Social Media Roundup: Refresh The Creative Juices

Give your creativity a boost with a shot (or two) of inspiration. Also: the wrong way to praise good work.

A knife needs sharpening to keep the blade from getting dull. Your creativity needs the same: a bit of spark to maintain its edge.

Tips to boost creativity, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup:

Right-Brain Ways

RT @ChatterBachs  (opens in a new tab): 10 Strategies for Increasing Your #Creativity  (opens in a new tab) @DanielBurrus  (opens in a new tab) http://t.co/zWGdUVl9vM  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) #innovation  (opens in a new tab) #nonprofit  (opens in a new tab)

— John Ricco (@johnricco) November 18, 2013  (opens in a new tab)

Fresh juice: Creative flow running dry? Try infusing your mind with a shot of inspiration. “Read things you don’t normally read,” writes Daniel Burrus, a best-selling author and the CEO of Burrus Research  (opens in a new tab). He suggests exposing yourself to as much new information as you can, challenging the mind to redefine problems while searching for answers in out-of-the-box places. A reinvigorated imagination can spur unbridled creation of new ideas—channeling refreshed creativity back to innovation within your organization. How do you refresh your creativity? (ht: @johnricco  (opens in a new tab))

Save the Praise

Right (and Wrong) Way to Praise Employees: intentions vs. approach http://t.co/q5QthZypdE  (opens in a new tab) @inc  (opens in a new tab) via @GregorSIDERIS  (opens in a new tab) #motivation  (opens in a new tab) #leadership  (opens in a new tab)

— Kimberly George (@kimberlyanngeo) November 18, 2013  (opens in a new tab)

Constructing the message: Compliment your employees on a job well done—but when providing feedback, try leaving the praise out of the message. Why? According to Inc.com contributor Jessica Stillman  (opens in a new tab), meshing compliments with advice can muddle the real message about how your staff member can improve. If you take it a step further and focus praise on an employee’s skill, you risk attributing “being successful” to “being a natural.” Instead, praise the process, not the person; recognize the work, not the skill, Stillman suggests. Give employees something tangible to refer to next time a challenge is presented or responsibility delivered. (ht @kimberlyanngeo  (opens in a new tab))

When do you give employees praise, and how do you separate it from feedback? Tell us in the comments.

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