Unless you’ve been living under a rock, by now you should have heard the call to “join the social media conversation!” Brands both personal and commercial are trying to figure out how to exist in the biggest conversation since the beginning of time (at least on our planet). We’ve seen the toe in the water approach, the Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid jump off the cliff approach, and we still see those that are waiting to enter or denying the conversation has value or even exists.
While the social conversation has its differences from real-life conversations there are some concepts that are very much the same. Most conversations have at least two participants. And generally there is an exchange of ideas or information as part of that conversation.
But what is it that makes a conversation interesting or even engaging? Well in my humble opinion it’s the personalities involved. Personalities shape the way stories are told and the way information is delivered. They affect our timing and our approach to the situation of the conversation. Our personality is what connects us to others.
Dictionary.com defines personality as: the visible aspect of one’s character as it impresses others. In the social conversation the visible aspect of our character is what we share, how we share it, and how we respond with others. Creating and maintaining an engaging, interesting personality takes time, effort and well, personality!
When we look at the social enterprise and the concept of leadership, then personality becomes even more strategic. For many employees in larger organizations, the social personality of corporate leaders is the only version of those leaders they will ever interact with. And for this reason, it is crucial for social enterprise leaders to create engaging and effective social personalities. This personality can (and will) set the tone for the internal social conversation of the enterprise.
The younger generation of workers now hitting the workforce want to “know” who they are following and why. The social enterprise is the perfect vehicle for leaders to connect with a greater segment of their employees. And in return, social enterprise leaders will reap great rewards from connection with employees over the enterprise social channel. My favorite example is John Chambers of Cisco. The youTube video of his duck call instruction is a great example of using social tools to create deeper dimensions to his social personality. Fun, interesting, cool, and maybe… someone with whom they can connect.
So what’s your social personality going to “feel” like. How will it connect with those who follow you or your employees? The social conversation is not just about posting or selling. It’s about creating a personality for others to connect with or follow.
Cult of Personality
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, by now you should have heard the call to “join the social media conversation!” Brands both personal and commercial are trying to figure out how to exist in the biggest conversation since the beginning of time (at least on our planet). We’ve seen the toe in the water approach, the Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid jump off the cliff approach, and we still see those that are waiting to enter or denying the conversation has value or even exists.
While the social conversation has its differences from real-life conversations there are some concepts that are very much the same. Most conversations have at least two participants. And generally there is an exchange of ideas or information as part of that conversation.
But what is it that makes a conversation interesting or even engaging? Well in my humble opinion it’s the personalities involved. Personalities shape the way stories are told and the way information is delivered. They affect our timing and our approach to the situation of the conversation. Our personality is what connects us to others.
Dictionary.com defines personality as: the visible aspect of one’s character as it impresses others. In the social conversation the visible aspect of our character is what we share, how we share it, and how we respond with others. Creating and maintaining an engaging, interesting personality takes time, effort and well, personality!
When we look at the social enterprise and the concept of leadership, then personality becomes even more strategic. For many employees in larger organizations, the social personality of corporate leaders is the only version of those leaders they will ever interact with. And for this reason, it is crucial for social enterprise leaders to create engaging and effective social personalities. This personality can (and will) set the tone for the internal social conversation of the enterprise.
The younger generation of workers now hitting the workforce want to “know” who they are following and why. The social enterprise is the perfect vehicle for leaders to connect with a greater segment of their employees. And in return, social enterprise leaders will reap great rewards from connection with employees over the enterprise social channel. My favorite example is John Chambers of Cisco. The youTube video of his duck call instruction are a great example of using social tools to create deeper dimensions to his social personality. Fun, interesting, cool, and maybe… someone they can connect with.
So what’s your social personality going to “feel” like. The social conversation is not just about posting or selling. It’s about creating a personality for others to connect with or follow.
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