In the zone

I met Natasha earlier this week. We’ve exchanged many tweets and I was excited about this opportunity to meet in real life. We had a flowing conversation and the time passed all too quickly, as it does when you’re in the flow. Natasha is a great listener. That’s a nice way of me saying I think I talked a bit too much.

One of the things I spoke about was nerves. I often get nervous when performing (in every sense of the word), particularly at the start of something. When I say nervous I mean sick to the bottom of my stomach locked up tight can barely talk or walk cold sweat fear of God. That kind of nervous. This is a shame because I enjoy what I do very much and I know if I could channel these nerves more effectively I could enjoy myself even more and give something much better to people.

Natasha suggested I try a slight shift in my thinking. Could I maybe convert nervous into excited? I’ll try anything and this sounds like a good idea thanks very much Natasha, let’s see when I can apply it.

Tomorrow I’ll be joining up with some of the biggest and best names in and around the world of social recruitment. I’ll be meeting some familiar faces and some new ones too. I’m confident that I will learn useful stuff and have a really good time, and make a useful contribution to the day. I’m nervous about excited by the possibilities.

On Friday evening I’ll be in the New Forest standing on stage performing to a group of friends and acquaintances. It’s our annual summer camp and therefore my annual big night out. I’ve been doing this for several years now and the organisers are always kind enough to invite me back. It’s high time I repaid myself and the audience for their faith in me. I am nervous about excited by the possibilities.

How will I get on? I am excited about checking in with you again next week to let you know.

Singing About Social Recruitment

The Social Recruiting Conference rolls into town on 30 June.

I’m looking forward to my visit, to get to see a few familiar faces, and to meet and learn from some new ones too. What is social recruitment all about? I guess we all have our own ideas; I’d be interested to hear yours. I’ve had a few conversations with conference chair Alan Whitford about this and the thoughts and ideas we have bounced around include:

• Engagement
• Technology
• Behaviour
• Opportunity
• Innovate…(or die?)

We thought it might be useful to try and sum up these feelings and ideas, and I suggested that rather than write another blog post on the subject, we should experiment a little. So here’s a song for you. A song about social recruitment. I hope it prompts a few questions for the event next week – looking forward to seeing you there.

Lyrics:

Career advice is plentiful
You’re lost in the maze
So many ways to do this stuff
A head banging haze

I’ve done all my research
My planning is meticulous
If I think about any more
Slide from sublime to ridiculous

Yet there is something wrong
I need experts to see what they meant
I don’t understand
Don’t get social recruitment

Is it about engagement
And the importance of communication
But these two terms so over used
Like verbal constipation

They say all this social
Do it now or fall behind
Better get your message sorted
Or your business will be blind

No one sits still no more your business must be Mobile
Your brand has to be authentic
Else how you gonna make a pile

Is your strategy about technology, or maybe it’s cost saving
If you get the behaviour right, folk’s careers you can be saving

I don’t have to tell you, it’s Innovate or die,
I want to be there laughing with you
Not sitting back trying not to cry

Be Locally global take this thing around the world
Be Globally local your banner is unfurled
Be locally Global you wanna make that call
Be globally local grow the market grow it all

Where can you go
Be in the know
Be energetic
I don’t want ponderous
Head to London town
On 30th June
To the social recruiting conference

I’m in the market for a new way to work