Posts Tagged ‘Clay Shirky’

The Age of Aimlessness

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

So, then…let us reflect together for a while, consider what matters, what really matters, and then in our wonderfully separate ways, fare forward together.  ~ James Hollis

It’s the season to reflect on a year that’s winding down before we turn the page. It feels right to look back on the year.  What interesting times these are!  Tom Friedman describes this as a period marked by the collision of two forces, the Great Recession and the Great Inflection – referring to the rise of cheap, plentiful technology.

The good news is that the economy is forcing us to adopt new tools more rapidly, accelerating business innovation. But, more tools bring more “noise”, and decibel levels are soaring. Noise distracts us from focusing on what’s important and we seem to be suffering from a collective case of “focus-deficit disorder”.  I think it’s hampering our performance.

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Posted in What's Next? (WILD CARD), leadership | Comments

Harnessing the Power of the Hive

Friday, December 4th, 2009

It’s a story about community and collaboration on a scale never seen before. -Lev Grossman, Time Magazine

The Urge to Connect

History shows that that when robust tools serve a powerful human drive, revolutionary changes occur. That’s happening now as social media enable people to satisfy their primal urge to connect with each another. Social media are ubiquitous, cheap, and accessible, and their widespread use is having a profound impact on business.

While the technology is grabbing the headlines, the more interesting story is how people around the world are using social media. They’re fulfilling their desire to connect with each other, forming communities in the process. The communities function like virtual beehives — amorphous, dynamic structures where members coalesce to share information.

Smart companies recognize the commercial value of communities. They treat community members more like stakeholders than consumers. Instead of broadcasting their messages at them, they engage followers in dialogue. In time, followers can be converted to evangelists.  In a hyper-connected world, evangelism carries messages fast and far, boosting the value of the brand.

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Posted in Airline, Business Practices, How Cool?, Social Media, What's Next? (WILD CARD) | Comments