Social Networks: The Pre-requisites
September 18, 2008 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Leave a Comment
Businesses of all sizes and industries, from solo firms to large corporations, are becoming increasingly interested in using social networks, both internally and externally, to build collaborative and conversational communities.
When I talk to owners, managers and executives about their approach and expectations, I often hear answers that combine elements of Web site initiatives and marketing campaigns. But social networks are about sharing and relationship building. A traditional approach will likely fail.
What I usually don’t hear is a deep understanding of why social networks make sense for them and how social networks are related to shifts in control of markets, knowledge, media and technology. Unlike pre-Web 2.0 online marketing, branding, communications and e-commerce, social networks initiatives bear little resemblance to traditional business and marketing models. Although its good to carefully and consciously experiment, a serious social network program requires that deep understanding as well as integrating a clear purpose and message in all content and communications.
I like the holon as a metaphor for an integral social network strategy.
Social Media Integral Strategy
A holon (Greek: holos, “whole”) is something that is simultaneously a whole and a part. The word was coined by Arthur Koestler in his book The Ghost in the Machine (1967, p. 48). Wikipedia
Whatever the planning process, a visual will ensure that strategy and execution is anchored to the underlying understanding and purpose. Simple questions should be asked at the outset and periodically, for example:
- Is this good for me?
- ….for us?
- ….for the community?
- ….for a greater good?
Once the purpose is clear, a road-map for short-term experiential learning, and long-term actionable metrics can be developed to direct your social networks to go the right way.
Use visuals to simplify and clarify.
August 26, 2008 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Leave a Comment
RedShift: Natural influence expansion in the connected world
Most of the popular small business advice is tailored to product companies. That’s because service firms are always more challenging to define and differentiate without creating complexity which then leads to confusion. And that confusion will increase as new small and solo professional service firms are founded by generalists, multiple careerists and encore careerists.
The nimble solo psf’s are uniquely able to create services for evolving markets that emerge from disruption, convergence and shifting demographics. Their challenge is to simply and effectively communicate who they are, where they’re going and how they help their clients.
If I can’t easily explain my content, I step back, formulate a question that I think needs to be answered and then convey that answer in some visual format. I give my right brain the right of way so to speak. I know its a highly effective method for gaining “creative clarity” and I use it extensively and successfully in client work.
Here’s a recent example of mine. To improve my ability to more clearly communicate RedShfit’s benefits to my clients and community, the question I asked myself is: How do RedShift programs create natural influence and why is that good?
By creating the graphic, I let my right brain (mostly) give me the answer.
You don’t need high-end graphics skills to do this; a whiteboard sketch is great. I used CmapTools for the natural influence concept map.
.
RedShift News
August 20, 2008 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · 1 Comment
RedShift Web 2.0
I’ve recently made significant changes (yup - again!) to my web site and blog and it may be of interest to those of you who are starting a new business needing online content or who are thinking of bringing your existing site(s) to another level. I’ll try to explain in the simplest, non-technical language as possible.
I decided 2 weeks ago to migrate to WordPress and to self host my blog. I’d previously used TypePad, a blog service. I was so impressed with its capabilities, that I decided to integrate my web site and my blog, bringing them both together in one WordPress site. Not only is it more professional looking and integrated, but it also provides a greatly enhanced architecture for Web 2.0 trends and search engine optimization. On top of that, its easier to maintain, manage and update, and its cool and fun which I like to be. Its no longer a big deal to add additional functionality (calendars, forums, social networking….you name it) and the capabilities are extensive.
Custom web design and programming is expensive for solo’s and small business and often does not really serve the purpose of building community and relationships. On the other hand, standardized applications, developed specifically for Web 2.0, provide a pre-built structure for doing just that. When business owners don’t have to deal with the mechanics, they can focus on education, collaboration and relationship building - the things that keep people coming back for more. Another huge advantage is that WordPress sites are developed to maximize search engine placement.
Although I’ve resisted doing Web site work for clients in the past, I believe that these great new web tools, combined with my strategy, writing and coaching skills, allow me to offer “my kind” of creative program that provides clients real value for a very reasonable investment. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
I still have a few things on my new site to fix or complete. But I’m trying to adhere to a mantra that someone I respect recently posted: “better done than perfect”.
RedShift on Twitter
I’m now on Twitter and send out very short posts - information, ideas, inspiration. If you’d like to check it out, or if you’re interested in following me on Twitter, you can get my little snippets by email or on your cellphone. You may want to experiment with Twitter yourself. Like most Web 2.0, its very simple concept providing a lot of community development potential.
As always, thanks so much for your time, interest and feedback!
Creativity readiness and Neil Young
July 21, 2008 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Leave a Comment
I get some of my best ideas right after waking up, and sometimes lapse in my commitment to write them down immediately. I grab a coffee, browse my feeds, check my email, make some calls. Then I go back to the ideas..and they’re gone baby gone.
Developing the creative habit means that you don’t that. Here’s an example of someone who never does that: Neil Young. I’m a lifelong fan of his music and his continual re-invention.
In his conversation with Charlie Rose, Neil describes and gives examples of his creative process, although he seems to hate the whole notion of “process”.
If you want to increase your creativity, watch it. If you don’t have the time, at least browse my summary points.
My summary points:
- You gotta be ready whenever it happens, when an idea strikes. If you don’t get it its gone. You can’t ignore it. If you don’t pick up the gift its gone; wherever you are or whatever it is you’re doing you can’t ignore it.
- There are no dry periods; you know and trust its going to happen so you stay open to it.
- If you think too much about it its not going to work; no trying to figure anything out.
- Ideas are a gift; there’s no way you own them. Its a gift that keeps on giving if you accept it.
- Just be there.
- Respect the source.
- I transcend into the mind of who I’m song writing about.
- I’m in the habit of doing things I feel like doing.
- I can be just as creative in other ways, like mechanical and technology. I set a goal, for example: eliminate roadside re-fueling.
- Corporations: they’re not as free as I am; they’re constrained in structure. Me: I’m not scared to fail.
When things backfire.
June 30, 2008 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Leave a Comment
I want to illustrate with a more specific example, particularly for solo professional creative practitioners, of when the old default response can kick in. Its one thing to theoretically talk about raising emotional intelligence and empathy. Its quite another when you’re getting attacked and you never saw it coming. It happens; you turn in something good, maybe even your best work, but your boss, or client or professor or whoever unexpectedly reacts very negatively and lashes out at you.
When that happens, in a real-world professional situation, can you prevent yourself from getting “hooked” and responding by running away, judging and criticizing, lashing back, getting your allies involved, going for the win, and re-living (and embellishing) the memory over and over in your thoughts?
Yes, you can respond differently, with practice. And to practice means staying present with your feelings and using whatever techniques you’ve learned that will prevent you from getting hooked. And if you totally, or partially fail, you resolve to keep practicing and being alert and vigilant to your default and automatic egoic responses to people and situations that backfire on you. Because without them, there’s no test, no real-world practice, no awakening to your own blind spots and consequently less self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
Don’t confuse your resolve with thinking you’re becoming a pushover because great strength, power and natural influence accumulate and suffering diminishes when you practice self-awareness and self-management in unpleasant situations and with unpleasant people. Like failure, they’re your best teachers, so be grateful for them even though you dislike them. Its good practice.
Technorati Tags:
creative process, empathy, natural influence, self-awareness, solo professional service firm
Positioning
June 10, 2008 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Leave a Comment
Another metaphor found me last night as I was browsing through my rss feeds.
A popular marketing blogger/author wrote a dire post about the urgency (emergency!) of paying off credit cards and recommended drastic personal spending cutbacks including eating rice and beans for a year.
Another popular blogger wrote about how the fearless small business, that embraces a “So screw it. Let’s ride.” belief is poised for a treasure chest business bonanza.
The third was a Mac blog about the new iPhone which has a very cool built-in GPS (Global Positioning System).
It struck me that we have the choice in every moment to choose our personal and professional life experience GPS. The two bloggers provide radically different views about how to respond to change and there are limitless directional choices beyond these two. I’m not advocating either. I do want to point out that our beliefs are like GPS satellites. They unfailingly get us to the destination based upon our input, that is our beliefs, intentions and assumptions, into our system.
If we commit to and urgently prepare for survival our belief satellites put us on the scarcity, subsistence and lack highway for as long as we intend that. If we commit to and are poised for success and a huge demand for our services, then that’s the road on which we’ll travel and the destination we’ll arrive at.
What do you call your positioning system? I like FPS (Field Positioning System). Other possible replacements for global are: universe, spiritual, source, etc. Whatever you call your positioning system, be vigilant about what you choose to believe, and then just set cruise control and D.R.I.V.E.
Technorati Tags:
self-awareness, solo professional service firm
A simple, inexpensive creativity support system
May 29, 2008 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Comments Off
For quite some time I’ve been diligent about always having index cards and 4 x 6 yellow pads on hand to take notes on new business ideas, my self-awareness and personal development, my insights, ideas, observances, and experiences, etc. Its all in long-hand writing; digital doesn’t cut it for me when I’m writing from the heart. I’ve found writing these pages an extremely valuable practice supporting my creativity and growth.
However, I never labeled, titled or dated these pages, and when I filled a notebook I just stuck it in a basket where they accumulated. I sometimes reviewed what I wrote but usually found it to be too much trouble to find what I was looking for. I hate paper, files and clutter and love simplicity and minimalism. So I felt pretty good about the fact that I was actually saving the notebooks instead of getting rid of them.
But then I read a wonderful book, “The Creative Habit, Learn It and Use It For Life”, by Twyla Tharp. She wrote about the importance not only of taking notes, but of organizing, categorizing and saving them. Her system is to start “a box” for each choreographic project that provides a comprehensive archive of ideas, video, photos, music, inspiration, learning, design - and all the myriad elements that comprise her dance creations. Its a system she finds indispensable to her craft and she highly recommends it to anyone committed to creativity.
I consistently do creativity exercises, for myself, and with my clients. But when it comes to process and practical habits development, I tend to gloss over it. It always felt too much like office work and not enough like being creative.
But Ms Tharpe writes so compellingly and persuasively about the critical importance of “the box” to creative development that I decided to follow my strong impulse to try it out. Before I began, I made a few decisions about how I should approach “my box” so that it would be enjoyable, applicable to my specific needs and not a dreary task. To that end:
- It would be more generalized rather than project specific.
- It had to be simple, made from stuff that I had on hand, with no trip to office supply store required.
- It had to be done on the porch, in the sun, away from computers, phones and any other electronics distractions.
So the photo below is the result of three surprisingly enjoyable hours spent putting together my “box”. And I expect that my investment in practicing the creative habit will pay off in many unexpected ways over time.
The materials:
- old plastic file storage box
- old metal 5-section file holder that fit in box
- large clips
My box categories:
- Content and community
- Self-awareness and personal growth
- Dreams and imagination
- New skills and abilities
- Creativity
Tasks:
- Tear pages from notebooks and clip them together in categories
- Label categories in “my box” and file pages
- Enjoy the sense of satisfaction and completion
I highly recommend that anyone interested in creativity and personal and professional enrichment make their own version of “the box”. So many ideas are wasted because they’re not converted to content that can be shared, reviewed, embodied or somehow brought to life because they’ve not been made tangible. This has been my experience and I see it happen repeatedly with both individual and business clients.
So my request of you is to value all of it and use this system. Its simple, its enjoyable and its a great beginning to your lifelong creative habit.
Heck, maybe there’s a “creativity box” photo contest opportunity here? Gotta run..need to get the idea written down and into my box!
Default response
May 22, 2008 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Leave a Comment
I recently posted about how changing beliefs is an easier response than trying to change external conditions over which we have little or no control. There’s a lot of mass-marketed self-help, new-age type advice and even coaching schools of thought that make light of unwanted beliefs that drive our experience in the wrong way, and that tell us to simply will and affirm these pesky “gremlins” away.
But anyone wanting a greater life experience through awareness has been challenged to change what I call the default response to change triggers. You can be in the midst of performing a mundane activity and suddenly realize that you’ve been mentally dress-rehearsing an unwanted scenario for the past 10 minutes and you wonder “where did that come from?”. Or you immediately regret something you said or did and can’t even imagine what possessed you, although it has a kernel of familiarity.
But just like we can re-boot, re-program and de-bug our computer operating systems, we can do the same with our infinitely complex neurology and neurochemistry by identifying the old instructions and replacing them. And we have the advantage of having feelings that will point us to these operating system beliefs, or “code” because they’re well hidden and were chosen by us, either consciously or unconsciously, as fail-safes.
There’s no one-size fits all formula for how feelings, default responses and beliefs track together and keep us stuck in a cycle. But I do often get asked to provide examples; so I’ve charted some that I’ve seen come up in myself and in others and that I know, once identified, can be cleared and followed by transformation and surprising positive results for both individuals and organizations. Its not a matter of will, but of choice.
Technorati Tags:
creative process, self-awareness, solo professional service firm
Strategy
May 14, 2008 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Leave a Comment
I’ve always been quite proud of and grateful for my skill, talent and experience in strategy. The ability to figure out all the angles, possibilities, scenarios and methods for problem solving and decision making served me very well in both my professional and personal life. Or so I thought.
Because over the past year I’ve shifted as I’ve realized that my being strategic about certain aspects of my personal reality was a (lifelong!) habitual, albeit sophisticated, attempt to control when non-resistance, or willingness to let go, accept and receive, was the better response. And these old habits, particularly when they’re connected to safety and survival needs (my specialties), tend to sneak back in and get the ego involved when I least expect it, during meditation for example.
But gradually, and sometimes in leaps and bounds, there’s a great sense of ease and relief in letting go of attempting to control through strategic means that which we don’t have control over and in fact never did have control over.
So for the past days I’ve been going through a lot of my material, and books, and notes to try to synthesize, re-frame and present this material visually and creatively to maximize its value to my readers and clients. I wanted to come up with a compelling diagram or clever map that would provide a starting point to answering the question: when is strategy the correct response and when does it counter-direct? The harder I tried, the less I accomplished and the worse I felt until I finally realized that I was being strategic…again.
So I allowed myself a few minutes of stillness to see what came up and this came up:
Relief.
Technorati Tags:
self-awareness, solo professional service firm, source
Not Knowing “How”.
May 1, 2008 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Comments Off
I’m noticing increasing individual and collective asking of others in private, business and public life that they answer the following: “How…how are you (or am I) going to do that?”
In one of my last jobs as an employee, a contract came in for strategy consulting for a major retail client and was assigned to me. I was pressured by my manager to communicate “how” I was going to do it and my answer, explaining my experiential process, was not the answer my manager wanted to hear. During that time period, another strategy project was requested by a financial services client. The manager and another consultant determined that using a “thought tool”, that someone in the company had read about, was “how” that project would be done. The general consensus was that I would surely sink and the other consultant would succeed.
In the days that followed, I spent a fair amount of time staring at a large blank whiteboard, doodling around with some terms that kept popping into my mind, thinking about experiences and learning that seemed to fit, following my intuition about what to research and who to interview, and playing around with some patterns, inter-relationships and visuals. Strategies began to emerge for potential large-scale client opportunities and the project was deemed a big success. The other project proceeded much more definitively than mine in a step-by-step path to meet the goal; and then it hit a wall because the final recommendations were pretty much common sensical, small, incremental improvements for the client that did not justify their investment. Concessions had to be made to the client.
So now, a decade later, I think: could I have done better answering “how will I do it”? Probably not to the satisfaction of the person asking. What I have learned is to be vigilant (the “V” in D.R.I.V.E.), and to help others be vigilant, about the negative power and creative buzz-kill in insisting upon asking: “how?”.
Technorati Tags:
creative process, leadership, solo professional service firm