Archive for category: Blog

1. Update your social media accounts

Decide which social media account(s) you are going to focus on, and delete any old accounts that you are no longer using. Make sure all of your information is complete and accurate. This will help you to build traffic to the networks you want to showcase your work. It can also remove any potential “questionable” content from years past that doesn’t have a positive effect on your professional image. 

Use a professional picture. Don’t take a ‘selfie’ in the bathroom and use it on your professional page.

2. Identify your area of expertise.

Everyone’s an expert at something – whether its writing about sports events, working out or marketing certain products or services. Is it time for you to experiment a bit more? What type of content have you created that your followers have responded to most? Can you replicate this with other similar content? The more unique and engaging content you create on your chosen topic of expertise, the more your followers will start to think of you as a leader in your chosen field. 

I know that it might seem like you’ll get three times the amount of business if you are promoting yourself as a Photographer/Realtor but the truth is the opposite. People want to work with those that specialise in what they are looking for. They want to see that you’re so good at what you do that you don’t have the time or the desire to do anything else.

3. Use Apps. They make posting easier.

Forgotten passwords, busy day jobs and content creation; maintaining an online presence can be time-consuming; but there are many social media apps at hand to make life easier. These apps connect to your social media networks and allow you to cross-post across different social networks and schedule posts, removing the need to login to multiple websites. Most major social media networks including Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook are compatible with these applications. Examples of these apps are sprout, buffer and Hootsuite.

4. Share Content On a Regular Basis.

In the early days of social media, the more you posted, the more engagement you could drum up. Today, however, over-posting leads to fatigue and annoyance. You want to keep the lines of communication open with your audience, but you also don’t want to over-share so much that you look desperate. The sweet spot is posting around 3-4 times per week for individuals.

There will be days when you don’t post, and that’s perfectly fine. Analyse the data associated with your posts and identify a pattern that works for you. If you’re having trouble finding content to share and want more insight into what’s popular among users, try searching via ‘hashtag’ on Twitter.

5. Create & Curate Engaging Content.

Creating engaging content means taking a fresh approach to the types of updates you share with your network. Don’t be afraid to occasionally talk about your own achievements, or even add engaging bits about your personal life (topics such as travel, hobbies, etc.are suitable). After all, social media is about individuals first. Sharing some of this information provides your audience with a glimpse of who you really are and what you’re about – just ensure you don’t over-share or make it all about you.

6. Import Your Contacts.

You might be amazed to see how many people you already know on the social media networks you’re using. There may be tens, or even hundreds, of people with whom you haven’t yet connected with. Import your email contacts from Gmail or Outlook, or contacts from your phonebook into your social networks to find out how many connections you’re missing. Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter all allow for a free import of a certain number of contacts. 

7. Keep it Positive.

Think of your social media interactions and content creation as part of a resume of your work and a reflection of your professional attitude and overall personality. Avoid inflammatory religious or racial comments, and be careful when making political commentary that others may consider offensive.

8. Find & Join Groups.

Use the search bar on each network to find groups that are linked to your specific area of expertise, then you’ll be able to share your insights and build authority around your personal brand. Keep in mind that industry groups may be overcrowded with your competitors, so smaller, topic-based groups may be more fruitful in terms of reaching your audience. 

Once you’re a member of your preferred social media groups, don’t be afraid to jump into discussions and add your unique insights. Showing that you’re responsive will help you build your personal brand in larger communities beyond your own. 

9. Keep Your Brand Voice, Image & Tone Consistent

You’ve probably already figured out that sticking to your defined persona is important. You must also remain consistent with your ideas and the ways you present them so that you’re memorable and trustworthy. If a popular political commentator suddenly and radically switched parties, no doubt he or she would lose a lot of fans overnight.

Following your brand guidelines helps to control people’s perceptions. You can damage an otherwise flawless reputation if one of your profiles shows up with content or images that don’t match up with your brand’s voice.

10. Study influencers

Once you’ve found the top influencers in your area, analyse their networks, posting habits and content to determine what you could be doing better. Notice how their followers respond to what they post, and learn best practices from their personal branding strategies and execution. 

Connecting with and collaborating with influencers is a great way to get your brand known, but it does take some time. You have to spend time developing relationships with influencers before they’ll see you as an expert.

Servant leadership is one of this decade’s management buzz words, but what does it really mean? Take a look at some of the characteristic traits of a true servant leader:

Lead by example; Leaders who don’t walk the talk lose trust. If you want your team members to display certain behaviours, you need to display them first. You cannot ask someone to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself. For example, if you expect your team to work late, do so as well. Showing your team that you are one of them and their equal in being responsible for outcomes will go a long way in building trust.

Over-communicate; Transparency builds trust. Secrets destroy it.

True leaders are direct and honest. And they communicate all the time. Lack of information creates assumptions that are usually negative or disruptive to team’s motivation and productivity. Err on the side of over-communicating, always.

People can smell you hiding something a mile away. If there is some information you can’t share with the team just yet, tell them what you can and show them you have got their backs. This is especially critical in the times of reorganisation or layoffs. Always follow the rule: “tell the truth, point to hope.”

Admit your mistakes and acknowledge your limitations; Publicly own up to your mistakes when you make them. Admitting you were wrong isn’t a sign of weakness, but strength. Acknowledge the mistakes and outline the new course.

No one knows everything. We all have our limitations. Build a team around you that complements you – and each other – in knowledge, skills-sets, and capabilities. Don’t try to do everything. Let your team members drive certain projects and outcomes. That will make them feel valued and will make you look good. But always have their back when something doesn’t go according to plan.

Keep your promises and stick to your commitments; No one trusts those who don’t keep their word. So keep your promises and, if you make a commitment, stick to it.

Every now and then, however, there are circumstances outside your control that might come into play. In those cases your team will understand, as long as you display this behaviour consistently in times when this doesn’t apply.

Trust your team;Hire the best and trust them to lead. Trust is a two-way street. If you don’t trust your team, they won’t trust you.

And always remember: take the blame, but give away the credit. Acknowledge people for their contributions. The more credit you give away, the more motivated your team will be able to move mountains for you. And when something goes wrong, acknowledge the fact that the mistake was made under your leadership and don’t throw your team under the bus.

Ask for feedback; No one is perfect. All of us learn as we go, even towards the end of our career. Ask your team for feedback: what you can be doing as a leader to help them be more productive, how you can improve their work environment, what process you can change for the whole team to be more effective, how you can better communicate with them, etc. And when the feedback is provided, accept it with grace and say “thank you.” It’s not easy to hear constructive feedback, but it helps you improve as a manager and as a professional.

Don’t play favourites;A double standard is the fastest way to trust deterioration. Playing favourites destroys strong teams. Don’t do it! Just don’t!

Treat everyone fairly; always treat everyone fairly. Have the same set of expectations for every team member and create team rules that you expect everyone to respect and follow, such as a “don’t gossip” rule, for example. Some leaders create the team rules collectively with their teams, ensuring that everyone agrees to uphold the same set of standards.

Setting clear expectations upfront, including clear roles and responsibilities, ensures that there are no surprises. This takes extra stress out of the daily routine. Each employee knows what they are expected to deliver and are not surprised during their performance review discussion.

Don’t gossip;Gossip kills trust. Effective leaders set – and follow – a rule of not discussing one team member with another behind his/her back.

Listen; Take the time to get to know every single member of your team.

Ask questions, consistently. And then listen. You will be surprised what you can learn if you keep quiet during discussions or meetings and just let others talk.

Act with consistency;Consistency is key to great leadership. Consistency of acts, behaviours, moods, expectations. I’ve worked for managers before who would be happy one day and infuriated the other, who would set out one path one day and totally change it the next day. This creates uncertainty, frustration, and distrust. I am not saying don’t pioneer change and stay agile. I am saying that whenever possible provide your team with unwavering support that they can rely on and a set of rules and expectations that will be their guiding star through good times and bad.

Put the success of the team before your own;When your team knows that you are in it for your own success, they won’t give you their best ever. Instead show them that you put them ahead of your own ambitions (or at a minimum let them in on your ambitions and give them a seat at the table in achieving them). And again, I can’t stress it enough: take the blame, give away the credit.

At the end of the day, success of your team is your success as well. The two go hand in hand. But in your desire to climb the corporate (or start-up) ladder, don’t leave behind or forget those who made it happen.

Trust leads to loyalty. And loyalty leads to people doing their best to deliver results for you and the company. To earn trust and respect you have to give trust and respect, as well as look out for your people. And if you do, there will be no limit to what you can achieve.

Did you know: Effective communication is really hard to do!

Communication is not just a simple exchange of information. So many things can go wrong and it’s important to really understand the emotions behind what you want to communicate, the reasons why you are communicating and what you want the outcome to be. It is also two way. You have to be a good speaker as well as a good listener and that’s not easy.

Good communication can greatly enhance your working relationships, and your job satisfaction. Over the next two weeks we are going to explore some of the common mistakes people make while communicating.

1. Not Editing Your Work

Mistakes with spelling, tone, and grammar make you look careless. That’s why it’s essential to check all your emails, texts, reports or any written work before sending them.

2. Delivering Bad News by Email

Written communication channels don’t allow you to soften difficult messages with nonverbal cues (such as ), and they don’t allow you to deal immediately with intense emotions. If you need to deliver bad news, do this in person, and think carefully about how you can do it sensitively, so that you can convey your message and at the same time minimise chances of upsetting someone

3. Avoiding Difficult Conversations

At some point, you will need to give negative feedback. Preparation is the key to handling difficult conversations. Learn to give clear, actionable feedback. You may also want to role-play your conversation first, so that you feel confident in both your words and your body language.

4. Not Being Assertive

Assertiveness  is about stating what you need, while considering the wants and needs of others. You may not always get your way when you’re assertive, but you stand a better chance of getting it, or of reaching a compromise, because you’ve been clear about your needs.

5.   Reacting, Not Responding

Have you ever shouted at a colleague in frustration, or sent a terse reply to an email, without thinking your point through? If so, you’re likely to have reacted emotionally, instead of responding calmly. This kind of emotional reaction can really affect how others think about you and potentially damage relationships. Always take a moment to reflect before you re

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