If it feels like all the social media and online communications managers use is somehow changing us, you're right. The way most of us work in the constant world of "tweetfacelinkblogging" can literally make you crazy.
Thank goodness we have options. One of the smartest people about how the brain works is Dr. Ellen Weber. In a recent interview on the Cranky Middle Manager show she talked about how our brains are wired and gave us 10 tips for wiring intentionally, instead of letting the Twitterverse have its way with you.
1. Use tone to build goodwill, even among those who disagree. Tone tools opens opportunities for you with life-changing dividends. Social media tone draws success like the moon attracts tides on an ocean shore.
2. Network to enhance your busy day, not swamp it. Fuel your brain with chemical hormones for growth and learning, by planning times ahead to engage others online. Then stick to designated times, rather than flipping online whenever desire to chatter pops into mind. Dopamine is addictive, people.
3. Interact with different ages and cultures. Follow social media leaders who differ from you and learn from their diverse insights. By linking to others' sites and subscribing to feeds, learn from and value differences.
4. Ask great questions, and then act on social media's best answers to add zip to your day. To read or hear works less magic in the brain than to rewire for enthusiasm through genuine, 2-footed questions.
5. Put feet to your own beliefs in social media settings, yet change and grow even deeply held assumptions, when others hold better ethics up to the rainbow. Know the difference, by the results received.
6. Run from cynics or bullies, in favor of proposing solutions to negative issues raised online. The opposite of abuse from others or toxic settings online, is to take deliberate steps toward peaceful solutions, that work wonders for intelligence.
7. Link to high performance minds in order to help build communities with those who lead change for improvements. Facilitate innovative minds online. Results can lead you to a fix for a broken system, that traps hebbian thinkers.
8. Engage opposing views in ways that show strengths from alternative perspectives. Step out of comfort zones often to check out views at unusual online sites. Embrace even change that comes from unexpected place and online remedies can lead to visible improvements.
9. Learn new technologies that improve networking. Rarely is it easy to learn new skills but online is the perfect place to risk benefits new learning offers. Each time you step up to another plate to learn, you stretch and exercise your brain's working memory for more of the same.
10. Send growth zingers to peers by the way you draw from serotonin to affirm others' ideas and share a your own, by way of genuine encouragement.
Overall use smart skills to create online communities that win and grow together. Skeptics and naysayers will always be with you, yet one day offers new chances to avoid negative effects of social media, and join brilliant minds who are changing our world through social media.
You can hear more from Ellen Weber on The Cranky Middle Manager Show podcast.
You can also (if you're not completely overwhelmed) follow her on Twitter @ellenfweber. You can follow us there as well @greatwebmeeting.
