Blogging Tips – Walk Into the Future

Pivot into the Future

Pivot butterfly

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be”.

(Maya Angelou)

The Walk into the Future blog and my parallel journey began on May 21, 2018.

Did not know how much my mindset and writing style had changed over the past two years until I started looking back at the archive articles. Happy to see improvement in my article design, verbiage, visual appearance, and storytelling abilities. Never want to think I am in the same place when I started especially with Walk into the Future as the blog title. Still got more things to learn to ensure my content grabs a reader’s attention and attracts new readers to the blog. Will leverage new techniques, visual presentations, guest bloggers and concepts to stay fresh in the blog world.

Five examples I highlighted for a Walk into the Future were:

Take that vacation you have been putting off
Decide to create your own blog to document your walk into the future
Make time for family and friends (again)
Discover new talents you may have or wanted to explore
Live life the way you want to

Did not keep a running tab of how well I was doing in these areas but happy to report I have repeatedly checked off each item listed above, multiple times. My initial vision for my Walk into the Future was basic but I have been able to grow through personal development and gravitating to things I enjoy.

Sounds simple enough but the concept of generating content for the blog has been a life course on: continuous learning, networking, research, leadership development, mentoring, storytelling, public speaking, traveling, training, running, marketing, cold calling, selling, patience, blogging, blog design, Word Press, podcasts and the art of pivoting.

I identified everyone should be prepared to pivot as needed in a previous post about overcoming fears. There are times a fundamental change in approach is needed to get what you want (quoting myself here).

Throwback article:

https://walkintothefuture.blog/2019/10/17/dont-fear-the-unknown-life-moves-forward/

2020 Pivot

The Walk into the Future blog has been a fantastic incubator for my time, thoughts, and actions.

I was presented with multiple opportunities to join forces with others based on the growth mindset I have gained from Walking into the Future. I have been extremely selective on who I work with and what projects I decide to add to my portfolio. No more Big Gulps for me!

Happy to report my Walk into the Future has relocated to Fort Pierce, Florida. I will create new tree branches as the Director of Career and Transfer Services at Indian River State College. I was able to leverage my past work experiences AND my Walk into the Future topics, adventures, and growth during the interview process. The ability to relay real-world examples on how I interact with others, my mission to make a positive impact and desire to be a People Builder were leveraged to show impact I will have at Indian River State College.

This pivot creates a larger audience for Inspiration Man and allows me to keep my Walk into the Future moving forward. Excited for the new adventures, location, beaches, tree branches, thoughts, actions, energy, and blog articles.

The Walk into the Future journey continues, just from a new location. I am sure I will write most of my future articles from the beach with an ice-cold drink close by. 😊

The Walk into the Future production process has generated a roadmap for two new projects I am working on in 2020. The first project will be to develop several Walk into the Future leadership articles into a concise eBook titled, The Voice of a Leader.

The second project will be to develop an on-line Authentic Leadership course to help learners understand the leadership model and the variables needed to become an authentic leader (self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, relational transparency, and balanced processing).

These projects are exciting to me since I will get to learn how to create an eBook and build/design an on-line course people would be interested in. More to come as I get smart on both platforms. The eBook will come first since I have got the content at my fingertips, just need to organize, and reformat—sounds easy enough, huh?

Interesting fact (to me)

I view life as a daily adventure and continue to seek ways to make a difference in this world.

One area I explored was teaching psychology courses since I do have a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Seemed simple enough but a funny thing happened on my Walk into the Future. I applied to the local community college to teach General Psychology as an adjunct professor. Repeat, an adjunct professor! Never heard back from them even after reaching out to people in the department via LinkedIn and direct email. Ironically, if they had leveraged my talents in the classroom, I may have missed this amazing pivot opportunity. Things happen for a reason—Irie!

Tree branches will still receive text messages, emails, and LinkedIn articles from me. You have all been a major part of my journey and look forward to expanding our reach—just from another location. Walking, smiling and inspiring into the future!

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity”.

(Amelia Earhart)

irsc project wall

(Summer 2020 project wall)

Master the art of public speaking

auditorium benches chairs class — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy”.

(Jerry Seinfeld)

Public speaking is difficult, public speaking is scary, public speaking is not my strong skill.

I hear these and similar things daily when talking with people about public speaking. I’m sure I had similar thoughts when I started my journey standing in front of people to speak. The good thing about the fear of public speaking is all your fears can be overcome. Trust me, if I can get over the fear of standing in front of people and talking, everyone can.

My first exposure to public speaking came as part of my instructor role when I was in the Air Force. My actual job knowledge (data analyst) was needed to train the next generation of Air Force data analyst. I was forced to come out of my natural introvert shell and learn how to engage a room full of students who depended on me to help them grow professionally. No pressure, huh?

“Best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you’re talking about”.

(Michael H. Mescon)

I learned the more I practice the less nervous I am when I stand in front of groups. Decided to always err on the side of overpreparation as oppose to being underprepared for speaking engagements. I constantly review notes, transitions and potential questions I may receive during every speaking engagement.

I view anticipating questions, lulls and technical difficulties as war games. I find it easier to overcome these things by acknowledging they can pop up at any point. This additional groundwork helps me get comfortable before and during my speaking engagement. I still get nervous but know I can handle the task because of my preparation.

Researching the organization and people you’re speaking to helps you learn more about the audience so a tailored approach can be taken. This helps when incorporating examples and stories into a speech. Knowledge of the organization and audience helps generate talking points that fit so you can connect with them. I also target specific audience members based on my research. A quick LinkedIn search can provide an inside nugget I can use to connect with an audience member and seems to put others at ease because I took the time to learn more about them. This simple rapport building technique can be leveraged to help alleviate anxiety as well.

The ability to read the room is another critical component for public speakers. There will be times when you will need to adjust to match the emotions, reactions and body language of your audience. I go into every speaking engagement with a plan of action but because of practice, anticipation and knowledge of the group, I’m able to adjust on the fly (if needed).

I don’t put a lot of written content on slides to avoid limiting myself without a way to pivot if needed. I started incorporating key words and pictures into my presentations to focus attention back to me—the presenter. This always provides me with a pivot channel since I’m not tied to slide verbiage. The key words and/or pictures are used to guide me through the presentation. Practice provides the foundation to make this process work when standing in front of an audience.

Nonverbal communication can make or break your presentation. I make a point not to carry anything in my hands (pen/paper/etc.) except the audiovisual clicker. I try to put the clicker down until I need it to transition to the next slide. Carrying objects can distract your audience and I’ve seen these things distract the presenter as well.

Eye contact with audience members helps convey confidence and credibility as a subject matter expert. Speaking rate, pitch and effective use of pauses can help keep the audience members engaged and wanting to hear more from the speaker. I learned the benefits of audience engagement during my speaking roles in the Air Force and continue to add more tools to my speaking toolkit daily. Don’t be afraid to move around when speaking—this really conveys confidence but should be done with purpose. Too much moving looks like you’re trying to get away from them. 😊

These are a few things I’ve used to help eliminate speaking anxiety. Please note, I still get nervous, but I use my nerves to help fuel my public speaking. The one thing I ensure happens when speaking is to have fun. Might as well enjoy myself while I’m standing in front of a group—having fun seems to counteract anxiety and I’m able to press forward. Try it the next time you must speak in public!

- FYI: Don’t forget the impact Walk up Music can have on public speaking:

https://walkintothefuture.blog/2018/11/22/walk-up-music

What techniques do you use to overcome speaking anxiety? How do you prepare for big speaking roles in your work environment?

Thanks for walking with me!

“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel”.

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

TCC presentation

Walk into the Future deep dive

blog icon information internet — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“I blog because I’m not a good rapper”.

(Anonymous)

Why I blog

Being a lifelong learner is a badge of honor I wear proudly!

I’m always looking for ways to improve myself (mentally and physically) and have a passion for reading. I realize podcasts present a popular medium for people to receive information and learn. I listen to a few, mostly sports related but still gravitate to blogs to expand my world view and learn from others.

I started the Walk into the Future blog on May 21, 2018 as a creative outlet for myself and to share my views, adventures and expertise with anyone willing to read my words.

The Walk into the Future title is my way to embrace the future and showcase the courage to move forward in life. Didn’t know who or how many people would be interested in me chronicling my adventures or sharing my views but I’m pleasantly surprised to keep growing a small following via the Word Press platform. I smile every time I receive a comment or like on my posts—lets me know people are reading my work and I’m connecting with them.

I focus blog posts on things I see, do, have interest/knowledge and topics from tree branches.

Started requesting input from tree branches because I’m walking with them daily and want to capture topics of interests to help them as well. This process keeps me energized as I research topics and learn in order to write a blog article. Please keep sending me ideas and I will work to incorporate your inputs into the blog rotation—thanks!

Note: if you haven’t seen your topic published it’s because I’m still working/researching for content—it’s coming!

Throwback article: https://walkintothefuture.blog/2019/05/02/walk-into-the-future-what-it-means-to-me

When I blog

My research on blogs identified the most successful bloggers maintain a consistent posting schedule. Some bloggers post multiple times a day, once a day, once or twice a week, monthly, etc. Everyone agrees the key is consistency so readers know when articles will be posted. Adjustments can be made (holidays, vacation, etc.) but it helps to set a schedule and stick to it.

I decided to post once per week on Thursdays. Believe I’ve only missed two Thursdays since I started—was having fun in Jamaica and Christmas week 2019! 😊 Thursdays give me additional editing time during the week so I can fine tune articles prior to publishing. I’ve contemplated posting multiple times per week but decided against it—hope my followers look forward to a weekly article without bombarding their inbox multiple times each week. Also, this gives me more time to research and write content without feeling pressure from a self-imposed deadline.

Throwback article: https://walkintothefuture.blog/2019/09/05/committed-to-the-blog-blogging-about-blogging/

“Don’t let the fear of striking out hold you back”.

(Babe Ruth)

How I blog

My goal is to always have two months’ worth of articles in my Walk into the Future vault. Most of these articles are not fully developed but provide a shell I can go back to and edit over time.

I normally post the articles in the order of creation but allow myself flexibility to move things around especially after I travel—I don’t like posting about an actual event (vacation, half marathon, etc.) months later so I move those articles up in the rotation. Soapbox moments or topics can get moved up in the rotation depending on how hot it is to me.

I write about things that pique my interest, travel locations, leadership topics and ask tree branches for things they would like to read about. I maintain a growing list of potential topics alongside the two months’ worth of written articles in my vault. I currently have 37 potential topics I still must research, vet and then develop into a published Walk into the Future article.

Thanks to everyone that provided me with topics you’re interested in.

Blog articles start with a potential topic. I then look for quotes and images to help generate inspiration for what I want to write about. The next step is to research the topic to make sure I can bring a personal approach to the article. The last step is for me to sit down and write the article. When inspired I normally write an article (draft) in one sitting and then go back to check content and edit. (FYI, this article was started on 11/5/19.) I adjust the title and make final edits the week the article gets published. Don’t know how others produce and publish content but this process works for me. 😊

Updated blog stats:

Here’s a snapshot of what has been happening behind the scene for the Walk into the Future blog:

Walk into the future blog stats

Excited to enter my second full year as a blogger! Look forward to continuing to develop content others want to read and engage with me. This platform helps me on my journey to Walk into the Future.

Thanks for walking with me!

What is your favorite Walk into the Future blog topic so far? How has the Walk into the Future blog impacted your daily interactions? Curious!

Looking to incorporate guest bloggers in 2020! More information to follow—thinking about Guest Blogger Fridays.

“The currency of blogging is authenticity and trust”.

(Jason Calacanis)

happy-new-year-2020

Leverage individual communication styles to enhance team operations

top view photo of people near wooden table — Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

“In teamwork, silence isn’t golden, it’s deadly”.

(Mark Sanborn)

There are no two teams that are exactly alike. Not the most prophetic thing I’ve ever written in this blog space but worth stating.

Teams have different dynamics and function based on these things and the people who make up the team. The most successful teams can leverage the talents of each team member into the overall organizational dynamic to ensure successful outcomes.

We’ve discussed team communication strategies in previous posts with an angle to strengthen your team. Individual communication styles and preferences should be reviewed and discussed when you add someone new to your team. I’m sure everyone strives to hire the best candidate to fill an opening on their team. How much thought do you put into understanding how to integrate the new team member’s communication style in with others?

I’m a firm believer that leaders should know direct reports’ communication style and preferred way they want to receive information. This knowledge allows leaders to seek ways to ensure they communicate in a way to maximize operational needs. This knowledge has helped me when assigning tasks to team members.

Example #1: When faced with a project that has an extremely quick turnaround time, I normally assign this project to my ENFJ (MBTI) staff member. This type project excites the staff member and I know they will get things done quickly with enough time for review before the deadline.

Example #2: When faced with a project due four months from today, I normally assign this project to my ISTJ (MBTI) staff member. This type project allows the staff member time to plan, strategize and ask all the questions they need to for a successful outcome.

MBTI refresher: https://eu.themyersbriggs.com/en/Using%20Type/Head%20Type%20table

The examples listed above are two actual scenarios I’ve tackled in the past. Both had successful outcomes because I knew and understood how to engage staff to maximize their talents. This in turn produced successful outcomes for the organization.

Knowledge of individual communication styles also provides a blueprint to help build training plans to help staff members grow. Introverted staff are not exempt from ever getting a task with a quick turnaround. The leader needs to provide a more detailed set of instructions and understand they may have to follow-up with the staff member. This process begins to stretch the staff member and helps their professional growth. This also provides the leader with another staff member who can handle future quick turnaround projects and not wear out the extroverts. Also, extroverted staff are not exempt from being assigned long term projects—training applies to all staff members.

There are multiple ways to engage staff to understand their individual communication style. MBTI and CliftonStrengths are two tools used in my work environments. These tools allowed me to get a better understanding of everyone on my team and integrate this knowledge to help teammates understand each other as well.

What’s the most successful way for me to understand how to communicate with my team? I sit down with them and ask everyone how they like to receive information. Simple, huh? Then I make sure to communicate with everyone in a manner they identify (as much as possible). Things pop up but I try to remain consistent with the communication process. Direct reports seem to appreciate this fact and respond in a positive manner.

A final note, leaders need to ensure their team knows how they like to communicate as well. The team shouldn’t have to guess how to approach a leader. This creates undo stress and is not productive.

How do you account for individual communication styles in the work environment? Can this knowledge impact your current organization? (Please respond in the comments section below—thanks!)

“Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something”.

(Plato)

blackboard business chalkboard concept — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Committed to the blog – Blogging about blogging

Blog notepad

“You are not obligated to win. You are obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day”.

(Marian Wright Edelman)

My laptop has been the tool I’ve used over the past year to research, write, edit and publish articles for the Walk into the Future blog. It’s a rare day to find me anywhere without my laptop close by to record a new idea or thought to turn into an article for the blog.

Well, I experienced a slight glitch to my productivity in late June when my laptop decided not to boot up. Tried multiple diagnostic programs to see if I could fix the issue on my own but finally had to give in and put my laptop in the shop. Figured I would lose a couple days of writing production so focused more time in the gym and on my Philly Rock n Roll half marathon training program while the laptop was out for service.

Quickly discovered the time dedicated to creating content for the blog was an actual part of my lifestyle and I felt weird not working on the next article. The commitment to write and produce weekly content for myself, followers and other readers was still present even without my laptop. Felt like I was cheating myself by taking days off from research and writing—this fact makes me laugh considering I normally have 8 weeks of articles already written prior to publishing on the blog. This gives me time to go back and edit/add content as needed before you read it.

I was talking with a friend about my laptop dilemma and my inability to record my thoughts as usual. My friend offered I could always write my ideas by hand if needed after laughing at me and my made-up problem! I’ve documented how bad my handwriting is, so it never crossed my mind I could still be a productive writer by simply writing down my thoughts/ideas and then transcribe them later—what a concept, huh? LOL. We joked I should call the article ‘Blogging about blogging’ since I had to be convinced blogging doesn’t stop because I’m not on a laptop. Sounds almost like an old Seinfeld episode—blogging about blogging.

The image above is my notepad while sitting at Lucky Goat generating content for future blog articles. Generated two ideas with my handwritten content and later transferred into Microsoft Word once I got my laptop back. This process was not as difficult as I made it out to be—I’m still learning, adjusting and growing with the blog.

My commitment to this blog is real and hopefully the articles you read here provide a place to laugh, learn and enjoy the process of my journey!

What are you committed to daily? How do you ensure it has priority on your schedule?

“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Accordingly, a genius is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework”.

(Thomas Edison)

Walk into the Future—What it means to me

“I walk slowly, but I never walk backwards.”

(Abraham Lincoln)

Wanted to dive deeper into the title of my blog, Walk into the Future. Last year I decided to change my mindset and physical space to embark on a journey. This journey was designed to allow me to experience a level of freedom that wasn’t present, but I knew existed—just had to open my eyes a bit and walk forward.

Merriam Webster defines future in multiple ways, “time regarded as still to come AND what is going to happen”. Both versions provide a flexible view and allows individuals to determine what the future means to them.

I selected Walk into the Future as my title to embrace the future and identify the courage to move forward. This forward approach covers personal and professional adventures as well as insight I want to share with readers. I created this project to share my ‘walk’ and provide insight into important concepts for me. There are days I sit down to write, and the words just come to me. There are other days where I will reach out to my tree branches to see what they want/need to read and then develop content around their inputs. I am keenly aware of my surroundings, so inspiration comes to me from multiple outlets, I just capture an idea and then work to develop into something readable.

My Walk into the Future (so far) has allowed me to:

Post blog articles weekly
Get back down to Jamaica
Visit Paisley Park
Improve my half-marathon time (3 times)
Mentor others (in-person and virtual)
Serve as a professional development vendor with the Seminole Tribe of Florida
Gain followers for my blog
Inspire people
Live life

I could add more things here but believe you can see the positives I’ve experienced from posting blog articles on my current walk.

Walk into the Future has become a life style for me and I’m excited to see how it develops moving forward.

Remember, enjoy the process—walk, don’t run!

What does Walk into the Future mean to you? How can you leverage this concept in your daily walk? Interested to hear from you—thanks!

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”

(Abraham Lincoln)

Future May 2019

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
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5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30

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