What's in a word? A lot, more often than not! Language is a powerful reflection of the world in which we live and the realities we must embrace, a fluid and ever-changing reminder that neither time nor progress stands still. This post shares some of my favorite Digital Era terms and expressions and invites others to participate in a crowdsourcing exercise to expand the…

Earlier this year I shared my thoughts about online social learning communities in response to a…

Like many professionals - especially those who have attained "senior" status - you are probably unsure of the steps you need to take to enhance your skillset to include digital competencies. If that's the case, you may benefit from participating in a discussion group focused on Digital Era opportunities and challenges. This post provides details and an…

As the Digital Era continues to evolve, it is increasingly important for professionals to provide the same level of care and attention to their professional identities in cyberspace as they do to their presence and reputation in the physical world, especially when they are looking for their next career opportunity. This presentation offers…

Establishing the correct boards for your organization is critical for a successful Pinterest presence. Did you know you can also use secret boards, as well as community and staging boards, to maximize your engagement and management efforts? This post offers tips for both general board management and specific ways boards can be used to manage content.…

What does it mean to be a leader in the Digital Era? Have the requirements for success drastically changed, or are they fundamentally the same? This post invites people to share their thoughts, as well as related resources, on the defining characteristics of leadership as the Digital Era progresses and evolves.

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In honor of President’s Day in the United States, I’d like to solicit people's…

At the risk of inspiring unresolvable semantic discussions, this post addresses seven Digital Era terms that should probably be replaced and/or removed from the lexicon and suggests both existing and new alternative terminology to use in their place. What other proposed changes would you make?…

It’s probably no surprise that over 500 books have been written about social and digital technologies over the past 15+ years, and that many of these focus on social media marketing. What’s more intriguing are the topics that have not received much attention yet from thought leaders and authors. This post offers a brief introduction to a research project that explores…

As the Digital Era progresses, professionals at all levels and career stages need to develop and maintain a core set of digital competencies. These competencies can be developed informally, through online social learning communities, but they must also be developed through formal education and training programs. Academic and other…

The Social Media in Organizations Community (SMinOrgs) will be undergoing a "digital makeover" in 2013. The core mission of the group won't change significantly, but we need a name and logo that better reflect our evolving focus on new technologies beyond social media. We've identified four possible options and are inviting "the crowd" to help us make the final decision by participating in a brief survey:…

Most people have heard of SlideShare, but they probably don't realize how powerful and diverse the platform is, or the important role it can play in their content marketing and digital engagement efforts. This post offers seven reasons for taking another look and considering an upgrade in 2013.…

For individuals and organizations using Pinterest for professional purposes, creating and managing a “pinventory” is a recommended best practice that enables you to reduce unnecessary duplication, improve board focus and content, and better manage new pins going forward. This post provides suggested steps

and related…

The advance of social and digital technologies continues unabated. We witnessed dramatic changes in 2012, and the anticipated changes in 2013 promise to be equally profound. My first blog post of the year provides resources that capture some of the key trends and predictions and offers nine bottom-line insights about what these trends mean for both…

I feel as if we've spent the last few years slowly climbing up the first (very large!) incline of the social/digital technology adoption roller coaster. I think we're finally going to hit that first crest sometime in 2013 and things will really start to take off. I. can't. wait!!!

Curious about Twitter, not just as a social media platform but also as a company? Using a sample of recent tweets, this post offers a glimpse into the company’s leadership, its role in society, and how the platform and its features are evolving. Though neither comprehensive nor in-depth, this glimpse provides insights into the complexity of a Digital…

If you’re contemplating establishing a Pinterest presence for your organization, or are just getting started, the eight pointers in this post will help you develop a plan for managing your engagement both initially and over time. Individuals looking to use Pinterest for professional purposes can benefit from these tips as well. Additional suggestions are…

The significant progress the HR industry has made in developing and leveraging social and digital technologies was clearly evident at this year’s HR Technology Conference in Chicago – especially in the Expo Hall. Not only were new technologies highlighted in the products and services offered by vendors, they were also integrated…

Using the “Senior Superlative” format from high school, this post shares some of the best social media and digital technology Pinterest boards for Social Media in Organizations (SMinOrgs). Categories include Most Original, Class Clown, and of course Most Popular. We also share related resources and invite everyone to “Come Pin with Us!”…

LinkedIn (LI) polls are an undervalued feature of the platform. My latest blog post highlights their power to reach and engage people, as well as some of the benefits they can generate. The heart of the post is a checklist of 21 tips for creating and promoting LI polls, as well as sharing the results. Related LI resources (addressing individual…

If you haven’t considered adding Tumblr to your social media portfolio yet, my latest blog post offers seven reasons why it hits a “sweet spot” for established individual and organizational users, complementing and augmenting engagement on other platforms in unique and effective ways. Additional reasons are welcome.…