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www.100milefreepress.net
Perspectives
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 100 Mile Free Press
Prepare now
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Attitude determines success
uccess in social media is, in large part, about attitude. If you have a negative attitude about social media and/or you are wildly introverted, there’s a good chance you’ll suck at social media. This means your organization will either suck at social media under your guidance, or at a minimum, will not benefit from the positive interactions social media can engender. This is because, as Bradley and McDonald wrote in the October 2011 Harvard Business Review, “Social media is about people, not technology. Its business value does not come from social software or a snazzy website, even one with 800 million users. Its value stems from how business leaders, from senior executives to managers, use it to foster new collaborative behaviors
that materially improve Conversely, when business performance.” an executive asks what Occasionally, I run into the opportunities, risks, executives with bad atti- and best practices are to tudes about social media. employ social media, I Thankfully that happens light up like a social media less and less. beacon. With that attitude, Usually they frown, gri- I can show someone the mace, make a bad way, easily. joke about how Bradley and they don’t care McDonald what someone identified six had for breakattitudes execs fast and then often have about challenge me to social media: “convince them Folly – seeto care about ing social media Doug social media.” as entertainment Lacombe No thanks. only with no busiI’m happy to ness application. answer quesFearful – seetions and provide guidance ing social media as a threat and insight, but I’m defi- to productivity, intellectual nitely not out to convert property and so on. anyone. Talking someone Flippant – seeing social into “doing” social media media as insignificant or results in more bad prac- not to be taken seriously. titioners and spammy, Formulating – seeing anti-social feeds spewing the value or potential of forth onto the Internet. social media, as well as the
GUEST SHOT
ot to be alarmist, but with the last week’s events this is a good reminder to review our emergency plans. The west coast and Haida Gwaii had a 7.7 earthquake that would have, according to a seismologist, “devastated Vancouver or Victoria.” As would a tsunami. Fortunately the seismic waves were such that this did not happen. The US east coast is wading through the storm of the century. Nine million are without power, 39 dead, over 80 homes destroyed by one fire in Queens, New York subways closed for days, perhaps weeks, 15,000 flights cancelled in what New Jersey governor Chris Christie calls, “Unthinkable devastation.” For a society so dependant on technology and mass transportation the storm will have far reaching and long lasting effects. And the toll increases hourly. Here in the Cariboo we can feel complacent. “It won’t happen to us.” We will not have an earthquake and likely not a hurricane or tornado. The folks in Slave Lake likely thought that to, until last summer’s fire. Or the Chretien’s, the Penticton couple lost in Nevada. One issue with the Haida Gwaii earthquake was communications, both provincially and locally. Warnings were late from the provincial agencies, and the designated town evacuation centre they had no cell service - oops! The US east coast, Ontario and Quebec cannot blame lack of notice. They all knew Sandy was coming. The issue was folks not heeding the evacuation orders, thinking “it can’t be that bad we were fine last year.” It was that bad, and more. Time to revisit emergency plans. Do you have a vehicle survival or emergency kit? Such items as shovel, blankets, chains, candles, flashlight, food, extra clothing and batteries could all be essential in a snowstorm. Is this kit in your trunk or pickup box? You might not be able to reach it. At home, do you have your emergency pack and grab bag ready. Your emergency pack might have items similar to your vehicle kit. A grab bag would have medical essentials, passport, ID, prescriptions, insurance papers or land titles. Do you have three days or more food on hand, and perhaps a small generator? There are many sites which will give you ideas. In a major emergency we could well suffer from multiple communication failures. No internet, no phones, no Skpe - no nothing. It would be useful to have some plan worked out with your family as to where to meet. Assuming major cities are cut off how might you communicate or where might you meet family? Just a reminder. Plan ahead and prepare for the worst.
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need to be methodical in its application. Forging – representing the early adopters of social media who are driving use and skills development at a rapid pace. Fusing - seeing social media as integral to all facets of communications and weaving it into the fabric of the organization (so called “social business”) at every level. Obviously, the first three attitudes are the most difficult to deal with, but if an exec has an open mind and is prepared to listen, even these myths can be dispelled. To me, the “formulating exec” is a responsible manager looking to balance risk and reward. That’s good business and good communications. Doug Lacombe is a social media speaker and strategist with social media agency communicatto.
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