Social Networking and the Sense of Community.

Photo by Ricardo Morell

Online and off, we could all use a better sense of community. If you love relating to other people, if you are generous and empathy is your thing, if you enjoy having a sense of community and exchanging ideas freely, then online networking sites are a great tool for expanding, maintaining and embracing your social network. If, on the other hand, you tend to be abusive, rude, you don’t care about people,  and  only seek them out when you want something from them, social networking will amplify all this and give you a bad rep all around the planet! As the tools they are, it is important to learn how to use them responsibly and enjoy what we can build with them.

The social networks found on sites such as FACEBOOK, though, might not seem like the place to persue more serious, work-related interests. On FB, I have found many a long lost friend and I can use it to know what those friends are up to, what they enjoy, what they look like nowadays, and other fun stuff like that. On the other hand, I also have a page especially for fans of THE HUMAN ELEMENT®, the body of work I use and another one to promote our wonderful off-duty occupation, the BIG BRAZZ BAND. So, as in many other aspects of my life, work meets play and viceversa. On occasion, I will mention blogs I am reading and want to share, or pages and videos I find on the web that might be of interest to others. I play a lot on Facebook and I also share a bit of what my work is, what I am thinking and exploring. My true friends and my extended web of endearing people from the rest of my life are all there. I get to congratulate them on their birthdays and milestones and I can share joy, frustration and what I am going through in an immediate, open way. I must confess that, being over 40 years old, the idea of being out there so much was quite scary at first. Facebook is by definition a public place, regardless of your settings. So, my rule of thumb is if I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing something I said or did published in the morning paper, I probably shouldn’t post it on my wall! On the other hand, it is quite addictive and socially incredible, for the access you get to others. You wouldn’t believe, the sheer depth of conversations that have started on FB and ended in the coffeeshop nearest to my home or in that juicy video skype conference to the other side of the world! I am a true convert. I not only recommend it, I enjoy it as part of my everyday musings.

No doubt, my favorite social networking site is the unashamedly work-oriented LinkedIN. First of all, it is like having your resumé out there for employers, clients and the world to see! It allows you to contact people of like interests (through Groups), read expert opinions and ask the opinion of a diverse, global audience on any subject you might fathom (through Answers or Polls). Of course, I have reconnected with many friends from the natural world in this virtual space, but we tend to get more into what we have been up to professionally and how we can collaborate, who can help whom in her new project, and much more. Its like having all my business and professional network imaginable at the center of my workday, no matter where in the world they are. I can contact clients, they find me, recommend me, we bounce ideas back and forth. I find it exhilarating and delightful. It has become an essential part of my professional environment. Although some will promote the inclusion of anyone who asks as a contact (they are called LIONs, short for Linked In Open Networkers),  I have followed the site’s advice and until now, have in my first-degree network only people I know and could easily recommend or introduce if I am asked to do so.  I have, however, opened a special networking email to keep in touch with new people I have come across, and little by little, we are getting to know eachother better.  Who knows?  Maybe in the future, I will count them among my collaborators, clients, mentors.  Only time will tell.

My personal preference is to not have profiles on too many social networking sites.  It just gets too complicated for me.  So, invites to join High5, MySpace and the likes, I do not succumb to.  I mean to take my current networks seriously, and I feel that more would wear me too thin.  They do require a certain ammount of discipline and time.  I make it a point to log on at least 30 minutes each morning and a similar time slot if possible in the evening.  If I am in the office all day, it may be much more than that.  I find it a welcome change of pace from concentrating on a proposal for a client, meeting with teammates and writing blog entries.  It is rest and relaxation, and an effective break. ( As I write this I am trying out Twitter too, but can’t say I have the hang of it.  I’ll keep you posted.)   So, on a day to day basis, I get to laugh at my friends’ silliness in the middle of my work day, and wrap my mind around issues and discussions that my online colleagues present me with.  Nothing better to feel truly connected.  Don’t you think?

NOTE ON JULY 7: If you enjoyed this post, check out Wally Bock’s related SOCIAL MEDIA FOR LIFE IMPROVEMENT

NOTE ON SEPT 12: Since the writing of this post, I have discovered the beauty of Twitter. I will surely post more about that soon…but for now, I leave you with a link to Marion Chaspal’s Twitter Mindmap…proudly featuring me! (and other great finds). She’s one of the people I met on Twitter, found common interests and are now doing collaborative work. I do love Social Media! MARION’S TWITTER FOLLOW MINDMAP

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