Book Beat

Engaging Change

In any significant organizational level change process, the success of it is dependent on the engagement of the people within that organization. Without this critical component, change is likely to falter and ultimately fail. Keeping the people in sight in the process of complex organizational transformation is a key challenge that organizations face, and Engaging Change (©2015, Kogan Page), by Mark Wilcox and Mark Jenkins, goes behind the scenes of change management to help you understand why some practices work, and why others don't. The book addresses current challenges in change management and enables the individual to:

  • Enhance organizational change capability by driving engagement before, during, and after the change;
  • Gives change managers the confidence and knowledge to assess an organization's change readiness and to manage these throughout the change life cycle;
  • Gain insights into the behavior and motivation of others; and
  • Produce positive results for all stakeholders.
 
You Are What You Tweet: Harness the Power of Twitter to Create a Happier, Healthier Life

Twitter is a powerhouse social media platform, and a game-changer in terms of how we network. You Are What You Tweet: Harness the Power of Twitter to Create a Happier, Healthier Life (©2015, Star Stone Press), by Germany Kent, shows how Twitter can be harnesses to identify goals, manage relationships, and deepen ties to community. While aimed at individuals, there is much that associations can benefit from. The book covers maintaining Twitter etiquette, crafting an effective profile, and using twitter to educate, engage, and evoke emotion. Here are the author's five tips for optimizing your Twitter feed:


  1. Don't fake it. The platform of Twitter can help you consolidate your own identity and pinpoint your goals. The more defined your image and clear your voice and point of view, the more followers you will have. If your presence has a clear reason, that will also engage a far greater following, the more followers you have, the wider an audience your Tweets will reach, and the greater influence you will likely have in the micro-blogging community.
  2. Tweet with intention. Keep your focus. You'll engage a far greater following if your presence has a reason and a scope. You'll also begin to build a field of expertise, one small microblog at a time. While you don't want to always be serious, you're not on Twitter to regurgitate watercooler gossip. If a topic is trending that's related to your field, Tweet about it. Pose questions. Quote insights. It's a great way to find your network (and don't forget relevant hashtags).
  3. Tweet often, but not too often. Tweeting often is better than tweeting hardly at all, but there's balance to strike: It's good to give your posts time to sink in on social media. How many times you tweet on any given day is your choice, but I recommend you tweet only once every hour for the best results. If you want to tweet back to back posts, make them from totally different viewpoints to reach different readers. The exception might be if you're live-tweeting an event. Then, vary the content, keywords and hashtags to attract different followers, and make sure you're covering it in a helpful, not subjective way.
  4. Work in your own personality. An interesting byproduct of our preference for transparency is that we like people who seem real, especially on social media. So give your tweets a sense of your own personality and humor. Include positive insights, and add inspired messages. Don't be afraid to voice your take on a topic. Then, invite others' opinions—a great way to gain followers. But be careful: Twitter is like an instant mirror, where what you say reflects right back onto you.
  5. Be consistent. Once you're up and running, building up followers and following influencers you like, don't suddenly drop out of sight. You'll have more followers if they know what to expect from you, and if you're tweeting regularly, it's a clear indicator that you are interested in the world and engaged in your field. If you're stymied, get creative: Break out of your professional mold for a tweet or two. Find some great visuals; creativity gives your tweets a little spice.