Closing General Session

Closing General Session and Keynote Presentation

The session started with Tara Murray Grove and Amy Burke talking about the conference. Tara recognized members who donated their excess (in person) registration fees to fund scholarships for members facing financial hardships. I applaud these members as well! Thanks!

Tara talked about creating memories that drive us forward. I always create memories and meet new people when I attend an SLA conference. I really enjoyed the Taxonomy Division Happy Hour last night. I met some great people as well as people I only know through emails. Of course, we weren’t in the same room or even time zone, but we were communicating in real time and that felt a bit like ‘meeting’.

The Board of Directors and the SLA staff were recognized as well. They are all working in difficult circumstances and deserve the recognition.

Tara said that this conference was a celebration of community and I think that is true.

Tiffany Lopez came on and talked about the 2021 Annual Conference, which will also be virtual. The theme/destination will be ‘Destination Everywhere’.

Debra Jasper, from Mindset Digital, is described as ”

Debra Jasper works with Fortune 500 organizations to teach their leaders how to make connections in a technologically driven environment. In her closing keynote address at SLA2020, she’ll show you how to:

  • Connect and compete in a socially distanced world;
  • Strengthen your online presence and personal brand;
  • Increase your visibility and showcase your value;
  • Deepen connections using the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn; and
  • Create compelling thought leadership during this time of uncertainty and anxiety.

Named one of the top 12 female entrepreneurs in North America by Ernst & Young, Debra directed the Kiplinger Program at Ohio State University’s School of Public Affairs, where she launched the world’s first social media fellowship for journalists. She and her colleagues at Mindset Digital have delivered presentations and training to more than 200,000 professionals in the financial, healthcare, tech and hospitality sectors. An international keynote speaker, Debra has given talks in more than a dozen countries, from the Global Internet Conference in Australia to the Ukrainian Council of Ministers. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership from Ohio State and wrote her dissertation on the art of powerful micro storytelling Today, tens of thousands of professionals are enrolled in her firm’s high-impact, scalable online programs in social selling and recruiting, writing for mobile, and cybersecurity. ”

She described Mindset Digital as helping firms compete in today’s virtual world.

Debra’s talk was called Small Screen Big Impact. So much of what we knew and was normal has gone away. Virtual is the new reality. It won’t be forever, but it is now. One really big shift that resulted from this change is preparing everything – emails, reports, presentations for the online reality. The focus is on online presence, building powerful presence in an online world.

Debra Jasper slide on interruptions

Debra Jasper slide on interruptions

One thing that we all have to deal with is interruptions. You can control, somewhat, your own interruptions, but not those of people to whom you are presenting. Debra posted a powerful slide that really made me take notice. This is a graphic of what is on the other side of your screen, the things that a presenter cannot see. You have to fight for attention and attention is EVERYTHING in this new virtual world.

We have less time, attention and space.

Debra focused on LinkedIn, because she said that relationships drive results. This is true, which is why I keep telling people that I am looking for a KM/portal manager position. 😉

She gave us 3 steps for improving our online presence:

Step 1: Power up your online presence

  • Google yourself to see what comes up. LinkedIn usually comes up first, because they have a lot of SEO. Are you making a good first impression?
  • Your LinkedIn profile is a microsite of you. It is not a resume.
  • Answer the questions:
    • do I want to work with you?
    • are you credible?
    • do I like you?
    • what will you do for me?
    • can I relate to you?

Basically, I read this list as not about the person whose profile it is, but about the person reading it.

Essentially, your profile should answer the questions:

  • how do you help people like me
  • why should I work with you

Profile should not say what you do, but what you love about what you do. Keep in mind that your visual story matters. For example, choose a background that relates to what you do.

Fast fixes:

  • Photos
    • think about a branded background – some kind of impactful background, even if it isn’t branded can make your profile more compelling
    • consider a profile photo where you are smiling and you have a more compelling background. Show some personality
  • Skip the blah-blah-blah
    • lead from the front. This is about first impressions, which means that the About section is the most powerful real estate in your profile.
    • Tell the story of you.. Be likeable and relatable.
    • Write in the first person
    • resume like summaries are hard to read and hard to get a sense of you
    • create a compelling first person summary that makes an impact

I don’t think people want to think very much, mostly because they have a lot to do and hiring people isn’t always their primary job. I think they want to find the info they need easily.

  • does your profile show you are likable and relatable
  • casual does not mean careless (NO liberrians!). Proofread carefully.

Do you want to meet the person based on their online presence?

  • 3rd Fast Fix: Be personable not personal
    • 1 away from work sentence

Step 2: Power Up Your Network

  • look at your network’s 1st connections
  • advanced search with filters
    • connected to people you know
  • tap the power of introductions
    • you can see who potential influencers know and ask to be introduced by name
  • dislike jargon and corporate speak

Spend time creating a personal note for connection requests

  • can be simple – read recent article, loved our conversation

You are  your brand. Don’t wait for invites

Step 3: Power Up Your Visibility

To inform you must engage

  • like
  • share
  • engage – thoughtful comments, show you care, express information about research and how you feel, share how you feel in general
    • listen and engage

Activity definitely shapes your reputation

  • Activity is visible
  • Be thoughtful
  • Think twice post once

Social Selling Index is something you can look at by Googling. Develop a score between 60-70.

You have to break through the noise.

Questions:

  • Do I have to accept every invitation? No: connect with people you want to know. If you connect and people start pinching me, you can unconnect. When you connect, you are loaning them a little credibility.
  • Should we list everything? Or be selective? Have most relevant experience. You don’t need high school years. Make sure experience is actively written and skimmable- short, organized and skimmable (SOS).
  • For second careers, keep old career info, but say how it informed your work today
  • How can new professionals build their profile: frame research or work they are doing to show relevance. Can show discipline. Get LinkedIn references. Volunteering can be a great addition to a profile.
  • Is it good to highlight volunteer work in areas unrelated to your work? Yes, because it answers what you are doing for others and how you are giving back to the community
  • Will unconnecting give an alert to people? No. Your network will be more valuable if you are connected to people who are valuable to you.
  • Should I connect to my manager and colleagues: yes, but turn off notifications about changes to your profile when you upgrade your profile. This can be a way to show your manager what you are doing
  • possible to overdo it, over post? Use 3-2-1 rule: 3 likes, 2 comments, 1 post a week

They didn’t cover whether to connect to recruiters

This is an important way to showcase our relevance.

I liked this session and it made me think of LinkedIn in a new way.