Corporate employee groups and individuals with whom I work are all facing the same issue: Everyone is seeking to be significant. People want to matter. We live in a world of "noise" and few people feel they can stand out from the crowd.
Adrift and alone in a sea of people is no way to live.
Social media originally was seen as the great equalizer. No longer did you need money or fame to be part of the conversation. Your company pedigree and resume were less important than your ability to contribute your part to the conversation. In the early days this allowed the average person to garner a platform and build community. Three cheers for the masses.
Then it all got congested.
Today social media is the problem. As the magnitude of naysayers who originally ignored the channels have changed their tune, now everyone has jumped in the pool. While the barriers to entry have been democratized, the sheer numbers of people have returned us to the status quo.
Hello, can anyone hear me?
But the world has changed. The rules that existed in business yesterday, are not the same path to success today.... and they are certainly not the way to navigate the future.
To achieve we need to find "cooperative significance". We need groups of people with whom we can establish long-term and mutually beneficial relationships. It is not enough to have "followers" or "likes". Without a reciprocal understanding there are only one way relationships.
To have 100,000 followers on Facebook or Twitter and to follow nobody back is not a badge of honor. It a narcissistic celebrity worship mentality. This works for those who are truly celebrities, as that is the social contract we have with those who live in "Fame". However, for the rest of us there must be give and take.
Getting to "cooperative significance" does not happen without intention from all parties. Too many people hide behind a "schtick". Masked by gimmick and titles we find false security, but are void of meaning. It is hard to strip away to the real vulnerable core with others, but when we do this, we create the real value of a network.
Who wants to continue this discussion deeper?
Have A Great Day.
thom singer
thom (at) thomsinger.com
www.thomsinger.com
Really thought-provoking blog! It has given me a lot to think about. This is what really resonated with me: "We need groups of people with whom we can establish long-term and mutually beneficial relationships. It is not enough to have 'followers' or 'likes'. Without a reciprocal understanding there are only one way relationships."
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