LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Spoke are the current major social media vehicles in today’s business world. To establish your presence, you must have a current, attractive picture, an up to date bio and a short list of current things you are involved in.

Your network must include industry associations. Marketing may include blogs that will impact your audience. The blogs on your Facebook or Twitter updates should reflect current issues related to your work. They must also be positive and once in a while give a good inside view of you as a person.

Why does it matter? Because the world moves so fast that we are not always allowed a face-to-face with our audience. Social media allows you to cast a wider net to capture your audience.

Often, talented folks make the mistake of speaking in a voice and using words that are not natural to them. This becomes noticeable when they are asked to explain what they said and they get tangled up in explaining what they mean.

The late Tim Russet of Meet the Press once said that he always knew that if his father understood what he was saying then he was speaking in his own voice and words. His comments would also resonate with the rest of his audience.

To ensure you are speaking in your own voice, begin to practice with folks who don’t know your subject. If they understand your explanation, then you are speaking in your own voice.

We all have an inherent communication style– it is how we are wired.

It can adapt and even grow organically when you surround yourself with folks whose approach is different than yours. For example, if you tend to be an introvert, work with someone who is a natural extrovert. If you have a task oriented work style, bring folks in who are more strategic. Watch how they approach situations. Take note of the way people interact with them. Use their interactions as a guide to stretch yourself to become a more rounded and aware communicator.

The General Social Survey from University of Chicago social scientists, is considered the scholarly gold standard for understanding social phenomena. Regarding happiness, their numbers have been remarkably consistent.

They suggest that a key element to happiness occurs when people are able to marry their passion to their work skills. This helps bring value to their lives. As Franklin D. Roosevelt said “Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies the joy of achievement, the thrill of creative effort.”

This passion cannot be manufactured.

Holiday parties are the time to celebrate relationships and a good time to take the stress out of this busy time of the year.

To ensure you have fun:

• RSVP at least a week in advance unless otherwise specified in the invite.

• Let the hostess know if you have any food or animal allergies.

• Make sure that a hostess gift does not get too close to food that needs to be served or too near flowers on the table.

• Arrive no later than ten minutes after the start time.

• Mingle and introduce yourself to new folks.

The holiday is a good time to say thank you to those folks who continue to help your business or career.

To ensure you give the appropriate thanks, here are some guidelines:

• Lunch or dinner is difficult during this time of the year – however you can send an invite for the New Year using a lovely note or holiday card.

• Theatre or sport tickets are great for those who are avid fans of either. Providing transportation makes the event even more special.

• A coffee table book of a favorite city, sports or autos is a nice touch assuming you know their interest in those topics. (I have client who is a car buff so his favorite books are about automobiles.)

• Food is always a nice gift especially when you know the recipient is health conscious and you acknowledge that with the food you send.

From no eyebrows, to very thick ones – they make a statement. The key element is that eyebrows have definition and frame the eye.

Sometimes the natural brow color needs to be enhanced with color brow powder. The eyebrows can also be colored when the hair is being colored.

Always get an opinion from a professional about the shape. Be comfortable with the opinion and do not proceed if you feel the change is too drastic. Instead, experiment with brow pencil or powder first. A well-shape eyebrow will capture your eyes which will help engage those you are speaking with. It will definitely make a positive statement.

Some folks have a natural smile and it comes easily. Then, there are folks like yours truly who needs to be made aware of smiling. You can pretty much tell by my eye and head movements that I am engaged. But for many, it’s the facial expressions that reveal all.

Today, we had a situation where one person kept pushing on a subject and other person responded that the topic was not negotiable. At first, the dialog was conversational. It turned when senior person’s dead pan facial expression and stiffness in the body language became visible.

The other person kept the subject alive until the senior person said, “Note my facial expression and body language. You should be aware that you are not reading my message.”

The other facial expression is the poker face. Most folks perceive this means that the person does not want to be engaged and/or is bored.

The key to successful engagement is based on what your eyes and facial expressions say.

In last Sunday’s New York Times there was a piece by the Ethicist: Why is it important to treat people how they want to be treated versus treating them the way you would want to be treated?

It all comes down to understanding communication styles. So many times, messages are not received because folks resist adapting to a way of communicating that is different than their own.

The Platinum Rule, which is to treat others the way they want to be treated, is critical to win/win communications. I realized this a few years ago in communicating with my sisters. Once I understood their communication preference, I found it much easier to have a dialog under stressful situations. Visit www.personalimagesinc.com to learn more about the Platinum Rule.

In stressful times, when projects do not go smoothly, someone may get thrown under the bus. If you happen to be this person, here are some critical tips to ensure that it does not turn fatal:

1. Stay calm

2. Do not interrupt when being spoken to

3. Ask questions to get details to either deflect blame or fault the situation

4. Accept responsibility

5. Offer solutions to fix the problem or make sure it never happens again