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Embrace – Don’t Silence – Creativity

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CanalImageA powerful form of communication, the drawing, has been expressed through the ages. The simplest forms of hieroglyphics and petroglyphs remain thousands of years later on cave walls, in ancient Egyptian tombs, and on rock formations in the American Southwest.

Imagine the surprise and delight of passersby on the streets of New York City’s TriBeCa area seeing modern-day “drawings” adorning the windows of two nondescript office buildings. The Wow Factor? Each image was created from Post-It Notes©.

Office workers from two separate businesses in neighboring buildings started the free expression, which has evolved into a fun, friendly competition. Images like the Pink Panther, Batman, a famous Rolling Stones album cover, and dozens more remain on the windows.

Unfortunately, one of the landlords has issued a warning that all images must come down by the end of this month, stating that all windows must remain clear of any decorations or obstructions. (Isn’t that what blinds or drapes do yet in a less attractive way?)

NBC News with Lester Holt aired this story on Monday, May 23, 2016. It caught my attention and brought back memories. In the mid-1980s, I served as marketing director for a developer in Cleveland’s Historic Warehouse District. To celebrate Preservation Week (held annually in May), we hired local artists to paint art on the windows of one of our vacant buildings to draw attention to our development project. It made the entire block come alive.

What the building owner of the New York City property may not fully appreciate is that this otherwise average brick building is bringing beauty to the street and is making national and international news. That’s something to celebrate, not silence. Follow the news on #postitwars.

What creativity do we silence each day in our workplace, in our community and in our home? We can do a better job of listening to and supporting other people’s innovative ideas for change. Otherwise we will find ourselves staring at the same old blank walls or windows.

Six Ways to Power Up Your LinkedIn Profile

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Fourth in a series.

linkedin-Forbes.comYour LinkedIn profile is one of the most powerful ways to present yourself to other professionals using social media. How “powerful” is your profile? Here are six tips to attract people to you.

  1. Complete your profile. A completed profile includes thorough information about your background and career history. In fact, profiles that are 100% completed are 40 times more likely to receive job opportunities through LinkedIn.
  2. Include a current professional photo. A professional photo is not one of you taken at a cocktail event, standing next to a phantom person (whose shoulder and arm remain in the frame). Invest the time to have a studio photo taken with professional lighting. If anything about you has changed, it’s time to have a new photo taken. A current photo gives you a better chance of your profile being viewed (11 times better).
  3. Write a compelling Summary. The Summary provides a quick snapshot of who you are and what you do. Keep your Summary language direct and expressive, not confusing or vague. As the word Summary suggests, don’t write a book. Keep it simple.
  4. Include your skills. Like any good resume, a profile enhances your skills. Once you include your skills, colleagues can endorse you in those areas. Your profile has a better chance of being viewed when skills are included and endorsed.
  5. Update your status regularly. Every time you update your status, your network is informed. This action keeps you top of mind with other professionals.
  6. Update/add information frequently. Over time, your professional life changes and your profile needs to reflect that. Have you changed jobs? Are you serving on a new nonprofit Board? Did you recently receive an achievement award? Have you become certified in a specific skill? When change happens, update your LinkedIn profile.

Here’s a quick task for you: Review your LinkedIn profile with a keen eye. Imagine that you are reading it for the first time. What could you do to “power up” your profile? If you need inspiration, look at the LinkedIn profiles of professionals you admire. You may discover more ways to position yourself as an industry leader.

Seven Ways to Elevate Your Visibility Through LinkedIn

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Part Three in a series.

new-linkedinIf you think LinkedIn is a static social media platform, think again. It is your most current resume, business card, and promotional campaign all rolled into one. Its power lies in how frequently you use it. Use LinkedIn to elevate your visibility within your network. Here are seven simple ways to do it:

  1. Publish a post. Each time you open your LinkedIn home page, you are given three options: Update status, Upload a photo, or Publish a post. When you publish a post, you are sharing your knowledge with the world. Make sure the content of your post is relevant, offers helpful information, and includes links to more information on the topic from other sources, if you can.
  2. Add posts often. Rather than publish a post once or twice a year, become known as a thought leader in your area of expertise. The more often you publish valuable content, the more people will read it and follow you. In my case, I post weekly. When you visit my profile page, you will see my three latest posts.
  3. Share industry news and information. The internet is a vast wonderland of information. You just have to know where to look. Professionals turn to proven sources like Fast Company, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, or The New York Times, to name a few. When you share breaking news, trends and helpful information, you position yourself as an industry leader.
  4. Join LinkedIn groups and participate in discussions. The groups you join are comprised of your industry colleagues. Consider it your brain trust…like-minded professionals who come together to share thoughts, ideas, and opinions.
  5. Recommend others. For people you know and trust, you can provide a written recommendation. When recommending others, your recommendation appears on that person’s LinkedIn page. They may recommend you in return.
  6. Endorse others. Endorsing others is easy to do…it’s a simple click and you’re done. Simply visit your contact’s LinkedIn page, scroll down to Endorsements and click on the skill(s) that you would like to endorse. Also, LinkedIn randomly creates several “auto requests” on your LinkedIn page that allows you to quickly endorse people within your network. Just like recommendations, people whom you endorse may endorse you in return.
  7. Be an active, not passive, LinkedIn user. In conversations with other professionals about LinkedIn, I am surprised by those who don’t use LinkedIn often or don’t know how it works (which is why I am writing this series of brief articles about how to work your LinkedIn network). When you are active within LinkedIn, you can choose to publish, comment, like, update, visit, share, recommend, endorse, or simply drop a line. The more active you are, the more visible you become within your network. People will think of you more often (which is a good thing if you are a perfect candidate for a position, or a good fit for a client who needs your services, or your interests match those of an organization seeking qualified volunteers).

Here’s a quick task for you: Of the seven ideas above, dip your toe in the LinkedIn water. Pick three ideas that you want to complete in the next week. Then do other tasks in the weeks and months ahead. Before you know it, you will become much more visible within your network.

Strategically Connect on LinkedIn

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Part Two in a series on LinkedIn.

linkedin_1940x900_34055You are one click away from expanding your network.

There’s an old adage, “It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.” That morphed into “It’s not just who you know. It’s who knows you.” With social media, it’s morphed into “It’s not just who knows you. It’s who you know and who they know and who they know.” And so it goes.

When you meet someone for the first time, you are not just meeting that person; you are potentially gaining access to their entire network. Through social media, like LinkedIn, the possibilities for connection are infinite. Here are four considerations in expanding your base of contacts:

Who are your contacts connected to? Through LinkedIn, you can quickly assess the composition and reach of your contacts’ networks. Invest some time to see how people are connected to each other. It will surprise you to see how many connections you share, and how many you don’t.

Who would you like to meet? Be strategic in identifying who you would like to meet. See if there are people in other people’s networks that you would like to meet.

Ask for introductions. LinkedIn makes it easy to ask your contacts for introductions to specific people in their networks. Let’s say that as an independent contractor, you have decided to look for business prospects in your geographic area. You notice that one of your contacts has several excellent industry contacts within a five-mile radius of your home. Request an introduction from one of your contacts by directly using LinkedIn. You can also introduce connections to each other.

View LinkedIn profiles before meeting people. I know this seems elementary yet so many people still don’t do this. It’s so simple. It takes just a few minutes to search for a person through LinkedIn. Be sure to include the person’s city or company if you know it, especially if the name is a common one. Guaranteed, there are hundreds of people named Bill Smith. Before I meet people for the first time, especially potential clients, I will view their LinkedIn profiles.

Here’s a quick task for you: Ask one contact to introduce you to one person in their network. When you feel more comfortable doing this, ask for more introductions from more of your contacts, and watch your base of contacts grow.

Prince: The Consummate Professional

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Prince at the Metropolis, 2011, cbc.ca

The world is still reeling from the shocking news of the death of music icon Prince. Friends, family and fans continue to honor and pay tribute to his accomplished life.

In the summer of 1984, my husband and I saw the movie Purple Rain, starring Prince as the lead character, and showcasing his music. The moment his image and sound hit the screen, I was hooked. I became a bona fide fan of his music and unique style.

We testify when a legend like Prince passes this earth. Here’s what Prince taught me about professionalism:

Authenticity. Prince was a one-of-a-kind performer and human being. Despite his small stature, his on-stage persona loomed larger than life. He combined a unique look – with a touch of flamboyance and androgyny – and sound – crossing over genres of pop, rock and roll, funk, R&B and new wave – to create a memorable presence and brand. He was an original. Professionals who know who they are and who don’t imitate others are those who capture our attention, admiration, and loyalty.

Best self. In his journey of self-expression, the Grammy-winning artist took many risks. He was unpredictable, pushing the limits. Whether it was a new release or a live performance, he held himself to high standards. Billboard Magazine claimed Prince’s performance at the 2007 Superbowl as the greatest Superbowl performance ever. Does your “best self” show up every day?

Inclusive. Prince’s band composition reflected inclusion, crossing racial, gender and sexual preference boundaries. He often highlighted the talents of female band members. This happened at a time when America needed unification. How often do you support, mentor or coach others, or even include others, and showcase their talents?

Give unconditionally. Prince gave his music to other artists to perform. In 2007, he shocked music moguls when he shared his album, Planet Earth, first with the United Kingdom public for free. How much do you give of yourself, unconditionally, expecting little or nothing in return?

Invention/reinvention. One of the music industry’s most prolific writers, Prince pushed the boundaries throughout his career, producing about 40 albums, and selling more than 100 million records. Fans remember the years 1993-2000 when he proclaimed himself to be “the artist formerly known as Prince,” using a symbol rather than his name. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that we too can be more creative, that we can reinvent ourselves.

Generosity. While he didn’t discuss it publicly, Prince was known for his kindness and generosity, supporting issues he deeply cared about, like the environment, peace, human rights, and equality. As professionals, we have the opportunity to pay it forward and share the wealth in our communities and around the world. How generous are you?

Inspirational. As professionals, we sometimes have to look outside ourselves for inspiration or motivation to become the people we want to be. Prince inspired us to break out of our complacency and try something new or different, whether in our professional or personal lives. How are your actions inspiring others?

Many tributes have been written, spoken, created, or posted. Here are two of my favorites:

CBS Sunday Morning commentator Bill Flanagan delivered an eloquent salute, Prince: An Appreciation, referring to the artist as a “one-man Rainbow Coalition.”

Canadian DJ Skratch Bastid (Paul Murphy) spins a short tribute to Prince.

Prince’s music will live on in our hearts. He will remain forever young. He will remind us every day to push our own boundaries as professionals.

How to Work Your LinkedIn Network

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linkedin-logoPart One in a series.

LinkedIn remains the preferred social network of business professionals around the globe, with more than 400 million users worldwide, and more than 110 million users in the U.S. To get the most out of LinkedIn as a professional, you have to work it.

I remember when I received my first LinkedIn invitation from a longtime friend and colleague more than a decade ago. I was skeptical. I asked, “What is this?” “How does it work?” What I didn’t know or understand at the time when I joined LinkedIn was that it would become the power source for networking with other professionals. Once I got started, I set my goal to connect with 500+ professionals. It was easier than I thought. With focus, the goal became a reality.

The first way to work your LinkedIn network is to: Invest time in reviewing “Who’s Who” in your network by asking four important questions:

  1. What skills do your contacts possess? One of the greatest advantages of LinkedIn is that it allows you to examine the people you are connected to and the types of skills they possess. It helps you to understand if your network is well rounded (diverse skills represented) or lopsided (too many connections in one skill area only).
  2. How well do you know your contacts? It helps to know the people you are connected to. This may sound trite. It’s important to know your LinkedIn connections because they occupy a valuable spot within your network. Occasionally invitations will come from people who you don’t know. Qualify the connection if you need to by sending an email. It’s perfectly fine to vet a request from someone you don’t know. Look to see if you have any connections in common. That will help you to decide whether or not to connect with them.
  3. What’s new with your contacts? Because LinkedIn messaging arrives in your email inbox, it’s easy to track when contacts have changed jobs, added new skills or made an announcement. Visit people’s profiles occasionally to see what’s new.
  4. How are you keeping in touch? Every time you open your LinkedIn account, you will see a series of “congratulations” boxes appear, announcing contacts who are celebrating work anniversaries. You have the option to send a message. It’s a great way to keep in touch. When you review your LinkedIn contacts list, ask yourself how you can keep in touch outside of LinkedIn communication. How often do you see that person face-to-face? Are you sending them your articles or blog posts? Is it time to chat by phone or grab a cup of coffee?

What’s the point of being connected with fellow professionals if you are not truly connected?

Announced this week, LinkedIn now offers a LinkedIn Students app that is compatible with iOS and Android. The app helps new graduates find job matches based on their major, locate companies that usually hire from their college, and learn about career choices of recent graduates with similar degrees. If you have college students in your family, suggest the LinkedIn Students app to them. It could help their job search.

Here’s a quick task for you to complete in the next week: Take just 20 minutes this week to visit two LinkedIn profiles within your network. Continue doing this for the next four weeks. At the end of this brief exercise, ask yourself what you have learned about those contacts in your network. It may provide you with some fresh insights on how you are working your LinkedIn network.

Next week: Part Two.

Volunteerism Provides Lifelong Lessons in Leadership

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internal-volunteerism8-734x265“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.” Marjorie Moore

Thousands of American companies encourage employees to get involved in their communities by helping local or national nonprofit organizations like United Way, Habitat for Humanity, or the American Red Cross. Through volunteerism, employees learn valuable lessons in leadership, teamwork, communication and stewardship that remain with them throughout their lives. Much more than a resume builder, volunteerism allows individuals to learn and use a variety of skills. In honor of National Volunteer Week, give some thought to how you – and your company – can get more involved in your community.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its Volunteering in the United States, 2015 report, which tracked volunteerism from September, 2014-September, 2015. The report revealed that the greatest concentration of volunteers comes in these three categories: Just 14.6% of volunteers did so with social or community service organizations, compared to 25.2% who volunteered in educational or youth services, and 33.1% who volunteered in religious organizations. That means that community and nonprofit organizations must work harder to attract potential volunteers into the fold.

I began volunteering as a Girl Scout in elementary school and then as a Y-Teen through the local YWCA in high school. Having volunteered and led many organizations in my community throughout my professional career, I have learned that today’s volunteer requires shorter, more realistic tasks. Gone are the days when you could “easily” get people to serve on a committee or task for for one year or more. Today’s volunteer prefers to work on smaller, bite-sized tasks that can be completed remotely and in their spare time (what little they have of it).

The good news to come out of the BLS report is this: In recent years, there has been a slight increase of volunteers aged 65 and over. I attribute this to the high number of active Baby Boomers who have retired in recent years and who are looking to put their skills to work as volunteers.

Unsure of what to volunteer for? Consider online matching organizations like VolunteerMatch. What do you want to learn? What cause can you get involved in? What local organization could use your expertise? The choice is yours. Use your talents and skills to serve a community that needs you.

What volunteer opportunities in the community are being offered by your company that would give you greater responsibility and teach you new skills? 

What other volunteer assignments could you introduce your company to, which would elevate your company’s visibility in the community?

For the USSF, It’s Time to Set the Gold Standard

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pure-goldThe U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) has an opportunity to strategically position itself as the professional sports organization that represents the best interests of all players, both male and female. Doing so would totally change the culture of professional sports by treating female athletes fairly and equitably. Today’s definition of the gold standard is simply “the paragon of excellence.” It’s time the USSF put this into practice within its own organization.

Why is the topic of equality met with such disinterest or even disdain when it is one of America’s foundational core values?

Recently, five members of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team filed a federal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to draw attention to the appalling discrepancy in pay between their team and their colleagues of the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team. According to media reports, the USSF’s response to the filing was that it was “an irrational request.”

What is irrational and totally incomprehensible is this: The men’s soccer team earns about double to two-thirds more than female soccer players. Men also can earn up to more than four times what women earn in bonuses. The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team has delivered multiple wins, earning several gold medals, and in fact is the gold standard of Olympians. Read one of my earlier blog posts referencing how the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team serves as a positive role model.

If the soccer boot were on the other foot and men were earning one-half to two-thirds less than women, what do you think male players would do? They would rise up too.

Many, perhaps most, of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team members are the primary earners in their households, some juggling responsibilities with rearing a growing family or assisting aging parents. They have earned the right to make a decent income just as much as men do. Why should they be treated any differently? They work just as hard at playing an exciting game, which attracts television viewers and major sponsors, increases advertising revenue, generates publicity and boosts the human spirit.

This isn’t the first time the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team has gone head to head with the USSF. Similar conversations have been occurring for the past few decades.

It’s time for the USSF to embrace fairness and equity within the sport. The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team is a powerful, well-respected brand. It’s time to acknowledge and reward it.

The Value of Daily Affirmations

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Al Franken as Stuart Smalley, Saturday Night Live, circa 1990s

Professionals who lead successful lives have a secret weapon at their fingertips: Daily affirmations. These short, meaningful statements support who you are, how you behave, and the goals you pursue. They keep you focused on moving ahead.

Even Stuart Smalley, the adorable character created by Al Franken* for Saturday Night Live  back in the early 1990s, had a great positive affirmation that he said to himself in the mirror every day: “I’m good enough. I’m smart enough. And doggone it, people like me!” Just thinking about it makes me smile.

With positive affirmations, you choose messages that perfectly meet your needs. If you want to lead a calming life, that can become one of your daily affirmations. If you want to land a specific job, or earn a certain salary, those can become affirmations as well.

Eugene Burger, an internationally known professional magician and former theology professor, repeats this phrase to himself every morning as he showers: “I give myself permission to be powerful today.” Say that phrase to yourself several times right now. How do you feel? You can create different messages for yourself by inserting a different word in place of powerful. “I give myself permission to be…(generous, caring, respectful, knowledgeable, brilliant, helpful, resourceful)…today.” Before you know it, through positive daily affirmations you will live more of the life that you desire.

Another great affirmation that boots your self-esteem is this: “I am a unique package, filled with plusses and minuses, and the package is good.” This phrase speaks to our humanness because it is true, we all have plusses and minuses, and we have to accept and love ourselves, even the imperfections.

One final word about daily affirmations. If you have never recited affirmations, it can feel awkward at first. It can feel foreign or artificial. As you choose affirmations to suit your needs, and you begin reciting them every day, you will notice a gradual lifting of your spirits. Before you know it, you will feel more powerful or brilliant, generous, knowledgeable, caring, helpful, and resourceful.

*Now MN Senator Al Franken

Words of Wisdom From a Café

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Ernest Hemingway in Paris

The oasis in the life of many Europeans is the local café…a place to unwind with a café au lait and engage in conversation with friends, colleagues and family. It is part of the daily regimen, like taking a walk in the park or riding the Metro to work.

These simple acts of everyday life in two major European cities – Paris and Brussels – were abruptly stopped in 2015 and now in 2016 through brutal terrorist attacks. In both cases, the world stood in solidarity with France and Belgium.

Many of the world’s most creative minds in literature, art, poetry, photography, theatre, music, philosophy and politics have met at intimate European cafés, in cities like Paris and Brussels, to exchange news of the day, opinions and world views.

What words of wisdom would these luminaries share, to console the world in its grief? Their timeless quotes represent the strength of the human spirit.

“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” Ernest Hemingway

 

“One must think like a hero to behave like a merely decent human being.” May Sarton

 

“Only divine love bestows the keys of knowledge.”

Arthur Rimbaud

 

“Love is the greatest refreshment in life.” Pablo Picasso

 

“Total war is no longer war waged by all members of one national community against all those of another. It is total…because it may well involve the whole world.”

Jean-Paul Sartre

 

“Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist.” René Magritte

 

“Defending the truth is not something one does out of a sense of duty or to allay guilt complexes, but is a reward in itself.” Simone de Beauvoir

 

“If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud.” Emile Zola

 

“What is love? It is the morning and the evening star.” Sinclair Lewis

 

“When a work appears to be ahead of its time, it is only the time that is behind the work.” Jean Cocteau

 

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Edgar Degas

 

“Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.” F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

“Those who weep recover more quickly than those who smile.” Jean Giraudoux

 

“The depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves. People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life, for only then do they have to fall back on their reserves.” Leon Trotsky

 

“Genius…is the capacity to see ten things where the ordinary man sees one.” Ezra Pound

 

“Action and reaction are equal and opposite.”

Gertrude Stein

Don’t sit in isolation. Join the world in conversation. Search for and find compassion, humility, joy, beauty, and happiness. Pablo Picasso said, “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” Art in any form provides an oasis to us. Visit a favorite café or discover a new one, sit in silence admiring a Monet or Magritte painting at a museum, or engage in spirited dialogue with friends or strangers. Engaging, thoughtful conversation activates the healing process.