Confessions of Someone with Professional ADD

Numerous research reports on the use of Web 2.0 applications discuss how most people who use applications requiring continuous content development often lose interest over time. My lack of updates to this blog suggest that I am guilty of the same behavior. However, I content that my failure to post anything here has to do with another, less mentioned symptom; an actual side effect of my work on this blog during the first half of this past year.

You could call it "Professional ADD (P-ADD)." It is likely an issue that a select group of people deal with. Who? I am going to guess career-minded individuals whose passions are incorporated directly into their daily toils. Those who match their work and productive activities with their personal interests and strengths so well that they are always finding new opportunities. One idea leads to another, and another, and so on. Eventually, the creativity transitions them into a whirlwind of activity, quickly dissociating them from the original effort that enabled their pathway of enlightenment.

Often times, I see bloggers stop posting once they accomplish a goal or find acceptance for their unique contributions. This is the best possible result someone with P-ADD could wind up with. Otherwise, the creative explosion often leads to disorientation that serves to self-destruct any effort due to lack of sufficient focus.

Where am I? There are about 20 different ideas I could focus my time on right now. I still have a passion for sharing thoughts on career development with others and will continue to use this blog to do so. I also want to dedicate time to expanding public knowledge of government financial management and promote creative solutions for economic development. Therefore, future posts will include specific topic discussions (not too political) that may provide some ideas for those wanting to create opportunities for themselves.

I also realize that I am becoming what my wife likes to affectionately describe, a "twit." Therefore, in addition to the personal feed, you can follow Always Achieve on Twitter. A few modifications will be made to this site to better promote the material I post via Twitter, as it should lead to more pertinent and productive information sharing.

I am still open to suggestions on topics for posts. Please share them by sending an email to alwaysachieve@gmail.com, or by Twitter.

Follow, read, comment, link, tweet... repeat

A couple of tips I picked up yesterday from Alison Sikes (Strategy Performance) during a Business Builders meeting that are beneficial to a small business are just as applicable for personal career development. They also give me the chance to provide a great example of how you can promote your passion and enhance your career with just a few minutes' work:

1. Keep your "following" list on Twitter to those you care about. This first tip is mine. You can let everyone and their brother follow you, but keep your following list short so you can easily mine links and contacts that are of highest priority. This is a great advantage of Twitter compared to other social networking sites. My following list is rather short and usually focus on those who offer content that ties to my interests. In this case, @TalentEgg, a Canadian career advice site, sent out a tweet about a post of their providing tips for effective personal networking.
2. If the article is of interest, read and comment. Sikes talked about how businesses can grow an online presence by offering comments, suggestions, and information through the comment sections of other sites and blogs. Naturally, this can be abused, both by a business or an individual, if the comments serve more as a commercial than actual contributions of information. After I read through the article, I wrote a comment that focused 80% on the article itself and offered mention of YPN as an example, only after I provided another link that provides information about numerous young professional groups.
3. Promote the originators tweet in your own words. I go a step further than most in that I provide a shorted link directly to the article to facilitate easier access. Regardless, I do list he originator in my promotional tweet to give them the proper credit.
4. See if your process generates action. A link shortener like bit.ly enables you to count the number of times a link is followed. This is great to see if there are people out there following you on Twitter (or whatever way you distribute the link/info) who are interested in what you have to say. Within 5 minutes of my comment and tweet about the article, at least 15 people viewed the @TalentEgg article. Over the next 24 hours, I can see if they are looking at my comment by seeing if they click on the shortened links within it.

Nothing about this process will guarantee you a sale, customer, or job prospect. However, it is a great exercise for quickly analyzing information you are passionate about, developing a rational response and complimenting recommendation, then distributing it within the mediums of current media and determining if it is gaining public interest. All of these aspects, of course, will provided personal and professional dividends later on.

Twitter, pith, and improving practical writing skills

Over the past several months or so, I've noticed a significant change in my professional written communications. For the most part, my reports, memos, and summaries are shorter, more succinct, and easier to understand by superiors. There are a number of factors that can contribute, especially the fact that I am now experienced enough with fellow staff that I can effectively write to serve their needs. However, another personal development may make a positive impact: a healthy Twitter habit.

Most days, I do find a few minutes to go on Twitter, either by PDA or through bit.ly (a url shortener w/Twitter interface), to post updates on happenings at work and activities with local groups. I also highlight articles I find when researching work topics that could prove useful and interesting to others.

Regardless of what the subject is, the length constraints of a Twitter post challenge my ability to convey enough information to summarize the topic so a reader of my message can understand it, as well as encourage them to visit the length (if one exists). At most, I have 140 characters to work with. If I post a URL, that number drops to usually 120. Whatever I want to say, regardless, has to be about 25 words, or less.

As many posts on this blog illustrate, the effective summation of ideas and thoughts, a.k.a. pithiness, is not a big strength. One of the biggest complaints of blogs from media traditionalists is that the lack of space conventions and restrictions discourages the effectiveness of the topics presented. That is a fair criticism, one that has been modified in some ways by recent social networking developments, especially Twitter.

This past week, a struggling author and "media expert" attempted to draw some attention his way by stating in a press release that Twittering can cause brain damage. He pulled his release shortly thereafter, only once he created enough hostility that people asked questions and increased his notoriety. While he provided no scientific or medical facts either way, commenter's to the article did argue that the process of creating tweets, if utilized properly, can improve personal performance. With respect to writing, it could not come a moment too soon for most of us.

Effective tweeting is not the spontaneous "off your chest" pronouncements we see way too often (and post way too often), but rather action-directing statements and recommendations that are carefully considered, edited multiple times, and focused on achieving a desired result on the part of the reader. These are the same challenges we often face in writing for work, especially when we are in a role that we have to convey analysis and findings to gain acceptance for proposals in a manner that wins support, rather than creates additional questions.

If one wants to utilize Twitter to improve their professional writing skills, consider regular (daily, if possible) updates involving links to articles and sites of note. Again, if you link on Twitter, you need to use a url shortener site (like bit.ly). These sites can also track how many people utilize the link, an indication of your effectiveness in conveying your desired message.

Transitioning these professional writing skill improvements to regular communication, especially written letters and reports, requires an existing understanding of traditional writing and grammar rules. Just like with other abbreviated forms of communication, it is important to make sure that the conceptual and theoretical benefits of Twitter are carried forward, not the technical environment that encourages shorthand language and abbreviations.

The benefit eventually shows us in your memos and reports. They'll possess fewer words, especially the extra ones bosses never like. Potentially, skill development such as this leads to greater opportunities within a given employer or field.

If you happen to be on Twitter and want to see how I use my tweets to improve summarizing skills, you can follow me at http://twitter.com/kwhunter. If technology doesn't scare you and the quest for information and capacity for effective analysis interest you, skill development methods such as Twitter for professional writing are great, cost effective means to develop a foundation of strengths that foster better individual futures.

Short Tips Double Feature (Social Networking for Careers, Twitter)

Here is your 2-for-1 special for the weekend:

1. Kelly Giles (Tar Heels in Transit) put together this presentation for a campus workshop on utilizing social media for career development. The presentation also covers the concept of personal branding (while I may be skeptical about this idea, I do think she presents it well). You should also take a look at this post, which elaborates on what she discussed in session.

2. In case you haven't noticed, I have started actively twittering at a reasonable clip. So, here's my 3-step advice for effective twittering:

• Select an account name that can be easily identified (i.e., actual name or most commonly-used email address)
• Use a URL shortener for links, preferably one you can use to track what you post (I prefer http://bit.ly)
• Keep your posts relatively professional (save your family stories for Facebook)

Twitter's Skill Development Benefit

Pith is a challenge for everyone, especially when you are used to the freedom to extend thoughts and arguments in the halls of academia. There is very little room in the professional world for extensive statements, especially when they are written or printed for quick dissemination by supervisors and important officials. This is especially true in the public sector.

Can Twitter's demand for short, effective comments develop an individuals ability to shorten their language in other settings and improve effectiveness with information delivery? Can the transition be made in a manner that retains the importance of grammar and prevents texting speak from gaining a non desired foothold in professional, multi-generational communication?

I definitely see the value of using Twitter as an exercise in identifying the most essential components of a message in order to compile and present for maximum effectiveness in delivery. Please let me know what you think, either on comments here or by replying to http://twitter.com/kwhunter.

Another Week of Wisdom Bonus: Twitter How-To

Have you ever wanted to share a habit of your favorite United States Congressman? If you do, and cannot hold your liquor on a daily basis or make others not want to kill you when you lie through your teeth, then this free workshop on the newest political (and general societal) trend of Twittering is for you (courtesy Tar Heels in Transit)!

In case you're... wait, you're not... I don't really "Twitter." You can find me on Facebook and LinkedIn, but that's about it for now. Perhaps it's the whole job thing :)