Head Above Water

Making Something More out of "Going Global."

2011-08-01T21:22:00.007-04:00

For the past 18 months I've been working on a globalization strategy on behalf of my company. Ultimately the strategy resulted in a partnership with a company based in Italy with dual headquarters in both Rome and Milan.

In November 2010, the "Alliance" was ratified and our organizations began to work together; with our team traveling to Europe twice and members of their team coming to the United States last year. However, in between the email, Skype, virtual calls, business plans and time zones, an opportunity developed that has changed the meaning of "Going Global," at least for me.

Several months ago a colleague from our global partner informed me that she would like to take her holiday here in the United States, working at our office for the entire month of August. Her plan was endorsed by her company but mostly driven by her own interest to learn our business from our perspective. She also insisted that her 20 yr. old daughter and husband remain at home. This was to be her experience.

She arrived this past weekend and is spending the first week in my home with my wife, my two daughters and my mother-in-law. We've only spent two days together but so far she's been exposed to my niece's sixth birthday party, my two daughters knocking on her door at 6:30 a.m., and a day in-the-life of me at work, which isn't all that exciting.

Anyway, as we sat around the dinner table tonight, sharing stories of work, family, and of course, favorite dishes, it occurred to me that we, as a global community, have yet to integrate the "personal" element to going global. We've successfully discussed the notion of work-life balance across several disciplines; we've spent ample time on the diminishing walls between the public and private spheres; and we've embraced the notion of personal and professional brand and how they've almost become one. Yet, when we consider "going global" we rarely entertain the notion of how we can integrate the "personal" with our global colleagues to the point where it assists or strengthens our global strategy.

There was never a question that our colleague from across the Atlantic would stay at my home and the home of several members of our team. It's the culture we've developed at our company - professional yet personal, and it's what we prefer. However, and even after just under 48 hours, I've begun a journey toward gaining a better understanding and perspective on our global partnership, as well as our partnering company's approach to business, through this personal approach; a perspective that could not possibly exist had this person not been in my home, with my family, under my roof.

I have never been involved in "Going Global" discussion or strategy session that has involved a mandatory colleague exchange program or an element, objective or tactic that included the "personal" piece but perhaps it's time we re-examined our approach. After all, there's nothing that replaces the in-person meeting and there's no better way to solidify a relationship than at a kitchen table.

If anyone has experienced a personal element to a going global strategy please share your experience here. In the meantime, I'll continue to listen and learn as my house guest continues to share and work alongside my wife and I at 10:08 p.m. - laptops open.

Spring Ahead With a Fresh Look

2010-03-14T20:17:00.005-04:00

Day one of daylight savings means you moved your clocks ahead by an hour and switched the batteries in your fire alarms. At least that's what happens in my house. It also means that you've got a good cleaning on your mind, renewed enthusiasm at work and at play, and a fresh look at life - and this goes for your website too!

Here are five quick steps to make sure your website doesn't look like the last vestige of winter:

1. Double check the "In the News" section of your site and move everything older than two weeks to your "archive" page. (1-A - create an "archive" page if you don't have one)

2. Read through EVERY page of your site to ensure accuracy, clarity, and consistency. If your website is anything like most it wasn't created in a single day by a single author which means the tone and consistency throughout may be slightly different. Check for spelling and grammatical errors too. (My biggest challenge.)

3. Click through every page and every link. Some links may be broken or no longer be available and this is a huge pet peeve for me and many others. There's nothing worse than not being able to access what you want.

4. Changed your logo lately? Then you better make sure the old version has been completely removed and the updated version everywhere it needs to be.

5. Changed staff or leadership lately? Update the "Contact" or "Board" page. Chances are you'll need to.

In our quest to stay on top of technology we often forget to do those things that matter most so take some time to walk through your site and make sure your house is in order. Your clients, members, and visitors will appreciate your efforts.

Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of www.public-domain-photos.com

Cornerstone Communication

2010-03-09T16:04:00.007-05:00

Don't let a fear of the past or a fear of technology keep your organization from moving forward with its communication initiatives.

I was recently asked to share my thoughts as to whether or not contemporary communication tools (Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare) are just fads destined to fade away or realistic replacements to the old ways of communicating (telephone, email, newsletter). My response even surprised me.

During the interview, I repeatedly found myself referring to what I was calling an organizations' cornerstone communication pathway, which is the method of communication preferred most by its respective community. For example, some organization’s members prefer to receive their news via newsletter mailed to their doorstep. Before I realized what I was saying, it occurred to me that I was actually restating what I’ve been told over and over again: “don’t abandon your old way of communicating but at the same time don’t be afraid to experiment with emerging technologies.”

There is no real way of knowing what communication tool will be here tomorrow. This doesn’t mean we have to a) rush right in to the newest fad or b) be so paralyzed by fear that we fail to experiment with emerging technologies. Find comfort in what works best for your organization and slowly test and implement additional methods and you may soon uncover that another cornerstone of communication lies right beneath the surface.

Photo credit: This image was borrowed from http://www.senate.michigan.gov/Virtualtour/statecapitol.htm. The cornerstone featured in this photo was used to construct the third State Capitol and contained historical documents and memorials.

Cash (Not Goods) is King When it Comes to Supporting Relief Efforts

2010-01-14T11:53:00.009-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about an idea that encouraged Super Bowl attendees to bring relief items with them to Miami in hopes that this could assist in providing aid to the Haiti relief effort. However, after reading this post (Haiti:Help With Money Not Stuff) it became apparent that donating cash, and not goods, is the best way to help.

The most popular and perhaps the easiest way to do this is to donate funds via a mobile phone by texting "Yele" to the number 501501

(Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation)or the word "Haiti" to 90999 (Red Cross).

Super Bowl Challenge and Haiti

2010-01-13T20:15:00.005-05:00

Earlier today a friend of mine posted the following message on his Facebook page

"ATTENTION MIAMI PEOPLE: Large truck that will be on the corner of 1st & Alton beginning at 6:00 pm today and will be there 24/7 until it is filled. Items most needed: blankets, tents, batteries, candles, clothing, medicine and canned food. PLEASE REPOST!!!!!!!!!!"

In a few short weeks the city of Miami will play host to the NFL Pro Bowl and then the Super Bowl. By then the relief effort will be well into its third and fourth week and although the needs of the victims, families, relief workers, and others will have changed they will have in no way disappeared.

So if you or someone you know is one of the 76,500 people planning to attend one of these events please check the Internet or with the Red Cross prior to heading to Miami to see what items may still be needed for the relief effort. Or simply pack an extra pair of socks, toothpaste, toothbrush, blankets, or a pair of shorts in anticipation that you'll run across a receptacle like the truck parked on 1st & Alton.

By carrying a few extra items to Miami we will relieve some of the burden on organizations like the Red Cross and extend the life of our own efforts to help those in need. And who knows perhaps the airlines will waive the extra bag fee for travelers headed that way, a cruise line will deliver the goods, and everyone attending the games will play an integral role in helping our neighbor through this difficult time. This is, after all, what community is all about.

God bless the victims and the families of victims in Haiti.

Facilitating in the Age of Motion

2010-01-06T12:50:00.002-05:00

Although I have participated in many strategic planning sessions I was recently tapped to facilitate a an internal departments session at Association Headquarters (where I work). I'm excited by the opportunity and know enough about the planning process to pull it off but I want to bring some fresh ideas to the experience. More specifically I'm seeking engagement tactics that will force participants to look at themselves, their responsibilities and their respective departments in a new light.

One sentence comments, references to sources, or thoughtful recommendations are all appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help and all comments will be added to a follow-up blog on new ideas for strategic planning.

Brian

CMO's Guide to Social Media by Dane Theus of Magus Consulting.

2009-12-01T20:37:00.002-05:00

I thoroughly enjoyed this post and thought I would "Share" it through my blog. I found it to be a great examination of marketing and social media through the eyes of the Chief Marketing Officer.

CMO's Guide to Social Media

Posted using ShareThis

Frontier Communities

2009-11-27T12:51:00.010-05:00

Back in July I wrote "New Construction and Building Community" a story about how Facebook helped our neighborhood come together, build friendships, and facilitate important news. It was also a story about how our online communities are fast becoming similar to the traditional ones we have become so familiar with.

Not much has changed since that post except that more families have joined our community and many of us continue to grow closer. The evolvement of these relationships and the maturation of our neighborhood over the past three months got me thinking about the two communities I participate in and how a Thanksgiving Day event brought some clarity to the importance of both.

On Thanksgiving a few of the guys in the neighborhood decided we should host our first annual Turkey Bowl. These games are played all of the U.S. and in our case consisted of a bunch of men in their 30's who wanted to relive their glory days by participating in a touch football game. We posted the event on our community Facebook page and simply waited to see who would show up.

The game was scheduled for 8:30 and a few of us committed to arrive early to set up for before kickoff. Two tents, a stand for the kiddos, and a cooler and we were ready to go. Sixteen men showed up for the event with many wives and children in tow to watch. It lasted two hours and everyone had a wonderful time. A short time later over 216 photos were posted on Facebook and contestants were sharing war stories on the group page. It was truly a community event, one that reinforced old relationships and introduced opportunities for new ones.

Once home I posted "I survived my first Turkey Bowl" to Twitter, provided a recap on Facebook, and uploaded a few of my own photos to Slideshare. Why? Because I wanted my other neighbors, those I rarely see but communicate with daily, to see how I kicked off my Thanksgiving. Having read Thanksgiving updates from @sonnygill, @SteveDrake, @knealemann, (and many others) I was eager to share how my day was going. I, like many others, participate in the nexus between two communities and enjoy bridging news from both at every opportunity.

These two spheres now make up my collective understanding of community and I enjoy participating in them equally. Through the use of social media and a healthy blend of interpersonal events, I've come to grow as a person, meet an array of interesting people, and broaden my access to knowledge tenfold.

We all have our immediate communities, those we physically interact with on a daily basis. However, our other communities play a new role in our lives and are shaping the way we see and interact with the world around us. I will likely see my friends from the "online world" at an upcoming conference, Tweet (insert holiday here) cocktail party, or random intersection and when I do we'll be able to comment on these and other pictures, postings, and windows into my life.

We are on the frontier of building communities through virtual and physical relationships and we will continue to build and shape them as long as we remain committed to participating in them.

Social Media Flower for Volunteer Leaders

2009-11-12T21:39:00.010-05:00

In my role at Association Headquarters I often assist our client partners in developing strategies that implement social media into their communication plans. Shortly after seeing David Nour map out a communication plan at ASAE 2009, and after several conversations with Maddie Grant from Social Fish, (who I am eternally grateful) I got to work.

With the help of two of my colleagues, Elizabeth Cies and Mark Denato, I came up with the following illustration.

Please feel free to distribute this to your groups and a special thanks to Steve Drake ,whose constant efforts in the world of SM continue to focus on moving forward.

The Six Primary Components of the Social Media Flower

The Seed - Content Leaders: These are the experts of an organization and typically consist of members of the board, but can also include general members who are willing to submit original content on behalf of the organization. They are the seed and are responsible for the cultivation of the social media flower.

The Soil - Your Association: The association or professional society serves as the soil and field for the seed and provides the environment for the content, and future content leaders, to flourish.

The Stem – The Content: When original content is created it serves as the support system (the stem) for the flower. It flows from the content leaders, through the association, and directly to the Web site or blog (the stigma).

The Stigma – The Website or Blog: The website serves as the center of the flower whereby all things emanate. It hosts the original content and serves as the hub or home base for the petals.

The Petals – Social Media Tools: The petals represent the various social media tools that can be used to drive interested parties (members & nonmembers) to the Web site. These tools serve as:
• Communicators – relaying messages to the public
• Directors – pointing your audience to original content
• Marketers – raising awareness for the organization. The main purpose of the petals are to attract raindrops (members) and bumble bees (messengers).

The Bumblebee – Additional Messengers: The ultimate goal is to reach new individuals and new audiences, and social media tools make it easy to have someone else carry and convey your message for you. By creating original content, posting it to the web site, and employing social media tools to attract and direct members to the site, more and more individuals will learn about the organization.

Role of Volunteer Leadership
As outlined above, volunteer leadership plays a vital role in the success of online social media initiatives. It is our recommendation that a key group of individuals are appointed to play a highly involved part in the implementation of the associations social media strategy. This could be comprised of:
• One or two Board or Committee members
• Key enthusiasts from the organization’s Facebook page
• Technologically-savvy members responding to a “call for volunteers”

By having several members initiate and participate, the organization can experience increased success in grassroots awareness of its’ online presence.

Social media to replace first line of tech support?

2009-09-23T14:26:00.008-04:00

Over the past few months social media saved me from two computer-related disasters that normally would have sent me to the repair shop or placed me at the will of a tech call center. By employing a variety of social media tools I was able to resolve both issues without a considerable investment in either time or money, something I've come to really appreciate and something that got me thinking about the value of tech support and call centers.

A few months back my wife's cousin spilled an entire glass of wine on her laptop and I thought for sure it was fried. After draining the excess into the sink and wiping up what was still visible, I decided to hop on Google and search for "spilled wine on a laptop." Much to my surprise my cousin-in-law wasn't the only one to carelessly waste an entire glass of good red wine (Boxhead). In a few short minutes I was watching a video on how to save the laptop without a huge investment. Two days and $29 later I replaced my keyboard on my own and my wife was back in business. Thank you techeblog.com.

A few weeks later I received the dreaded "Unmountable Boot Error" message. After several unsuccessful attempts to reboot in "Safe Mode" I called tech support to see what was up. The initial quote was $295 so I hung up the phone and hopped back on the internet. In a few short moments I found the following post on Twitter "@huabs How to Resolve Unmountable Boot Volume Error in Windows XP http://bit.ly/SttaF" and was on my way to recovery. Fortunately, I was able to repair my computer without any issue and was up and running within the hour.

These two examples got me thinking of how valuable social media has become to saving both time and money and how, on certain occassions, it can replace the first line of basic tech support offered by most companies.

Reposting - 11 Top Tips To Build Your Twitter Following : Ink Foundry

2009-09-01T20:36:00.000-04:00

This is a terrific article I found by way of David Armano. Hope I'm reposting this correctly.
11 Top Tips To Build Your Twitter Following : Ink Foundry

Hashtags for the association world

2009-09-01T14:04:00.001-04:00

Here is a list of hashtags for association exec's who enjoy Twitter. Please feel free to add to this list or recommend to me and the rest of the world where to locate a larger, more robust collection. Cheers!

#eventprofs
#assnchat
#asae09
#MPI
#meetings
#nonprofit
#amgtco
#sponsorship
#nimble
#associations

Camaraderie & Humility at AMCi & ASAE 2009

2009-08-20T20:36:00.001-04:00

Here are my three takeaways from two terrific meetings.

1. Camaraderie - As I approach my second anniversary with Association Headquarters I am still amazed at the level of camaraderie, respect, and consideration members of the AMC industry have for eachother. Not only does it make for a terrific meeting where members, who are often competitors, let there gaurd down and share with eachother but it also provides an opportunity for everyone to contribute to a positive culture throughout the industry. It was wonderful to reconnect with those I met in San Diego, have run into throughout the year, and have chatted with over industry-related issues.

2. Humility - I will be the first to say that even after working at a museum for several years and having spent the last two years with association management (AM) professionals, I am still humbled by the amount of energy, creativity, and dedication it takes to run an association or professional society. In my role at Association Headquarters, I often straddle the for-profit and non-profit world, never spending too long in either to fully appreciate the role AM professionals play in their respective organizations, in ensuring their own society (ASAE) moves forward, and in building relationships among their peers. As hard as I think I work I am humbled by what goes into running an AMC, and running a volunteer run organization.

3. AMCi & ASAE 2009 were full of terrific examples of camaraderie, professionalism, and for me, humility.

Team Chemistry Beyond Sports

2009-08-08T10:50:00.001-04:00

As baseball inches closer to "October ball," and the NFL gears up for its season, ESPN is screaming about an interesting and often unmeasurable asset to any team, CHEMISTRY.

As an avid hockey fan I live by the notion that chemistry means everything, especially around playoff time. I wholeheartedly endorse the belief that locker room relationships can be the X factor and secret weapon for any organization.

But how does this impact the rest of us nine-to-fiver's who don't earn the big bucks but are often part of a team. In an article on this topic, Tom LaForce explores how building trust with coworkers can often lead to building chemistry and ultimately lead to successful projects.

(coffee break)

So how do you make sure there's chemistry on your team? I'm not entirely sure. My team is made up of anywhere from five to ten members depending on the individual project. When appropriate I try to focus on each of my team members' individual strengths, letting my colleagues shine in front of others which, I hope, allows everyone to develop their own levels of trust within the team.

This approach requires a unique understanding of the personalities that make up my team but that's what I'm good at so it works for me. I'm a people person and have come to terms with how to leverage that crazy talent beyond the "oh you should be in sales" gig. I build my team by making everyone feel so comfortable that they don't even know they're shining, they just see themselves as contributing.

How do you build your team?

Association Paralysis

2009-08-06T20:55:00.000-04:00

Today I heard a very interesting term used to describe a very large association that had basically become so comfortable that it was suffering from association paralysis.

This apparently occurs when an association, non-profit, or professional society is engaged in an industry that is insulated from the cruelties of the world and begins to become so comfortable with itself that it no longer becomes innovative. How unique? I never imagined this was even possible but the more I thought about it the more it made sense to me. So after several hours of pondering this phenomenon I began to think of ways for an organization to break free from this stifling state of being.

Five ways to avoid association paralysis:

1. Hold an impromptu conference call with your board and have each member submit one issue that they are dealing with today. Write them down, circulate them among staff and leadership and have a down and dirty strategy session to see if any are worth exploring.

2. An easy one but it has to be on the list - explore the social ocean and make sure you're not missing your audience as the Tweet, join a group on Facebook, or find another way to obtain the information you're not providing. If you are, check out http://www.socialfish.org/ and take some time to learn how to make social media work for you. Please tell Maddie and Lindy I said hello.

3. Host a brainstorming session with your staff, leadership, or whoever you can find to provide you with some insight as to what you are and aren't doing. As in life, we often neglect to self analyze and overlook what we should be paying close attention to.

4. Dig up the last 3 years worth of strategic plans or marketing plans. Guaranteed there's something there that could be worked on.

5. Take an hour or two to explore an entirely different industry and see what you can learn and what can be applied to your own group.

And all while driving home from work.

Experience and Technology Create Opportunity

2009-08-04T13:33:00.000-04:00

I'm a 38 yr old professional who is having a great deal of fun learning about how to incorporate social media/technologies into my personal and professional life. The two biggest challenges for me have been learning the nuances of the tools (Twitter, Hootsuite, Seesmic, etc.) and considering the whole personal/professional brand approach.

Fortunately, and largely because I've been working longer than some of my coworkers have been alive, I feel I understand my company's culture and brand to the point where I can work through these challenges. But it got me thinking about the other side of this equation. Do younger professionals who possess the technological skills struggle with grasping the culture and/or brand of their respective organizations? Do they have enough "worldly" experience to understand the long term implications of their actions, posts, comments, or approaches? Or, is their interpretation of the organization a true (or truer) reflection of the organization's personality or brand?

Perhaps by posing these questions we can introduce a new solution to closing the generational gap. By finding value in both generations we begin to introduce new pathways for meaningful dialogue about the value in combining technology with experience and insight.
For the time being I'll continue to sit down with my younger colleagues to explore their interpretation of our organization and, when possible, steal a tip or two about how to manage multiple Twitter accounts.

Bridging the "Bookends" and Creating Dialogue

2009-08-04T09:59:00.000-04:00

I'm a 38 yr old professional who is having a great deal of fun learning about how to incorporate social media & and rapidly changing technologies into my personal and professional life. The biggest challenges for me have been learning the nuances of the tools (Twitter, Hootsuite, Seesmic, etc.), considering the whole personal/professional brand approach, and integrating what I've learned over the course of my professional career.

Fortunately for me, and largely because I've been working longer than some of my coworkers have been alive, I feel I understand my company's culture and brand to the point where I can work through these challenges. But it got me thinking about the other side of this equation and the recent online chatter over "bookend" generations.

Do younger professionals who possess the technological skills struggle with grasping the culture and/or brand of their respective organizations? Do they have enough "worldly" experience to understand the long term implications of their actions, posts, comments, or approaches? Or is their interpretation of the organization a true (or truer) reflection of the organization's personality or brand?

Perhaps by posing these questions we can introduce a new solution to closing the generational gap and filling the space between the "bookend" generations. By finding value in, and utilizing the stregnths of both (all) generations, we can begin to introduce new pathways for meaningful dialogue about the value in combining technology with experience and insight.

For the time being I'll continue to sit down with my younger colleagues to explore their interpretation of our organization and, when possible, steal a tip or two about how to manage multiple Twitter accounts. I will also work hard to help them understand the culture of our company, the importance of seeing the world through an old, wise man's eyes (not that old) and the value of engaging in a dialogue with those who may not know about Flickr, but know about the importance of teamwork, developing meaningful relationships, and the nuances of interpersonal communications.

Examples of Two Smart Marketing Approaches

2009-08-01T22:54:00.000-04:00

Twice this weekend I was struck by events that I thought were so cool that I just had to write about them. Oh, and both can be applied to non-profits and outreach strategies and neither, sadly, came to me through SM.

The first is the "Do You Bleed Eagles Green" blood drive sponsored by the American Red Cross. Obviously the AMR has some pull so it probably wasn't too hard for them to partner with the Philadelphia Eagles, but it was the approach that I like most. The AMR is setting up a blood drive at Lehigh University where the Eagles hold their training camp. There are a few incentives for those who donate including a fan pack, chances to win VIP field passes, and additional chances to win tickets to a home game. However, this is a good idea because of what the AMR did for its organization, not for who they partnered with.

The most impressive part of this program is the AMR's decision to go to their constituency, to not sit back and hope that people show up at one of their preplanned blood drives. I love it, a group that says "yup, we're a non-profit but we're aggressive and we're gonna get what we need."

The message - if your members aren't coming to you, then go to them literally; and don't limit your search to those areas that you think potential members will be. Spread out, have fun, and take a leap of faith. Then came Dan Deacon, a pool at an airport, and some pre-kid flashbacks of what life was like before serious responsibility smacked me in the face.

Today, the family I were invited to join some friends at an outdoor pool at, of all places, an airport. In fact, the pool was in the shape of an airplane. It sounded fun and differenct so we went and what an experience we had. As it turns out, the airport has not only figured out how to stay relevant and unique (pool, resturant, lounge, and hotel), it has also figured out how to secure its longevity by hosting a three-band summer jam with one of the hottest alternative artists in the Northeast.

Of course, we had no idea what was happening as flocks of young hipsters rolled into the pool area and parked themselves in front of a stage that largely went unnoticed for the better part of the day. After a brief inquiry I learned that Dan Deacon was playing later that evening. WHO?

Now, his music isn't really my style but what we hear was good. More importantly, by the time we left there were more than 600 people around the pool and more were being bused in.

The plan was brilliant. A tiny little airport in Southern NJ just introduced its uniqueness to more than a 1,000 FUTURE customers. It figured out how to tap into a market that in all likelihood would have never considered visiting the Flying W airport in Medford, NJ. On most Saturdays, families can be found poolside while small planes and helicopters buzz down the runway to the amazement of little kids. But on this Saturday, a funky indie artist out of Balitmore brought with him a non-traditional crowd and it was a huge success. Most of the people I spoke to remarked how cool the venue was, bet they'll remember it in ten years when they're looking for a spot to bring the kids on a hot summer day. By the way, admission was $10 a head.

The message: think ahead, go outside of your comfort zone, and don't be afraid to introduce a new set of demographics to your organization.

BJR

New construction and building community

2009-07-20T21:45:00.000-04:00

A little over two years ago my wife and I realized we had outgrown our small rancher and needed to find something bigger to accomadate our growing family. Our second daughter had joined us rather unexpectedly and we needed more space.

We decided we would build a home in a growing but mostly rural community about 30 miles outside of Philadelphia. Our home was number twelve or so of seventy six, five of which are still under construction.

For the first year my wife struggled to find comfort in the new community. We moved in during winter and none of the neighbors spent much time outside. As winter gave way to spring we began to develop a network of friends and then, as if it happened overnight, our entire neighborhood discovered Facebook and the ability to create groups and engage in discussion after hours and beyond our front lawns.

Rather quickly our site was secure and our neighbors began discussing everything from defects in our homes to who needed a sitter. Social media revolutionized the way developments are developed, neighborhoods interact, and how communities are formed.

I've marvled at how these relationships that began online have grown stronger during our early evening walks and how quick those conversations on the front lawns of the neighborhood carry back over to group dicussions.

To this end I began to think about how this same concept, the concept of newness, experimentation, community solidification through social media, and the core value of trust and sharing could apply to non-profits and associations.

Let's imagine for a minute that an association is a suburban community and each house represents a member of the organization. Each homeowner, or member, has a vested interest in the success of the community, each member (for the most part) wants to be heard, and most importantly each member is truly interested in building relationships that are built on trust, friendship, and a common interest.

Organizations, like neighborhoods, will evolve by interacting, trusting, and experimenting. There is value in participating in online communities, particularly with those who you will see at an upcoming event, conference, or professional development opportunity. Social platforms help to fill in the gaps, build trust, and develop relationships between those front yard meetings.

Social Overload - tips for dipping in the Social Ocean

2009-07-17T10:46:00.000-04:00

Is it possible that the mere influx of so many "social" options is actually doing more to drive people away from participating than it is enticing them to "tweet."

If you're like me it took me a while to dip my toe into the social ocean because I simply didn't know where to begin, what venue was best suited for my personality (very important), and what harm I would do by dabbling in any given space. So what did I do? I took it very slow and experimented for several weeks before deciding on where I liked to play.

I started with LinkedIn by joining few groups that appealed to me. I then created a Facebook account and spent several days WATCHING before doing anything. In both cases, I did nothing, meaning I did not write anything on either site, for the first two weeks. These platforms aren't going anywhere so there was no need to rush.

After watching for several days I was finally comfortable enough to engage and submit a few posts. Much to my surprise others began to comment on what I had to say, however uappealing I may have thought my posts were, and I found myself involved in several conversations.

Finally, I joined Twitter but I'm still struggling to find and create a voice for that particular platform so I'll keep you posted.