Blog Categories: creative thinking

I Like Facebook, HBU (how ‘bout you)?

Posted on November 30, 2011

By Tim Hayes

As a newbie to Facebook, I’m in the process of learning not only how to navigate these new waters of Walls and Friending and feigning interest in people’s toenail painting appointments, but also how to communicate business opportunities to heretofore untapped markets.

The universe of Twitter beckons as well, but my limit is one culture shock at a time, thanks.

One of the more fascinating aspects of these and other social media is the quicksilver development of language and novel abbreviations.  With three teenagers in the house, the fact that this is happening comes as no surprise.  Yet the sheer volume of newly hatched acronyms, homonyms, and synonyms leaves me speechless.  And I’m a speechwriter, 4COL (for crying out loud).

As a parent, I want to know what the kids are talking about out there to keep mine safe.  As a professional communicator, I want to know what language usages the world is embracing to keep my clients informed and protected, as well.  A recent article in The Wall Street Journal gives a very informed and informative rundown of this constantly evolving vocabulary, and quotes a media trainer as stating, “If a CEO does not appear to be tech-savvy, people may start to wonder, ‘Is the company not plugged into today’s technologies also?’”

I’m not sure the thumbs of CEOs with whom I work are furiously flurrying over their Blackberrys and iPhones with gems like KUTGW (keep up the good work), WRUD (what are you doing), or GBTW (get back to work).  Well, maybe that last one.  But the notion of remaining tech-savvy does ring true.

The only thing that never changes is the fact that everything changes.  Social media drives presidential politics, athletes bypassing the media and going straight to their fan base, heck, even Paula Abdul resigned from “American Idol” via Twitter.  What more proof does anyone need?

For now, I plan to dive back into my Facebook account and start swimming again, looking for fresh Friends who can lead me to vast new worlds of business connections.  My message to them?  PCM (please call me).

Copyright 2009 Tim Hayes Consulting

Reference:  Hayes, Tim, Jackass in a Hailstorm—Adventures in Leadership Communication, 2010 Transverse Park Productions, LLC.  This book is available on Amazon.com.  Tim is a Leadership Communication Consultant, Trainer and an associate in the Perla Group – Coaching and Consulting.

Creative thinking and positive emotion

Posted on August 31, 2009

“There are, at least, TWO ways to relate to anything:  a small minded way and a large minded way. Choose large mind.”

John G. Sullivan

Open up the lens of your thinking by choosing “large mind”.   A helpful image to consider when your thoughts, under stress, are going down the “psycho path”:  when we feel upset, scared, angry, or generally thinking negatively.  Soon, pessimistic recourse is all that we can imagine.  Consider the comic from the New Yorker magazine: A person is walking through the woods and comes to a fork in the road—one path is marked “scenic path” and the other is marked “psycho path”.  Choose the scenic path of large mind, which can offer a way to shift into a perspective that permits integrative, insightful and creative thinking.

Take away: A colleague of mine, Dr. Lynn Johnson suggests a method called “Shifting up” when confronted with stressful situations, made up of three steps:  Shift, Recall and Ask:

1.    Shift from stressful thoughts to breathing.  Breathe in slowly for 30 seconds and focus on your heart beating.
2.    Recall a positive situation and emotion where you felt peaceful, confident and secure or genuine love for someone.
3.    Ask yourself, “What is the highest and best way to handle this situation?”  Listen to your heart, a change of feeling, a thought from the frontal lobe of your brain (where advanced insight comes from). Trust what comes and do it.

Our challenging work environments require intelligence and creativity.  Being your best necessitates practicing methods to connect with your innate wisdom.  I invite you to practice some of these methods as ways to tap into your heart’s wisdom to solve some of your daily challenges.

Resources:  Johnson, Lynn.  “Activate Your Frontal Lobes: One Minute to Increased Intelligence and Creativity.”  1999 – 2004.