welcome --> Velkomin!

One of my favourite things at home is my welcome sign.  Over the course of the year I'll move it over different trees in the garden and in the window in the house facing outside.  Sometimes it hangs over the front door to welcome guests as they enter the house.

My welcome sign is a VELKOMIN sign that was a gift from an Icelandic auntie in Gimli, Manitoba.  It's weathered and I've had it for 14 years and I reckon I'll have it for another 14 plus years. 

Though I don't speak Icelandic, I know that like English, it's a Germanic language.  And so it's not coincidental then that our words for "welcome" look and sound similar.

In trying to find some pronounciation for you, I found this great blog:  http://www.icelandictranslations.com/?p=1

The translator is Thor Kristinsson @thorkristinsson and I think he's pretty great
:-) at what he does.

best wishes for a happy and healthy 2011 to you!

shhhhh. don't say a word.

I was reading The Daniel J Smith Daily http://paper.li/thedanieljsmith today and I was pleased to see one of my favourite articles posted on the top of the page: Jonathan Rauch's "Caring for Your Introvert" in which Rauch reveals the misconceptions faced by introverts (he considers himself to be one).

It's a fantastic piece, he covers all the important topics ranging from the introvert's increased need for silent time to reflect to their habit of processing their thoughts internally before discussing them (compared to extroverts).  What I love about Rauch's article is that it's sensitive and honest in its portrayal of the introvert experience, but it also tells the story of how introvert-ism impacts the social environment around the introvert.  Rauch does an excellent job writing about introverts and extroverts and in the end, he's contributed an article that I believe goes the distance in helping the two groups understand each other better.  I've pased it along to both introverts and extroverts over the years -- I highly recommend this article. 

 

gift that keeps giving

In case you didn't catch it, I just posted the following on Twitter:

You Could Have A Flu Christmas About You...Unless You Are Vaccinated mnt.to/3NSC via @mnt_flu <-- I did :-(

 

I've been out of commission since December 25.  I put on a Christmas morning breakfast for my family and friends and I felt a bit off, like I was coming down with a little something, but I was admittedly in denial.  Upon hugging me at the door my sister exclaimed;

 

"OMG! You're burning up!  Are you OK?"

 

Still in denial, and with the guest list in full attendance at this point, I said;

 

"I'm fine -- I think it must be my hormones!"

 

It wasn't until everybody left, that the truth came crashing down around me.  As I looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, I realised that I looked terrible.  I took the garbage out to the curb and when I came in from the cold, my lungs convulsed.  I took my temperature: it was 103 degrees F. 

 

There could be no more denying it -- I was sick.  And the worst part for me was that I'd exposed my family and friends to the bug.  I'm still managing my symptoms with over the counter meds. and I just found out today that my sister and my young nephew are in the first stage of the sickness :-(

 

Did I get the flu shot this year?  Regrettably, I forgot. 

 

Last year I volunteered at an elementary school and worked at a bookstore during an H1N1 outbreak and never got sick -- the difference?  Immunization.  It works people.  Next flu season I'll be among the first in line to get my shots.

 

 

 

 

blessings & Merry Christmas to you!

I thought I finished my shopping yesterday on the busiest shopping day of the year when I picked up fresh food items for tomorrow's breakfast -- I'm cooking & baking for my family and friends.  But I forgot some fruit and vegetables.  I also forgot to slip by my favourite chocolate shop for my annual hit of coco. (how could I?) http://www.bernardcallebaut.com/users/folder.asp?FolderID=4575 (Academy Road, Winnipeg) 

So I'm off, but before I leave the peaceful holiday hum of the laptop ;-) I wanted to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas and best wishes of the season.

Thank you for stopping by.

~k.

and speaking of papercut art & illustration ...

Image work of Renate Kalloch, available on stock.xchng: http://www.sxc.hu/profile/rknds

After posting the the link to Ben and Lexi's blog I started thinking about one of my favourite papercut artists, Jan Pienkowski.  Actually, Pienkowski's written and illustrated lots of books and he's known for more than the papercut style, but the work that I completely fell for was his silhouette style illustrated classics.  They're illustrations, but they look as if they could be paper or woodcuts and the effect is quite dramatic.

http://www.janpienkowski.com/books/silhouette/index.htm

Pienkowski has also written and illustrated pop-up books, which are a cutout engineering art and entertainment form.  However, my all time favourite pop up book -- the book I want to wander around inside and live in -- is Jane Ray's Snow White:  http://www.janeray.com/books/

Ray's book is at it absolute best when it's viewed from the open book position, on the tabletop.  The reader will have the best perspective of the three-dimensional scene and its many details when s/he sits back about an arm's length.  Sure there are pop-ups that are trickier from a cutout perspective, but the sheer elegance that Ray's illustrations bring to the three-dimensional stage setting of Snow White will undoubtedly make this book one of the most original and cherished books in the genre. 

Ben and Lexi: MCC's Perspective on the Elections#links

I love papercut art. This is a powerful papercut posted by bloggers Ben and Lexi -- check it out: Ben and Lexi: MCC's Perspective on the Elections#links

lies, damned lies and statistics: more on "why Klout doesn't count" ...

As I read my Daniel Smith Daily http://paper.li/thedanieljsmith today, I noticed another posting from @animal that I had to jump on. The post in question?

Why @Klout doesn't count - http://bit.ly/dZhIru - via @GautamGhosh @ShelIsrael

Who can resist a saucy post like that?

Actually, the sauce-meister in this instance is Matt Owen, the writer of the article in question.  According to Owen,  the number of followers a person has

"has very little to do with actual, tangible influence.  I'm not going to buy a new lawnmower based on MC Hammer's recommendation, and my Facebook account is an entirely different entity to Twitter."

In effect, he says adding content from two different platforms to account for an amasse of social power is a misrepresentation of the facts -- it's like adding apples and oranges together.  It's a great article.  It's short and not too technical.  I recommend reading it if you haven't yet. And it made me think of Benjamin Disraeli's famous letter to the Editor of The Times in which he wrote: 

Sir, Mr. Peake says that the figures quoted by me disguise plain facts.   

I think Lord Beaconsfield said that there were three degrees of veracity—viz., lies, d—d lies, and statistics.
(accessed 23 Dec 2010. located at: http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/maths/histstat/lies.htm)
 
In the right hands numbers are wonderful, amazing and even beautiful.  Numbers are true ... but sometimes the words wrapped around them aren't.
 
I'm not a mathematician nor am I a statistician, but I've had the privilege of wrapping my words around some very gorgeous numbers produced by some very excellent minds.  It's always tempting to manipulate the numbers to prove the words true -- but that's ... well ... not being entirely truthful is it? 
  

More discussion on RT @animal Americans R Quitting Their Jobs - Why! - http://aol.it/fdnMit - @BarbaraSafani - #VCP

Earlier this evening I retweeted an @animal post about Americans increased confidence in the employment market:

@animal

RT Americans R Quitting Their Jobs - Why! - http://aol.it/fdnMit - @BarbaraSafani - #VCP

 

It seems Americans have such confidence in the labour market, they're quitting their jobs for better paying jobs, because they were tired of working too hard and they weren't engaged in their work.  There were other reasons -- 7 to be precise --  I'll let you follow the link above to check those out for yourself. (I recommend you do)

 

I've heard and read a few Canadian labour reports this month that indicate some renewed confidence in most provinces and increased employment in most sectors too.  According to Statistics Canada though, there are fewer youth looking for work: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/subjects-sujets/labour-travail/lfs-epa/lfs-epa-eng.htm

 

So what do you think?

 

If you're employed in Canada, are you comfortable quitting your job in this market?

 

I have a good friend who just took the plunge for one or two of the top 10 reasons stated in the article.  She's an engineer and a specialist at that.  Within two weeks she was interviewing and within a month she was reviewing job offers. 

 

It's important to know your field and your job market.  Clearly my friend knew hers -- as well as her worth. 

 

I'm very happy for her.  Clever Woman.

 

:-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alice in Paris loves Art and Tea: Yummy curried soup!#links#links#links

This soup looks amazing. These photos are gorgeous, but I'm sure the soup tastes as good as it looks! Alice in Paris loves Art and Tea: Yummy curried soup!#links#links#links

Great Quotes: Job hunting 411

I just posted on my other blog: Game Day Song: http://ksmit75.posterous.com/game-day-song and I'm delivering lunch to ESS in 20 minutes (hot tomato soup on a cold and snowy day!)

In the meantime, I wanted to leave some fresh content here too.  And who better to keep things fresh than Mark Jaffe, President of Wyatt & Jaffe in Minneapolis.

My three faves from businessweek.com "Headhunter Hint" are (the link and source is below):

1. Come down off that ledge. Please remember that what's happening out there is a reflection of the overall economy. It's not a commentary on your specific qualifications. [3 CHEERS!]

2. At job interviews, show prospective employers you want to add value to their organizations. Act like you're already on the payroll. [YES!]

3. Don't rely on recruiters to package or promote you. Seriously. We are not the answer to your prayers. Most of us never even answer our phones. Do brilliant work in your industry or discipline and we will find you when we have the right opportunity. [YOU'RE IN CHARGE!]
http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/feb2010/ca2010025_464724_page_3.htm

adding value & feeling shortchanged

There's method to my miserliness.  Though I realise in having to explain my actions my actions haven't been clear enough.

I've got two blogs now: www.kirstinistokesismith.blogspot.com and http://ksmit75.posterous.com/

My goal until today has been to synchronise the content from both while I get the blogspot blog up and running.  I've also been interested in reconciling any differences there might be in formatting.

I'm pleased to announced that I've accomplished this to my satisfaction and now I'm going to embark onto Phase 2: Adding Value with Two Blogs.

How will I do this? 

I'll start by posting different and fresh content on each blog.  That way, if you want to launch from one blog to the other, you won't feel like you've been scrooged.

... at least, not until after reading this post ;-)

Thanks for stopping by. ~k.

What do you see around the corner?

I'm convinced that December must be one of the most exhausting months for introverts.  It seems that the opportunities for small, medium and large group holiday socializing abound.  In my experience, the majority of these opportunities too seem to be command performances, meaning you won't really be noticed if you're there, but it will most definitely be noted if you're absent (how does that even calculate?).

It's December 13 and I'm already three parties into the month: one small and two large.  Tomorrow night I''ll be heading out to a medium-sized one and then I'm hosting a small one on Saturday.

As I write I can barely keep my eyes open ... and it's not for lack of sleep, I simply haven't had adequate time to recharge after the two weekend fetes.  Introverts, as I've mentioned in previous posts, need significant time to recharge after an outpouring of social energy.  Even being in the presence of a lot of high extroverted energy can be exhausting for introverts.  Recharging time can vary from person to person, but I find that on the average, for me and other introverts that I know, personal quiet/down time = 2 x the amount of time spent at the event (including fretting about going to the event if that was the case).  For example, last night I attended a party that I fretted for at least three hours beforehand regarding whether or not I really had the energy/time to go etc.  I stayed at the party for five hours, therefore: 3+5=8 hours x 2 = 16 hours.  Thus, I'll require 16 hours of R&R to fully recover from the effects of socializing last night.

And by the way, I had a fantastic time at this party.  The energy quotient isn't impacted positively by good or bad times. 

The dilemma: where and when to get that 16 hours before the next party?

And so it goes for the month of December.

I wish I had some wise words, but I'm still figuring this stuff out as I go merrily along ...

I think the key ingredient might be the knowledge that a 10-day vacation to Any Place Hot By the Ocean is right around the corner on January 2. 

Yes.  I do believe that would help immensely. 

I call Molokai.

photo taken from the Molokai Visitors Bureau available at: http://www.molokai-hawaii.com/

You can't stand looking at me? Really?

I had a meeting recently with a potential client and his partner who told me that I made him so uncomfortable, he literally couldn't stand looking at me.  The partners had a Good Cop/Bad Cop thing going -- the one of that was the most verbal, and, I believe was trying to rattle my cage a little, was the Bosco to his partner's Faith (if they were television's Third Watch cops, that is -- I loved that show).

Why was my Boscorelli so nonplussed?

He told me that just looking at my reserved body language and listening to the 'dulcet' tenor of my voice put him ill-at-ease.  I wasn't actually nervous, and when he started drilling me I became instantly curious about his reaction, so I asked him questions about what was going on for him.  The look on both Bosco's AND Faith's faces told me that this was a road less travelled by (Bosco's: shock and disbelief, Faith: a mixture of fear and anticipation).

It was Faith who interjected and shut the meeting down; seemingly out of the blue she announced that we needn't waste one another's time any further -- if there was any doubt in my mind about whether I was going to get an offer ... 

I know it wasn't going to be a good fit, but I also know I would have done some great work for Bosco and Faith.  The problem?  We don't speak the same language.  Yes, Bosco is rough around the edges, but so what? You don't have to like everybody you work with/for. And Faith may be a codependent and less trustworthy ... again, if you know who and what you're dealing with -- keep 'em close by.

The key problem here was that two extroverts met with an introvert, decoded her body language from their own experience: that is, they likely said to themselves, "if I was sitting at the table talking like that/behaving like that, I'd be doubting myself/abilities etc", rather than taking the leap to my perspective (which is what introverts do all the time with extroverts!). 

So if I could figure that out, why couldn't I step it up and super-charge the performance factor?

Because it's difficult to step outside my comfort zone, that's why.  And to do that would have made me nervous.

sigh.

I've joined Toastmaster's International.  More on that anon :-)

 

 

Why not you? Why not me? indeed!

Last night I attended a dinner and awards ceremony honouring a handful of taekwondo black belt candidates who tested and passed a gruelling morning of exams.  It was inspirational for three reasons:

1. the candidates --  between the ages of 9 and 48 years of age -- had worked incredibly hard towards this goal. I attend the gym only two to three times a week and these athletes are always there working and setting a positive example for the junior athletes;

2. their families came out to support the candidates; and

3. we had a guest of honour whose personal story is an inspiration in and of itself, but the way she continues to give back and support athletes is heartwarming to say the least.

In certain parts of the world, and among many in the international taekwondo community the name Dr. Tae Yun Kim, or Grandmaster Kim, is legendary.  She's survived seemingly insurmountable obstacles: born in Korea her brothers were encouraged to study taekwondo but when she tried to study, her parents cut up her uniform -- taekwondo at that time was the exclusive world of men.  The young Kim persevered and became an internationally ranked athlete, instructor and philanthropist.

http://www.jsw.com/gm-background.html

As mighty as Dr. Kim is and as impressive as her resume is, she continues to work abroad with young people like the young black belts in Winnipeg yesterday.  Watching her giving the black belts to the students last night nearly brought tears to my eyes.  Here was this woman who has lived this incredible life, worked with the top people in her field as well as in government and the military.  She's got to be tough as nails and yet she was so tender and nurturing with each one of the new black belts.  Everbody got a warm hug and more than a few words of encouragement about their performance.  It's something I'll never forget.

I hit her website and I loved her motto and I thought it was so fitting and descriptive of what she's about.  As Grandmaster Kim says:

“He Can Do, She Can Do, Why Not Me!” and then take charge of your life.

What's more inspiring than that?

The Hero of the Day

Modesty, propriety can lead to notoriety
You could end up as the only one
Gentleness, sobriety are rare in this society
At night a candle's brighter than the sun

~Sting

lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/sting/#share

The stanza above is a verse from the song, Englishman in New York by Sting and I'm quoting it because my roast beef is fantastic and it doesn't deserve to be dissected of its most minute fatty content. 

Bear with me.

I'm talking about what Sting referred to as "manners maketh man," which could just as easily be manners making the person -- that's how I'm using it here by the way.  In his song, Sting is quoting somebody else -- likely William Wykeham -- but it could have been a few others who are famous for saying the same thing and things that are similar ever since 14th century in Europe.  http://www.answers.com/topic/manners-maketh-man  In Sting's mind, the hero of the day is the person who coined that phrase.  Though he could also be referring to the person who, in the face of life's challenges and indeed, personal affronts, maintains a sense of propriety and grace.

Am I hero?  Do I exercise propriety and grace under pressure? 

I'll give you a hint, I thought for about 10 minutes trying to decide whether I should answer a definite "yes" or not: wondering if a straight "yes" would come off as boastful and self-congratulatory.  I decided to take a break from writing to make a quick tea, during which time I thought about omitting the paragraph above entirely, thus relieving me of any obligation to address the loaded questions above.

I wouldn't call myself a manners Hero per se, but I'll admit that I can contribute some grace and propriety under pressure as well as during more challenging moments.  Take for example, my (now) famous fantastic roast beef.  I'm not a huge meat-eater and so by default, I don't prepare a lot of meat dishes.  At least once a week, however, I'll make The Roast.  I season it, braise it and then slow cook it for the afternoon.  It's very good.  There's another weekly ritual that goes along my weekly roast that I find challenging: the dissecting of the fat from The Roast by one of my diners. 

Here's the thing.  I think I'm buying a fairly decent cut of meat and I know I'm cooking it satisfactorily.  My picky diner even asks for seconds and thirds. But most of the meat is in shreds on the corner of his plate -- cast aside because an ounce of taste ... err fat was located in the fibers of the meat.  As the person cooking the meal, I feel it's my job to provide a satisfying dinner for everybody at the table and it's difficult for me to do this when most of the food that I've taken the afternoon to prepare has been winnowed down to shreds.  The message the diner sends me the cook is twofold: a) you don't know how to buy a decent cut of meat; b) this roast needs to be prepared differently ... fat removed before it hits the table. 

There are mannered guests and mannered hosts.  I'll continue to offer seconds and thirds to my friend, AND I'll take the time to notice the rest of the table enjoying and FINISHING all the meat on their plates.  I'm not going to make my picky eater friend feel uncomfortable by putting him on the spot at the table (he's done a good job of that himself).  The fact is, he's picky.  My playful nickname for him is Princess (of Princess and the Pea) -- he loves this. 

The Hero of the Day = the person who respects themselves, the people they're with and the environment they're in.  Always conscious, but not self-conscious, the hero places people at ease wherever they are because they're at ease wherever they are.   

I'll aim to be The Hero of the Day ... Roast Beef be Damned.

 

 

Nothing replaces good hard work

I was reading Biz Stone's blog http://www.bizstone.com/ today and something he wrote in September about his success with Twitter struck me as vitally important to success.  It's worth reading the entire post, but the my favourite part of the post is this statement: 

"Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success. Surrounding yourself with smart people you like to work with helps immeasurably."

 More often than not it's the years of commitment to excellence and a dream, coupled with the hours of hard work, that go unrecognized and unrewarded.  People need to reach inside themselves to find an inner source of strength and motivation because, let's face it, we're not all going to be 'rich and famous' or world champions. 

I believe that if you're working hard and, as Biz Stone says, surrounding yourself with smart (and good/honest/trustworthy) people, you too can find your own personal sweet spot.  You and I will determine the outcomes and our eventual successes because we write our own stories every day.

(Animal) Behaviour & Success

Yesterday as I watched my dog, Vegas, dig fervently in the snow to track a scent I thought back to Mark Jaffe's November 30 bnet.com column "Things you can learn from a dog that will help your career": http://www.bnet.com/blog/executive-recruiting/things-you-can-learn-from-a-dog-that-will-help-your-career/415?tag=content;drawer-container

 

vegas in the snow (she has a tail ... it's curled underneath her because she's camerashy!)

 Vegas, shown in the photo, is an Airedale Terrier.  I like all breeds of dogs, but the reason I favour Airedales I admit is that I love the Airedale temperament.  Most commonly referenced in the dog show world as 'the terrier spirit' or 'the Airedale spirit', the breed is known and examined for its standard appearance as well as its spunk, intelligence and humour.  Though not as commonly practiced in the dog show world (I'm told by a consultant friend of mine), at one time the Airedale spirit was tested by placing a few of them (while on the lead) within close proximity to each other to see if they would attempt to spar. 

The Airedale spirit I daresay, if practiced carefully and strategically could help me sharpen my professional skills.  For example, when Vegas has caught a scent she's got to follow it.  She roots her blunt snout into the earth or the snow and digs until she's satisfied -- that's first class investigation and perseverance.  Now Vegas isn't much for sparring, but she wasn't a show dog. 

My other Airedale, Stretch, was an American/Canadian Champion before he came into my home and he had the spunk and sparring spirit full-on :-)  He was a fabulous and personable dog -- excellent with children and people ... but when it was performance time (or what he perceived as performance time -- in truth, we would be walking past another Airedale on the sidewalk!), the old competitive feistiness would return instantly to him.  

the illustrious "Mr." Stretch[elton], "if you  please"

This is a skill that I've been trying to relearn.  I'm competitive and performance driven, but I wonder ... would a bit of the Airedale spirit help me here? 

Could I be just a bit more aggressive, say, without alienating myself or others? ... it's a fine line, and dogs don't have to worry about that silly stuff.  Maybe I should worry less about it too :-)

Airsick

Buy in bulk, less packging

Buy Carbon Credits to offset your personal footprint

Buy locally grown produce and reduce transportation costs

Calculate your household emissions and explore ways to reduce it and save money

Eat less meat

Find out how to Recycle or Reuse Electronics

Live closer to work

Lower your thermostat

Volunteer to plant trees in your community

Support The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees project

Carpool to work

Don't idle your car

Properly inflate your car tires

Above green links provided via mediastorm.com

I just saw Airsick - The Need for Change with Lucas Oleniuk/byLucas Oleniuk. It's heart stopping -- the photography and the animation, which was done by MediaStorm, tell the story all by themselves. That said, the music score and the writing were powerful too.

See it for yourself here: http://www.mediastorm.com/publication/airsick

Concept and Photography: Lucas Oleniuk
Airsick Editor: Scott Simmie
Original Music: Randy Risling
Design and Animation: James Ivar Gundersen
Producer: Eric Maierson
Producer: Epilogue: Tim Hussin
Executive Producer: Brian Storm

Make this the decade you sharpen your edge

As I read Mark Jaffe's bnet.com column today, I was both inspired and intrigued.  He asks "so what was that decade about anyway?" http://www.bnet.com/blog/executive-recruiting/so-what-was-that-decade-about-anyway/400, adding,

"To a certain degree, individuals and cultures are defined by what they rebel against, hide from or try to avoid. Maybe creativity itself goes through a hibernation period, notably characterized by bad haircuts and lame music."

Like silicone hair products and synthetic music, the job market has become a highly contrived and science based system.  More than ever before, certainly moreso now than say, in 1998,  job seekers need to be tech-savvy AND they need to have the so-called soft skills.  It's not enough to be 'nice and likeable' in this competitive job market.  Employers and hiring managers are demanding that candidates possess formidable social skills.  They want to be influenced by the candidate's social skills -- their ability to represent the company whether they are answering the phone or answering a client's query.   

I've written about the tendency of extroverts/extrovert-biased people to project extrovert norms onto introvert actions -- to subscribe motivation where there may be none and to mistake silence for a lack of confidence, ability and talent. 

I often wonder, why do we as a culture hide from and try to avoid introverted-ness to such a degree? 

The fact that North American culture doesn't generally reward introverts for being introverted, nor do we as a culture celebrate introvert norms isn't unique to this decade.  I'm not going to go so far as to claim that it's uniquely a bias in this particular job market either.  What IS unique and specific to this decade, is the extent to which extrovert bias dominates professional culture and the job market.  It's a competitive world out there and any edge you can give yourself makes you more competitive.

I've been reading and re-reading a few good books that I'll recommend as definite edge-sharpeners:

Book List: Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind, Sian Beilock's, Choke, John Lucht's, Rites of Passage and Jonathan Mooney's Learning Outside the Lines. 

Reporter? Journalist? Take your pick?

I've been editing and revamping my resume this week and a friend suggested that I remove my longstanding references to my experience as a Reporter with a couple of daily newspapers.  He's working for a community newspaper as the Managing Editor and he informed me that "few, if any professionals in the field refer to themselves as Reporter -- Journalist, is the most common and accepted professional title."

Really? I'm going to have to ask around a little more because I'm not convinced.  Though I must say, I've noticed an increase in the use of the title.  Out of curiosity, I did a quickie Google and found that the BBC online had a very nice definition:

A reporter is a type of journalist who gathers information about newsworthy issues. This may involve researching through several sources – interviews, police and public records, photographs etc. When the information is gathered, the reporter will create a report for publication or broadcast in the media. Reporters often specialise in a particular area, for example: crime, politics, health or education. 

A columnist is a writer (usually a journalist) who writes regularly (often weekly) for a newspaper or magazine. She or he chooses a topic that is in the news and writes not only about the events that have become newsworthy but also often offers some analysis and/or personal opinion. This job is usually reserved for senior journalists at a particular newspaper or magazine.

So following the BBC's lead on this, a Reporter is a type of journalist as is a Columnist.  I think I've always shied away from the title Journalist because I associated it closely with Columnist.  I've always viewed Journalists as the more experienced writers who choose their topic and provide analysis/opinion.  Reporters on the other hand, as the BBC says, gather, cull, interview, analyze, investigate and possibly specialize.  I think, however, that Journalists would argue that they do this too ;-)

 

Introverts are Liars(?) --> BE SCARED & GO THERE ANYWAY

I don't believe that all introverts are liars.  I don't even think that ALL extroverts actually believe that introverts are liars.  But as I scrolled through today's #HFChat (Twitter's Hire Friday chat), extrovert bias surfaced like tiny whitecaps on Lake Winnipeg.

Now before I go any further, last week I referenced #HFChat and a twitter contributor in my blog, but this week I was reminded that I also need to reference the #HFChat Team -- Margo Rose, Tom Bolt, Jenn Pedde and Donna Svei.  Said one tweeter, 

"Speaking of blogging Pls feel free to blog from todays chat Pls credit the tweeter(s) chat & the #HFChat team. #HFChat"

So without furture adieu,

3 Cheers to the tweeters: they're fantastic! -- all of them -- for showing up and for contributing. 

(I wasn't availble to participate during the scheduled chat and I'm writing as I'm accessing the material for the first time.) 

3 Cheers also to the team of Rose, Bolt, Pedde and Svei for the excellent moderating and coordinating they do to get this chat moving every week!!

And finally, I want to commend everybody on the relevant and lively chat today.  There were many threads of interest, the one that sparked an immediate chord with me was the conversation about Authenticity, Honesty and Integrity and their relationship to professionalism.  Tweeters commented on the discrepancy between online personalities and face-to-face, or "real" personalities.  I thought it was a curious assumption that people are somehow more honest and real in person than they are in writing .  I was also struck by the immense trump card that face-to-face, speaking skills is over solid writing skills (as I am time and time over on this one ... it's a biggie, folks!).

Comments such as, "Show your personality while building your brand or when you connect via telephone, in person it is REAL," explemplify this point perfectly.

Except for a brief stint working at a bookstore, I've always been paid to write so maybe I'm taking the written word too seriously (I've been accused of worse).  Here's the thing, I think the written word is every bit as real and authentic as the face-to face word. 

And more than people even realise, the personality that we put out there in the real world is a construct, every bit as much as the written word.

You need an approachable, likeable go-getter?  The candidate sent you an exciting package electronically, complete with a fantastic email.  You're looking forward to the meeting but when the candidate and you meet, you're mystified (and a little ticked off).  They're a low talker(think Seinfeld) and they don't look you in the eye when they talk to you ... doesn't that mean they have something to hide?!!  They don't even use the same language when they speak as they did in their writing.  You feel like you've been had and you want this imposter out of your office!

Dramatic?  Perhaps.  But it's happened to me more than once this this year. 

Am I faking my proposals/job applications?

Most certainly not.

To be honest, if I've faked anything I've bluffed my level of comfort and pretended to be a person of somewhat lesser gravitas than I actually am.  When I see that interviews aren't going well, or that people aren't comfortable, I'll try to come off as more easy-breezy; i.e. less "real" and less like I authentically am ... but that's often a recipe for disaster, and by the time I've become self-conscious, it really is the kiss of death.  I might as well write the thank you notes then and there.

One of my favourite comments from the #HRChat was a piece of advice that every introvert needs to apply to their day-to-day social business if they want their face-to-face interactions to come off as well as their written ones,

"Text IS easier...F2F can be scary. So be scared and go there anyway."

As I've said in previous posts, not all introverts are shy or even scared of social situations where they're in the hot seat as presenter or in networking with lots of people.  Introverts, no matter where they are on the spectrum, prefer and require time alone to recharge.  Being "on" and among many is an unnatural state for us so we need to acclimatize ourselves and build up to various levels of F2F demands.  This is why I thought the quote above was such an excellent nugget of advice for introverts:

BE SCARED AND GO THERE ANYWAY.

Speak and connect with confidence knowing that when it's over, you'll be able to recharge in your own company for however long you like.

~k. 

Grammar Slammer

I just realized that my Toastmasters Club is meeting tomorrow and I've got my first defined Action Item/Role: Grammarian.  One of the more experienced members told me that this is a good way to ease into meeting participation -- easier than last week when I did Table Topics, which involves taking a random topic and givng an unprepared talk at the lecturn for 3 minutes on the topic. 

Perhaps I'm dating myself (I've mentioned in a previous post that I'm not adverse to my own company!), but when I was presented with the task of Grammarian the figure that immediately sprang to my mind was the Grammar Slammer Bammer:   from Billy Van and Vincent Price's Hilarious House of Frightenstein: http://www.frightenstein.com/show.html.  

In fact, according to the Toastmasters International website, as Grammarian, I need to select a Word of the Day, which meets the following criteria:

1. helps members improve their vocabulary

2. it should be a word that is easily incorporated into everday conversation

The secondary task of the Grammarian is to write down "any awkward use or misuse of the language (incomplete sentences, sentences that change direction in midstream, incorrect grammar or malapropisms) with a note of who erred. For example, point out if someone used a singular verb with a plural subject"; i.e. be a Grammar Slammer. Sound the Siren!

I've been on the lookout for a word that meets criteria 1 and 2 since I was made Grammarian (sigh, perfect is the enemy of the good), and I'll settle on one before I close my eyes tonight.  I read about a most interesting prospect a few hours ago on Mark Jaffe's Twitter page: @wyattjaffe.

Mark Jaffe, President of Wyatt & Jaffe and I were on the same cosmic wave today -- evidenced by his fantastic Grammar Slammer link on Twitter today discussing the rise to infamy of the Palinism, "refudiate": http://nyti.ms/arrSVu.  Spoiler Alert: it's been named Word of the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary.

While it might be amusing to play around with the newest 'legitimate word', I think I'll rekindle some interest in the roots of the word: refute and repudiate.

Repudiate is a verb, meaning: refusing to have anything to do with; to disown; refusing to accept; e.g. The boy repudiates his father's treatment of his mother.  Refute is a verb meaning to prove wrong by argument or evidence; to contradict; e.g. She refuted what had been considered the staus quo and and became an agent of change. 

Which one? 

I'm leaning towards repudiate.  Not because it's longer or fancier because, though it is longer, it's no fancier.  I simply think it meets criteria 1 and 2 better.  And it's more fun to say.

Managing Perfection-ism=more writing

My thesis advisor used to remind me of Voltaire's famous quote: "The perfect is the enemy of the good," meaning in my case, when I spent too much time obsessively researching and rewriting chapters, they weren't being completed on time, deadlines were being missed and I needed to realize that Good, Finished work was better than (potentially) Brilliant incomplete work.

I was reminded of my grad school days and the lingering tendencies I have with regard to needing "one more source", or "another edit" ... or even to walk the dog, when I read Chris Brogan's piece on how to write/publish more blog posts.  Here's the link: http://bit.ly/966Poo.  He's got some great tips, but my favorite piece of advice by far is this:

 According to Brogan, one of the keys to writing is Absolution:

 "You are hereby granted permission to write imperfectly", he says, adding "You are hereby granted permission to write clunkers. You are hereby granted permission to write posts that you don’t think are finished, and push publish anyway."

Thanks Chris, that's the best writing advice I've heard all week!

~k.

More About "Self Promotion for Introverts"

One of the things I love about Nancy Ancowitz's book is that she's clearly writing for introverts but not in a way that would alienate them.  An extrovert reading the book, I believe, would gain insights into the inner workings of the introverts near and dear to them.  Even more important, Ancowitz writes her book to help introverts become successful in the extrovert-dominated culture, but nowhere in the book does she instruct readers in methods of transforming their characters.  That is, the object is not to become an extrovert. 

Too often we introverts view ourselves as failed extroverts.  We've been trained since we were young that it's rude to say no to invitations.  That it's weird to want to be by yourself.

Some of the best times I've ever had in my life have been all by myself.  I love travelling alone.  I lived in China and travelled through Asia on and off alone. I go to movies, theatre, dance and I love to dine alone (without a book!).  I also like people, am immensely curious about them, and have a few that are sufficiently curious and interested  to be friends of mine.  I enjoy spending time with them -- my life is richer because of them ... and they help to teach me how to play well with the people I need to work with ;-) 

At the heart of her book, Ancowitz emphasises the importance of discovery.  She says it's vital to be an authentic version of yourself so that you can build on that authenticity -- refine it and become the strongest, savviest, most professional version of what you already are.

I believe another critical factor here is confidence.  Not all introverts are influenced negatively by a lack of confidence and shyness.  That is, however, a stereotype that is placed on them because of their quietness.  Knowing this (negative) stereotype is helpful because as introverts, we can pull together our personal strengths and create a strategy before meeting with people -- thus smashing the stereotype!

It's all about the strategy.

So whenever possible, plan, plan, plan & plan some more ahead when you have a meeting.  Know who you're meeting with, where you'll be meeting -- visualize it all.  Know what you're going to wear, the pen you're going to use ... I mean, map out the whole meeting.  If you've already seen yourself having had the meeting and it went well, chances are great it will.  (high performance athletes do this all the time -- it's called visualization). 

Ancowitz's Self Promotion for Introverts

Just started reading Nancy Ancowitz's "Self Promotion for Introverts". Great tips starting with Strategy!

via Ping.fm

Speak No Evil

I'm an introvert and to spice things things up a little, I've got a smattering of social anxiety that flares up from time to time.  Until recently I've been able to work quite happily and successfully in many corporate settings as a writer/researcher.  I can assume the mannerisms of the extrovert-in-charge, and like other introverts, I enjoy a balance of the two styles of relating to my environment. 

What's different now compared to five or more years ago is that expectations in the workplace -- among management -- have shifted.  I'm noticing in job advertizements as well as in interviews and my conversations with colleagues in the field, that social and science researchers are increasingly being challenged to compete like extroverts.  That is, managers and CEOs who are hiring at present seem to want people who can not only DO the work and explain it to THEM, they want somebody who can do all of that PLUS be able to pull off a powerpoint presentation for the Board of Directors (as an example).  And they want people who are smooth social networkers -- LIVE social networkers that is.  People they can take to conferences and have work the room etc. 

(image courtesy of Darren Robertson: www.freedigitalphotos.net)

 

I've been wondering how to add value to my blog, but I realized that the best thing I can do is to write about my experience as an introvert seeking employment in an extrovert-dominated world because I know I'm not unique.  This year in particular I've had a lot of hilarious experiences, and, as you can imagine, many heart-wrenching experiences -- all of which I've learned from and I hope you might too.

I also have a lot of strategies and I keep finding lots of great resources, so I'm aiming to make this blog source for references. 

Before I sign off for tonight, I'll leave you with a book recommendation.  I just finished reading Sian Beilock's CHOKE: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting it Right When You Have To -- it's excellent! She's done a lot of work with high performance athletes and top performing professionals.  The book describes her research into the reasons why people choke, or fail to perform when the stakes are the highest and then some strategies for overcoming the problem. 

Her website is here: http://sianbeilock.com/  it's just about the best thing I've come across for performance enhancement (and it's drug-free!).