Mo Williams shot 91% from the free throw line this year. He is consistently good and a great person to shoot technical fouls. The picture above catures the moment; his body is relaxed and perfectly balanced, his grip on the ball looks comfortable and natural, his eyes are focused with quiet determination and he is in his routine.
The name says it all, Free Throw. Players generally have a routine, spin the balls in their hands, bounce the ball, gently bend the knees, raise the arms, fluid uplifting motion, using the legs and arms to launch the ball, and gently snapping the wrist. Watching the ball gently rotate as it floats thru the air riding the silence of the crowd waiting with baited breath. Swish! The net barely moves as the ball passes thru the hoop dancing with the intertwined ropes.
Your Status Update is a Free Throw. It should be an effortless, natural, statement of truth reflecting the moment, something you have done thousands of times before. The best status updates help your network get to know you better or trigger conversation with your people.
It is easy to focus on the negatives, but here is a quick list of what NOT to do:
1) Do NOT beat your network over the head with your business. A gentle reminder every 2-4 weeks is sufficient. If you create too much noise it is just noise and your message will not be heard. Still, you must remind your network you are a professional and share what you are doing.
2) Do Not complain about your boss or your work. Would you be comfortable with your boss reading what you wrote about the company, the boss or even clients? The simple rule is find something else to write about and save your gripes for your friends when it will not be documented or shared.
3) Do NOT write anything you are not comfortable sharing with anyone. Quite simply, you never know who might read your status update, keep it clean and self monitor yourself.
LeBron James shoots a lot of Free Throws. Tonight as I watched him shooting, half listening to the announcer talking about how much LeBron worked on his Free Throws over the last year, I was reminded that we all must work on our Free Throws/Status Updates. It is ok to start off with “lame” updates, but when you see status updates that are interesting, make a note in your head and refine your updates. Move beyond the mundane and engage in conversation. You can make your Status Updates better, so they more accurately represent your true self. Take your time and remember, practice makes perfect.
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