Asking questions can stimulate ideas, solve problems, develop trust and build your relationship with your team, even when working remotely. In this blog, I share my thoughts on the kinds of questions we should be asking to show support for our team members and how we can approach asking them.

One of the things I’ve noticed over the last few weeks is that some organisations are very aware of what their people (staff, stakeholders, suppliers and customers/clients) are going through and some are most definitely not.

Ten days ago I was in Melbourne getting ready to walk on stage at ConnectingUp’s annual conference to deliver the closing keynote. Delegates had spent three days learning how to ‘’Transform” their organisations using technology and best-practice.

I used to be a yes girl. I’d say yes to everything.

It’s been ten years, 163,346 tweets and 10,341 followers since I joined Twitter.

People do business with people they know, like and trust. And yet, too many leaders forget the most important people they are doing business with are those who make up their workforce. They forget they need to be connected at work.

I’ve been thinking a lot about kindness lately. And how a small, kind gesture can make such a mammoth difference to someone’s life.

One of the biggest challenges CEOs and other business leaders tell me is that their workforce is not as engaged as they would like them to be.

This week marks five years since my unexpected hospital visit to have an aggressive melanoma cut out of the top of my left thigh. You can read about it here and here.

Over the last week or two, I’ve had far too many frustrating moments with businesses that provide me with regular services. These have significantly diminished my experience of them, to the point of wondering if it’s worth the hassle of changing providers. And in two instances, it would be a MASSIVE hassle.

CEOs and leaders who don’t have a digital and/or social media presence are missing out on so many opportunities for themselves and for their organisations.

I have been speaking at conferences and events for over 30 years. The first time I was asked to speak publicly, on a stage, with a microphone, was in February 1988 when I was a Rotary Exchange Student in Canada. My highly introverted-self was more than slightly terrified.

CEOs and leaders with an active digital presence have greater influence than those without. They are seen as being more connected, more confident and more curious.

I have quite a bit of [mostly] work-related travel over the next few months. One of the things I most like to do when in a different city is meet up with people in my network. Especially people I’m connected with via all the social channels, but haven’t yet had a chance to meet.

Did you know there are nine separate ways you can communicate with your members? Most associations use the obvious – email, face-to-face and mail. A few more use phone, social media and video. Very few use audio, sending gifts and chatbots.

My husband came home from work on the Easter Monday public holiday with a bigger than usual smile on his face. He couldn’t wait to show me the thank you gift he had been given by his manager.

I was in Melbourne over the weekend to facilitate a workshop with an association Board, to help them better understand how to communicate and engage with their members, and the role social media could play. My brief included helping them identify how they can individually provide ongoing support to the marketing communications team by using their personal social media accounts.

Social media, when used properly, is an excellent way to engage with your members. Facebook specialist Mari Smith said it best: “Content is king but engagement is queen, and the lady rules the house.”

I’m often asked by associations how can social media help me achieve my membership goals?

Yesterday I had the absolute pleasure of being in an audience listening to the impressive Gary Vaynerchuk – the man known to many as @GaryVee.