Rock.Paper.Scissors E-newsletter’s out: Funny Social Media resources from ‘Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Social Media and the 3 little pigs’
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Communication, Human resources
Ouch! Attention all employees and employers: A great example of what NOT to post on Facebook and how NOT to react to said bad post!
Have you left a comment on the 29 ways to stay creative when you’re training (part 3 of 3) post? No? Hurry up! The contest closes today, Monday, September 26th. Simply enter a comment to be entered to win a copy of the song ‘Eureka.’
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The latest Rock.Paper.Scissors Inc. e-newsletter is out, where I review the book Social HR by Harpaul Sambhi and interview the author.
In this post I serve up some Social Media resources on the lighter side, in the last post I write a review about Social HR and in another I dish up some Social Media resources on the serious side. Want to read the whole newsletter? Check it out here.
Are you befuddled with Social Media? Got your knickers in knot? Relax. After catching your breath from reading the Facebook post gone bad above take a look at some of these other fun and funny Social Media resources from the Rock.Paper.Scissors Inc. e-newsletter:
- Need some Social Media comic relief? Check out these funny Noise to Signal Social Media themed cartoons.
- Twitter got you all a flutter? Check out this fun & catchy video below. Caution: it’s catchy. (3:47 min)
Tags: facebook, harpaul sambhi, noise to signal, social HR, social media, twitter
Rock.Paper.Scissors E-newsletter’s out: Social Media resources from ‘Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Social Media and the 3 little pigs’
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Communication, Human resources
Have you left a comment on the 29 ways to stay creative when you’re training (part 3 of 3) post? No? Hurry up! The contest closes Monday, September 26th. Simply enter a comment to be entered to win a copy of the song ‘Eureka.’
*******
The latest Rock.Paper.Scissors Inc. e-newsletter is out, where I review the book Social HR by Harpaul Sambhi and interview the author.
In this post I serve up some Social Media resources, in the last post I write a review about Social HR and in the next post I’ll dish up some Social Media resources on the lighter side. Want to read the whole newsletter? Check it out here.
The plethora of Social Media resources can be confounding at best. Here are some worth looking into:
- Get a copy of Harpaul Sambhi’s Social HR book here (it’s pricey but worth it)
- I’ve bookmarked lots of Social Media resources in my Delicious account; access them here.
- Impact99- a Canadian HR & Social Media conference being held in multiple locations. Not in Canada? You can still check out their informative video.
- Taught by yours truly: Transforming Workplace Learning Through Social Media – November 14-15th, 2011, Justice Institute, New Westminster
Tags: harpaul sambhi, Human resources, impact99, justice institute, social HR, social media
Rock.Paper.Scissors E-newsletter’s out: Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Social Media and the 3 little pigs
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Communication, Human resources
*** Have you left a comment on the 29 ways to stay creative when you’re training (part 3 of 3) post? ***
No? Hurry up! The contest closes Monday, September 26th. Simply enter a comment to be entered to win a copy of the song ‘Eureka.’
The latest Rock.Paper.Scissors Inc. e-newsletter is out, where I review the book Social HR by Harpaul Sambhi and interview the author.
Here’s a peek at the article. Stay tuned for the next two blog posts which include social media resources – for real and on the lighter side. Want to read the whole newsletter? Check it out here.
The definition and what Social Media can do:
Social Media is “the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue,” says Wikipedia (a social media platform itself). Social media includes personal and professional social networks (Facebook and LinkedIn), blogs, Wikis, video distribution (YouTube) and microblogs (Twitter).
Social HR then is a “human resources strategy that uses social media … to enhance productivity within an organization, build an organization’s brand and attract top talent,” says Sambhi. Social
Media can be used in every part of human resources he goes on to say from recruitment, engagement and labour relations to organizational development, total rewards and training.
Social Media facilitates organizational effectiveness, mentoring, employee productivity, collaboration, innovation, increasing diversity, continuous learning and more.
Where to start? Pick one thing you’d like to use Social Media for and start there. There’s no use biting off more than you can chew, simply grab one mouthful for now.
The first little pig: Platform
Social Media is here to stay. There are some 1.2 billion Internet users. Who wouldn’t want to communicate, influence, reach out, educate and be educated by that audience?
|
Social Media Platform |
Approximate No. of Users |
|
|
500 million |
|
|
75 million |
|
More than 100 million views a day |
|
|
200 million |
People (and organizations) use Social Media platforms very differently. To help explain how Sambhi handily includes Li and Berhnhoff’s Social Media categorizations in the chart below.
|
Category of User |
Type of Use |
|
Creators |
Publish content |
|
Critics |
Comment on content |
|
Collectors |
Vote on or rate critics’ opinions |
|
Joiners |
Sign up to a particular site and read content |
|
Spectators |
Don’t sign up but will access the websites to gather information |
|
Inactives |
Don’t participate in any Social Media activity |
Where to start? Sambhi recommends connecting with your end users to see how they use that media. “Once you know how they use it, I would recommend taking a dive on that medium to understand how users will interact.” There’s no use developing a LinkedIn strategy for example, if your target audience is all over Twitter.
The second little pig: Policy
Sambhi lists a number of common concerns about Social Media, including: the blurring of professional and personal, brand damage, loss of productivity and leaking confidential information. While all very possible, he says they are vastly outweighed by the benefits of Social Media including not alienating employees and capturing potential candidates, customers and innovation.
When I asked him what the oddest reason he’d heard for someone not using social media he said, “Oh my, there are [too] many to recount! One said they would never use it since they can’t get their children’s attention at the dinner table. Others include ‘don’t want to see my employees drunken moments.’”
He’s very clear that blocking websites is not the answer. In fact one study he quotes found employees using Social Media on the job were 9% more productive then employees who weren’t.
Where to start? The relative cure for these potential ills is a well-designed Social Media Policy. If your organizational doesn’t have one, pick up a copy of Sambhi’s book for what to consider in creating one. At the simplest level he says to define what is meant by Social Media and how and when employees can access it.
The third little pig: Plan
Social Media can quickly become overwhelming so a plan is critical. “Understanding your end user” is key as users are affected by age, geography, gender, occupation etc. For example, women aged 55-65 are the fastest growing demographic on Facebook.
Sambhi includes a fascinating section on engagement factors. Are your end users (the employees and/or customers you want to reach) motivated by intrinsic factors such as supporting a cause, innovation, learning, curiousity or a challenge or competition? Or are they more likely to respond to extrinsic factors like performance evaluation, incentives, discounts, exclusivity and recognition?
Sambhi incorporates helpful examples for each such as Google’s practice of giving employees 20% of their overall time to work on projects of their own choice. Sound dramatic? Know that 50% of Google products stem from this practice. Not a bad ratio and a great example of using the intrinsic innovation engagement factor.
Where to start with your plan? Start with 1 platform and 1 purpose. You can diversify from there. Also do your research and listen. Create some Google alerts. Google alerts are like your own personal clipping service. Google will send you a summary of websites you can then click on for more information each time your alert is mentioned. Your alert can be your name, your company’s name, a competitor’s name etc.
Sambhi’s book has sections on everything from concerns, legal, social strategies, recruitment and branding to leadership development, total rewards, diversity, labour relations and predictions about what the future will bring. Other than a couple of confusing charts, Social HR is a comprehensive, illuminating and easy read.
Dig into it, and with the 3 Little Pigs (platform, policy and plan), you’ll fend off what may currently feel like the big bad wolf of Social Media and be on your way to becoming a Social Media star.
Tags: facebook, harpaul sambhi, linkedin, social HR, social media, twitter, youtube
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Social Media and the 3 little pigs© – book review of ‘Social HR’ by Harpaul Sambhi
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Communication
*** Have you entered your creativity comment on the 29 ways to stay creative when you’re training (part 3 of 3) post? ***
No? Hurry up! The contest closes Monday, September 26th. Simply enter a comment to be entered to win a copy of the song ‘Eureka.’
Here’s a sneak peak from the Rock.Paper.Scissors Inc. e-newsletter that comes out tomorrow. Not a subscriber? Simply go to our home page and sign up for the free monthly newsletter packed with resources.
- Are you fearful of social media?
- Do you have more social media questions than answers?
- Do you think social media is anyone’s department but yours?
If social media has you huffing and puffing with nerves, consternation and/or fear, the story of the three little pigs will help prevent you from getting blown about by the big bad wolf of social media.
The few social media sessions I see at Human Resources conferences are generally recruitment oriented, so when I saw Harpaul Sambhi’s Social HR book I jumped at the chance to review it and interview him.
Sambhi makes a strong case for including social media in all aspects of Human Resources. In fact his book is a comprehensive read for anyone contemplating how to use Social Media in HR. (By the way, all references to the 3 Little Pigs are mine, you won’t find them in his book.)
Are you nervous? About to stop reading? Relax. I’ll hold your hand and we’ll take it slow. If you still need a nudge to think about your role (yes your role) with social media, consider that not using social media is like saying no to email and sticking to faxes. “It’s the next communication medium. Much like the email revolution in the 90’s, there are over a billion people that are connected on the social graph. Connecting in real time is simply imperative,” says Sambhi.
Tags: book review, harpaul sambhi, rock.paper.scissors newsletter, social HR, social media
Perspective on public peeing – are public toilets a gift? (& other issues of access & inclusion)
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Social Responsibility, Training & development, Travel
Skip to the loo – why public toilets matter is a fascinating article by Michael Harris in the Walrus magazine.
Have you ever been caught needing to use a public toilet and yet not being able to find one?
Ever talked your way into a restaurant bathroom, in a restaurant that you weren’t eating in, and weren’t supposed to be using their bathroom?
Ever been traveling and REALLY had to go and didn’t know how to ask in the local language where the bathroom was?
Ever been faced with a toilet in another country that you weren’t exactly sure how to use?
I’ve been faced with all those situations, situations I’ve found myself in because of being privileged …. privileged to be able to speak in such a way that I could convince an ornery bathroom gatekeeper, privileged enough to be able to travel, privileged enough to be wearing clothes that weren’t weeks in need of a wash.
Imagine if you couldn’t. You couldn’t access a public washroom. Either because they didn’t exist in your community or because you were denied entry because of the way you looked and dressed and perhaps smelled.
Imagine.
It’s perspective changing. It’s a matter of access and inclusion?
What elements in your training and development work are issues of access and inclusion that require attention?
Tags: access and inclusion
When you’ve had a hard day training, listen to this answering machine message for a laugh
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness, Humor & comedy, Training & development
Some days it’s hard to remain professional, resilient, supportive, prepared yet spontaneous, calm, centred and understanding as a trainer. Training and development is hard work. It’s not for the faint of heart.
The following is an school’s answering machine message – it’s not real, it’s a joke. But on some days ….
Caveat: while I laughed out loud at the majority of the video, I wholeheartedly disagree with the anti-immigration, un-inclusive “if you want this in another language, move to a country that speaks it.” Otherwise laugh along.
Tags: resilience
29 ways to stay creative when you’re training (part 3 of 3) plus a contest
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Creativity & innovation, Training & development
Note: this post contains a chance to win a free song. Keep reading for how to enter…
I came across this great video (see below) from Tofu Design called 29 ways to stay creative. I really like the title because it assumes you and me are creative to start with, which is my mantra. Creativity is in our DNA – some of us just have to dig deeper for it if we’ve been discouraged from displaying our creative gifts.
I’ve added to the 29 points to emphasize how you can stay creative when you’re training, creativity being such an important part of training and all. The first part of each item below is from the video (e.g. break the rules), what follows are my suggestions (e.g. create curiousity).
BTW: for the first ten ways to stay creative when you’re training see the first post. For the second ten ways see the next post.
21) Break the rules – in training ‘ah ha!’ is often preceded by ‘huh?’ as the Heath Brothers say in their excellent book Made to Stick. Create curiousity, don’t give away all the ‘answers’. Learning will pop and stick as a result.
22) Don’t force it – you can lead a horse to the classroom but you can’t make her learn. Create the most sumptuous learning environment and learning content you can but know learning is a partnership between you and the participants. You can’t force learning.
23) Read a page of the dictionary – I use paper or online dictionaries for a creativity activity. To reinforce the concept of ‘cobbling,’ that is creative concepts often cobble together disparate, seemingly unconnected things, I’ll have participants pick two random words from a dictionary and make up a story for how they’re related. How are watermelons and speakers connected?
24) Create a framework – have a plan. Know where you’re headed with your training content. Break it into organized chunks. That’s how our brains learn.
25) Stop trying to be someone else’s perfect – learn from the masters but make your training your own. If you’re copying someone else the participants will know it.
26) Got an idea? Write it down – training ideas are elusive. Got one? Make sure you capture it on your iPhone, Blackberry, notepad whatever, just capture it.
27) Clean your workplace – make sure your training supplies are easy to find and organize. No one pays you to take 4 hours to pack up your supplies for a workshop. Organize your training agendas. Mine always include:
- a list of supplies I’m bringing to the workshop
- a list of supplies I’ve arranged for the client to provide
- what I need to do on site to prepare before the workshop starts
28) Have fun – I always say suffering is optional when it comes to learning. Make your training workshops enjoyable and retention increases. The old adage of ‘putting your nose to the grindstone’ involves blood people! Who wants to suffer when it affects learning and dramatically decreases retention.
29) Finish something – all good things must come to and end, just like this series and just like training workshops. Make sure you plan for a suitable closing. I plan my closings to include a focus on both process or Journey Life Lenses™ as well as content or Destination Life Lenses™. Then, depending on the particular group I’m working with and what they need, I’ll put the emphasis more on one or the other.
Putting the points into practice I’m combining 5 take a break, 8 drink coffee (or my equivalent shake your booty), 18 (count your blessings), 28 (have fun). Eureka by the Soweto String Quartet just came on. I’ve just cranked it up and am about to leap out of my chair and dance to it.
Point 9 is listen to new music. Make a comment below about your idea for staying creative. On Sept 26th I’ll randomly draw three people who’ve commented and send them a copy of Eureka so you too can put the points into action!
29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.
Tags: agenda, creativity, curiousity, inspiration, organization
Can you sum up resilience in a song? Bella can – listen up.
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness
I had a stroke two years ago, my memory’s not so good. When I get down I simply sing…
And with that I was introduced to the remarkable, resilient woman that is Mrs. Bella Kelly.
I met Bella while working in a tiny Northern Ontario community where she’s currently living, though she originally hails from Newfoundland. Her daughter, Cathy Ann does community engagement work and there’s nothing so engaging as watching the two of them together.
Cathy Ann leaves a note with Bella’s schedule on the kitchen counter when she’s out to help prevent confusion. A sample: 2:00 – 4:00 – Mom relaxes, 4:00 Cathy Ann will be home, 4:30 Mom goes to the community Feast
And so it goes, with a sometimes shaky grasp on the wispy bits of lived memories that forms a person’s life, Bella stays anchored in the present. If you ever get the chance to meet her, pull up a chair. She has a smile for everyone who crosses her path. You won’t have to wait long until she breaks out into song. If that’s not resilience in action I don’t know what is.
If only we were all so wise. A little faith, one day at a time, makes a big difference in how you approach challenges and obstacles.
Whether I’m cursing the GPS in my new home of Nairobi (it’s take on where I wanted to drive to yesterday wasn’t anywhere near reality), facing a challenging workshop participant or being dogged by difficult training content I imagine Bella singing.
And yes, she really is that charming in person.
Tags: cathy ann kelly, change management, resilience
29 ways to stay creative … when you’re training (part 2 of 3)
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Creativity & innovation, Training & development
I came across this great video (see below) from Tofu Design called 29 ways to stay creative. I really like the title because it assumes you and me are creative to start with, which is my mantra. Creativity is in our DNA – some of us just have to dig deeper for it if we’ve been discouraged from displaying our creative gifts.
I’ve added to the 29 points to emphasize how you can stay creative when you’re training, creativity being such an important part of training and all. The first part of each item below is from the video (e.g. surround yourself with creative people), what follows are my suggestions (e.g. include creative folk in your inner circle).
BTW: for the first ten ways to stay creative when you’re training see the first post. For the final 9 ways see the next post.
11) Surround yourself with creative people – this is key for great trainers, make sure you include creative folk in your inner circle. Some of my fav friends and sources of inspiration are Dolly Hopkins, Dyana Valentine and Danielle LaPorte.
12) Get feedback – soooo important yet oft overlooked. When I teach Workshops that Work, a training on how to teach in engaging, creative ways, one of the most nerve wracking yet best received sections is when folks get up and actually practice teaching. There’s nothing like getting feedback from other trainers (as long as it’s respectful and well intended). Ask a respected colleague to sit in on a workshop and get their feedback. Ask them for both specific and general feedback. For example if you’re unsure of how your introductions are received ask for specific feedback on that.
13) Collaborate – two heads are better than one is an oft used mantra. Know that when it comes to training it generally takes much longer to co-plan and co-deliver a workshop. The benefits to the participants are many (e.g. seeing two delivery styles), just make sure you plan your time accordingly. Also when you co-facilitate make sure you’re clear on roles, who’s doing what, if it’s okay to step in with a comment or not when it’s ‘their’ turn, and how do you signal each other if time is running over etc.
14) Don’t give up – praise the goddess of training! Training and development is tough. There will be times when you wonder just how on earth did I manage to muddle it so badly? Great trainers are made not born. It takes time to perfect your craft. And because you’re working with no less than unpredictable human beings, the very same content can go swimmingly one time and drag you down the next. Be tenacious!
15) Practice, practice, practice – hand in hand with the above, no baby ever came out of the womb teaching another how to breastfeed. It takes practice, and more practice. Even if you train the same content continuously, each group will be different, guaranteed. And likewise each group is a chance to practice and learn.
16) Allow yourself to make mistakes – your training will be downright boring if you don’t. Playing it safe means no leaping into learning, no novelty, no newness. When you’re trying a new technique however, know that some will rise to the top and others will tank. Your attitude towards mistakes will go a long way in helping your participants be comfortable in doing the same.
17) Go somewhere new – I’ve done training in the Canadian Arctic in -72 degree celsius weather and in East Africa where I had to watch for hippos by night and monkeys by day. I’ve done a workshop with Beluga whales jumping at the back of the room and in a room with no heat in the middle of winter. New venues spark it up and bring new learning to the table so get out and go forth!
18) Count your blessings – keep a file (electronic or paper) of feedback from participants. Remember why you got into training and development in the first place. There’s nothing like the rush of helping to facilitate learning and opening doors for participants.
19) Get lots of rest – taking good care of yourself means you’re better able to be the great trainer that you are. Get enough sleep and make sure you have lots of water to drink. If the workshop is long enough ensure proper breaks (for you and the participants). If I’m anticipating a tough crowd I’ll bring some lavender scent with me to help me stay relaxed, calm and open. Think about what works for you and do it!
20) Take risks – it’s a risk for participants to enter into learning. It’s about making oneself vulnerable. As a trainer we can and should model that as well. Some of my best feedback has come when I’ve felt the most vulnerable and taken the greatest risks. Take a deep breath and dive into learning!
29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.
Tags: collaboration, creativity, danielle laporte, Dolly Hopkins, dyana valentine, feedback
29 ways to stay creative … when you’re training (part 1 of 3)
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Creativity & innovation, Training & development
What the heck is this? Read tip #4 for the answer.
I came across this great video from Tofu Design called 29 ways to stay creative. The title caught my eye – particularly the word stay as it assumes you and me are creative to start with, which I firmly believe.
You can view the video below. I’ve added to each point to emphasize how you can stay creative when you’re training. The first part of each point below is from the video (e.g. make lists), what follows are my suggestions (e.g. organize your content).
1) Make lists – organize your content. No one pays for endless hours of content development so make sure you have systems for organizing your training content and supplies. I use a custom designed database for tracking teaching activities and supplies.
2) Carry a notebook everywhere – inspiration can strike in the oddest places, make sure you capture it because it can be elusive. I keep a pen and paper by my bed, I have a ‘design book’ I carry everywhere with me and of course, I have my trusty iPhone to add notes to. It doesn’t matter how you capture your ideas, the point is capture them!
3) Try free writing – it’s easy to fall into teaching the same content in the same way over and over and over (bored yet?!). Try journaling and see what new ideas you come up with for content and/or learning activities.
4) Get away from the computer – a fun exercise I use for creativity and innovation workshops was gained from visiting a bike store and learning what an illiometer was. That’s it above. It measures the distance between your butt bones so you can get a comfortable bike seat. Look for inspiration and ideas everywhere.
5) Take breaks – for example go into a dollar store and pick up an unusual item and then create a learning activity around it. Some of my most fun learning activities have supplies I’ve bought from dollar stores.
6) Quit beating yourself up – you can play it safe and do the same content in the same way over and over and over but you’ll soon bore yourself and your participants (plus you’ll be outdated fast). Trying out new workshops, new activities and new content takes guts. Occasionally you’ll blow it. That’s the price of creativity. Relax and move on.
7) Sing in the shower – LOVE this one! Be exuberant. Answer your inner booty. Embrace your body, your ideas, your passion and your training will improve +++
8) Drink coffee – okay as one of the world’s only non-coffee drinkers, I substitute diet coke. At any rate rev yourself up from time to time. You can also substitute cranking your favourite tune and dancing with abandon (advise your office mates first and ask them to join you). I’ve been known to shake it to Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Let’s Get Loud’ in my office.
9) Listen to new music – download something totally unfamiliar from iTunes and see what inspiration it brings. Find new music to accompany a new activity. I have an iTunes playlist specifically for corporate training activities. Makes it easy to find and play them.
10) Be open – one of the most challenging and rude participants I’ve ever had in a workshop taught me a lot about conflict resolution. In fact I have him to credit for a brand new technique I tried on the spot. It worked! In training often the things that bug me have things to teach me. If we stay open learning takes a leap. After all, how can we expect our participants to be open if we’re not?
For the next 10 ways to stay creative when you’re training see the next post and the one after that for the final 9 ways.
29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.
Tags: inspiration, organization