Certainly, the sheer busyness of executive life makes it difficult for professionals to take time to thoroughly explore their views about what is – or isn’t – possible for their companies. The workplace environment is rarely conducive to that kind of contemplation, and yet it is vital to an executive’s ability to reinvigorate his or her thinking and tap into a wider and deeper reservoir of ideas. So how can executives access this reservoir more predictably?

We’ve seen remarkable results when executives get away from the office and spend more time with their executive teams deliberately challenging existing assumptions. By encouraging leaders to think about company issues and opportunities in new ways, great things begin to happen. For example, when teams are asked to imagine what approaches they would attempt in order to achieve their most challenging goals — if they knew their efforts could not fail — it is impressive to see the level of enthusiasm and creativity that ensues. By mentally eliminating the possibility of failure from the thought process, executives are able to spark innovative thinking that results in bolder and more inspired solutions than previously considered.

Uncovering exceptional ideas, expanding one’s point-of-view, or making a mental paradigm shift to see new possibilities requires intentionality. Executives take the first step when they regularly schedule time away from the office to think deeply about their companies. They also benefit from working with an objective colleague from outside the company or an executive session facilitator trained to help guide executives through the discovery process. At the end of their time together, teams are re-energized and clear about what needs to be done, and where they are headed. What could be better than that?

Some executives simply don’t have the will to make difficult decisions – the potential downside seems greater than the upside and so they stay stuck. Others face inertia because there are far too many choices and few solid answers. They lack the data or evidence they want, so they simply do nothing at all (which is its own choice with its own set of consequences).

Certainly there are many successful approaches to helping executives overcome inertia. A systematic approach to unraveling a problem or issue can help make things more clear and open up new possibilities. A facilitated team meeting can help foster collaborative thinking among executives and strengthen the team’s confidence to make tough choices. Professionals working with executive coaches can think through important decisions with an objective third party trained to help guide the decisioning process until the executive reaches a decision.

Ultimately, fighting inertia can be hard, no matter what approaches we used to keep moving forward. The formulas for winning that fight are as different as the range of personalities and motivations and experiences that belong to each executive and the companies they serve. Still, as with many things, the most important step is to decide to fight inertia’s power to stop you from making the right choices at the right time and for the right reasons. While doing nothing can be the best decision – doing nothing because of inertia – rather than as the result of a well-reasoned decision – puts mere chance at the helm. Few companies can afford that outcome.

These leaders are willing to put it all on the table. Without exception, we work with executive teams who lay it on the line, hold nothing back, freely share the good, the bad and the ugly, and do so knowing that tremendous good comes from taking an objective look at reality. In all honesty, it is that reality that companies often have the hardest time seeing for themselves.

Facilitated strategy sessions are in many ways cathartic for the executives who participate. It offers an opportunity for them to let concerns see the light of day, openly explore areas they haven’t had time to think much about, and challenge long-held views in order to validate them – or discard them – so there is more room for new opportunities. Most importantly, it creates space in their busy worlds to pause and imagine the possibilities for their companies.

For many of the executives we work with, it is this space that is missing from their lives. Each day is so filled with the business of running a business, that time for imagining and analyzing and planning is often rushed when it happens at all. Yet I believe it is this very space that is vital to a company’s future. Without it, companies can certainly deliver a great deal of value to their clients and be successful in many ways, but may eventually find it difficult to stay relevant as their markets evolve and client needs change. Others will not be as efficient or innovative as they could be, or may eventually find that their quality or performance can’t keep pace with new, more aggressive competitors.

Forward-thinking executives understand this, and regularly take time with their teams to evaluate the current state of their companies; get clear about where they want to be and how they will know when they get there; identify the nature of the gaps; and create a roadmap to move their companies forward. Not only do these executive teams imagine the possibilities, but they get very focused on what it will take to get there, and leave re-energized and committed to the journey.

I think it really depends on the type of company and the social media participation of the company’s target audience. Some companies may not be well suited for heavy social media engagement. For example, a company that manufactures lug nuts may not have a whole lot to post about. And it’s not likely that lug nut purchasers are anxiously scanning social media sites to find out what industry experts are saying.

However, there are many companies that can be at a disadvantage if they’re not using social media. Maybe not a “do or die” disadvantage, but a disadvantage nonetheless. Companies with non-commoditized products or solutions that have a unique value proposition should most likely be participating in social media on a regular basis. Failure to do so can result in missed opportunities to connect with their target audiences. And those missed opportunities may very well end up being an advantage to competitors that are more social media savvy.

The best way to determine if social media is a make or break proposition for your company is to start with a comprehensive social media audit. A social media audit should focus on four key areas:

Assessing Your Industry – Look at what’s going on in social media as it pertains to your industry as a whole. Are there posts about general industry issues and topics?

Assessing Your Company – Determine your company’s current level of participation in social media. Does your company have any social media presence at all? If so, on what sites? How many fans/followers do you have? How frequently are you posting? What type of content are you posting? What type of feedback are you receiving?

Assessing Your Target Audience – Find out if your customers and prospects are engaging in social media. And if so, where are they engaging? How are they are engaging? Are they participating in industry groups? Are they posting industry-related questions?

Assessing Your Competition – Compare your company’s current level of social media participation with that of your competitors. This information can help you answer important questions like: Are they taking advantage of opportunities that you’re not? Is there an opportunity to gain momentum in an area of social media your competition has overlooked?

Once you’ve gathered solid information in these areas and taken the time to understand what the data means for your company, you’ll have much greater clarity regarding whether or not participating in social media makes sense for you. Since chances are that it will, at least on some level, the social media audit will provide you with the information you need to develop a social media strategy that is based on sound evaluation rather than a generalized feeling that you should participate – whether it truly makes sense for your company or not.

If that’s as far as your company has gotten with its social media efforts, chances are you’re still wondering when all of the fans and followers will be showing up. Unfortunately, just because you built your social media profiles doesn’t mean they will come. Apparently, stuff like that only happens in movies like Field of Dreams.

In the social media world, getting fans and followers takes more effort—especially, since the focus should be weighted more on quality versus quantity. So, if your profiles are established, make sure you’re using the basic tactics below to help broaden your company’s social media reach.

1. Advertise your social media profiles on your Website. You’re Website is one of the first places customers and prospects will check. By advertising your social media presence there, you increase the likelihood they will follow you on social media platforms where you’re able to stay in front of them on a more regular basis. You can achieve this by simply adding social media buttons/links to your Website.

2. Add share buttons to your blog. If your company is publishing a blog, you want to make sure those who are reading it have the opportunity to share the content on the various social media sites referencing your company. That will encourage the fans/followers of those who share your content to start following your company.

3. Promote your social media profiles in other online media. By incorporating social media buttons/links into e-mail signatures, e-mail newsletters, etc., you’re able to spread the word about your social media presence during everyday interactions. You can also take the more direct approach of incorporating a boilerplate sentence in correspondence that invites the recipient to follow your company on the various social media platforms.

4. Cross-reference your social media profiles. That means leverage each social media platform to increase followers on the others. For instance, you can invite people to follow your company on Twitter by posting a message on your company’s LinkedIn page and vice versa.

5. Don’t forget about Print. Add social media information to business cards, postcards, newsletters or any form of direct mail material. Every mention reinforces the invitation to join.

When you have all of these bases covered, more fans and followers will come. Of course, the challenge then becomes how to keep them engaged. More on how to “go the distance” next time.

Far too often, social media management rests on the shoulders of an individual employee who isn’t able to dedicate his/her full attention to the task since it’s only a portion of their overall responsibilities. Instead of viewing social media management as a marathon and identifying a single employee to run it, companies would achieve much better results if they viewed it more like a relay marathon.

In a relay marathon, there’s a team to share the workload. The key to success is playing to the strengths of each team member. For example, you want team members who are better at sprinting to run the shorter legs, while team members who are good at climbing are better suited for uphill running. Each contributes an exceptional strength to make the overall race a success and no single person is overwhelmed.

With social media, a successful “relay” team should also consist of members who bring different strengths to the table. Passing the baton between marketing, public relations, sales, customer service, IT, and executive management can help companies make much greater strides toward their social media goals. And it allows companies to set and achieve loftier goals without overtaxing any individual.

While the relay approach to social media certainly makes it easier for a company to engage in social media in a more meaningful way, some companies may hesitate because they lack the necessary “relay” members – usually due to non-existent or overly lean departments. In those cases, companies should consider tapping external resources. A strategic marketing and public relations partner with social media expertise can fill in where ever needed. Whether serving as team coach or filling in on any leg of the “race”, the right external partner can help any company go the distance.

But working with the media isn’t a game. We see far too many executives making unnecessary and often damaging mistakes during media interviews, perhaps for lack of training. Unfortunately, once an ill-spoken quote is published, it can be very difficult to put it to rest. Remember the quote “All I want is my life back!”? Despite his many career accomplishments, former BP CEO Tony Hayward will long be remembered for this one inappropriate quote during the Gulf oil spill crisis.

Finding and participating in a good media training program is vital for any executive who may interact with the media on behalf of his or her company or organization. Here are 4 simple ways to get more from that training:

1. Prepare Before Training
Before attending media training, identify a reporter that you think you could eventually talk to. Check out his or her LinkedIn profile. Read some of the recent articles this reporter has written. See how much you can learn about the journalist’s beat or interests. Then as you are going through your training, think about this reporter and how you will apply the information you’re learning to that future interview opportunity.

2. Know What You Don’t Know
Executives who understand that working with reporters is outside their ‘wheelhouse’ make the best students. They listen carefully to the media training facilitator, they ask great questions, they participate in role playing and they keep their phones turned off. For these executives, media training works – primarily because they know what they don’t know, making them open to real learning.

3. Stay A Little Uncomfortable
Many executives walk into media training feeling a little uncomfortable. That’s a good thing. Ideally, participants remain at least a little uncomfortable throughout the training session because it motivates them to stay focused. Trainees get too confident too quickly by thinking they’ve gleaned everything of value half way through the training. Unfortunately, this early confidence works against their ability to master important strategies and techniques for professionally managing interviews.

4. Participate Enthusiastically
The best media training programs allow executives to practice interviewing skills through mock interview sessions. This is the time for everyone to park their egos at the door and jump in to learn everything they can about how interviews work, what can go awry, and how to recover and get back on track when they do. When mock interviews are offered, trainees should participate enthusiastically, using the opportunity to get real time feedback from their training coach so they can increase their awareness of the opportunities and pitfalls, and refine their approach.

Media training is important preparation for successful interactions with the media, and journalists appreciate the opportunity to interview credible, well-prepared executives who demonstrate an understanding of their profession. Even though journalists and executives often have different reasons for participating in an interview, good training helps pave the way for a positive outcome.

To one degree or another, we all depend on thought leaders, though it can be hard to hear their voices in a landscape full of people who offer plenty of commentary without much in the way of unique thought. As a result, when we encounter strong thought leaders, it’s like we’ve unearthed a bit of treasure. They never fail to hold our attention, to make us feel smarter for having heard or read their views, and to challenge our views and assumptions.

Thought leaders are also notoriously focused on the work they are passionate about. Many of them are senior executives with immense responsibilities they must attend to on behalf of their organizations. Even so, generous thought leaders understand the importance of their role in helping investors, employees, prospects and clients to distinguish their company from competitors. By authoring articles or blogging or speaking at conferences, they share their wealth of knowledge while also building credibility for their companies.

We work closely with many senior executives to help get their ideas and perspectives into the public arena because thought leadership matters – not just to companies, but to industries. B2B decision makers seek out expert content from thought leaders as they are evaluating firms they believe are best qualified to help them solve their business problems. They also reward forward-thinking companies with their business.

The decision to create and distribute a press release should be driven primarily by the expected contribution the resulting publicity will make to the accomplishment of the company’s business goals (Why). Whenever possible, press release distribution should also be timed to reach the intended audience at the most opportune time, such as during an important conference where key prospects will be available for follow up discussions (Why Now). Finally, companies should consider the possible downside of creating and distributing a release on a particular topic (Why Not). If the release topic isn’t truly newsworthy, raises controversy, or doesn’t have a strong tie to business results, a press release is probably not the way to go. Instead, consider direct communication with your most targeted audiences.

2. Determine in advance how you will leverage the Press Release with other communications

Each opportunity to release important news about your company or its products/solutions is also an opportunity to multiply the impact of that release through complementary communications initiatives. For example, you can send a creative HTML email containing additional information that is of interest to clients and prospects and distribute it on the same day the release goes out. If you have developed a webinar or new white paper that provides more in-depth coverage of the press release topic, post the information on the home page of your website the same day the release is distributed. Either post the release or announce the news on all company social media channels with a link back to your website. Have account executives call their top accounts or prospects to personally make them aware of the news.

3. Make sure the Press Release tells a compelling, concise story

Some companies fill their press releases with self-congratulatory statements and non-supported claims, none of which can be used by reputable reporters or bloggers. Instead, make sure the release shares not only specific, supportable information about your new product/solution or other news, but also makes it clear why and to whom it matters. For example, a release about new technology that makes it more efficient for hospitals to teach patients how to manage their illness is not just about efficiency. It is about the difficult transitions people must make from wellness to managing a health crisis, and how the technology helps make it easier for patients to learn complex treatment information. If possible, site specific examples to make the story resonate with potential readers while helping to provide the blogger or journalist with the set-up they need to write about the story.

4. Get the Press Release into the hands of appropriate journalists and bloggers

Especially for B2B companies that desire coverage from industry bloggers and trade publications, it’s a good idea to create a separate list of key niche/industry journalists and bloggers to distribute your release to so you can increase the possibility that they receive the release. You can still use a wire service if appropriate, but distribute your release directly to your industry journalists simultaneously.

5. Provide a link in the Press Release that leads to a landing page for more information

Create a branded landing page within your website for each press release where reporters can download a picture and bio of the executive(s) quoted in the release; quickly see the key points of the release in bullet point format; easily pick up the primary quote(s) from the release; download any charts or graphs or other supporting information that is available to support assertions in the release; and find information about who to contact to set up an interview. In other words, make it easy for an interested reporter to get at the content they need to write a story.

6. Make sure that any executive who may talk to reporters is well-prepared

Especially because of busy executive schedules, this is a step that is easy to skip, but shouldn’t be. Even though a company executive usually understands the background and facts surrounding the news the company is releasing, even experienced interviewees benefit from the preparation process. Articulate and hone the top 3 to 5 key points. Identify the supporting facts and figures that can be shared.

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However, I have seen many companies work exceedingly hard at creating good content without strongly tying their content strategy to specific outcomes. At least in some circles, there seems to be a mindset that “more is better”, but I’m not so sure. What is the purpose of the content itself? Brand awareness? Increased credibility for the author?

Creating an ideal prospect profile for each piece of content is a great starting point. What does the company hope to accomplish? If the real end game is to close more deals, then the content strategist should work with the sales organization to identify the roles of those who are part of the buying decision; determine at what point in the sales cycle each role is involved; and then determine what their information needs really are.

Then evaluate existing content to see if it can be mapped to one or more of the sales cycle stages to meet the information needs of prospects in that stage. Finally, figure out what’s missing – or what needs to be reworked – to be better aligned with the role of the person likely to be looking for information at each point in the sales cycles.

This approach can help provide companies with real direction in terms of content generation priorities and the nature of what is created. What content is included? How is it organized? What words are used in order to resonate with the role of the person you hope to connect with? By stopping to think about the intended reader, as well as the goal of moving a prospect through the sales cycle, companies can create great, non-promotional content that is also the right content for the right person at the right time to ultimately help increase sales.