Maddie’s Take:  This book “does exactly what it says on the tin” (as they used to say when I lived in London).  For me, as someone who spends most of her time thinking about the theory and the big picture of it all,  and working with organizations on the people and process side of things rather than the nitty gritty implementation side,  sometimes it’s really nice to just have a handy manual to look something up in.  Also, we know how fast things change in the land of social, so I love the way Andrew keeps the content fresh and update the book on a monthly basis. Ah, the beauty of e-books. 

4) Sad Mouse Membership by Shelly Alcorn

Every once in a while, Saturday Night Live comes out with something that is not only funny, but really touching as well.  I was actually really moved by this because it reinforces something important that I believe about membership that I think gets lost sometimes.  Here is the link for those of you who can’t see the embed - Sad Mouse.

5) 7 “Best Practices” for True Member Engagement by Anna Caravelli

For an example of a truly member-focused organization whose members consider it essential to their success, look no further than VIN (Veterinary Information Network). VIN is a virtual professional network of veterinarians.  Members have access to a virtual platform that aggregates for them all they need to practice successfully: a state-of-the-art, searchable data base; CE courses; access to conversations with peers and specialists and advice on difficult cases; constantly new tools and resources—all in the comfort of their home or office and reachable within minutes. And with a growing membership of 44,000 and revenues upwards of 30 million, it is worth understanding and extracting from VIN “best practice” elements you can adapt and emulate.

6) Five Reasons to be Coached by Your Employees by Jake Breeden

Engagement is as much about employees as it is about managers. Employee engagement can be made easier when the manager humbles himself to be coached by his employees. It shows trust for starters. Engagement doesn’t have to be a fancy initiative. It starts in the trenches. One of our new friends author Jake Breeden shows us one way.

7) Playing the Part of Leader by Alan Derek Utley

Know your back story

To bring a character to life in a truly genuine way actors uncover the values and motivations that lie beneath the surface of the script with questions such as these:

Who am I, where do I come from, what do I want and why, how will I get it, what must I overcome, what happens if I don’t get it?

As leaders, how often do we stop to ask these questions of ourselves?  And what happens if we do?  We will gain awareness and understanding of what drives us.  Of our values.  Of what we believe in.  And others will see that in us.

8 ) 5 S’s of Engaged Social Leadership by Meghan M. Biro

A software technology company I consult with is in the middle of a sea change, a shift from one workplace culture to another. This change began when the company brought in a high-level technical executive from another company – not exactly a competitor, but a company in an adjoining market space. Only in tech, market spaces aren’t really independent with no overlap. There’s always the potential for a clash of personalities rather than a happy union. Unfortunately, it has not been graceful for my client. In fact, it’s been one giant stressful process and a wake up call for the all of our teams involved in mopping up the mess.

9) Diagnosing the Real Problem When it Comes to Employee Disengagement by Derek Irvine

A colleague of mine is currently going through some health issues and working with several doctors to try to determine the underlying causes of many varied symptoms.

While, thankfully, none of this is life threatening or altering, it is a highly frustrating process for her as many of the doctors would simply prefer to treat the symptoms rather than dig deeper to find the underlying problem and eradicate the health issues at their roots.

10) Taming the Social Media Monster: 6 Tips by Rene Siegel

Managing your social media can be like making the most of your Halloween haul as a kid. Inhaling everything will not end well. You need to pick and choose what you really want and enjoy it in small, select bites.

In our ever-connected world, social media is a full-on, constant coffee klatch. The party’s always there, whether you’re ready or not. Sign into Facebook and all your friends know you’re there…and they’re ready to chat. Log on to Gmail or Skype and the same thing happens. The next thing you know, you’re madly responding to multiple chats or watching cat-in-a-bag videos when you really need to get through your inbox.

That’s it for this week’s weekly wrap-up! Have a great weekend everyone! – Holly