Question Stream: Social Networking Leadership Strategy, Part 2

Continuing to answer questions from the Relationship Economics webinar. Here's another one.

Q: How do you balance the value of networking against the potential time drain? Sitting at Starbuck's (twitter?) is of no value to me. I perceive a lot of social networking and blogging as a reflection of self-importance.

A: I love this question. It speaks to value of time spent doing anything. Some people like to spend time over a cuppa coffee talking (think of the great Cafe Society in Paris), and now in 2008 that same discussion happens over a Venti Latte, a Smart Phone and Twitter.

I can see where that type of seemingly endless small talk and banter is not useful per se. But it does contribute to our sense of feeling connected, and that is a core human need. Yes, technology has allowed us to experience that connection virtually, very easy. You don't have to be in Paris to have a conversation with someone that is in Paris. Right?

The point about social media being a 'reflection of self-importance' is very true in some cases - though I think it is an unfair sweeping generalization. I follow many people on Twitter and within a day or so, I can sense who is 'self-important' and who has things to say that I need to pay attention to - I then stop following them.

Conversations are happening all around us, the trick is to be engaged in ones that have meaning to you, where meaning can change at a moments notice.

I spoke at the MIT Venture Forum in September here in Santa Barbara and one of the panelists responding to a question similar in tone to this said that the internet has given a very vocal minority access to the largest soapbox in the world. Maybe this is the Web 2.0 version of what they did in London (Speaker's Corner) so that people had a place to espouse their world view.

Social media is just another tool for helping people feel connected, so they can have meaningful conversations, which together create a sense of engagement. Powerful.