a little insight into why I won't stop blogging

Social Media has pretty much been dissected, why it matters, why Twitter will change the face of business, why all of it is important.  Or, at least, why someone thinks it’s important.  There are many who write on a regular basis – who produce original content consistently, who create thoughtful and meaningful responses to emotionally – or politically – charged blogs or discussions. There are also those who prefer to simply peruse the pages of their favorite social network, searching for answers or shared experiences. Lurkers represent the listeners, the audience, the foot soldiers in the trenches. The readers.

The opportunity to step out of the trenches every now and again is here, right in front of you. You can “write a post” or “start a discussion” or simply post a status update on the network of your choice and there you have it.  An instant platform, an opportunity to put thoughts to page, to raise awareness, to share know-how, to stir the pot or spoil the stew – whatever the case may be. Some write “because it’s there.” Others write because they have to - to increase their vocabulary and develop their brains or simply to spew some venom. To liberate their thoughts. I write because I can’t help it, I have to…
“Blogging is free, it doesn’t matter if anyone reads it. What matters is the humility that comes from writing it. What matters is the meta-cognition that comes from thinking about what you’re gonna say… If you’re good at it, some people are gonna read it. If you’re not good at it and you stick with it, you’ll get good at it. This has become such a micropublishing platform that, basically, you’re doing it for yourself, to force yourself to become part of the conversation, even if it’s just that big. And that posture change changes an enormous amount.” So says Seth Godin at a recentAmex Open Session.

Blogging is free but does that lower the perceived value?
Because anyone and everyone can do it, express themselves in numerous forums through the written word, should they?
Should we?

Bloggers have been blamed for putting reporters and columnists out of work, for twisting the truth, for gaining knowledge using unethical or easy means, for not checking their facts, for not having a formal education or experience… Oh, because the news media, in its previous form, was never charged with those accusations, right? Seth Godin was a columnist for printed media, yet he doesn’t appear to be out of work. Why is that? Is it because he changed as technology did? Because he embraced the new and saw the direction media was going? He put down his pen and now fervently moves a cursor.

Tom Peters, co-author of In Search of Excellence , finished Seth Godin’s preceding statement with, “My first post (blog)was in August of 2004. I will simply say, no single thing, in the last fifteen years professionally, has been more important in my life than blogging. It has changed my life. It has changed my perspective. It has changed my intellectual outlook. It has changed my emotional outlook and it’s the best damn marketing tool by an order of magnitude that I’ve ever had.”

Godin responds, “And it’s free.”

I have to agree.  As I cruise through my seventh year as a blogger (I used to blog regularly on MySpace), I feel the same way – no other practice has been more important to my career, to my life.  And yes, it is a practice.  And I practice daily.

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a daily contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

When I started the blog nearly 5 years ago, I never thought that it would be what it is today.  It’s the foundation of my business and a place where I can pursue my dreams and passions while serving as a creative outlet.  I’ve also come to realize that building a blog takes a lot of work.  Most aren’t up for the challenge.  Since the blog’s inception I’ve wanted to provide great content with a real voice limiting the BS and giving readers the heart of the matter.

Building and cultivating a blog is not something that everyone can do.  It’s particularly challenging for vendors who provide products and services to practitioners whether it’s HR, recruiting, or operations.  I am very fortunate that even though I am now a consultant I understand and sometimes speak for the practitioners who are on the corporate front lines every single day.  Apparently, that’s a special thing.

So in 2012 I’m excited to announce some subtle changes in store for Blogging4Jobs.

• Monthly Webinars Covering a Variety of Topics.  Experts from across the industry and beyond have agreed to share their insights and knowledge on a myriad of topics.  January’s webinar happens to be Mobile Recruiting:  The Next Big Thing for HR, Recruiting, and Employee Engagement.  It’s scheduled for January 24th at 10 AM CST and is eligible for Strategic HRCI Credit.  Register here.

• HR Tech Spotlight.  Technology, tools, and services in our industry are changing every single day.  It seems like most corporate leaders have to attend a conference or schedule an online product demo to research a product.  Sometimes those demos can be intimidating so twice  a month I’ll be test driving products and providing insights into how they make our lives easier.  I won’t be sugar coating things, and the vendors know this. I’m giving it to you straight — the good, the bad, and the ugly.

• Vendor Sponsorship and Advertising Opportunities.  I will be offering sponsorship and advertising packages on a limited basis to vendors and service providers.  Sometimes this is in the form of a sponsored post or webinar, or small ad placed on the right side of the site.  Don’t worry I’m limiting these to no more than 4-6 advertisers.  Quality content will continue under no certain terms.  (Learn about advertising)

All in all I’m very excited about the opportunities and possibilities that 2012 will bring.  Look for some more navigation changes on the site in the coming months.  With over 750 blog posts and articles, there is a lot of information here and I want to make it easy to find exactly what you are looking for.

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Determine to make a difference every day...

I finished my day yesterday unfinished. I know that seems weird but it is, nonetheless, true.  Too many things left to complete.  Too many calls left to make.  Too many tales to tell.  Too little time to do it all in. Is it just me or are the days getting shorter?  I have theory that I am sure others share…

The days get shorter and the years go by quicker as we age because they represent a smaller percentage of the totality of our lives. For instance, for a 10-year old a year represents 1/10 of his life. But for this 48-year old, a year represents a mere 1/48th.

Winston Churchill, in all his wisdom, was grasping at what I seem to be feeling these days when he said, “It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.”  I think what I may be feeling is attached to good, old-fashioned work.  For 1.5 years, I had trouble leaving the office, given that it was in my home.  Many of you can relate, as virtual and home offices have become more and more popular and necessary.

How do we make sure that we succeed in doing what is necessary? There are millions of time management tips we can read, review, and try to follow, but it all comes down to sheer will and follow-through. Your will is what drives you out of bed in the morning. It also drives you to work through lunch or into late-night hours. But your will can also be what tells you your work is done for the day.  Answering to your will is the easy part; determining your will? Now, that ‘s another story.

“Do or do not, there is no try,” famously uttered by Yoda. Determine to make a difference each day. If not in your own life, perhaps in someone else’s. It does have to be huge or even medium-sized. Just one small difference. Call a jobseeker and give a little free advice. Follow through when you say you will.  Be happy.  Share a smile.

Today is the 17,634th day of my life. (You can figure out how many days you’ve lived here)  Days come and go – quicker all the time – but what you do in each is where the distinction lies.  I don’t know how many days I have left, but I happily raise my glass to at least another 10,000!

“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” ~Rabindranath Tagore, Poet

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

“Everyone who has been in this industry has had a chance to participate in something very exciting. It is kind of like early steam engines or factories or something. The timing was right for the people who got to do it. And that is a lucky thing…” ~Bill Gates

Having spent most of my adult life trying to get ahead, I understand the importance of timing.  Given the time and place in which we now dwell – I am sure you understand the imperative nature of it, as well. Timing is everything.  And the right timing requires a little more than luck.

Playwright David Ives ventured into the world of timing in several short plays that he later combined for a full-length play entitled, All in the Timing. One of the pieces, Words, Words, Words addresses the proposition that, “Three monkeys hitting keys at random on typewriters for an infinite amount of time will almost surely produce Hamlet.”  Now, would that be considered timing or just smart luck?

Sometimes, the timing is just right for a homerun to be hit – it is said that the swing is all about the timing, the pitch is all about throwing the timing of the swing off.

Sometimes, the timing is right for two people to fall in love – sadly, one or the other fails to recognize it or they blow it because their timing is off, they should have zigged instead of zagged. Remember the Seinfeld episode when Elaine fell in love with the guy who felt her gabardine jacket and named the fabric, short-lived as it was (and usually is), George didn’t fare so well in his fabric feeling venture.

Sometimes, the timing is right for a new company to get off the ground, like Twitter – the now, obsessive love of the frenetic pace of microblogging, who knew? Or Words with Friends, Hello Alec Baldwin?

Social Media found the right timing. The top floor-corporate world is starting to embrace it, finally. Unless, of course, that top floor houses Microsoft, Apple or any other company that set up house on the edge of innovation and have stayed there – they embraced social media and communication tech long ago. There were also those who once believed an analog watch or 35-mm film were the only way. Hmmmm.

Web 3.0 has captured its audience and will continue to embed its amenities into our lives.

“If you give people tools, [and they use] their natural ability and their curiosity, they will develop things in ways that will surprise you very much beyond what you might have expected.” ~Bill Gates.  Thanks again, Bill.

Tools? Sometimes, we have to invent our own… Check out this almost unbelievable story from the world of art about someone who created his own timing.  More than meets the eye and timing is everything.

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

A Moment

Every day, I sit at my computer, typing away, with inspiration looming somewhere…, in the back of my brain? just beyond my finger tips.
Question:  Can you force inspiration? Can you nurture it to make it grow or sprout where once there was none? It would be easy for me to say “yes” because I am usually flooded by it.  It sometimes comes in overwhelming waves that crash over my psyche until my fingers can no longer be restrained. But.., there are also moments when study raises questions and I am sure that I was placed in that moment to review and shine a light.

How many times are you placed in a learning moment? How often do you discover that moment when organic erudition occurs?  We often ignore it or think it did not apply to us. Throughout our lives, we will encounter “light bulb moments,” where instant insight is granted for a particular situation.  How we react to those moments will determine whether or not we are open to receive more of the same.

Each of us has, within us, a brain with the ultimate capacity and ability to make connections, fire synapses, concoct crazy schemes, plot dastardly deeds, connect Point A to Point B, decide the right course of action, and numerous other functions.  At some point, we must recognize when our functionality is limited or when it needs a lift.  Joining with like-mined individuals is a good way to stay motivated but venturing out with unlike-minded individuals might just be the way to get your dander up or inspire personal innovation.

In order to thrive, man must continually improve. Finding opportunities to reach or stretch can get difficult when we are surrounded by the doldrums of a position that may require uniformity and conformity or “Do as you are told”. Reaching potential may seem impossible at times. Seeing beyond your job description and your daily grind can be arduous but, get this, not unattainable. Recall the child-like eagerness that once held a place within you when you first crossed the threshold of your current gig.  What was it that inspired you then? Perhaps you could draw from that now.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” – Henry Ford

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

“Take charge of your thoughts…” ~Plato

Have you ever stood in line at a grocery store and half-listened to the conversations going on around you? Drifting in and out of the myriad of would-be networking at a place of business can take its toll on you and drive you to distraction. One time, I was so lost in what was being said and with my own interpretation of what I heard that I completely blanked when it was my turn in line.  It’s not that I was eavesdropping – those  speaking were sharing with each other loud enough for the whole store to stop and listen.  And, well.., I like people, so I listen.

Taking control of your thoughts is one of the most difficult things a person can do. We are equipped with the capacity to listen, think, and talk at the same time, some of us can manage this better than others, some not at all. During the course of a day, it can become relatively simple to get carried away by distracting thoughts. Please understand that I am not denying the virtues of daydreaming – a past time I often enjoy during my morning meal – but rather, I am dissing those thoughts that sometimes creep into play that can alter the course of your day or how you react to others or cause you to go overboard or over-think a situation.

“Thinking is the greatest torture in the world for most people.” ~Unknown 

Frequently, office politics drive a wedge between people and productivity. Additionally, office gossip can have the same affect.  Allowing thoughts to get carried away or change an already established course can prove a disturbing and distracting practice – perhaps even the on-set of a mini-war.  So, how do you steer clear and keep the necessary presence of mind to pull off success? Keep your eye on the prize, not on your co-worker’s paycheck.  Keep focused to what makes you qualified to do your job, not what makes your neighbor unqualified. Know that achievement is only possible when you do control your thoughts and put into action what is requisite and compulsory.

You hear so much today about the secret and the law of attraction, while some of these preachings might be true, you cannot think yourself out of debt and into fortune.  Application is a key component.  Work is the necessary evil. You have to stand before you run. You have to think before you act.
“Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.” ~Goethe

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.