Successful Blog

Social Media Book List: No Such Thing as Small Talk and The Innovation Playbook

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow of Key Business Partners, LLC

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors & writers to help them with their book promotion and social media marketing. As part of my job I read a lot of books (I love to read anyway!).

This week I will be highlighting two books; one author I am currently working with ‘No Such Thing as Small Talk: 7 Keys to Understanding German Business Culture’ by Melissa Lamson and one book on the business Amazon list ‘The Innovation Playbook’ by Nicholas J. Webb.

The books I cover in the Social Media Book List Series will cover a range of topics such as social media, marketing, blogging, business, organization, career building, finance, networking, writing, self development, and inspiration.

‘No Such Thing as Small Talk: 7 Keys to Understanding German Business Culture’

by Melissa Lamson

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“We see Melissa as a key resource for developing business relationships with German companies who want to establish a presence in Silicon Valley. The information in this book is crucial to helping joint venture partners and investors understand the German business mind. It’s a must-read.”
Alfredo Coppola, Director, Business Development, U.S. Market Access Center

“As a Chinese-American business leader at one of the largest global IT companies, I can truly attest to Melissa’s insight and knowledge about the German mindset and communication styles. I’ve read
numerous books about cross-cultural communication and this is a must-read for anyone working in a global business environment.”
Alice Leong, Global Vice President of Diversity, SAP

You may think, “German business book, what does that have to do with me in the United States?” Our world, especially business is becoming more global every day. Especially with the advancements and the never ending freight train that is social media, understanding how other business cultures work, could be extremely helpful to US businesses and entrepreneurs.

Just check out the Table of Contents on this book:

Chapter 1 – Big Talk, Myths & Status Symbols
Chapter 2 – Key #1: Seriousness Is a Virtue
Chapter 3 – Key #2: Be Reliable
Chapter 4 – Key #3: The Train Comes at 8:52 a.m.
Chapter 5 – Key #4: We Think the Opposite
Chapter 6 – Key #5: Email Builds Relationship
Chapter 7 – Key #6: “I need it yesterday” Doesn’t Motivate
Chapter 8 – Key #7: Directness Doesn’t Hurt
Chapter 9 – Stuff People Ask (FAQs)
Chapter 10 – Don’t Forget to Have Fun
Afterword
Appendices
Resources

Right there, you have some key points to learn about German business culture (and can possibly be something you may wish to use in your business.

About the Book*:

Many business leaders, when they begin to work overseas or interact professionally with teams abroad, are surprised by how much they thought they knew about the other culture, but how little it counts for on the ground. The reality is that communication is multi-dimensional, and simply knowing a foreign language doesn’t mean one automatically understands the culture that goes with it. Idiom, psychological factors and cultural nuance all come into play. To grasp a culture, and communicate meaningfully to it, you need familiarity with language, of course, but also with non-verbal communication, customs, perceived values, and concepts of time and space.

Melissa Lamson, with years of experience in creating and nurturing high-performing global teams, understands how “It’s not enough to know the language!” In her book, No Such Thing as Small Talk, she focuses on Germany, a major business partner for the United States, and the country in which she has lived and worked for over a decade.

Business leaders today expect to face cultural differences when they do business with, for example, China or Brazil. But with a Western, industrialized country like Germany, one that displays a business etiquette and work ethic similar to the United States, it is easy to overlook the differences simply because so much appears, on the surface, to be the same. The differences are not in your face but subtle. And these small, yet critical, differences are exactly what Melissa’s book will help you identify, respect and bridge.

Melissa succinctly presents what she calls seven keys, or principles, to unlocking the German business mind. Her principles, whether they relate to process, punctuality, discipline or email communication, are insightful, personal and compelling. Not only does she clearly lay out the differences, but she also offers a cultural perspective that is rich with personal narrative.

If you plan to be in any way professionally engaged with Germany–whether you wish to participate in trade fairs, carry out negotiations with partners or colleagues, discuss schedules or terms with customers, or even apply for a job in Germany–the appropriate cultural understanding, as this book describes, will create mutual trust and will quite likely be the key to your business success.

About Melissa*:

Back in the U.S. after ten years based in Europe, Melissa Lamson is a pioneer in the field of cross-cultural communication and global business development. She has run projects in more than thirty countries, working with Fortune Global 500 companies, governments, nonprofits, SMEs, foreign investors, and C-level executives across all industries.

In 2008, Melissa was nominated as one of 25 top female entrepreneurs in Europe and she was among the first female-owned businesses to receive an award from the German Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Melissa is regularly invited to speak on the topic of global business development and she guest lectures in executive MBA programs in Europe and the United States.

To find out how your company can benefit from Melissa’s expertise, visit www.lamsonconsulting.com

You can purchase a copy of ‘No Such Thing as Small Talk’ online on the publisher site, Happy About or on Amazon. *I did receive a digital copy of this book from the publisher to help in the promotion of the book.

Next, I would like to introduce you to a book on the business book list on Amazon and on my reading list: ‘The Innovation Playbook’.

The Innovation Playbook

by Nicholas J Webb

“As the CEO of a multi million dollar corporation that was a start-up, I have worn many hats over the last fifteen years. I found The Innovation Playbook Well worth the money and time to read.
Webb covered many points I had never learned or in some cases, simply forgotten . In these challenging economic times, his “value strata” and “conduits of connectivity” pages hit home for me.
I found it to be a easy read that was well thought out and written.
I recommend it for anyone trying to improve their business or department.”
-Robert Mather, Amazon review

About the Book*

A complete roadmap to a revolution in business excellence founded on innovation

Author and successful innovator Nicholas Webb believes we need a revolution in business excellence founded on innovation. In The Innovation Playbook, you will learn why innovations fail, the five rules of customer connectivity, the power of “real open” innovation and customer co-creation, the secret formula for reducing product and market risk, the magic of Future-casting, and so much more.

* Includes an abundance of anecdotes and examples of successful-and unsuccessful-innovation
* Shares the 56 ways in which innovations fail
* Learn the success secrets of “Innovation Superstars”
* Reduce innovation failure and build speed to market

Includes online training a ($150.00 value) that will help you put the theory into practice, The Innovation Playbook will prepare you to get your CIS Certification, as well as to implement a successful innovation culture in corporate life.

About Nicholas*:

Nicholas J. Webb is a successful inventor, entrepreneur, author and management consultant in the field of innovation and customer relationship management. He has served as the CEO of several successful technology firms including Myocure, Inc. a pioneer in refractive ophthalmic surgery. He is the founder of Nupak Medical, LLC a medical product-manufacturing firm. He has also served as a CEO with several other technology- related companies. He is a successful inventor having been awarded over 35 patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office. His technologies range from one of the world’s smallest medical implant to industrial and computer technologies. He currently serves as the CEO of Lassen Innovation, providing strategic innovation and management consulting services, and has attained certification as a Certified Management Consultant. His client list represents some of the best companies and research organizations in the world. He is a prolific book author; his most recent books include The Innovation Playbook-a revolution in business excellence and The Digital Media Innovation Playbook-creating a transformative customer experience (Wiley). Nicholas is a frequent speaker and workshop leader at vertical industry conferences as well as innovation, licensing and technology forums around the world. Nick combines his own personal experience of “having been there” with a proven strategy for increasing profits and market share through a combination of leading-edge innovation methods and general business best practices. He lives in Northern California with his wife of twenty years and his four children.
*courtesy of book website and Amazon

You can purchase a copy of ‘The Innovation Playbook’ on Amazon.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

Social Media & Blogging-Panel of Questions (Part 3)

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors to help manage their social media marketing & promotion. As part of my job I read a lot of books (and I love to read anyway!). I am here to offer a weekly post about one book author I am working with and one book I have put on my reading list.

I am mixing things up (again! – you can read part 1 and part 2) for my weekly blog post . I thought I would ask a few of the authors I have highlighted to offer their strategies and tips regarding blogging and social media.

Panel Discussion about Blogging and Social Media

Here are the authors offering their own insights and strategies regarding blogging and social media:
Kimberly Wiefling – Executive Editor of the Scrappy About Series, is a proven expert in enabling people to achieve what seems impossible, but is merely difficult. She is the author of one of the top project management books in the US,”Scrappy Project Management: The 12 Predictable and Avoidable Pitfalls Every Project Faces, a book growing in popularity around the world, and recently published in Japanese by Nikkei Business Press. And the newest in the Scrappy About series, Scrappy Women in Business.

She founded Wiefling Consulting, LLC, a global leadership and business management consulting firm, in 2001. She currently spends about half of her time working with high-potential leaders in Japanese companies as the Executive Director for ALC Education’s Global Management Consulting Group, an organization based in Tokyo, Japan. Her work includes facilitating leadership, communication, teamwork, innovation and execution excellence workshops to enable Japanese companies to solve global problems profitably.

Miranda Marquit is a blogger and freelance writer working from home. She has five years experience in the blogging and social media space, mainly providing content and support for corporate blogs. Miranda understands the importance of blogging and social media in online marketing and community building, and enjoys interacting and networking via the Internet.

In addition to professional blogging, Miranda is a freelance writer with a Journalism degree. Her work has appeared in national magazines and on news Web sites. She is also a columnist for her local newspaper. Miranda enjoys reading, music, travel, and the outdoors. Her favorite activities involve using her hobbies as a way to spend time with her husband and their six-year-old son. Miranda lives with her family in Logan, Utah. She is the co-author of Community 101: How to Grow an Online Community.

Karen Pierce Gonzalez
Since 2000, Karen Pierce Gonzalez Public Relations has provided public relations services for businesses, non-profits, art and culture organizations and individual professionals locally, regionally and nationally. Founder and president Karen Pierce Gonzalez has twenty-five years experience in the media having worked as a journalist for such media as the San Francisco Chronicle, Marin Independent Journal, and Point Reyes Light, newspapers as well a numerous local and national magazines, including North Bay Biz and Australian Trade Community Journal. She knows what makes the news and what does not.

Karen specializes in identifying newsworthy angles about her clients’ events and activities and obtaining news coverage from appropriate media outlets. She also helps clients maximize their advertising budgets by developing media sponsorships. She works with clients to utilize these sponsorships to generate the community support of businesses and other groups.

She earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in anthropology linguistics and in creative writing from Sonoma State University. A published fiction and non-fiction writer with numerous awards to her credit including a 2006 Pushcart Prize nomination, 2006 Editors’ Choice Farmhouse Magazine, 2005 National League of American Pen Women award for fiction, 2004 National League of American Pen Woman award for creative nonfiction, and 2002 California Writers award for nonfiction, she is also the author of “Family Folktales: Write Your Own Family Stories” and is CEO/Publisher of FolkHeart Press.

Here is what they have to say about blogging and social media:

How long have you been blogging?

KW: I started blogging in Sept. 2006 when I helped co-found the first university-affiliated blog on project management: http://svprojectmanagement.com/author/kwiefling And I started my own blog in January 2008 when I had a new year’s resolution to expand my business using the internet. I now also write for several other blogs once every 2 – 3 months: Career Shorts, Whole Life Well Being and Project Connections

MM: 5 years

KPG: Five years.

What subjects do you cover with your blog?
KW: Business leadership
Global business leadership
Project management
Program management
Well being
Breakthrough thinking
Personal and professional development

MM: Mostly personal finance

KPG: Folkheart Press covers folklore-related topics (folk art, food lore, folktales, folk festivals, etc.)

Why do you blog?
KW: I love to write, and I learn when I write. And I believe it makes me more well known, which increases my value to my clients and my agents.

MM: I enjoy writing. Plus, it’s my job — I’m a professional blogger!

KPG: It is a way to introduce others to the world of folklore and to Folkheart Press. In today’s cyberspace world, it is important to have a presence.

What is the one blogging tip you have to share with others?
KW: Write about topics about which you have personal knowledge and experience, and keep the tone conversational and authentic. Don’t write a newspaper article style blog!

MM: Write about something you enjoy.

KPG: Make the blogs fun and brief. No one expects to read a novel when they visit a blog.

How long have you been using social media (twitter, facebook, linkedin) for your business?

KW: About 3 years

MM: 4 years

KPG Five years.

When it comes to social media— do you prefer one platform over the others?( facebook, twitter or linked in)
KW: I use Twitter to update my personal and professional connections about my status. This pushes automatically to Facebook, Plaxo and LinkedIn.
I use Facebook Fan page for Scrappy Women in Business book, and updates push to a Twitter account that I have linked to that.

MM: I actually really like fwisp, a social media niche site devoted to finance. I do like using Facebook and Twitter, though.

KPG: Facebook

Why do you like one of the others?
KW: Twitter is quick and easy, and seems to be the micro-blogging platform of choice. I can also monitor mentions of my key words on Twitter using Social Oomph.
Facebook is “cool”. Linked In is more business serious, but that’s not my style. And Plaxo is not a player really.

MM: I like fwisp because it has good spam controls, and it offers a range of stories in the personal finance blogosphere. Finding good social media communities in your niche is, I think, important.

KPG: Facebook allows for website link images which adds value to the posting.

What is one social media tip you have to share with others?

KW: Keep in mind that your life isn’t nearly as interesting to other people as you might think. Choose what you share with that in mind lest you be one of the people we make fun of for tweeting “My cat rolled over.” or other trivia.

MM: Choose a few social media communities and focus on those. Don’t try to build a good account at every site or group ; you’ll never be able keep up with it all.

KPG: Be informative and don’t sell, sell, sell. It’s annoying.

Thanks ladies for these great, helpful tips and for sharing your strategies about blogging and social media.
And if you have tips and resources that help you, please add to the discussion.

What Three Values Drive Your Brand?

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(Updated in 2020)

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

10-Point Plan — The Brand Values Baseline Defined

Three Reasons Get Us to the Task at Hand

Now the core team returns to discuss the feedback from the stakeholder leaders who’ve helped them identify the brand values baseline. Review the words each group has returned with and talk through the meaning until the group can roll up the short list to three words that stand for the foundational core values that drive the business. Try one from the head, one from the heart, and one from the long-term vision or meaning.

An example might be these three that drive SOBCon:

Delivering brilliance: We believe in intelligent, elegant connected ideas that raise us up to higher thinking.

Trusting fearlessness: We believe in authentic trust in ourselves and others that has no room for fear as it stand with our intelligent ideas.

Deep Strategic Vision: Our quest and our purpose is to move ourselves, our businesses, and those around us forward with leadership born of strategy and deep meaningful purpose.

Or brilliance, trust, vision. Those three words wrap up the sentences and make the an easy reference for every decision that drives our business. Other people on the core team can choose their synonyms and as long as they mean the same thing, we can trust in the variations and the mutations that will grow from them.

We have our values aligned.

What three values drive your business?

READ the Whole 10-Point Plan Series: On the Successful Series Page.

Blogs in Education?

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Blogs – Enhancing Education
A Guest Post by Brian Jenkins

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Why do teachers blogs? They use them as a networking tools, to share news and tips with other teachers, to let parents know what’s going on in the classroom, and to distribute information to their students. Teachers are using blogs to post student assignments, handouts and notices, and to offer instructional tips. Teachers provide links to websites related to topics and concepts discussed in the classroom. Blogs are also used by teachers as question and answer forums. Also, school administrators are increasingly using blogs to communicate with parents, faculty members, the community, and other administrators.

Some teachers use blogs to showcase exemplary examples of student writing, ideas, and creativity. Blogs are utilized by teachers to create a classroom that goes beyond the boundaries of the traditional school setting.

Parents and School Blogs

Many teachers encourage parents to read their blogs. If parents follow these blogs they’re more likely to take an active role in their child’s education. The blogs may include summaries of what the students have been studying each month and the projects they’ve been working on.

Student Blogs

Many teachers encourage their students to maintain a blog, which can be assigned as an individual or a team project. A blog gives students an opportunity to express themselves and to enhance their writing skills. It provides students an opportunity to work on assignments as a group and improve their ability to work in a team. Students can also share course-related resources.

Blogs provide opportunities for students to express their ideas who may be too shy to participate in the classroom. They also provide students the opportunity to get feed back from their peers and discuss a variety of issues. Students can use a blog to create a digital portfolio.

Blog Topics

Blogs are used to focus on a variety of topics. Some of the popular categories are education news, college, E-learning, Internet culture, education policies, library and research, learning, technology, and teaching.

TeacherLingo (http://www.teacherlingo.com/) is an educational community of teacher blogs, lesson plans, and other teacher resources. Teachers can share experiences and advice with other educators.

Blogs are increasingly being used by teachers and students throughout the nation. They’re easy to create and use, and they certainly can enhance the education experiences of both teachers and students alike.

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Brian Jenkins contributes content related to elementary school teaching careers, among other education and career topics, to the BrainTrack website.

Thanks, Brian!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

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Social Media Book List: #PRIVACYtweet & Share This!

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow of Key Business Partners, LLC

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors & writers to manage their book promotion and social media marketing. As part of my job I read a lot of books (I love to read anyway!).

This week I will be highlighting two books; one author I am currently working with ‘#PRIVACYtweet’ by Lori Ruff and one book on the social media Amazon list ‘Share This!’ by Deanna Zandt.

The books I discuss in the Social Media Book List Series will cover a range of topics such as social media, marketing, blogging, business, organization, career building, finance, networking, writing, self development, and inspiration.

‘#PRIVACYtweet:Addressing Privacy Concerns in the Day of Social Media’

by Lori Ruff

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“Whatever you believe about online privacy and its implications on your life and business, this book will help you better understand what you need to believe.”
Jay Deragon, @JDeragon, Coauthor The Virtual Handshake, The Emergence of The Relationship Economy, and http://www.relationship-economy.com, one of the top 150 blogs in the world

“Very relevant, entirely timely, proper perspective: all the elements you want when you’re going to learn.”
JoshuaABarnes, @joshuaatbarnes, Director of Information Technology, Socialmatica, Inc.

Here are a few of the tweets from the book:

#2 You can’t hide in The Cloud. If you’re going to participate in the online community, do it with deliberation & thought.

#13 Being online is like being a player on a professional football team. You know you’re being watched. Act like it.

#15 Business professionals need to be on LinkedIn and engaged. Share only what you would at your office.

#35 Bullying is not only alive and well; it is more common than you’d hope. Call out cyberbullying: help those attacked.

#48 Did your computer come with security software? Use it, keep it updated, run it on schedule. It will
help save your A$&.

#76 Each individual has sole responsibility for posts published in any form of online social media. Via @maltaee

About the Book*:

Concerns about privacy are not new. Since time immemorial, we humans have valued and guarded our privacy, often jealously or violently. It is therefore no surprise that privacy online is of such great concern in our connected world. Today, when we conduct so much of our life online–bank transactions, credit card payments, transmission of personal messages and images to friends and family–it is completely understandable that we should be concerned about the privacy of our communication and information.

Privacy concerns in the virtual world are often compounded by lack of information and awareness. Not all of us are completely clear on how we should guard our privacy on the Internet. Especially in the corporate world, privacy becomes a huge concern, since it is not only the individual employee who can be at risk, but co-workers and the corporate entity too. Can privacy be guaranteed? How can you raise employee awareness on privacy issues? These are just a few of the questions that Lori Ruff is so well-qualified to address.

In #PRIVACYtweet , Lori tells you–in the succinct and ever-popular tweet format–what exactly privacy on the Internet means to your organization. To cite just one example, she addresses the need for privacy issues to be part of a hiring firm’s requirements and why they must be in line with customer relations. You don’t have to be an Internet guru to perceive and benefit from her experience and wisdom. Using Lori’s book you can secure your privacy at the individual, group and corporate levels without paranoia. Read PrivacyTweet to clear the fear, so that you approach the Internet with caution, yet confidence.

About Lori*:
Lori Ruff, author of numerous books and famed speaker at conferences and training sessions, has taught technology and Internet courses since 1999 and helped thousands of people find success online. She is now living her life out loud in the social media world.

Dubbed The LinkedIn Diva, Lori is the 9th most connected woman on LinkedIn, with a full Facebook friends list and close to 50,000 followers on Twitter.

You can purchase a copy of ‘#PRIVACYtweet:Addressing Privacy Concerns in the Day of Social Media’ online on the publisher site, Happy About or on Amazon. *I did receive a copy of this book from the publisher to help in the promotion of the book

Next, I would like to introduce you to a book on the social media list on Amazon and on my reading list: ‘Share This! How you will change the world with Social Media’.

Share This! How you will change the world with Social Media

by Deanna Zandt

“If you are an activist or a concerned citizen and you are new to social media, start with Share This! Deanna Zandt has deep knowledge, broad experience, a knack for clear and simple explanation, a talent for storytelling, and a wonderfully engaging voice.”
–Howard Rheingold, author of Smart Mobs and lecturer, University of California Berkeley and Stanford University

About the Book*

Social networks can be so much more than a way to find your high school friends or learn what your favorite celebrity had for breakfast. They can be powerful tools for changing the world. With Share This! both regular folks of a progressive bent and committed activists can learn how to go beyond swapping movie reviews and vacation photos (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

At the moment the same kinds of people who dominate the dialog off-line are dominating it online, and things will never change if that doesn’t change. Progressives need to get on social networks and share their stories, join conversations, connect with others–and not just others exactly like themselves. It’s vital to reach out across all those ethnic/gender/preference/class/age lines that exist even within the progressive camp. As Deanna Zandt puts it, “creating a just society is sort of like the evolution of the species–if you have a bunch of the same DNA mixing together the species mutates poorly and eventually dies off.”

But there are definitely dos and don’ts. Zandt delves into exactly what people are and are not looking for in online exchanges. How to be a good guest. What to share. Why authenticity is more important than just about anything, including traditional notions of expertise or authority. She addresses some common fears, like worrying about giving too much about yourself away, blurring the lines between your professional and personal life, or getting buried under a steaming heap of information overload. And she offers detailed, nuts-and bolts “how to get started” advice for both individuals and organizations.

The Internet is upending hierarchies and freeing the flow of information in a way that makes the invention of the printing press seem like an historical footnote. Share This! shows how to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to make marginalized voices heard and support real, fundamental change–and, incidentally, have some fun doing it.

About Deanna Zandt*:

Deanna Zandt is a media technologist and the author of Share This! How You Will Change the World with Social Networking (forthcoming: Berrett-Koehler, June 2010). She is a consultant to key progressive media organizations including AlterNet and Jim Hightower’s Hightower Lowdown, and hosts TechGrrl Tips on GRITtv with Laura Flanders. Zandt specializes in social media, and is a leading expert in women and technology. She works with groups to create and implement effective web strategies toward organizational goals of civic engagement and empowerment, and uses her background in linguistics, advertising, telecommunications and finance to complement her technical expertise. She has spoken at a number of conferences, including the National Conference on Media Reform, Bioneers, America’s Future Now (formerly “Take Back America,”) Women Action & The Media, and provides beginner and advanced workshops both online and in person.

In January 2009, Deanna was chosen as a fellow for the Progressive Women’s Voices program at the Women’s Media Center. She also serves as a technology advisor to a number of organizations, including Feministing, The Girls & Boys Projects and Women Action & The Media.

In addition to her technology work, Deanna writes and illustrates graphic stories and comics, and volunteers with dog rescue organization Rat Terrier ResQ.

*courtesy of book website and Amazon

You can purchase a copy of ‘Share This!’ on Amazon.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

How to Attract the Leaders in the Pack

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(Updated in 2020)

Photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash

10-Point Plan — Attracting Second Generation Heroes and Champions

Employees as Volunteers and Volunteers as Employees

Whether you’re a small enterprise like SOBCon building a brand and a legacy to stand upon or you’re an internationally known brand with a legacy of success and relationships that you want to nurture and protect, your employees and volunteers are the heart of your brand.

What makes that heart beat?
What gets those people to invest their time into your quest rather than into some other endeavor each day?
One of three reasons brings us to work and that reason that drives us runs through every nuance of every interaction that we undertake — every success we enjoy and every error we miss, overlook or turnaround in a fabulous way.

Whether you’re paying for a job role or enlisting volunteers, what you want is a volunteer who leads like a $200,000 / year employee. Leaders like that are learners who are focused on the cause and willing to put their minds, hearts, and vision into making the best things happen.

The Three Kinds of People Who Show Up to Work

People often say “There are two kinds of people, those who … and those who don’t.” In this case there are really three. Knowing all three will help you find and identify the leaders you need.

  • It’s a job. These volunteers are looking for an in-kind return. They are worker economists in that they do a hard day’s work for a hard day’s pay. The return might not be money. It might be a free seat, new clients or contacts that translate into potential work, a chance to raise the level of their pay grade by raising their skills and contacts. Be aware that they aren’t working for your brand or cause. They are executing a transaction.
  • It’s a career. These volunteers are looking to build their resume.They are politicians in that they look for a return that will enhance their own value proposition. The return is not financial it’s power and positioning. They do a hard day’s work for the ability to say they were part of the team. They might be working for a recommendation or entrance into a new network that will offer more opportunity. Understand that their first purpose isn’t working for your brand, it’s to extend their reach.
  • It’s a quest. These volunteers care about money and reach, but are driven by a need to build something no one can build alone. They look for a situation that will allow them to invest their best and want the same in return. Leaders will actually work for less if they’re convinced that the quest, the people, and process will be tied to values and intelligent ROI.

I bet you could phrase a set of questions and conditions to attract the best volunteers to that outstanding project you want to take off.

How would you start?

READ the Whole 10-Point Plan Series: On the Successful Series Page.

–ME “Liz” Strauss