by JimRaffel on March 25, 2011
When I wrote “Replace “ums” with Pregnant Pauses when Speaking,” I never expected to circle back to the post as a way to swear less on social media – and in real life, for that matter. It is, however, that simple. When you feel like letting an f-bomb (or some equally offensive language) fly – stop! One split second is all it takes.
Swearing is emotional
I’ve taken a look at when I swear; both in real life and in social media. It’s normally a raw emotional response to a situation. What would happen if for one second you held your tongue and thought about the situation? I’m sure you’d still have something to say but it might be more measured and effective.
Just a few minutes ago, I sent a text to a friend “I94 is a f-bombing nightmare.” Is that what I really meant to say? No, what I actually meant to say was “I94 is a real mess with all this construction.” Which text would you rather get? Me? The latter, thank you.
Leadership is about being the calmest person in the room
Constant swearing is a sign of someone not being thoughtful and contemplative of the current situation. In a crisis, are you more likely to follow the leader who is swearing up a storm or the one who is speaking slowly, clearly and calmly?
I’ve heard it said that swearing shows a lack of vocabulary. I prefer to think of it as acting too quickly to let my brain make use of the vocabulary I have. Go back and look at my text message example. The first text tells you nothing except I’m being emotional. The second, in only a few more words, provides context that has meaning even now after the fact.
The other option is that you’re trying to emulate your favorite comedian who swears for effect. Just remember that, like gratuitous nudity, gratuitous swearing loses its effectiveness quickly. At a certain point, most reasonable people say enough already.
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by JimRaffel on April 30, 2010
Twitter is new. Together we are all learning how to utilize Twitter as a tool to facilitate communication. Without any real plan or intention I have been moving towards turning Twitter “friendships” into face to face meetings.
Coffee Meetings:
This week’s Twitter Follow Friday (the blog edition) will highlight three tweeps I have planned real life coffee meetings with. My thought about these meetings is to go beyond 140 characters as I discussed in a post of the same name. Get to know the other person as a person.
Because there is already mutual respect and admiration, coffee meetings will work. Time is very valuable for all of us. You have gotten to know me well enough that you see value in meeting and so do I. We both see the potential to gain from the meeting and provide value to the other. It’s by definition a win-win relationship and since we already “know” each other from Twitter it has the potential to be a very effective 30-minute coffee break.
The Meet ‘em for Coffee Trio
@Stacysnook – In just a few hours I am delivering coffee to Stacy. She’s a successful salon and spa owner from the Madison, WI area who has decided to expand to the Milwaukee area. We’ve known each other on Twitter for ages (you know like six months) and have had the opportunity to meet twice. Both meetings were very brief and at well attended tweetups. This time it’s going to be Stacy and I one on one for a few minutes. I’m bringing along my Zi8 video camera and am hopeful I can get some footage to share what inspires someone to expand their business during an economic downturn.
@jim_horrell – Jim reached out to me to suggest coffee after we recently met on Twitter. After checking out his profile and realizing how close he is geographically I couldn’t think of a good reason not to meet. It didn’t hurt that his profile let me know he’s a creative writer into social media and I.T. How can this conversation not go well right? There have to be areas we can help each other grow.
@deziner – Cynthia (Cindi? good question to ask when we meet) had me at deziner. What a cool twitter handle for, get this, a partner in a digital design firm. I have always viewed myself as a technician and a business person, so I love spending time with creative types. They totally inspire me to try new things and think outside the box. Also, it sure can’t hurt to let the design community know about ColorMetrix and what we do. We’ve only been in business 15 years it’s about time we let the Milwaukee design community know we are here as a resource when they need us.
What’s your plan for taking Twitter relationships to the next level? Have an idea different from meeting for coffee? Please share your ideas and thoughts in the comments.
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When I wrote “Replace “ums” with Pregnant Pauses when Speaking,” I never expected to circle back to the post as a way to swear less on social media – and in real life, for that matter. It is, however, that simple. When you feel like letting an f-bomb (or some equally offensive language) fly – stop! One split second is all it takes.
