A Roadmap for the Social Media Maze

Social Media Engagement for Dummies – Aliza Sherman and Danielle Elliot Smith (Wiley)

A quick look at any number of infographics that have been created in the past couple of years cover the explosion of social media outlets and it quickly become clear that the way we do business has changed dramatically and we’re going to need a roadmap to guide us through this ever increasingly tangled web of sites.

Clearly this is not a “build it and they will come” kind of thing; you need a strategy and a plan to execute. Aliza Sherman, founder of Cybergirl Inc. a full service internet company and Danielle Elliot Smith founder of ExtraordinaryMommy.com among many others, are multi-talented and engaged on a number of levels in guiding folks through the complexities of the social media maze. They have offered up a tremendous set of tools in the form of their new book Social Media Engagement for Dummies.

 

While some may scoff at the For Dummies books as a guide to the basics, sort of training wheels for the uninformed, I find them to be useful compendiums that I turn to for quick reference and often times inspiration. Sherman and Smith do breakdown the basics of social media, but also delve into helping you learn from their missteps and help you drill down into ways of being more effective and truly targeting your audience to maximize results.

They also help to broaden your horizons beyond the standard Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Google + routes. It’s not just a matter of bombing your audience with messages; it’s about developing the right message and the right method to make that message impactful. Sherman and Smith make path easier to follow and you will quickly find your copy of Social Media Engagement for Dummies dog eared and underlined just like mine.

The Death of Deception

Spy The Lie – Philip Houston, Michael Floyd, Susan Carnicero, with Don Tennant –

(St. Martin’s Press)

Have you ever been in a situation, workplace or social, were something struck you as being just not right about the person that is across from you. Call it instinct, call it a sixth sense, if you’re superhero inclined call it Spidey-sense or call it whatever you’d like; your internal detection system has noted that there is a problem.

Now imagine that there is a system that can take that internal sense for deception and take it to the next level through a program that has been developed by folks who made their living by spotting deception in the high stakes world of international intelligence at the CIA. Imagine no more…that system exists and is available in the form of;  Spy The Lie – Former CIA Case Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception, by Philip Houston, Michael Floyd, Susan Carnicero, with Don Tennant.

Houston developed the techniques to detect deception in counter-terrorism operations and criminal investigation to protect the security of the United States. Now they show you how to take that skillset and transfer it to work and social situations. No you won’t have to visit your favorite hardware store to buy powerful spotlights and a length of rubber hose. The techniques they detail, involve the ability to pick up on both verbal and non-verbal clues that indicate deception.

While much of the material involves a level of technical information to digest, but the anecdotal examples give real world incites that make the technical easily digestible. The authors do an amazing job of showcasing the deception in verbal cues from the Bob Costas interview of Jerry Sandusky prior to his criminal trial.

While the insights and techniques provide in this book are not a magic bullet for detecting deception. The authors clearly developed these processes through trail and error over the course of time and through a variety of situations and with time and practice you will be able to hone your skills.

 

 

A Leadership Library

Motivation – Negotiation -  Delegation and Supervision – Brain Tracy (AMACOM)

Fear is a great motivator.

That true if you’re reading a thriller centered on taking out a bad guy or stopping a terrorist. In the work place not so much. Speaker, author, and leadership trainer Brian Tracy makes the strong case that leaders who wield fear as a motivational tool are actually having a negative impact on their organizations.

Tracy is out with the first three installments of what is currently planned to be a five-part series dubbed the Brian Tracy Success Library. Tracy has authored or co-written a shelf full of books and this set does borrow concepts that he has written about in prior editions. This compact set makes a great reference tool and boils down many broader concepts into useful, actionable tools that can be put into practice today.

 

I was struck early on in Motivation by the concept of driving out fear in your organization; it actually de-motivates managers and employees from taking chances and striving for success. I think everyone has worked for one of those iron-fisted tyrants who ruled with fear; I know I can certainly relate. Contrast that with leaders who created an environment of freedom that nurtured success. This is good stuff for newbies and veteran mangers alike; full of useful tools and concepts to move your team forward.

Negotiation brings you the perspective from both sides of the table; in a world that preaches a win at all costs mindset, this was a interesting perspective. Tips, tricks, skills whatever you want to call them, the book certainly delivers clear insights into the process of negotiation. As a obsessive preparer, I could certainly relate to the section on the keys of preparation when it comes to negotiation.

Knowing what your goals are going into a negotiation is a critical point; being confident in your preparation allows you the ability to use one of the most effective negotiation techniques, the walk away method. I have used this technique effectively on numerous occasions with everything from buying a car to huge broadcast rights contracts and the purchase of collectibles. While negotiation is a skill honed over time and practice, Tracy certainly compiles a great collection of tools to help you refine the skill.

 

Ever feel like the guy on the Ed Sullivan Show that tried to keep the plates spinning on the sticks?  Is your plate filled to overflowing? Then you may want to ponder Delegation and Supervision to learn how to effectively hand off work while maintaining a level of control and still delivering on measurable goals.

Tracy makes the case that delegation not simply passing the buck, but a way for managers to display confidence in their employees and utilize delegation as a tool to develop new skills in the team. The section of delivering useful feedback and constructive guidance works for both of the book’s title topics. As an experienced manager I readily admit to having difficulties with delegating; you have to train yourself to get over the control issues and learn how to match skillsets with tasks to improve outcomes.

While some may find this series a little too basic, I think they offer a solid mix of tools and tactics that will help you no matter what your leadership experience. I am looking forward to adding the next two installments; Leadership and Time Management to my toolkit when they get released.