Category Archives: Business Talk

HELP!! Social Media Etiquette for Dummies

Posted by Amy W in Business Talk, life, Random Thoughtz and tagged with , , , , , ,

Or maybe it’s just for me…

Over the past few months, two people I know were recruited and offered job promotions through LinkedIn.  The first story I thought was a rare occurance, but after hearing the second story I thought there might be something to this professional social media/networking thing and decided it was time to “complete” my profile.

Up until the last few weeks, my profile had no picture, no great details about me or my professional experience.  I may have had my undergraduate and graduate programs and my current employer listed so that I could connect with classmates and current colleagues, of course.  That’s about it.

I’m not actively looking for a new job right now, but considering the changes that are coming forward in my company and specifically at my specific location, I figured it would be prudent to start preparing for changes should they become necessary in the future.

So I signed into my linked in account.  Added a picture, updated my resume, and accepted a few friends.  I clicked a few companies and groups I’d like to follow and the rest has been history.

Then last night happened…

(disclaimer – To date I have been a long-time blogger (not consistent as of late), active on Facebook, and participate in a few other online discussions where my identity remains relatively disconnected from my career and livelihood).

I found this one particular LinkedIn group that seemed to have interesting conversations pertinent to my industry and interests.  I loved the content so I jumped in on the discussions.

One technical question that was posed had some good responses, and one response that summed the issue up really well.

I did what any millennial Facebooker would do and I “LIKED” this comment posted the LinkedIn Group Page.

Then I came across another conversation where someone posted an article.  There were a few responses to the article, one of which I disagreed with.  Well, most of it was okay, but there was one rather grandiose assumption of the secondary effects of this major change highlighted in the article.

I did what any net-active blogger/commenter/social media-ite would do and I challenged it by posting my own comment to the article/the comment I disagreed with.  I emphasized other market forces at work outside the US… blah, blah, blah.  Really, I had researched this very thing earlier in the fall and was excited to be able to apply what I learned from my research to a real conversation.  Or to even have that kind of conversation with others in like-industries was exciting for me.  (Silly?  Possibly.  Nerd?  Definitely.)

My concern after the fact became this…

Over the past 24 hours, people I don’t know, who saw this “challenge comment”, have looked at my profile.  I know because LinkedIn tells me this.  Then when I look at their profiles, I can see that they know some of the same people I know.  Suddenly my comments and activity on this new LinkedIn group thing take on a whole new dynamic that I’ve never before experienced through blogging, facebook and other social media channels.

Usually, I either don’t know who’s “looking” at me, or they can’t look at me because of security settings.  BUT the whole idea of LinkedIn is networking…i.e. finding connections through other connections, connecting through interests, industries, etc.  Here, people can check my profile without “friend requesting” me (what does LinkedIn call it?), and that’s perfectly okay.  But I’m seeing some traffic to my profile as a result of my comment with no responses/feedback to said comment and I’m getting all paranoid inside.

Was I spot on?  Was I  wrong?  Was I awesome?  Was I a jerk?  I don’t know, I don’t know!?!?!

I mean, if I totally botched my comment, are these people going to contact their people who are also my people and tell them to check their employee who’s spouting off all kinds of stuff on some social media site?  I wasn’t rude to the guy (I don’t think) and (obviously) I think the point made was relevant…

Moral of the story is that I need help.  I want to continue collaborating and conversing in this place, but I don’t know the ins and outs of this professional social networking business.  Do I just need to get used to people looking at my profile and not make a big deal out of it like I am right now?  Are there rules that I need to abide by?  Is there a different etiquette that I must learn for LinkedIn that is different from Twitter, or Facebook or YouTube or other social media channels?  Is it okay to disagree with someone on a linked in group thread, if you’re tactful about it?  And what exactly does “tactful” look like in this instance?  Or are we supposed to not say anything if what we have to say disagrees with what everyone (or just someone) has already said?

I need a crash course in professional social media for dummies…can anyone help me out?

When The Only Constant Is Change

Posted by Amy W in Business Talk, Christianity, life and tagged with , , , ,

It has been forever since I’ve updated this site and it’s not due to a lack of creativity or writer’s block.  The last few months have found me swamped…between plant outages (translation = my “busy season”) and school projects, I have found very little downtime to do the things I love the most…like writing about God and life and love.

In the busyness of the past few months a fairly large bomb was dropped that will most likely change my life as I know it today.  One month ago, the COO of my Fortune 500 company showed up at my little site (note…if higher level leaders are showing up at our site…you know something big is about to happen).  Given less than 12 hours notice, we gathered at work for a 6am town hall meeting.  Buzz was already stirring as to what the news might be.  Everyone thought we were facing a merger.

And we are.

Well that morning “WE”, as in the corporation at large, announced a merger with a similar company seeking strategic alignment of some business offerings we excel in that the other company wants.  The real bomb however, was that while “we” are going to merge, my site plus 2 others must be divested within 6 months of the merger’s completion.  Translation, if the merger takes a year from the time it was announced, I estimate that I know nothing of my reality 1 year from today.

A month has passed since the announcement, and there is certainly a lot of unrest and uncertainty as to the state of our future.  We think our site will continue to exist, but the new owners will determine what our future looks like.  For those who have given 30 or 40 years to this company…they feel abandoned, angry and confused by the lack of information available at this time.

Regardless of what our “bomb” is today, our perspective in times like this will determine how we “ride out” the storm.  In Ephesians 4, Paul exhorts that we should no longer be tossed about by every wind of teaching, but rather speak Truth.  I would say the same in this case.  There is Truth that we must cling to when we face the most uncertain times.  The truth of God’s sovereignty and love goes above and beyond any change, job loss, or cancer that we may face.  That might seem like an extreme statement, but its true.  In Jeremiah 29:11 The Lord says,

“For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper and not to harm you”.

Taken in light of the remainder of scripture, God’s plans for us may not include a billion dollar personal net-worth, nor will it completely isolate us from pain and suffering and hard times, but the reality is that there are plans that He has for our lives…those that are good, not only for us (eternally speaking) but even more so for His Glory.

I have no idea where or for whom I will be working in 1 year.  I am mildly concerned with the implications the divestiture will have on my remaining MBA tuition and how much I will or will not have to potentially pay back/out of my own pocket.  I mourn the fact that I may have to “prove” myself to new managers…maybe this change will help launch my career forward, or may it’ll be set back a few more years.  OR maybe it will initiate a complete change in my career path.  I really have no idea, but I’m actually really excited to give this next year to God, open-handed…to see what He is able to do with it.

Hebrews 11:8 tells us that, “when called to go, Abraham got up and went even though he had no idea where he was going.”

In times of uncertainty or massive change, the only thing we have that is constant and firm is God’s Truth.  To look to anyone or anything else for security is simply foolish.  For me and the situation at work, I don’t know who my next “boss” will be, but I know my LORD will not change.  Resting in that and looking to Him for direction and purpose will truly bring the peace, hope, and joy that we all desire, especially when we’re surrounded by constant change and uncertainty.

Where Are All The Female Leaders?

Posted by Amy W in Business Talk, life, women in ministry and tagged with , ,

I have said this before, I know, but I work in a male dominated industry.  At my location specifically there are about 200 people.  Of those, 8 of them are women.  I don’t know of a single female “location” manager…at least not one that I can recall, and those who have held other management positions at each “location” are far and few between.  While, I expect this kind of thing in my industry, I’m also realizing that the lack of female leaders spreads across industries, for-profit and not-for-profit alike.

For years, the woman’s voice grew louder and louder…trying to push through the glass ceiling that our male colleagues seemingly kept over us.  And women have made progress, but the reality is…they’re still highly under-represented in higher level leadership roles.  What’s going on?

What if, the problem isn’t what we thought it was?

Now men, hear me out…I’m not going to bash you…promise :-)

What if the problem isn’t so much the glass ceiling, but rather is us women, ourselves?  What if the way has been paved?  What if the biggest hinderance is the woman staring back at us in the mirror?

I listened to a short lecture this evening by Sheryl Sandberg, COO at Facebook about Women in the workplace.  It was rather interesting and is linked at the bottom of this blog.  In her talk she challenges women to be mindful of our own roles in our own careers and our destiny therein.

She brings to light that women are less aggressive, less likely to negotiate or jump at positions, more inclined to deny personal credit for their accomplishments, and often have a lot more to balance and consider when it comes to furthering their career…especially with regards to family and their roles once they get home.  As a result, we tend to take ourselves out of the game much quieter and quicker than our male counterparts.

I’m not a wife and mother, so I don’t really understand that part of the balance, at least not in an experiential sense, but I did recognize and relate to a few of the pitfalls that Sheryl mentions in her brief talk.  I never really thought of them as setbacks, but its something for me to reflect on over the coming months…

What if, for us women, we really are our own worst critic?  What it’s because of our own actions (or lack thereof) that we don’t make it into that corner office with a view?  And if this has been the trend for the women before us, how will we, the younger generation of women in the workforce, move to change those tendencies so that we are able to accomplish all that we are skilled and desire to do?  Man up…and Move up, of course…with our foot on the Gas going full speed ahead!

Be prepared for a bump or two: driven, powerful women are often not liked very much and will probably be called a name or two along the way.  If all else fails, you can always turn to Ben and Jerry’s and your favorite glass of red wine to help console you.

Here is Sheryl’s talk on You Tube:

 

When Am I Who I Really Am?

Posted by Amy W in Business Talk, life, relationships and tagged with , , , ,

Tonight I was at a bible study.  It came time for prayer.  I didn’t think I really had any requests, so I didn’t share much.  Then someone shared a request and it reminded me of this weekend…

You see, in my MBA class (and often in the work place), I sometimes struggle with feeling connected.  People make comments about me being a Christian or will joke about Jesus this or that.  I don’t always know for sure, but sometimes I wonder if it’s because of the faith I have or because of who I am.  I’m also a quiet and a really, really, shy person, so that doesn’t help with “feeling connected” to the people around me (I put quotations because I feel like I’m using some cheesy buzz word here, but I’m not sure I know how else to state it!! lol).  AND to top it off, I’m horrible at small talk…networking is sometimes hard for me.  I thrive on good books, philosophical, meaningful, and deep conversations…the kinds of talks you don’t just have with everyone…ya know?  And especially not the kinds of talks you have during 5 or 10 minute breaks with your classmates…

So this weekend I was free after class and decided to join my MBA classmates at happy hour.  Eventually the joking and banter started up.  It was nothing horrible, but as I got in my car for the 1 hr drive home, I couldn’t help but question myself and my motives, specifically around my participation in and encouragement of the conversation that was being had.

I wouldn’t talk or act like that in front of my pastors (past and present).  I wouldn’t act or joke like that in front of girls that I’m mentoring at any given time.  I wouldn’t encourage my closest girlfriends to act or joke like that.  Again, it’s not that it was wrong or bad, but for me, it didn’t feel authentic…and that’s where the problem lies.

You see, regardless of how long you’ve been walking with the Lord, there will always be a temptation to allow your flesh to take control.  And for each of us, there are areas or traps that are much easier for us to fall into relative to others.  There is one trap that I will almost always fall in to (or so it seems), and  Happy Hour with my classmates was one of those times (no, it wasn’t drinking too much).  The conversation started with a few guys that I really like and grew from there to include others, I enjoyed the joking, regardless of subject matter (it’s easier for me than small talk), so I stayed with it…feeling, at least for a few moments, connected to people I don’t normally talk to very much.  Unfortunately, I drove home feeling like it was done at the expense of  God or more specifically, the person he’s called me to be.

I have no real resolution to this, but I have this question that I just can’t shake.  While reflecting on my drive home from happy hour, this is what came up:

Who am I when I’m being my most authentic self?  Who am I behind closed doors, when connectedness or “fitting in” isn’t driving my actions, when I’m not trying to put on a pretty service face or trying to impress someone at work?  Who am I when no one is looking?

Am I okay with that me?  I need to be.

Whoever I am authentically…that’s who I want to be, always.

At home.

At Church.

With Friends.

At work.

and especially at School…at least until graduation.

Continuous Improvement & Spiritual Kaizen

Posted by Amy W in Business Talk, Christianity, Devotional, Jesus, life

I spent this last week in Chicago for a training that my company holds for employees called “High Impact Leadership”.  Early in the training we discussed something called the Work Belief System.  It is a grouping of seven ideals or values that my company desires for it’s employees to hold.  We were asked to brainstorm ideas on how we would define each of the seven elements.  The one that struck me the most was the idea of continuous improvement.

Continuous improvement in and of itself is not a new concept.  It has been around for a while and is probably something any business in today’s changing world should be striving toward.  Many people in business will uphold Toyota’s concept of Kaizen as a prime example of this idea played out in real life.

To help restore Japan after WWII, leaders began to consult American experts, looking for ideas and motivation on rebuilding of their industries.  Edward Deming became their teacher, a famed statistician who lectured often on the ideas of improvement in processes, product design and business practices.  He was highly influential in the industrial revolution that Japan saw in the years following the war.  Over the course of time Toyota began to draw heavily from the foundations laid out by Deming, ultimately making them the automotive leader they are today.  It was through their success in the area of production line improvements that “Kaizen” became a token key word amongst businesses.

Kaizen – a continuous improvement of business processes while striving for evolution and innovation.

The idea or concept is not new to me, nor is it new to most people.  What struck me the most last week, however, was when one of the conference atendees came up with a personal definition of  ”a journey of growing with no end point in sight”.

Recently I’ve been trying to start up a few systems at my plant.  It seems like every time we figure out one issue, another pops its ugly head.  To be honest I’ve found myself a little discouraged.  I just want it to work…it does, but it seems like there are always ways to make it better for performance reasons as well as user/operator/maintenance reasons.  To be honest I haven’t looked at this process through the lenses of “continuous improvement”.  The discussion in our training session made me stop and reflect.  Honestly, I began to see our work in a new light.  Realizing that every step we take is one towards improvement…and the process is and should be continuous.  In a moment the burden and discouragement started to melt and hope and a little bit of excitement began to take root.

The next thing that struck me was that in the midst of the conversation I also began to reflect on how relevant this also is to our spiritual lives.  Walking with Christ daily is never an easy task.  There are many times when we get through a big issue or struggle or trial that we stop and think that we’ve made it.  There are times when we look at our lives and think, “if only I can get through this thing (insert whatever “thing” you want into that statement) then I will have finally made it”.  The truth is, our spiritual walks are much like the ideas of continuous improvement and Kaizen.  We are a work in progress.

In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Paul writes:

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner selfis being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

In Colossians, just after speaking of all the sin that we are putting off, Paul encourages:

“[We] put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Col 3:10)

There is a work occurring within us that will go on to completion.  The idea of “being renewed” carries with it the idea that it is happening now.  Not future tense or past tense, but present…always present…always “being renewed”.

Just as I was frustrated with the system at work, I often look at my spiritual life discouraged that just as I “fix” one thing, another thing appears to be “broken”.  I sometimes find myself discouraged that I haven’t yet made it to perfection, but am realistically still broken in one way or another.  I think we all look for those milestones in our spiritual life, but the truth is we will always be a work in progress this side of heaven.   That shouldn’t be a point of discouragement, but rather a point of praise that God has not stopped his work when there’s still work to be done.  The fact is that He is the one bringing change about in our lives.  Knowing that God’s  is driving that change should encourage us in knowing that the trajectory of His renewal process is one towards improvement.  A continuous improvement, if you may.  An improvement that is making us more into the men and women he created us to be: a people who can and will bring glory to His name.

It is a journey with no visible end…maybe that is what Paul was getting at when he wrote those words to the Church in Corinth.  Sure, it’s frustrating at times, but if the founders of Toyota can make their cars some of the best on the market through their application of Kaizen, imagine what the Creator Himself can do in the lives of those who follow Him.

I can only imagine…