Super8: Eight intriguing articles from May.

What a month it’s been. Whether you’ve felt the transition to crisp mornings in the Southern Hemisphere, or are welcoming the newfound sunshine up north, it’s been a month of embracing change.

Although there’s been more changes made than first meets the eye. Change can take a number of shapes and forms, some more visible than others. Self-development is one of these subtle changes that occur over time, and often requires some nurturing to make progress.

We’ve consumed a range of insight-filled and thought-provoking content in this space throughout May, and think you might find a golden nugget or two in these resources too.

Curated by Harley Crispin, we explore strategies to kick-start your goals, storytelling techniques for engaging presentations, and how to approach your personal brand like a project manager. This is Super8 in May.

1. Approach your personal brand like a project manager.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by: Dorie Clark.
• Contributed by: Isabella Murphy.

In today’s world, there is a plethora of platforms at our fingertips that you can join to share your work and build connections within your industry. While it’s exciting to embrace these platforms, it can be equally daunting to figure out where to start.

Above all else, it’s important to craft and fine-tune a distinct and consistent tone of voice across your accounts. A coherent digital presence is key to building your personal brand.

This article walks through 6 helpful steps to make headway with crafting your brand so that you can stand out from the crowd. We suggest having a notebook nearby when diving into this one.

2. How to brainstorm brilliant ideas in teams – without sliding into ‘groupthink’.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by: Sabrina Habib.
• Contributed by: Harley Crispin.

Brainstorming in teams forms the foundation of many great ideas but is not always utilised effectively. Sometimes, team environments can limit the creative potential of the group. This is a psychological phenomenon called groupthink, which suggests that people strive for agreement within a group.

In this article, Sabrina Habib explores the ingredients that create a meaningful brainstorming session to unlock your team’s creative juices and reach new heights.

Ultimately, a space where everyone feels comfortable to freely express themselves is a fertile space for creativity, collaboration, and innovation.

3. How to make a great first impression.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by: Rebecca Knight.
• Contributed by: Jon Trumbull. 

Research shows that first impressions can have a lasting impact and can shape the way others view you. It’s worth questioning what makes a good first impression? And how can you leverage this to ensure that you start off on the right foot?

In this article, Rebecca Knight shares a series of strategies and guiding principles to help ensure others see the best in you from your first point of contact. It’s worth having a read to learn about the behavioural and mental shifts needed to action these strategies and see real results.

4. Selling to different buyer types.

• Listen to the podcast here.
• Hosted by: David C. Baker and Blair Enns.
• Contributed by: Maikel Daloo.

In this episode of 2Bobs, David C. Baker and Blair Enns explain the four different types of buyers: ‘convenience’, ‘relationship’, ‘price’, ‘value’, and ‘poker’. They advocate that you cannot be a good pricer without also being a good salesperson.

If you’re searching for insights and the necessary tools to best leverage your sales negotiations, we recommend listening to the full episode. Plus, it’s the ideal length for your next walk or commute into the office.

5. Goal setting: a scientific guide to setting and achieving goals.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by: James Clear.
• Contributed by: Mike McCusker. 

Goals form the foundation of our self-improvement, both personally and professionally. Yet when we fall short of accomplishing our goals, how often do we sit down and reflect upon the strategy we used to reach it?

In this article, James Clear talks through how to set goals you’re more likely to follow and shares best practices to ensure that you’re well-equipped to reach your goals consistently.

Something that resonated with us from this piece, is reframing how we think about our goals. James challenges you to consider the costs you are willing to pay, rather than focusing on the reward at the end of the road. What might sound like a subtle shift, can be a game-changer. But don’t just take our word for it, give it a whirl for yourself.

6. Classic storytelling techniques for engaging presentations.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by: Emily Bartlett.
• Contributed by: Jeremy Pritchard.

Humans are hard-wired for stories – they stick around in our heads long after a conversation and help us remember any key points. It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking public speaking is something you’re ‘born with’. Whilst there may be some merit to this, there’s also a number of ways you can hone your presentation skills.

Sound like something you might be interested in developing your skills in? Emily Bartlett outlines eight simple techniques for structuring a story to engage and inspire your audience in this article. Have a read and make your next presentation an impactful one.

7. Effective collaboration with product and design.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by: Josh W Comeau. 
• Contributed by: Nina Wan.

Being a multi-disciplinary team ourselves, we recognise the important connection between designers and developers to bring our ideas to life. Most of the work developers do, particularly on the front-end, is strongly intertwined with design.

In this article, Josh W Comeau explains how communication and trust play an important role in how effectively we work together, and advocates for deeper collaboration during development. We recommend reading the full article to learn some helpful hacks for effective collaboration and improve communications within your next team project.

8. The powerful difference coaching can make.

• Read the full article here.
• Written by: Steve Bush.
• Contributed by: Bridget Noonan.

Coaching is often recognised as an important tool for growth in personal and professional development. Although our busy day-to-day routines and competing priorities often leave little space for exploring self-development.

In this article, Steve makes a case of carving out time for coaching through demonstrating the real difference coaching can make, both at a personal and organisational level. Keen to level up? This article is a step in the right direction.