When there is a mission involved people are more likely to share and care…

My mission is to share with you information and opinions from other people that influence me. I believe that if I can share their passions I can help create a more positive influence in the lives of those around me.

“If you get it, share it” sorta‘ thing…

Here’s a look inside my friends and heroes and while some may not know this firsthand, I admire and learn from you and get my daily dose of humor from you:

These are professionals, leaders, comedians, photographers, teachers, in no particular order:

Tripp, in Living the Truth, your demeanor and outlook always remind me of something larger than myself. Tripp sums a lot of my unwanted anxiety when he writes, “My stress and my worries are often slightly out of perspective.”

Jake: The future is safe with you teaching the next generation of leaders.

Lackeyman, you had the guts to change your major, pursue your dreams and turn your passion for photography, video and allthings multimedia into your life’s work.

Rob, you continually push the envelope with your comedy and your writing.

Geoff, you are a true social believer in social media for social good. I continue to learn the importance of putting the team before the individual- something I believe in and understand the challenge it has become in public relations.

Jonathan, I admire your entrepreneurial spirit.

Meghan: You have an opportunity to influence the direction of the US Army‘s future social media policy and how we learn and communicate with soldiers and their families and all American’s via these new mediums.

Mike: You rocked the DC Improv- keep making jokes.

The past few weeks have been alive with inspiration and hope for me. I am working on blog post which I hope to share sooner than later that involves an editorial calendar and the best way I can convey what this blog is supposed to be about.

I’ve got my mission.

I’ve got my outline.

Stay tuned…

For those who think facebook is the extent of your online persona – think again. We are entering a new era and those migrating into social networks are quickly learning how to communicate online.

I like the idea that we are collectively learning and brainstorming how to use social media. Do you think it is a learned skill…?

In Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations, Clay Shirky discusses the mass amateurization that comes with social media and what “happens when people are given the tools to do things together, without needing traditional organizational structures.”

So, are you ready to dive in?

S is for Social

Social Media has given individuals an online platform to facilitate the sharing of information. We share ideas, songs, powerpoints- you name it, you can find opinions and ideas about that topic online and this information is now within your social network.

O is for Openness

The social web encourages transparency. There is no way to hide what you say online, everything is searchable and archived. The Freedom of Information age is upon us.

U is for Ubiquitos

Access will be mobile, allowing for constant interacting among individuals through virtual, online portals.

P is for Privacy

The internet and the information being gathered by google, facebook, linkedin, gist and twitter is a gold mine for marketers who want to anticipate our next move and find creative uses of GPS enabled location-tracking devices, like cell phones. When and where I’ll be hungry is a great place for a sidewalk lunch-special sign, isnt it?

What does all this lead to?

Well, it leads to the to optimization of the optimizer or a place where machines can analyze all the data on the Web, and computers behave like personal assistants and ultimately can respond to my questions and recommend my likes and dislikes based upon our prior behavior.

What is your next move online?

-Mike

www.MikeToner.com

Social Media is about engagement, right?

Yes, but maybe you started off with social media the way I did; quietly listening while learning the ropes, lurking and not really being social at all!

In fact, my first tweet was on October, 26th 2007. Great, except- I sent 15 tweets in the first month and not one was an @ message! I wasn’t talking to anyone… I wasn’t there yet.

Today, I am somewhere between participation and relationship building with regards to social media. I’ve made the mind shift from 1-way to 2-way, although I sometimes find myself reverting back to my old 1-way ways.

This almost implies tuning out a little, doesn’t it?

In order to concentrate on providing value, I may need to block out some of the noise. Perhaps stepping out of the echo chamber will allow me to focus on the task at hand. A Tim Ferriss’esque idea -no doubt.

During my own adoption of social media, I focused heavily on reading and listening, so much so- that this has become a comfort zone for me to run back to. Recently, I have stopped reading my google reader everyday. Instead, I am going to do some thinking of my own and stop relying on old meme’s to create new content.

I hope that by eliminating distractions I will be able to provide quality information and value to my network.

Where are you on the social media curve?

-MikeToner

www.MikeToner.com

College students about to enter the workforce during these weak economic times have an opportunity to control what their potential employers will know and need to know about them- at least more than a paper resume could ever show. It wasn’t so long ago that I was applying for my job and I relied predominately on a piece of 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 piece of paper.

I crammed as much text as possible onto that resume. My reputation lay in the hands of the information I presented here and maybe the three individuals I list at the bottom as references.

If Barrack Obama taught us anything over the course of his campaign it was how influential an online resume can be. He built an online network unlike any other and used it to supplement his traditional campaign.

In the end, he used social media to get the job, so-to-speak.

The blending of real world networking and online social networking can be the difference between getting your first interview and getting your first job.

For the seniors in college, I encourage you to think about hard your facebook profile and yes, delete pictures that put your reputation in question. Share your life online, share your experiences, but share wisely.

Your employers will google you.

Those results are your new resume.

As I headed to the Kennedy Center last night for a show, I began thinking about the preparation involved in stage production and what an immense undertaking it is. The behind the scenes work takes months to produce a seemingly effortless result; the performance.

I was always taught that the trick to acting is to make each performance seem like the first time. To make each word and motion authentic to the moment, current and un-contrived.

I believe the same idea applies to real life and to business, especially from a customer service standpoint. Each interaction with a customer or client should feel real, not a canned corporate answer and definitely should not sound like a rehearsed script.

No matter the interaction, act as though you are the only personal contact that the customer has with your company. Be prepared and behave as though the entire company’s image depends on you.

More on this tomorrow…

Photo by: Beck Exposed

Do marketers avoid being persuaded by their own art?

Or do marketers love the hypnosis that comes from their own craft?

Over the past 3 years I’ve worked with a lot of marketing and PR professionals. As a result of the work I see happening around me I have become much more aware of my surroundings and the messages that are being sent to be from products and logos. Simultaneously, I have found myself analyzing and critiquing advertising campaigns.

I feel comfortable saying that most folks find a little enjoyment in making sure Apple doesn’t do something politically incorrect, or that Coca Cola doesn’t run into a communication crisis over water pollution or something, right?

We all want brands to do well- but not too well. I also think that fans of good branding campaigns enjoy that the message being received by them also says something about them.

But I wonder if marketers are a little too keen on the meanings of messages and ads they see in their everyday lives? Take McDonalds Olympic ads: I know that Olympians don’t eat McDonalds and drink soda. Or what about Gas and oil companies? We have all noticed an increasing amount of commercials and positive green campaigns. But- because I recognize the message being sent, what does that say about me? I still eat McDonalds. I still buy gas.

I think the interview with Exxon’s CEO, Rex Tillerman was one of the best examples of a company explaining themselves. He said his job is to provide, fast and reliable energy.”- That’s it- Not to save the world. Remember, he wants to get paid just like you and I – and I think he was correct in saying this isn’t up to just Exxon.

Consumers have the power. If we continue to buy cars that run on gas -we fuel the flames- so to speak. He explains that there is not just one simple solution; this will take a hybrid (some jokes?) approach. We will need to combine other energy sources; sun, water, light & wind, to create a balanced energy solution. Now I sound like a politician…

I believe that Exxon and others like them can sit back and wait for their consumers to tip the multi-faceted energy scales from oil to something else. But Green Ad’s do nothing for me.

We have to walk the walk first to bring about change- literally, walk.

When is bike to work day? Did I miss it?

I just finished reading “The Four Hour Work Week” By Tim Ferriss while on vacation with my girlfriend and best friends from home. Now -I don’t know whether or not it was necessarily because I was on vacation- but it was- that the entrepreneurial side of me came out in full force. Something about being on vacation makes you want to be “away” from the real world stresses of life and work. In his book, Ferriss outlines a plan to fulfilling your dreams (what he calls dreamlining) and how anyone can achieve success and happiness- you just have to make it happen for you.

One of the main chords that struck me so effectively was Ferris’ description of retirement dreams. He explains that when most folks think of retirement, they imagine having X amount of dollars in their bank account and traveling and or taking care of their families, right? What Ferriss explains is that, life doesn’t have to be a beginning to end; start-to-finish race, it can be a series of high points: I’ll call them Life Rushes- you know, those moments when you feel alive, those times when you are being who you imagine yourself to be?

Who are you? 

Interpersonal communication is the process of sending and receiving information with another person. Communication with this other person can be both verbal and nonverbal.
 
The idea is simple, but the implications are monstrous. It seems so easy to say, “I communicate well with others.” But how do you know? How do you measure your ability to communicate? How do you measure your communication success? Is it your ability to get what you want out of an interaction? Or the number of followers and friends you have on Facebook and Twitter? Google Analytics? How?
 
Let me stick to the basic idea. When you have a ‘personal’ interaction with someone you usually send them messages, both verbally and non verbally. However, non-verbal language accounts for 90% of a total interaction. Cues are given through eye contact, vocal inflection as well as haptic interactions or the act of touching i.e. a high five or hand shake are a big part of any interaction.
 
Each of these cues offer nonverbal messages as to the person’s intentions or feelings. They also cause feelings in the receiver, whether positive or negative.

How much of what we reveal about ourselves in an interaction depends on how much another person is willing to reveal about themselves. When someone opens up to you with a personal secret, you are more likely to respond with something a little more in depth about yourself, right? This give-and-take principle is how we adjust the depth we are willing to dive into a certain topic within an interaction

How does Social Media deal with the non-verbal part of an interaction?
 
Listen more and talk less?

“First seek to understand, then seek to be understood.”

Interpersonal communication is the process of sending and receiving information or more easily described as: communicating with another person. This communication can be verbal or nonverbal.
 
The idea is simple, but the implications are monstrous. It seems so easy to say, “I communicate well with others.” But how do you know? How do you measure your ability to communicate? Do you measure your communication success in your ability to get what you want out of an interaction?
 
Let me stick to the basic idea. When you have an interaction with someone you send them messages, both verbally and non verbally. It is scientifically known that non-verbal language accounts for 90% of the total interaction. Cues are given through eye contact, vocal inflection as well as haptic interactions or the act of touching i.e. a high five or hand shake.
 
Each of these cues offer nonverbal messages as to the person’s intentions or feelings. They also cause feelings in the receiver, whether positive or negative.
 
In the realm of leadership this idea of ‘sender/receiver’ messages comes into play when communicating with constituents.

I believe that actors make good leaders because of this ability to distinguish motivation within an interaction. Maybe this is the reason Hollywood is so wrapped up in politics? Actors are able to analyze a persons or group’s motivation by listening to the words and watching the non verbal cues as the messages are transmitted within an interaction. Actors are also good at reading personalities.

How much of what we reveal about ourselves in an interaction depends on how much another person is willing to reveal about themselves. When someone opens up to you with a personal secret, you are more likely to respond with something a little more in depth about yourself, right? This give and take principle is how we adjust how deep we are willing to dive into a certain topic within a conversation. Some people simply do not know how to open and close this window from conversation to conversation. These people treat every person they talk with as a best friend. It can get quiet burdensome to those involved in the conversation who often feel obligated to listen and possibly pressured to share personal information about themselves at a faster rate than they are comfortable with.

The lesson: Listen more and talk less