In 2018, I am finding that things are changing right before our eyes. People are up in arms about the recent changes in Facebook and the effect it will have on their sites and paid advertising.
The “dead” messages are out in full force. Twitter is dead. Blogging is dead. Content marketing is dead.
The “Amazon” threat is there too. When is the big announcement going to occur about their second corporate location?
In other news, mergers and acquisitions are happening. The stock market is going up, up, up. (Tip here – Hopefully, you are in the market right now.)
My point here is there is news happening all the time, and it became very apparent to me I have been spending way too much time studying the news. How does this action affect my business? Yes, to some extent it is affected, but there is nothing I can do. There will be news every day.
Today, my iPhone is a virtual friend. It provides me with constant news information and updates. Right now, I could not imagine a day without it. I have even had a panic attack when I have left it on the elliptical at the gym and did not realize till I was home. (A very sick feeling). I have turned back the instant “Breaking News” notifications which are mostly stupid, but that is not enough.
In 2018, I am going to back away from the news more. I need to get reconnected with clients, peers, suppliers and the general public. It means looking up and not down all the time on my phone. It means learning more about the rapid changes companies are making or not making today.
It means listening to the real news around me that I can have an impact on.
This week I am attending a trade show, and I hear all kinds of new stories about process changes, potential new markets, current challenges, legislative impacts and research and development stories. It is very refreshing, and I will not find this information in a news notification or an article online.
Time is people’s biggest asset, and we all have the same amount of it. I wear a Fitbit, and I track my steps daily. It is very cool. I need to look at interactions with people the same way. Where am I spending my time with people?
Have I listened to my coworkers today?
Am I answering emails promptly? I am finding that email communication is making a comeback in 2018. It is probably more about my new attitude toward email. (Tip – Clean up your inbox and get your email countdown, it is worth it)
Have I followed up with someone on a potential project or has it been awhile since I talked to someone?
When was the last time I penned a letter to someone?
Am I engaging with people on social media? How am I using social media and is it effective?
These are the questions I am working on in 2018. I need to address this area and start being more intentional about the way I connect with people.