by KJ McNamara

Thanksgiving is coming right up which will quickly be followed by the warmth and excitement of Christmas and Hanukah.  The New Year is around the corner with promise of new beginnings and fun to come.  The excitement of the presidential elections is still fresh and exciting in everyone’s mind.    There is no wonder that this is truly many American’s favorite time of year.

Here at Phired Up, we love this season because it is the season of giving.  It is the time of year where we put our selves, our agenda and our needs second to give back and thank all of the wonderful people in our lives.  This is the time where we dedicate ourselves to a greater purpose and a greater cause. This is the time where we dedicate ourselves to the purest form of Generosity.

Generosity is one of the 4 pillars of Social Excellence , (as many of you know).  But very rarely do we examine this pillar alone and how much the pure idea of being generous can change the world and start a movement.

We love seeing all of your facebook posts about what you are truly thankful for, what a generous way to thank the people around you.  This form of generosity is a movement all on its own.

There are a lot of other ways people change the world during this time of year with their generosity.  They buy gifts for complete strangers and needy families.  They write a check to their favorite charity.  They volunteer at their local food bank. All of these are powerful gestures, but keep in mind that the spirit of generosity can be simple and not cost much time or money too…  Social Excellence teaches generosity as a way to BUILD CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE.  Give first — make someone’s day — and trust that there is no more powerful lubricant for relationships than pure generosity.  Simple acts — small momentary choices — can be powerful this time of year.  Check out these ideas:

• Random Acts of Kindness
• 25 Ways to Love Your Literal Neighbors (Thanks @ScottEarlBocker)
• Simple Ways to Make Someone’s Day
• 25 Unexpected Ways to Make Someone’s Day

Another pillar of Social Excellence is AUTHENTICITY.  This pillar, among other things, reminds us that within each person lies an authentic self that is made from the good stuff of life, as well as the tough stuff of life.  We never know what another person is going through — especially this time of year.  We never know how giving of ourselves, of our precious time and energy can literally make their day, their week, or their life better.

Mother Teresa once said, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.”

We hear so many people want to matter to this world.  We hear professionals, students and mentors say over and over again that they deeply desire to make this world a better place.  If you want to change to world… be kind, be nice, make people’s day better just because you were in it.  Be generous. There is another quote by William J.H. Boetcker that says, “Your greatness is measured by your kindness.”

So we have a challenge for all of our best friends reading this.  A dare.  We dare you to be do three things each day that are purely GENEROUS.  Make three people’s day.  Whatever you choose, to do to accomplish that dare, WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT!  Actually we want to see it!  Send us a picture on Twitter (#BeThePerson #SocialExcellence).  Upload a video toFacebook .  We love seeing these videos they inspire us every day and we would be more then thrilled to see all of your faces doing the things that make us feel so warm and fuzzy!

It only takes one person to change the world… Are you going to be that one person who starts a movement of generosity?  We will follow you, and so will so many others!

by The Phired Up Team

The quality of our interactions determines the quality of our personal and organizational reputations.  High quality interactions = high quality organization.  This is as true for online interactions as it is for face-to-face interactions.  Here are 10 ways to be Socially Excellent in your online interactions.

1. Be the best version of yourself - No matter how annoyed you are with the slow driver in front of you, crying baby on your flight or the bad service at the restaurant, try and refrain from being overly negative. What does complaining about someone in 140 characters solve? Not a whole lot. Be mindful of your content and try and stay positive in what you submit to the world wide web. For instance, “This dude in front of me smells. FML.” doesn’t really raise the level of discourse in your life, does it?  Choose the best version of you — even in your tweets.

2. Be curious - The internet is filled with amazing things that are more enriching than a Facebook check, youtube laugh, or amazon.com. Find topics you are passionate about and have a desire to learn more about them. Here are a few good places to start: TED, Seth Godin, MIT, Free online magazines, etc.

3. Be generous - “This made me think of you…” followed by a thoughtful quote, article, photo, video, link, etc. can be a wonderful gift.  As you login to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or whatever your social medium of choice is, think about how you can make someone’s day a little brighter with your online interactions.  Make a few people’s day every day and you’ll find yourself surrounded with caring relationships.

4. Be authentic - Online, be who you truly are. If you believe in something say it, share it, retweet it, or offer a “like.” Don’t just post things you think people want to see.  But be sure to refer to idea #1 above.  Keep this rule in mind though… read twice, post once.  Make sure what you’re saying or posting really represents what you mean, your values, and who you are from the point of view of the people on the other end.  Remember, your audience is varied and diverse, consider the best way to truly express who you are so that they can understand and appreciate you.

5. Be vulnerable - Anonymous messages or comments aren’t Socially Excellent.  Own what you say, and as much as possible, do so publicly.  Vulnerably, boldly, and thoughtfully sharing appreciation, compliments, and even constructive criticism, is a way to truly engage with the world “below the surface.”  Relationships, including on-line relationships, are built through heart-to-heart connections and those require emotional involvement.  Don’t be a troll.

6. Be a connector - Connect people to things they didn’t already know. Whether it be a mutual friend, an idea, an article, an event or a picture, people love receiving something personal that says, “I saw this and thought of you. You should check this out.” Now the operative word of this idea is PERSONAL. Try your best not to sound like various spam alerts. With a personal touch, being a connector goes a long way.

7. Be a supporter - Social Media translation - Retweet, repost, click the like button, #FF. People want to feel like their ideas, pictures, events and articles are worthwhile. The best way you can let them know you like is by letting them know you LIKE. That thumbs up icon on Facebook is a poster’s goal. That retweet on twitter makes that user feel special. Go ahead. Make their day.

8. Be a real person - Social media is a great way to connect with people. However, you will always fall short if you are trying to replace face-to-face communication. Use social media as an avenue to set up lunch, coffee or any other person-to-person interaction. “Hey @vincefabra, instead of tweeting back and forth about this, would you like to grab lunch? When are you free?” (with 28 characters to spare)

9. Be a wisdom seeker - Social media offers an opportunity to surround yourself with thought leaders.  Choose to have only one degree of separation from content experts.  Follow them, repost them, link to them, and then ask them for their input.  They’re likely to respond and link you to their network.

10. Be the person who gathers others together - Be about something online.  Don’t just be online.  Gather others together, or join others who are already gathered together, about things you care about.  Build a movement by tagging and linking your posts.  Attach photos, videos, and articles to make posts more meaningful. If you are about SOMETHING, you can quickly become an important go-to source for information and networking about that thing.  You can influence, you can lead.  Social Excellence isn’t just about being nice.  It is about intentionally connecting socially so that you can make social impact.  The worldwide web machine, if used properly, provides unlimited potential to do just that.