In Part 2 of this series, we covered the first element of Intellectual Impact: be well-read.
If you haven’t already done so, it would be best to start with Part 1.
Stay Current
Silence is often a good thing. Sometimes a well-placed ‘pregnant pause’ can serve to add a little drama, or even humor, to a lively conversation.
But, sometimes it can be pretty awkward — as in, the mysterious mid-conversation silence that most people try to fix by smiling and hoping someone else quickly thinks of something more to say.
What’s interesting about the awkward silence is that it can happen even with people with whom we may have been hitting it off, only seconds ago; your conversation is moving along at a nice, dynamic clip, you may even share a laugh — and out of nowhere — a missed beat. You may even sense that no one really wants the conversation to end, yet, there it goes, sputtering mercilessly to a halt, and sending all participants packing, reluctantly.
“The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country…”
Having a few current events ‘on the draw’ can do a lot to save a good conversation from an early demise. Granted, not all conversations are worth saving — but it’s best to be prepared to rescue the ones that are.
In addition, referencing news and events that people may have heard about not only gives you an aura of awareness, as a leader, but also promotes a feeling of familiarity and comfort with you, as an individual. The resulting camaraderie encourages people to feel at ease — and, in turn, makes them more ‘open’ to you, and easier to converse with.
Set Up Google Reader
Google Reader is currently one of the most powerful tools available for staying in touch with current events. The magic of it lies in how profoundly simple it can make your web reading experience.
Once you get the hang of it, Google Reader almost totally wipes out any need for you to click all over the web to read your favorite news and info sites. It brings all of your chosen sites together, in one format; easy to navigate. Take a good look at Google Reader, and digest almost all of your information sources in a fraction of the time. The price is pretty good, too (free).
Learn to Use RSS Feeds
It is said that ‘the Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country; the New York Times by the people who think they run the country; the Washington Post by the people who think they ought to run the country; the Boston Globe by the people who’s parents used to run the country (and did a far superior job of it, thank-you-veddy much)…’
Jokes aside, whichever paper you gravitate toward in your part of the world, leverage the power of the web by subscribing to the RSS feed of your newspaper’s website. Doing this will allow you to scan through all the interesting headlines in seconds, rather than minutes. As an example, you could find yourself going through the Journal, the Times, the Post and the Globe in less time it normally takes to read one paper.
Once you have a Google Reader account (mentioned above), subscribing to an RSS feed is as simple as clicking an RSS feed “Subscribe” button (like the large orange one that appears at the top-right of the page, here at WhataManKnows.com).
Some newspapers are (understandably) beginning to charge a fee for access to their articles online (WSJ, most notably; NYT is currently considering it). The technology is so convenient (and web news so ubiquitous) — the physical newspaper business is getting killed!
It’s simply easier and faster to stay current, online.
They Don’t Call it ‘Pop Culture’ For Nothing
Of course, there’s more to life than newspapers. Now that you’ve got a feed reader at your disposal, you can also more easily stay abreast of lighter fare (sports, entertainment, etc.) — also very useful in business social settings.
For United States dwellers, a few glances through ESPN, for example, as well as NPR’s Pop Culture segment, as well as a blog like Pop Culture Madness, and you’ll be up to speed on the general ‘goings-on’ in a matter of minutes — without having to sit through hours of bad television.
Finally, remember to keep it inoffensive; keep it relevant; and ‘change gears’ gently when introducing a topic. Work on smoothly folding current news and elements of pop culture into your banter, and you will find yourself having to end your conversations deliberately; like television, people won’t be able to get enough of you.
In Part 4, we talk about the next crucial element of Intellectual Impact: be outwardly-focused. Go to Part 4, here.
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