Archive for: July, 2012

#DAYAFTER: How can #millennials use social media to make good giving decisions?

Jul 25 2012 Published by under Day After

And #millennialchat plugs along.  Yesterday’s chat produced 135 tweets, generated 165,230 impressions, and reached an audience of 38,572 followers.
(stats from hashtracking.com)

 

Congrats to the top  tweeters from yesterday:

1) @JenniferLSpies
2) @BTalisman
3) @sarahkathleen
4) @HelpAttack
5) @2wheels2begreen

 

To read the entire chat (and get a few extras) check out our DAY AFTER transcript done on Storify!

 

Also, a quick announcement – MILLENNIAL CHAT will now be held on THURSDAYS!

Repeat: From now on, our chat will be held on Thursdays (starting August 9th).  Still held from 3:30pm – 4:30pm EST.

Be there, or be a square.

3 responses so far

Leadership and Opportunism in the Social Media Age

Jul 24 2012 Published by under Guest Post

What Would a Leader Do?

A word related to your business is trending on Twitter. You have two choices: employ a tactic you’ve already developed for cases such as this, or insert your business, opportunistically, into the Trending Topic. What would a leader do?

Your capability as a leader is a measure of your clout, your ability to influence others. If (big if, I know) your Klout score is a measure of your social influence, then a high score should reflect your capability. You have two choices: opportunistically game the system to achieve a high score or allow it to accurately reflect your engagement and influence. What would a leader do?

You’re a generational expert; you’re in Human Resources; you’re trying to get a job. A Twitter chat exists that is perfectly suited for your business or personal goals. You have two choices: spam the chat with your pitch or thoughtfully invest time into the chat by building relationships and adding value to the conversation over time. What would a leader do?

An article is written suggesting only one generation is qualified for a specific job. You have two choices: be part of the problem or be part of the solution. What would a leader do?

What Do Leaders Do?

Saying things such as, “That’s the way it’s always been done. I hope it changes. I doubt it will” is the equivalent of saying someone else needs to take the responsibility for creating the change I’d like to see. Does that sound asinine to you? Now, don’t run to the comments or stop reading here because you think I’ve called you asinine. I haven’t. That statement is asinine; and, we all say foolish things every once in a while, including me. What do leaders do?

Be a Leader

The best thing about leaders is that they’re not always looking for ways to embed themselves into conversations that propel their business or personal goals in obvious ways. Leaders see the benefits of long-term engagement.

For more than two years #GenYChat has been leading the discussion that seeks to solve the problem of the generation gap every Wednesday at 9pm ET. Do you care enough to be part of the solution even if you aren’t the guest host leading the conversation? Would you rather write a one-off post in response to one person; or, would you rather be part of shaping and adding value to the weekly discussions with many people that seek to better generational ties? It’s true that Millennials can tell when we’re being used to propel business goals. Guess who gave us this insight.

Be a leader.

A8: Leaders should realize that investing in #GenY and turning them into Leaders too will help orgs, people and the world#PoCchat
July 23, 2012 11:01 am via HootSuiteReplyRetweetFavorite
@raehanbobby
Bobby Umar

Do you have questions or comments on leadership versus opportunism? You can answer in the comments below or start a conversation with me @WriterChanelle on Twitter.

Chanelle Schneider is the Founder and Moderator of the Twitter chat: #GenYChat, an intergenerational chat designed to dispel myths and improve the generational discussion.

Comments are off for this post

Developing Millennial Leadership for the Future, Today

Jul 20 2012 Published by under Guest Post

post written by Anna Mahalak.

By 2020, 46% of all U.S. workers will be millennials. By that time, we can also expect an exodus of the bubble of baby boomers from the workforce, rapidly leaving leadership gaps in organizations across a variety of sectors. The face, skills, and expectations of the average American worker will be dramatically different.

What does the next generation of leadership look like for organizations?

 

How can the leadership development pipeline begin to strengthen its paths today?

These were the questions asked by the “Creating Millennial Leadership Programs” presenters Zeke Spier (Executive Director, Social Justice Fund) and Kris Putman-Walkerly (Founder and President, Putnam Community Investment Consulting Inc.) at MCON2012.

Telescope

flickr photo by Ryan Wick

Today, millennials are already providing an insight into their organizational and leadership values. These are: authentic relationships, inclusivity and diversity, and openness to change. Zeke Spier explored these values through his organization in their fundraising efforts. They found that developing leaders within peer groups and within volunteers multiplied the impact – those leaders welcomed the challenge and responsibility and that leadership pathway gave volunteers steps to follow that tied their personal development to organizational development.

The big lesson this strategy revealed was that young millennials have expendable income to give, they want to be asked and will giving meaningful contributions when asked in an authentic manner by a mission-driven organization. Social Justice Fund did not set a minimum contribution in their fundraising campaign, but instead they found that donors, especially millennials, gave more than they  would have expected if they had set a minimum contribution. By focusing on the values of authenticity, diversity, and openness to change, the organization tapped into the values of millennials.

Practically, where does the leadership pipeline begin for future millennial leaders outside of involvement in nonprofit campaigns?

Kris Putnam-Walkerly pointed to a variety of internship programs that are equipping millennials with the experiences and skills to thrive in the workforce. These internships and entry-level opportunities are especially apparent in the nonprofit sector, which contrary to the private sector, actually grew by 2% during the recession. Ultimately, millennials are prioritizing meaningful work over higher pay, and they are finding these opportunities to contribute and grow in their careers through the nonprofit sector.

Two great examples of internship opportunities in the nonprofit sector include opportunities coordinated by the Cleveland Foundation and the Exxon Mobil Community Summer Jobs Program.

What types of internship or volunteer opportunities contributed to your leadership growth as a millennial?
How is your school or community fostering opportunities for young people to develop their leadership skills in the workplace?
What do you envision a millennial-led workforce will look like in the future? What will they value?

3 responses so far

3 things I learned at #MCON2012

Jul 20 2012 Published by under Guest Post

post written by Jereme Bivins, a winner of a FREE REG to #MCON2012!

MCON, a conference dedicated to the impact of millennials in the social sector, rocked the digital space with an all-day livestream of expert speakers, virtual exhibition hall, and online networking events. Needless to say, this was a techie’s fantasy conference come true. Now after listening to the MCON session presenters, dutifully taking notes (read: Tweeting), and thinking about how each lesson might apply to me and my organization, I distilled three invaluable points from Jean Case that deserve deeper reflection:

1) Failure is flattering

Much of what we do and don’t do is governed by our fear — fear of rejection, fear of looking foolish, fear of hurting someone’s feelings, and most often, fear of failure. But failure’s not always a bad thing. Failure teaches us what doesn’t work, so that we can correct our mistakes and try something new. Now think of how we treat fear in our personal lives, that treatment is ten-fold for organizations. Before we launch any campaign, press release, direct mail, email, or even tweet, we have to be sure that everything is perfect. There’s no margin for error. Failure is not an option.

However what’s true about failure in our personal lives must be a celebrated part of our organizational culture. It’s alright to fail, provided that we learn from our mistakes. It’s how we grow, how things change, and how innovation happens. So maybe failure’s really not so bad.

Remember: Fail quickly, fail forward.

Serious Squirrel

flickr photo by Navicore

2) Slacktivism is a myth

The Millennial generation is notorious for slacktivism. Millennials claim to care about causes, say they want to be involved, but they don’t give money and they don’t give their time. Therefore, they are slacktivists. Wrong.

According to the Millennial Impact Report, 75% of millennials made a gift in 2011 (which is pretty good considering the high levels of unemployment among that group). Of that group interested in helping a cause, 16% said they’d give money again, 47% said they’d give time, and 37% said they’d give both. They don’t sound like slacktivists to me. It seems more likely that many organizations just haven’t found effective ways to reach them. As the most highly-connected (read: technology addicted) generation in history, has your organization instituted a mobile strategy? Do you use social media to cultivate and build relationships with younger constituents? Orgazniations like DoSomething.org have and with fantastic success. Millennials want to help, you just have to engage them where they are: mobile devices, social networks, and at offline events.

3) It’s a new day for philanthropy

Philanthropy means ‘the love of humanity’, yet often when we hear the word, visions of old men, or immensely endowed organizations cutting multi-million dollar checks are immediately conjured. While these people and institutions do exist, that’s not the entire foundation of philanthropy. The philanthropic sector is changing, adapting, and growing. There are new ways for all of us to contribute besides writing grandiose checks: micro and standard volunteer opportunities, pro-bono work, smaller monthly donations, converting our friends, serving on a nonprofit board, etc. However we feel we can make a difference, we should do so. Organizations that are nimble enough to cater to this new wave of donors and volunteers will reap the reward of their contributions, both in the short and long terms.

So one day later, I’m pledging to Be Fearless, find new ways to make a difference, and get other millennials involved in social good. Because real change only comes from fearlessly trying new things, and slacktivism is just an urban legend.

What did you learn from MCON this year?

17 responses so far

Tell your Story: A Lesson from #MCON2012

Jul 20 2012 Published by under Topic Discussion

post written by chat moderator, Willie Matis.

What. A. Day. Yesterday!

#MCON2012 did not disappoint at all. It was no surprise that the hashtag ended up trending because every speaker brought something new to the table.  Some things may have been controversial while others were simply BRIGHT IDEAS!

While I wish I could choose one speaker that stood out, one slideshow that will bring you success, or one person’s virtual business card to answer all your questions…. I CAN bring you one theme that resonated throughout the entire day.

SHARE YOUR STORY & LET MILLENNIALS BE MORE THAN PART OF IT

You can say – “Well, gees there, Willie – I’ve been telling our organization’s story since I started, some people just don’t listen.”

Or you could say – “Well what about all of this – DON’T BROADCAST.. engage! – talk then??”

Here is what I mean…

Social media.  Engaging millennials.  Creating strategy.  These are all well and good to begin to connect with a new generation of consumers and donors, especially a generation the size of millennials (80 million, according to our opening speakers).  But you are not going to see instant success.  You may have flare ups and you may have a mini-campaign that goes viral, but it can vanish in a second.

Why?

flickr photo by Editor B

Why? Because cause comes before brand to my generation.

Share your story.  Sharing your story is different than broadcasting.  Why do you think people post pictures of their breakfast on Instagram?  Because there is something interesting to what they whipped up, there is a story behind (or they are just that annoying person that posts EVERYTHING).  Sharing your story as an organization means truly telling your followers, fans, and potential donors what you are going through.  Whether it be a good thing or a bad thing.  You don’t have to tweet out – “Sending 80 emails this morning before my first cup of coffee”. BUT! Sharing a picture of you and someone during a productive meeting can gain a lot of traction!

Share your story.  And ask questions throughout the course of that story.  Your organization – whether you rescue alligators, feed the hungry, or repair bicycles for disadvantaged children – can engage some form of millennial audience.  When you post a picture album of volunteers helping to plant trees on Facebook:

1) Ask your fans to tag themsleves
(see John Haydon‘s presentation)
2) #BeFearless and ask what went wrong or could’ve gone better?
(listen to Jean Case in the closing statements)
3) Make sure your message can be seen across platforms
(thank you Ann Maier)
and 4) Create muscle memory for your followers by keeping things similar each time!
(Wendy Harman had a great presentation).

If you have a chance to watch (or rewatch for that matter) the closing keynote done by Jamie Tworkowski of TWLOHA, then you will know why sharing your story is so important.  Telling a story puts the cause before the brand, and it gives an entire generation inspiration to be a part of it!

When I started this post, I was going to tell you the story behind #MillennialChat.  But, the quick & dirty is…. we started out because of inspiration from this exact conference that took place last year.  Now, I am inviting you to be a part of our story going forward.  Starting with…. WHAT DAY WORKS BETTER FOR YOU TO CHAT – Tuesday or Thursday? Vote Now!

4 responses so far

Post-#MCON2012 reflections on development and authenticity

Jul 20 2012 Published by under Aleah R.

After yesterday’s 5:00 AM wakeup call for #MCON, a random act of incredible kindness from @BTalisman, presentations by a slew of passionate, knowledgeable speakers and anywhere from 5 to 10 tabs open on my internet browser at once, my head was spinning from all that I learned, all that was confirmed, and all that I learned I needed to learn more about. To be honest, my head is still spinning. But I’m ok with that. I know that the conversation isn’t over and look forward to continuing to reflect, share and act on all that needs to be reflected, shared and acted upon.

I’ll share some of my key learnings (3 Do’s and 1 Don’t) from one of the breakout sessions that was particularly meaningful to me presented by Maya Enista-Smith, CEO of mobilize.org. In Millennials Creating Change in the Workplace, Maya suggests a number non-traditional practices that work and some that might not work. The following are included in that list:

Do Support Career Advancement
The statistic that, as millennials, we will change jobs 17 times in our lifetime seemed to surprise people. That fact seems to contradict our desire for career advancement, but thats just it: if we are in a workplace where we feel like there is room – and support – for us to grow, we’ll stay. If not, we’ll leave – and as reinforced so passionately by Scott Gerber, that’s on employers. We want to clearly hear what the opportunities are to grow and how to get there. Support our transitions, celebrate them with us and we’ll be completely invested in the success of our team and the organization.

Do Create Leadership Development Opportunities
We want to advance in our careers and we want support doing it. We’re willing to roll up our sleeves and take on new challenges. We also want to know how decisions are being made and we want to be part of the process. We want a seat at the table and to be able to execute on decisions that we are a part of. That point above, about us sticking with a particular company, that’s part of this too. We, and not just millennials, are much more likely to take ownership of something that we were part of deciding.

Do Participate Authentically in Intergenerational Mentorship
We know that leadership development means we need to learn. We value those with knowledge, expertise and a willingness to have a two-way mentoring relationship. We will lean on our mentors when we need to, and we’ll be able to reciprocate the gesture. Authenticity means a lot to us, so when we can connect to our mentors on some kind of a deeper personal level including values, dreams and passions, we’ll know that the relationship is meaningful and allows for powerful learning to happen.

Don’t call us future, next or emerging
I was struck that this was included in Maya’s list because this is something that I feel strongly about, too. That is, when do we stop being future leaders, next leaders or emerging leaders? How much time to we have to put in, experience do we have to have and dues do we have to pay? As exemplified many times over during MCON2012, we are doing incredible things already. Recognize us for the leaders we are today, and help us to become better leaders tomorrow. Leaders are learners, so we’ll continue to build our capacities to lead while we’re out there changing the world.

-Aleah

3 responses so far

#DAYAFTER: Millennials engaging other #millennials

Jul 18 2012 Published by under Day After

Last week, we partnered with @SocialCitizen and @Achieve_Consult to talk about how Nonprofits can engage Millennials.  But yesterday, we too a different spin!

 

The chat yesterday produced 148 tweets generated 267,672 impressions and reached an audience of 125,832 followers.
(stats from hashtracking.com)

 

Congrats to the top 5 tweeters yesterday:

1) @xoDVF
2) @fewonline
3) @JCBivins
4) @StacyMccoy
5) @opptobe

You can check out the transcript of yesterday’s chat below!  See if you can spot JAY-Z in there…

And there is a very important piece of information at the very end of the transcript!! Check it out!!

5 responses so far

#DAYAFTER: The #MillennialImpact Report Dissected A SPECIAL EDITION

Jul 13 2012 Published by under Day After

Yesterday’s chat in a nutshell? GREAT CONVERSATION!

Yesterday’s chat statistically?

547 tweets generated 14,231,258 impressions, reaching an audience of 1,423,994 followers
(stats found by using hashtracking.com)

 

Congrats to our TOP 5 TWEETERS of the past 24 hours!!
You all had the most tweets from 8am Thursday to 8am Friday with the #millennialchat hashtag.. you all will be contacted about getting a FREE REGISTRATION to next week’s MCON12.

 

1) @Reema_H_ = 37 tweets
2) @jenniferlspies = 33 tweets
3) @WriterChanelle = 26 tweets
4) @opptobe = 23 tweets
5) @xoDVF = 20 tweets

 

You can catch a transcript of the ENTIRE #millennialchat on Storify – http://ow.ly/cdSdc

Also, a special shoutout to the5 LUCKY WINNERS FROM YESTERDAY’S MILLENNIAL CHAT HOUR!You all win not only a free registration to MCON12 but also a Social Citizens Prize Pack that includes a sweet t-shirt, pens (ink included), and the best part – a USB wristband – so you can be a fashionable nerd.

I will get a hold of you but the winners are…….

1) @JCBivins
2) @jenbo1
3) @Ameri_Ken
4) @lizbraden33
5) @moreedmcnally

 

Did you have any thoughts that crept into your mind after yesterday’s chat??
@DerrickFeldmann posed this question late in the chat – what other audiences would benefit from millennial data other than nonprofits?
Comment below.  Or tweet us. And don’t forget to subscribe to this blog to get posts instantly!

4 responses so far

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