day that allows you to experience flow even if it’s only for 15 minutes. That 15 minutes could refresh you enough to make your day significantly more interesting.

Select one or two activities in your workday that you truly enjoy. Instead of going through the motions, figure out a way to enhance these activities and heighten the experience. A few things to consider:

Set your environment. Do you work better with or without music? Do you prefer the quiet of your home office or the buzz of Starbucks? Do you like bright or low lighting? A hot cup of tea or an ice cold slushy drink? Set up your environment for you to do your best work.

Time of day. Your circadian rhythms will determine the best time to perform your favorite activity. If you’re not sure, try different times of the day for a week at a time to see what works best for you.

Be the ball. In the movie “Caddyshack,” there’s a silly scene on the golf course where Chevy Chase’s character says, “stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball.” There’s truth to getting out of your head and relaxing in order to achieve flow. Once you’re focused things fall into place effortlessly, and you can experience a certain “oneness” with the activity.

Be grateful. Many people work at jobs they absolutely despise. Be thankful that you get to do something you enjoy, even if you may not be able to do it as often as you’d like. Sometimes the most important part of enhancing your day and encouraging flow is working with gratitude.

Wishing you a refreshing and productive day!

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Posted in creative flow, creative living, creativity

Tagged creative flow, creative living, creativity, flow

The Importance of Play

Posted on July 2009 | 1 Comment

This weekend I heard an interview with Stuart Brown, M.D., on “Play, Spirit, + Character.” Brown is the author of Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul. He’s also a physician and director of the National Institute for Play.

My first thought was, “Wow! There’s a national organization devoted to the topic of play?! How fun!”

As someone who loves to play, I know that I feel refreshed after a little frivolity in my life. So I’m all for an opportunity to lighten up, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Brown researches the science of play in animals and human beings. He defines play as something “spontaneously done for its own sake…it appears purposeless…produces pleasure and joy…leads one to the next stage of mastery.”

He says that play equips children to successfully function in the world. Without play, we become more fixed and rigid. We don’t seek out novelty or innovation. He says that adults need play just as much as children do.

I hear ya, Stuart. When I work too much, I get cranky and boring. Staring at the computer screen for too many hours makes me downright crabby.

As humans, play is essential for our well-being. Sure, you could go without play but how interesting would life be? More importantly, how interesting would you be?

Play is the basis of creativity. It opens up the mind for new ideas and new solutions for problems. Without play, we lose our humor and our perspective on life.

Play includes activities like reading, sports, throwing the ball for the dog, giggling with your children or anything that floats your boat. Remember, play “appears purposeless” and “produces pleasure.”

Take a moment to think about what you used to enjoy when you were a child. For me, that included writing, playing dress up, cheerleading and dancing around the house. In my adult life that translates to writing, being an actor who performs on-stage and behind the microphone, and dancing around my house. (Hmm…Apparently, some things don’t change much.)

Brown says that when it comes to play, children are the professionals. They are “purer” in their play than we are.

But I say: Why leave it in the hands of professionals? We amateurs should join in the fun!

Put it on your calendar to get out and play a couple of times this week. And feel free to leave a comment on how playing felt, especially if you snuck off during your workday to do it!

To hear the interview, visit http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2009/play/.

Wishing you a refreshing and productive (and Playful!) day…

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Posted in books, creativity, Uncategorized

Tagged books, creative living, creativity, play, playful, playfulness

Monthly Archives: July 2009

A Creative Journey Awaits

Communicating with Low Talkers and Self Talkers Can Be Funny…and Revealing

Missing Walter Cronkite…

Three Tips to Help You Communicate Better with Loved Ones

Improving Communication Begins with a Decision

Enhance Your Workday with Creative Flow

The Importance of Play

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