Twitter Conversations: Shifting Thoughts

Twitter: A platform for text-based communication online.
Tweets: A short, text-based, message not exceeding 140 characters.

I have been back on Twitter over the past two months. I was focused on using Facebook as my main platform of communication, sharing my knowledge, tacit wisdom, and opportunities. My Followers have increased by about 1,000 since I activated my account. It was a passive 660, but the growth has been spectacular with many active connections.

I use Twitter to share my stories about my races, training, leadership perspectives, and social media insights. With the advent of pictures, Twitter functions like Facebook (FB) however with the 140-character-per-post limit.

I was invited to, and have joined a virtual running community called 'Earthathon' and I belong the group called 'RunderfulRunners'. We aim to cover 25,000 miles within a year as a collective group. I have just completed my first 12km, since I am preparing for Ironman Lanzarote (May). I have posted pictures of my new sponsors, too, spreading and 'sneezing' what I think are useful ideas.

My new Ceepo Venom bike.

I am also actively connected to communities of leaders, authors, social media experts, runners, triathletes, and inspiring people. Everyone is special and has something to express and share.

New race attire from Jabra.

I will update you on more of these conversational gems. It is good to be back blogging.

If You Like It, Sneeze It!

The power of the Tribe to influence can be enormous. Consider 'word of mouth', that form of communication 'behind your back' that may make or break you.

Reputation is part of your brand. Who you are, is reflected in your character, persona, style and presence. How we communicate ourselves to others, describes our set of beliefs, values, attitudes, perceptions, and judgements. Certainly, our behaviors are a mirror to who we are for they reflect our inner 'self' to an outward audience. For instance, wearing your sponsors is an attempt to promote the 'duality' of relevance for both advocate/ambassador and brand/sponsor. The relationship is one of collaborative partnership and alliance. 

Promoting ultra-triathlons (IUTA) and my sponsor Jabra on a Channel News Asia featurette.

When I went to Kona for the Ironman World Championships, I wore my Jabra colors with pride. I extended my support for the brand and its Bluetooth-enabled devices by wearing their race-attire in several more Ironman races, and my first Boston Marathon (2014). Channel News Asia interviewed me for that landmark event there, and my sponsors picked up on that in my Singapore interview on 'Ironmen and Ultra-Triathlons). I roped in my friends, Triple-Deca Iron-Triathete (that is 226km triathlons X 30 days) Wayne Kurtz from USA, and Singaporean Deca-Iron Triathlete (10 X Ironman over 10 days), Kua Harn Wei, PhD to be part of this experience and interview. I was informed by my friends, neighbours and family of the first telecast and subsequent re-runs. The 'reach' was highly positive, and I earned a sponsorship for this year.

How thoroughly do you think when you post on Social Media? Have you considered the implications and ramifications of your rants and raves? When you 'tick' on a 'LIKE', or make a 'Comment', what are, in effect, wanting to say. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, when another disagrees with us.

How do you influence for your Tribe? How do you show support for each Friend, Follower, Member, and the like (no pun intended). When a Follower 'Retweets' or 'Favourite' your post, how do you 'return the favour'? Do you read one of their shared 'links'? Do you provide a response or recognition? Giving encouragement to a 'newbie' can be empowering. Sharing a personal tip, nugget of your wisdom, a quotation can translate into future mileage of extended influence. Being charitable, or not as asking for something in return can be a deeply satisfying feeling. 

Leadership Lessons: How do you build you reputation? How does your Tribe spread your influence? How do you live up to your reputation? What are you doing to add value to your Tribe of followers and supporters? How do you apply the Law of Reciprocity?

Sneezing for an author's new e-book

What Is Your Achilles Heel?

‘Then you better strengthen every part of your body.’ ~ BRUCE LEE

In the film ‘Troy’, the fearless warrior Achilles is finally subdued when an arrow severs his tendon. Thus, the term ‘Achilles Heel’ is used in our language today as a potential ‘weakness’.

Through the rehabilitative sciences, we learn through ‘muscle-testing’ and the treating of injuries that muscle imbalances can be a major cause for muscle damage. When agonist and antagonists are heavily imbalanced, muscle sprains and strains can occur. This is akin to conflict within relationships. Push or pull, may lead to strain and pain. The purpose of holistic and systematic training and monitoring is to ensure the best performance while reducing the risks associated with doing your best.

By focusing on strengthening yourself (body, mind and ‘spirit’), you will then reduce the ‘chinks in your armour’. When you go into battle (of the mind or body), you need to ensure that you are armed and ready. Your training prepares you for most eventualities, so that you stay alert and attentive to every opportunity to strike. In a conversation, you express your strength through values like conviction, strength of purpose, and fortitude. You can also express your strength through your assertiveness. In this way, you can strengthen your relationships through time with your shared knowledge, wisdom, and related experiences. One useful way of  strengthening your relationships is to propagate and promote a community of learning on the social media platform.

Leadership Lessons: What is your Achilles Heel? What do you have weakness for? Are you able to suspend your personal desires for professionalism? What are you doing to develop capability? How are you reducing potential risks to your profession, career and business? How do you position yourself in order to win in the 'battle for the minds'?

Alarmed By What You’ve Read?

Will Ironman return to Asia?

Just because it is linked or shared via social media, does it mean that it is reliable? Many links are made with little regard for reading the article and being critical about its contents. Sharing material online still requires a sense of responsibility. Remember: you can still ignore the posting, if it contains drivel and dumbfounding data and descriptions.

Fear drives action. Action drives sales. I am openly annoyed with salespeople who attempt to make sales, by introducing dated literature and anecdotal evidence. Most claims made by the manufacturers (of these over-priced nutritional products) have not been validated by the FDA or similar national body. So, we should not be bamboozled by misleading advertising. Buyer beware, but use your head. Advertorials are also cleverly and thinly disguised reports on advertised products, and heavily tout their benefits. Consider slimming and beauty centres/chains, as well as product launches.

Many consumers have no idea what the numbers means: mg, mcg, and IUs. How do you what is the recommended daily rate? What happens if you are engaged in regular strenuous activities? Are you expected to consume more antioxidants if you engage in regular aerobic activities?

Perhaps, we should insist on more empirical research and less anecdotal reliance? If it is in the news, there is a higher degree of credibility, objectivity and believability if it is based on facts. Opinion pieces are more subjective. For instance, a leading online magazine reported that Macca will not be going to the Olympics, nor is Emma Snowsill who was an Olympian before. Because they were interviewed, and gave their perspectives the news is more worthy of our attention. If it is based on results, you cannot dispute the official results, unless there was a glaring typological error.

If this report was true and accurate, it may upset millions due to the implications and ramifications of secrecy/secret formula. It also suggests that labeling has been deceitful, or national authorities on food & drug control have been careless.

Nine Ways To Update Your Profile

Profiles that are left idle, may affect your personal branding. By updating your online profile, you are keeping yourself fresh and contemporary. Otherwise, your presence is, at best, temporary. Remember the platinum rule in online marketing: Content is king. When face-to-face, your personality and character makes you royal and regal. Your profile is your summary of your comprehensive file (i.e. resume, CV, or biography). However, never attempt to over-inflate your resume even for the Head Honcho's position (especially in Yahoo!).

It is not difficult to update your profile:

1)    Keep in constant touch with your online community. Announce interesting developments. Only if INTERESTING or USEFUL.

2)    If your social media campaign is not useful, remove it. Having less is useful. You need not be on all popular platforms.

3)    Post regularly on your blog, especially when you have an established readership.

4)    Seek recommendations and testimonials, especially when clients are pleased with your work. Indicate awards and commendations, when you receive them.

5)    Housekeeping is vital. Which new developments are occurring in your profession or life now? Edit or delete.

6)    If it is too good to be true, it is probably too good to be true. Report factually. Avoid exaggeration.

Special mention of our blog by Dr Mok Ying Ren, Singapore's top marathoner & weekly columnist.

7)    Remove controversial or demeaning material, including photographs or remarks that may be deemed insensitive or inappropriate.

8)    If you are not comfortable with the details, tweak it.

9)    Sharing useful content to those that it matters to is a powerful approach.

Photo-credit & design: Dr Leow Jo Lene

Leadership Lessons: Which three things will you update to your online profile? When signing off on your e-mails, what would you distinguish yourself by? When was the last time you were recommended for your services?

Drowning in the Dubious Digital Domain

The Third Wave, according to futurist Alvin Toffler, is the Information Age. This has succeeded the Agricultural and Industrial ages. We moved from farming to manufacturing to informing. News is uploaded almost instantaneously with Social Media 2.0, and reputations are varnished or tarnished with relative ease.

Content is still king! Whether you own a blog, website, Facebook or Twitter account your audience is drawn towards newness. Fresh is vital as fast. Print news has suffered from the microwave-ready, fast-food convenience, paint-by-numbers, approach to reporting. Anyone with Internet or Wi-Fi access can play quasi-journalist or pseudo-commentator and attempt to ‘go viral’. The more sleazy, nefarious and notorious the news is, the larger your captive audience. Lace it with clever or deceptive headings, and the legions will home in onto the potential prey. The ‘magic words’ still apply and intensify when you combine them with celebrity names. Shout 'caught on camera' and 'exposed' and the lurkers and voyeurs will have a field day (and night). The city doesn't  sleep... 

It would be interesting to note if a new charismatic guru were to descend from the mountains with his digital tablet with new messages from the cosmos. In the past, leaders would be burdened with stone tablets with laser-etched wisdom. Today, everything is compact including the way the message is contained and presented.

Why do we communicate in code, messages edited to the point of acronym? LOL. LMAO. LMFAO. ROTF. Has these added to clarity of thinking, or density of confusion? Many challenge the need to write in full over text messages (SMS), yet if there is clarity of thought why do they resort to multiple text messages. Unfortunately, many miss the point and fail to communicate effectively. In some ways we have become soft; in other ways, we have gone hard. HTFU.

Are we high technology and high touch? Or, have we failed to connect and communicate as humans once did. Why do we e-mail our lunch invitations to a colleague seated next to us? Have we become isolated in our electronic hardware? Are we becoming xenophobic and afraid of our own shadows? How is the world flatter when we falter on the most basic of connectivity with a human? No more talk – I mean, offline conversations. Just lots of online chat and chatter.

Looking back, we may snigger in private that we used to deploy humungous mobile-phones resembling thermos-flasks. Today, it comes as no surprise when you see a person talk into a tablet-phone that is at least six times the acreage of an android phone. In the past, we consumed rolls of film for those joyous moments. Today, we devour megabytes of digital real estate on a card just for a few high-resolution photographs or video-clips. Tradition is deemed boring and it has made way for Radicalisation.  

As long as there is a full moon, somewhere in the twilight, the lunacy prevails.

Leadership By Expression

‘Express yourself…’ ~ Madonna, pop-music icon

Your leadership style is based on your personality. An introvert will express himself/herself in a more inquisitive way, through questions, and actively listening. An extravert will be more inclined to share their private thoughts openly, preferring to answer questions. Our preferences do guide us, naturally, to express ourselves, and our leadership differently.

People will judge us no matter how you project yourself in public. How do you assert yourself in conversation, as well as in your writing? Are you more asking or telling? Do you offer others a chance to convey their ideas? How much do you present of your leadership when you apply the ‘golden silence’? Are you only a follower if you choose to read instead of respond?

If you initiate or participate in a discussion on social media, how are you leading? If you choose to refrain from commenting, how much of a leader are you promoting? If you correct a piece of factual inaccuracy, how do you do it without a friend (or friend of a friend) losing face? There is authority and responsibility in our role as a leader, so how do we maintain each aspect?

Leadership Lessons: How will you express your influence this week? What will you do differently when you lead? How will you lead in your written correspondence? When did you last start a discussion thread on Facebook or Twitter and lead in the process? How long did it last before you terminated it, and how did you discontinue the process?

10 Ways To Get Attention & Action For Your Cause

Do you have a cause that you strongly believe in? What have you done to promote it to a wider audience? With a plethora of Social Media tools readily available, what have you done to harness the power of positive word of mouth marketing, also known as tribes and trending? Have you considered having your communities to sneeze for you?

1)    Ask for help, and you may get it. Seek and ye may find.

2)    Go face-to-face: Have a chat with your colleagues, clients and collaborators about your cause, and why it is important to you.

3)    Text a message: subtle but effective when you have down-time (free time). Turn down-time into up-time! Promote your cause while standing in the train or rain.

4)    Do something in return. As long as you implement your initiative, you have led in the process. Be reciprocal. Attempt to climb a mountain, run a marathon, complete a triathlon, or set a national record – do something in return for the support you receive.

5)    Tweet about it. Small and frequent messaging adds up and increases your odds for success. Tweet before the rooster crows.

6)    Send sensible messages about it on Facebook and LinkedIn. Attach a link, so your readers can actively click on it. Remember: call for action. Just do it.

7)    Create a call for action. What do want your readers to do? Arrive in person to volunteer? Send a check? Make a donation on PayPal? Spread the word via their personal or professional networks?

8)    Write your own letter of appeal. Make it personal. Provide comprehensive answers: what, why, when, which, where, who and how. Your letter is your voice, your personal message, and your meaning.

9)    Seek collaborators. Great minds think alike. Liking leads to persuasion. The more diverse the better. Differences can complement the creative output.

10) Enjoy the results. Every response is a victory. Think long term as the benefits return. Every good turn deserves another!

These principles also apply to a new business, product launch, or a seminar you are promoting. Results count!

If you have used but useable running shoes do me a massive favour – clean them up and drop by the race-kit collection site for the Marina21K Run. Help build a sustainable sports community! Thanks to Village Focus International, we can promote running and healthy feet as a global initiative.

Keeping Up With Appearances

When you update your blog, Facebook, Twitter account, website, and the whole array of Social Media tools what is your intention? Many will cite their reasons as updating, informing, sharing and disseminating others. As you enthusiastically plant new content on these platforms, are there other reasons for bringing your audience up to speed?

Besides the mundane activities that we post about on Facebook or Twitter (which few close friends may read and disavow your idiosyncracies), or if you have a legion of Followers/fans (as a celebrity) which will hang onto your every word – not much fascinates us. At best, it is called ‘keeping in touch’; at its worst, it is self-indulgent and self-gratifying.

Several of my loyal readers have suggested that I update my profile picture as well as cover photograph. One professional photographer has offered to take some action shots for me, so that I can replace the existing ones. Thus, I changed the covering photograph, which was taken during last weekend’s endurance jaunt at the Half-Ironman race. I have been tagged for a large album of photographs; fortunately, this time I look more photogenic instead of fatigue and disenchantment. It’s all about the smiles and enjoying the moment – I learnt. Suffer in silence but express your deepest joys. I also removed the sponges and zipped up my tri-top as I dashed through the finishing-chute.

I wrote that endurance athletes seem to have unhealthy looks – not intentionally – and having low body-fat levels just makes us look haggard. The physical appearance of an endurance athlete is about being skinny, light-footed and, perceived as eating-all-we-want-of-what-we-love (which is not true, well, not all the time). Perception is reality to many, and perhaps, we should wear clothes one size larger? Allow the bodybuilders and narcissists the room to manoeuvre in their compression-tight clothes.

When was the last time you updated your website, blog, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts? How often do you answer e-mails in detail? Is your website static or dynamic? Do you need bells and whistles on your website to progress, or is content still king? How have you expressed yourself as a leader to your team? Did you initiate changes to your leadership style after you attended that leadership program?

*****

This will be a busy weekend, as I will be teaching in the Middle East - I am looking forward to it. Eight weeks to Ironman Lanzarote, so enough of mucking around! Time to get more active in my physical preparation.

I am still sore after last weekend’s 113K-triathlon challenge; I suspect it is because I have been doing less mileage with harder intensity. My running week did not exceed 40K, which was what I achieved before the Hong Kong Marathon. A day after Ironman 70.3 in Singapore, I attended Pete Jacob’s running techniques workshop with Hui Koon (who will do the Cairns Challenge); there we ran barefoot for most of the session. Yesterday, I rode for 90 minutes to flush out residual waste products in my muscles. Now, I am still stiff and sore, and I wonder if it was caused by the muscle cramps I experienced. Hopefully, my deep tissue massage will sort that out.

Kevin Siah (who missed narrowly going under-5:00) blogs about his racing weekend.

This article is about Lance’s quest for a 2:50-2:55 marathon time in an Ironman race. Alberto Salazar assists the Yellow Strong founder. Hui Koon writes about his running clinic with Pete Jacobs.

Enhancing Your Language

What we say matters in communication. How we say it is just as important. According to Albert Mehrabian, 7 percent of face-to-face communication is words (language), and tone (38 percent). Over the telephone, words hold more weight because if we don’t understand the language used (foreign), then tone becomes irrelevant. Monotone languages (like Malay and English) are easier to learn, whereas multi-tone languages (Mandarin, for instance) are harder to master as there are four tones. Vietnamese has five tones. Apparently, ancient Cantonese had up to nine tones!

Here are some ways to develop mastery over languages:

1)    Focus on one language at a time.

2)    Mastery is developed through time, so have realistic expectations about your competency.

3)    Develop written skills through social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and electronic mail.

4)    Blogging regularly is a useful approach to writing better and carefully.

5)    Condense your writing, so write precisely. Twitter challenges you to write your thoughts within the range of 140 characters including the use of spaces.

6)    Seek a coach or mentor to practise your language with. I have spent the past 20 years enhancing my spoken, read and written Mandarin from Mr S T Tang and Mr Albert Tang. I assist them in English and they assist me with my Mandarin. This opportunity has allowed me to teach and train corporate leaders in China.

7)    Watch the news and listen to radio.

8)    Surround yourself with people who speak the language best, and you will benefit from the immersion process.

9)    Enjoy the process!

All the best to my friends racing at tomorrow’s Singapore Biathlon! Have a safe and eventful swim-run.

Resolute Resolutions: Keeping Clear Orientations of Outcomes

2 January 2011, Sunday.

Day 2 of this brand-new year; I slept in a little and missed my personal start-off time for my first bike ride of the year. I, eventually, rode easy (with many others who may be working off the post-New Year feasting guilt) for about two hours; head-winds were committed to motivate me to work harder than I intended though. Yesterday morning, I did a swim-run brick session with friends from Triathlon Family and that I enjoyed that. Tomorrow, I take the plunge into an area of weakness and immerse myself in new discovery and adventure.

Mel, finally, worked out the kinks in our home wireless system. We got a new modem-router and configured/reconfigured (took many attempts) before we got lift-off. I am, now, happily uploading applications for my iPad – my new tool for business presentations. It is high time I fully integrated and applied my working knowledge of Social Media 2.0.

2011 will be a year of business expansion, active collaboration, and purposeful charity work. I will spend most of this week meeting existing business associates, new project partners, and interns (a form of mentoring for new entrants to the working world). For my personal development, I will be focused on enhancing my business acumen, active networking, developing my market niche and personal mastery. My three key orientations, that focuses on IQ, EQ and AQ will be:

1)    Head (learn and lead with purpose; develop skills of distinction and signature moves)

2)    Heart (be more people-orientated; fully engage and be engaged with others; really connect on a physical and emotional level)

3)    Hands (develop a stronger sense of charity and altruism; learn new skills using my hands)

What will be your mental orientations? What will you be doing to develop your sense of purpose? How will you connect with your colleagues, business partners, customers and family?

Seriously Keeping In Touch With Your Team

I have been reviewing my use of Social Media 2.0 and have made some recent and salient observations. These are:

1)    Twitter is more immediate and forgettable, so unless you repost your tweets somebody has to access your tweets by accessing your homepage. The multiple and enthusiastic postings of friends in your community can be overwhelming, especially if they are Internet marketers. It is so easy to scroll over the many quotations and links.

2)    Facebook reminds us of friend’s birthdays and to connect with them – this is useful, unless you have 1,000 friends that you don’t really know well. It is useful to filter through your ‘fan club’; you may want consider de-listing inactive accounts. I never enjoyed the APPS. Now that Hotmail has integrated Facebook reminders, it has been useful to track your series of feed forward/fedback.

3)    Blogs are useful journal entries until they become a medium of self-indulgence, especially if you are upset by bad service or disappointments. I enjoy reading my friends’ activities and expert thoughts.

4)    Skype is useful as a business and social tool only if you activate it while you are online. It is great for private coaching and business discussions – more face-to-face communication.

5)    Chats and instant messaging functions are akin to ‘real-time’ text-messages; it would be more useful to call the local person if you have to text incessantly over a major discussion.

Regardless of your communication preferences, do make a committed effort to maintain the relationships you have initiated. There is an investment – intellectual and emotional – for each of our human connections. Ensure that your connectivity is current, contemporary and consistent despite the fact that things in life, invariably, crop up at times of inconvenience. Ignoring a request is like calling your own bluff. For a team leader, these tools are essential to staying in close touch with your members. You can acknowledge them, praise them, and reassure them in one fell swoop/technology. Your members are your most precious members of your tribe.

Yesterday, I put a deposit down for my new triathlon bicycle. I elected to have one customized made bike by Elite Bicycles. I interviewed David Greenfield a few months ago, and had my road-bike custom-fitted by him. That positive experience led to my strong recommendation to other cyclists and triathletes and I am glad to report my friends are pleased for it. They are riding comfortably and with strength and purpose after their visit to Elite Bicycles Asia at 3 Duxton Hill, Singapore.

I take my recommendations seriously; people can act on your advice, so I have refrained from giving it. Recommendations are different. Coincidentally, my neighbour who owns a single-gear bike asked me about bike fitting yesterday and I directed him to Elite Bicycles. This reminds us that tribes spread the word through positive word of mouth – one spoke on the marketing wheel that cannot be underestimated even if it takes time.

The process of getting my bike ordered and delivered involved conversations with David via Twitter and Skype. As he is serious about taking care of me, he posted a Twitter message to me to check my colour choice first. I chose the model, a full carbon Elite Razor (as in accompanying photograph)  – a smashing-looking iron horse that is a popular model with pros and elite age-groupers at Elite. My initial choice of colour is maroon, as it was my secondary school colour and that of my corporate logo. I am designing my graffiti on its body, although fellow-riders have suggested a magic wand and a rabbit-in-a-hat - I prefer a Playboy bunny (although that is a trademark/copyright).

I have been supporting charities related to Cystic Fibrosis, and they were my motivating project for Ironman New Zealand this year. Here is a story of a record-breaking 11 marathons over 11 days for fund-raising. Incidentally, Singaporean Marathon Mohan will be doing his 100^th marathon shortly. All the best to this popular Team Fatbird member.

Keep moving everyone!

Amusing Weekend Musings and Amusement

I could not resist the use of alliteration: as quaint or quirky it may read. Nevertheless I have been logging in many silent minutes on Tom Robbin’s book of short essays Wild Ducks Flying Backwards; he complements the other two I am snacking on: ‘Norman Mailer’s The Spooky Art, and Stephen King On Writing. Inspiration, aspiration and perspiration are part of the investment in both art and business. And, business is both science and art.

I was watching James Sun (finalist on reality television series, The Apprentice) host a program on Channel News Asia called Sun Tze War on Business (9.30pm, Tuesday). In a nutshell, the battlefield of business involves the use of leadership, strategies/methods, terrain/marketplace, strengths/leverage points, and use of intelligence/information. That is why businesses need to define their business by their brand, branding, product and services, customized service experiences, sales management, and use of social media communication.

Here is a good article on the use of Social Media Tools 2.0, mainly the application of blogging in a corporate setting.

I wish Nigel Chua all the best in his next Ironman triathlon quest: Ironman Utah. He is a very good distance runner and triathlete. Do not let his grey hair fool you - it is his disguise! He will be the first of two Singaporeans to participate in this inaugural race.

The triathlete from the left is, probably, going to race in Utah. He has completed nine Ironman races; he also assisted last year as support crew for the first two Singaporeans to ever compete in Norseman. Who is he?

The deed is done! I signed up for the Singapore Passion Run 2010, a week before my inaugural 84km adidas Sundown Ultramarathon. I hope that my body holds up, as I have been taking it easier after my mild bout of flu two weeks ago. I am looking forward to running hard on my new K-Swiss running shoes; its inner supports should help correct my low heel arch. Here is a shot of my condition two weeks after Ironman New Zealand. I was manning an 'illegal' water-station, of which I had loads of fun encouraging the Singapore 70.3 participants on - including the brilliant Craig Alexander (reigning 2-time Ironman triathlon world champion). Photographs courtesy of Triathlon Family Singapore friends: Julius, Craig and Yong Feng.