4 Secrets of People with High Social Value

Most often, it’s movie stars and sports superstars who have a very high social value. A short-cut to assuming the persona of someone with a high social value is to simply pretend that you’re James Bond, Angelina Jolie or the hottest football, baseball or basketball star at the moment. Silly as it may sound, doing this gets your brain into the right mode to make you aware of how you behave differently than normal. It can be useful for being more conscious of your behavior. However, you need to have a deeper understanding of social value to be able to implement it as a permanent part of your personality. High social value is most often attractive, but not always. In this text, I will explain why.

1. You Are Non-Reactive

Being non-reactive means not reacting emotionally to how others interact with you. If someone yells at you or accuses you of something, you remain emotionally indifferent. Not only are you non-reactive to other people, but also to the situation. If you are in a stressful environment, you stay calm. If problems occur, you do not become bitter or angry.

2. You Solve Problems

Related to being non-reactive, rather than merely complaining about problems that occur, you accept and solve them. For instance, let’s say you’re travelling and it turns out you just missed your flight home. A common reaction would be to become frustrated or sad, perhaps hoping some kind of miracle might take place so that everything turns out well. A high value person on the other hand shows no reaction to what has happened. This person takes the lead in a group in a natural way. He or she approaches the problem in a non-emotional way, and proactively does whatever it takes to solve it.

3. You are a Leader

High social value people are the leaders of their group. They obtain this position naturally and easily. This means you can’t and shouldn’t try to  force yourself into having a certain position in the group. Becoming a leader is a process that should take place naturally – If you act in the right way, people will want you to lead them. A good way to become a leader is to stay non reactive. Following evolutionary examples, a non-reactive person is perceived as a safe choice as a leader, because their behavior won’t be unpredictable.

4. You act Self-Confident

High value people don’t appear nervous, but instead have a high level of self confidence. This can be accomplished in different ways. One method is to build up a confidence over years of life experience. Another way is to act in a way that appears relaxed and calm.

Mistakes when Increasing Social Value

There is a big danger involved with trying to increase social value. High value people risk being perceived as arrogant or obnoxious. Therefore, the more high value you become the more kind towards others you must become as well. A kind, high value person easily becomes popular, such as George Clooney or Paul Newman. A less kind and considerate high value person can instead become disliked by many, because they’re perceived as selfish and self-serving. One example of this is Donald Trump. Your social value amplifies your behavior.

Practicing high value and kindness is a win/win. You will enjoy becoming more popular among others, and others will enjoy being around you as well.

For having more women as leaders

Corporate world companies are still very much a boy’s club. Look inside the corner offices of Fortune 500 companies, and you’ll find just 24 women–a paltry 4.8%–sitting at the CEO desk. Those who are tapped are often brought in during times of crisis.

Clinical psychologists Susanne Bruckmüller and Nyla Branscombe conducted the 2010 study “The Glass Cliff: When and Why Women are Selected as Leaders in Crisis Contexts,” and found that women are tapped not because female characteristics are valued, but because the stereotypical male traits, such as being competitive and uncompromising, aren’t perceived as being helpful during a turnaround.

Does the glass cliff set up women for failure? Not necessarily, says Kira Makagon, executive vice president of innovation at RingCentral, a cloud-based phone provider. In fact, she looks at the opportunity as a chance to shine.

“Women need to stretch their experience from a functional background to a broader base,” she says. Once in leadership positions, Makagon and Miller say women need to be proactive to stay there. They offer five things women can do to survive the glass cliff:

1. Focus on what you want to achieve.

To move ahead, Makagon says to leave gender aside and focus on your professional strengths.

“In a predominantly male environment, women will be treated differently,” she says. “For example, if there is one chair in the room, it will probably be offered to you. But don’t dwell on the differences. Everyone is judged by their results.”

2. Network and find a mentor.

You can’t move up on your own, says Miller, author of Sleep Your Way to the Top: And Other Myths About Business Success (FG Press, 2014). “It’s vital to have others support you,” she says. “I made the biggest leap at Frito-Lay because I had a mentor who supported me and let everyone know how amazing I was. That catapulted my career.”

Miller says to make sure you’re always networking and building alliances. “You never know who could help you–a boss, peer, or underling,” she says. “People wanted to work for me and that’s how I got to senior management.”

3. Be comfortable with yourself.

Don’t try to change who you are to fit into a man’s world, says Makagon; it will be disingenuous. “In the typical old boys’ club, you’re going to hear men discussing sports,” she says. “I don’t follow teams, and I can’t participate in that conversation. Instead of changing who I am, I change the subject. I’ll ask, ‘Who’s seen what’s playing at opera house?’ Often, they look at me with that deer-in-the-headlights look, but it changes the landscape and puts you in the center.”

While you shouldn’t become someone you’re not, Makagon adds that sometimes it’s important to go with the flow.

“I was invited to a meeting at a cigar bar with the guys,” she says. “I didn’t smoke, but I did go along for the experience. Recognize that you’ll probably be the only woman there, and get comfortable being out of your element.”

4. Pay attention to your leadership style.

This is where women get derailed, says Miller. “Women are often stereotyped,” she says. “We can be accused of being (called) emotional when we may just be passionate, but it’s important not to let your personal style get in the way of being heard.”

Listen to the cues of others. While you don’t need to become someone else to succeed, Miller says you need to realize the most senior person in the room dictates the mood, pace, and atmosphere.

“To be successful, you have to understand that person and flex your style accordingly,” she says. Lead with the facts and listen to the corporate culture. “Once I changed my interactions with senior management and listened more carefully to their language, I suddenly was being heard.”

5. Recognize other women.

Makagon says when you climb the corporate ladder, it’s important to reach out to other women along the way.

Leaders: surf on social networks to not get carried away by the wave!

Equity risk, marketing, legal or image… Rather than see his heckled by sounding social networking reputation, the manager can choose to engage proactively on social networks.

The leader is a media

The question is no longer whether lightning may fall, but where and how it will hit! Power reaction online for about a DG can affect, temporarily or long term, the market price of his company or brand perception .

Capitalizing on the transformational power of social media while mitigating its risks calls for a new type of leader. The dynamics of social media amplify the need for qualities that have long been a staple of effective leadership, such as strategic creativity, authentic communication, and the ability to deal with a corporation’s social and political dynamics and to design an agile and responsive organization.

Social media also adds new dimensions to these traits. For example, it requires the ability to create compelling, engaging multimedia content. Leaders need to excel at co-creation and collaboration—the currencies of the social-media world. Executives must understand the nature of different social-media tools and the unruly forces they can unleash.

Equally important, there’s an organizational dimension: leaders must cultivate a new, technologically linked social infrastructure that by design promotes constant interaction across physical and geographical boundaries, as well as self-organized discourse and exchange.

This interplay of leadership skills and related organizational-design principles organizational media literacy, which is defined along six dimensions that are interdependent:

1. The leader as producer

With video cameras achieving near ubiquity and film clips uploading in the blink of an eye to YouTube or other platforms, the tools for producing and sharing rich media are in everyone’s hands. More than a few executives have started to incorporate video streams into their blogs.

2. The leader as distributor

Business leaders have traditionally disseminated information along a controlled, linear chain that begins after the development of a formal meaning-creation process—think of how your company creates and distributes memos explaining new initiatives. While traditional distribution pathways won’t disappear, social media revolutionizes the standard information process by reversing it. Social communication makes distribution the starting point and then invites company audiences to cocreate and contextualize content to create new meaning. Messages are rebroadcast and repurposed at will by recipients who repost videos, retweet and comment on blogs, and use fragments of other people’s content to create their own mash-ups.

3. The leader as recipient

Social media has created an ocean of information. We are drowning in a never-ending flood of e-mails, tweets, Facebook updates, RSS feeds, and more that’s often hard to navigate.

As a first step, leaders must become proficient at using the software tools and settings that help users filter the important stuff from the unimportant. But playing in today’s turbulent environment requires more than just filtering skills.

In traditional corporate communications, consumption is a mostly passive act: you are pretty much left alone to make sense of messages and to assess their authenticity and credibility. In the social-media realm, information gets shared and commented on within seconds, and executives must decide when (and when not) to reply, what messages should be linked to their blogs, when to copy material and mash it up with their own, and what to share with their various communities. The creation of meaning becomes a collaborative process in which leaders have to play a thoughtful part, as this is the very place where acceptance of or resistance to messages will be built.

4. The leader as adviser and orchestrator

In most companies, social-media literacy is in its infancy. Excitement often runs high for the technology’s potential to span functional and divisional silos. But without guidance and coordination, and without the capabilities we discuss here, social-media enthusiasm can backfire and cause severe damage.

To harvest the potential of social media, leaders must play a proactive role in raising the media literacy of their immediate reports and stakeholders. Within this 360-degree span, executives should become trusted advisers, enabling and supporting their environment in the use of social tools, while ensuring that a culture of learning and reflection takes hold. As a new and media-savvy generation enters the workplace, smart leaders can accelerate organizational change by harnessing these digital natives’ expertise through “reverse mentoring” systems.

5. The leader as architect

Leaders who have steeped themselves in new media will testify that it requires them to navigate between potentially conflicting goals: they must strive to establish an organizational and technical infrastructure that encourages free exchange but also enforce controls that mitigate the risks of irresponsible use. This is a tough organizational-design challenge.

Most companies have a defined formal organization, with explicit vertical systems of accountability. But below the surface of org charts and process manuals we find an implicit, less manageable “informal organization,” which has always been important and now gets amplified through social media. The leader’s task is to marry vertical accountability with networked horizontal collaboration in a way that is not mutually destructive.

6. The leader as analyst

As companies start to digest the consequences of the Web 2.0 revolution, the next paradigm shift is already knocking on the door. The next generation of connectivity—the Internet of Things—will link together appliances, cars, and all kinds of objects. As a result, there will be about 50 billion connected devices by the year 2020.3 This transformation will open new opportunities, spawn new business models, and herald yet another major inflection point that leaders must manage.

It’s imperative to keep abreast of such emerging trends and innovations—not just their competitive and marketplace implications, but also what they mean for communications technologies, which are fundamental for creating an agile, responsive organization. Executives who monitor weak signals and experiment with new technologies and devices will be able to act more quickly and capture the advantages of early adoption.

Related articles

• 6 Dimensions: Understanding Social Media Literacy for Business Leaders (staples.com)
• Lessons From Fast-Growth Company CEOs Go Beyond Social Media (domo.com)
• The Next Frontiers in Social Media (grasshopper.com)
• Social media and your small business: Perfect together (hiscoxusa.com)
• Time For Social Media Users To Grow #Press #Media #LightReading (greyhoundtechnocrat.com)

BYOD to Work: Advantages vs. Disadvantages

95% of US leaders said yes to BOYD

BYOD, or bring your own device, is a policy in which companies allow employees to use their personal mobile devices (laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.) in a work environment to access company resources such as email, file servers, databases, networks, etc. Though the method has seen a trend of rising popularity (check 2012’s IBSG Horizons Study of 600 US IT and business leaders in which 95% of those polled said their organizations support BYOD in some capacity) it offers a number of potential advantages and disadvantages to prospective users.

While BYOD does allow for (potential) increases in cost efficiency, productivity, and mobility, it is not without flaws. For example, BYOD can potentially lead to increased costs (due to a variety of devices), lower productivity, and greater security risk. While adopting this method is ultimately up to the user, it is important to consider all the possibilities the method allots for. To help better weigh the options, we’ve compiled a simple pros and cons list.

BOYD Advantages

Cost Efficiency: Though the BYOD model may require an initial upfront investment (to create infrastructure), it is much more cost efficient in the long run. By adopting a BYOD policy, businesses shift the cost of hardware, voice and data services, and other services towards the user. In doing this, the business is able to cut expenditures on a monthly basis. While businesses no longer have to pay the charges associated with service and hardware (procurement, maintaining, and upgrading), it becomes the employee’s responsibility. Though this may seem harrowing, many employees are happy to foot the bill as they can use the technology they are most comfortable with. The Good Technology State of BYOD Report states, “50 percent of companies with BYOD models are requiring employees to cover all costs—and they are happy to do so.” In addition to cut service and hardware costs, the BYOD method diminishes IT support costs as well. Aside from the BYOD model, there is the Stipend model in which companies provide an allotted amount of money for users to select and purchase their own device (which can be used for personal and professional activities).

Worker Satisfaction: As mentioned above in the Good Technology State of BYOD Report, many workers are happy to pay for their own services and hardware as they are able to use the hardware they prefer. BYOD optimizes this preference and eliminates the stress of having to learn a completely new and different operating system/device. In doing so, the method allots for greater satisfaction amongst workers. According to the “Evolving Workforce Research” study, 60% of employees believe work would be more enjoyable if they were able to provide input into the technology used in the workplace, and 60% also felt they would be more productive with better technology and devices. BYOD adoption can enable greater satisfaction as it provides a more flexible work environment, which gives employees the freedom to work both in and out of the office from their devices. Often times, employees will feel a greater sense of trust within companies that allow for BYOD. This in turn leads to a healthier work environment, as well as a boost in loyalty and morale.

Improved Efficiency and Productivity: As worker satisfaction increases so does overall efficiency and productivity. In adopting BYOD, employees are able to use whatever devices they are most comfortable and familiar with. As users know how to navigate devices, they can quickly perform tasks that may have taken longer on a standardized device. For example, the 2012 Asia-Pacific “New Way of Work Study” commissioned by VMware and conducted by Acorn Marketing & Research Consultants, found that across 10 countries “64% of employees in multinational corporations (MNCs) across the region said their efficiency had improved thanks to the use of personal devices to complete work tasks.” Additionally, 63% of the workers polled also said that they had actively sought out further web applications to boost their own productivity. Aside from comfortablity, workers are also able to better optimize time (with BYOD). “Productivity increases when people know they have the freedom to fit things in when they need to,” states Denise Deveau of the Financial Post.

Additionally, BYOD adoption can make a company more appealing to prospective professionals. According to Cisco IBSG, the average number of connected devices per knowledge worker is projected to hit 3.3 by 2014. With this number it’s easy to see how quickly the method is spreading. As it continues to spread, it allows businesses (that adopt it) to appear as forward thinking, which in turn attracts more attention and enables more progressive growth.

Greater Mobility: As employees use their own devices, they can move with them more easily (as they are their own property). BYOD, along with Remote Desktop Connection allows for office connection anywhere and anytime. An employee can access the company’s network from their own device through the Remote Desktop Connection. This in turn allows employees to access company information and applications at any point and place. Though there are security risks in allowing this, there are also a number of precautions that can be taken.

BOYD Disadvantages

Security: IT professionals have a complicated relationship with BYOD adoption. The IT staff benefits from BYOD in that there is a simplified infrastructure, lower end-user device management, and less troubleshooting and support needed; however, BYOD also challenges IT professionals in security. As mobility is increased through the usage of Smartphones and laptops, data moves in and out of the company much more easily. As a result, security areas such as access control, policy enforcement, and the security of confidential data on users’ devices are open to much greater risks. Additionally, other risks exist as well, including: lost devices, personal usage, multiple device types and operating systems, modified devices, portal usage, social media access, applications, and lack of control over data.

While security breaches can be extremely harmful, the fear of security breach can hinder the productivity the model allows for. According to the 2012 Blue Coat Mobility Study, out of 350 respondents, 83% allow employees access to company email and 56% allow instant messaging on personal devices; however, only fractions open other services to mobile devices that are not corporately owned. “Organizations are clearly uncertain about mobile malware and employee acceptance of the IT organization placing security controls on employees’ personally owned devices, but that also means those organizations are not fully realizing the business productivity potential of mobility.“ states Timothy Chiu, director of product marketing at Blue Coat.

Though some devices offer extensive security solutions, others may not. This leads to greater network vulnerability as security is not evenly distributed amongst devices connected to the network. In order to combat this, there are some companies and applications that offer solutions such as mobile app controls to better ensure tight security measures. One company that does such is Blue Coat. Blue Coat offers WebFilters, which analyze web pages or URLS and assign them to one (or more) than 94 pre-defined categories. Also application policies allow companies to control the way users interact with web and mobile applications. Additionally, Blue Coat allows companies to take information from the WebFilter databases (for example App name, app operations, and app category) to identify apps and operations and create policy for end-users, groups, or the entire organization.

IT Control: As stated above, BYOD adoption does not require as strong of an IT presence; however, this lack of presence can lead to a loss or lack of control over the IT hardware and how it is being used. Company supplied devices typically come with acceptable usage policies and company security, which are maintained and updated by the IT staff; however BYOD does not offer this level of involvement. Instead, companies must come to implement their own user policies. “Practices will need to be put into place and there will be a need for transparency in respect to IT Decisions. Or the consumerisation of IT could back-fire,” states Fergus Murphy, marketing director, client solution, Dell Europe. In doing this, however, companies may have a harder time dictating and enforcing acceptable usage policy for devices that belong to the employee. Also, even If policies are implemented, the owner is likely to find their way around it as they are more comfortable with the system.

Compliance and Ownership of Data: Businesses that fall under regulatory scrutiny of agencies such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, or GLBA must retain certain requirements in regards to information and data security. Companies need to enforce these rules even when adopting BYOD method. If an employee is terminated, or leaves on his or her own accord, retrieving the data on their device may be tricky. The company will want its data at the end of employment; therefore, rules and regulations that dictate data ownership must be put into place. Some compliance strategies that can be implemented to better combat potentially harmful situations are: acceptable uses policies, security policies (passwords/encryption), social media policies, wireless access policies, remote access policies, remote working policies, employee code of conduct, Incident response policies, and privacy policies. Additionally, in companies searching through employee owned devices, there are legalities they must adhere to. For example, in order for companies to search a device there must be work-related purpose.

Melding Professional and Private Life: While BYOD increases mobility and allows employees to do work in the office or from home, this blending of interests may not be the healthiest option. While work and mobile phone/laptop addiction is something that is commonly seen, it can work in reverse as well. BYOD can sometimes lead to or worsen a lack of focus amongst employees. This goes back to the previous concern dealing with IT control. This again goes back to security, as devices that are used professionally and privately are susceptible to more risks; therefore, businesses need to implement acceptable usage policies for employees to avoid any potential employee conflict of interests.

BOYD to be monitored properly

BYOD can be very advantageous if it is utilized and monitored properly. Though there are a number of potential concerns, most have precautionary recourse attached to them. In order to ensure that maximum potential is being optimized, it is crucial that the company implementing this model is aware of all that is required (regulatory and security measures).

While above information does a number of potential advantages and disadvantages of BYOD, it is not holistically inclusive. BYOD adoption tends to be individualistic; therefore, companies should thoroughly research all the necessary information before selecting this model.

Related article

1. http://getvoip.com/blog/2013/01/09/byod-to-work-advantages-vs-disadvantages