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Listen to the Doers
Young Urban Professional
Last night was among the more memorable of my career.
I had the unique opportunity to dine with social media strategists who work for three giants. Joining me were (pictured above left to right) Michael Brito from Intel, Tony "Frosty" Welch from HP's personal systems group and Richard Brewer-Hay from eBay. (Note: I consult to Tony and RBH and their companies since they are clients of Edelman.) The event that preceded dinner also included Angela LoSasso, Social Networking Manager at HP. A full summary is here.
I always love when the clients open up and share their experiences. Sometimes I wish we would pay more attention to what these such individuals say over what every Tom, Dick and Harry who calls himself a "social media guru" utters.
These are "the doers" - the ones who are on the front lines of change; innovators who are taking risks and getting things done.
During dinner we discussed the triumphs and tribulations of living as a social media strategist inside a big company. Sound easy? It's not. It requires finesse, good judgment and technological savvy. A lot of us think we know what works. These guys do because, well, they actually do - as in execute - strategies.
So my suggestion to you if you want to learn more about social media is to tune into "the doers." There are many if you know where to look. It's "the doers" more so than thinkers who increasingly have all the answers.
Reader Comments (13)
I love this idea of the "doers". Personally, I have always been a doer. My husband was a philosophy major in undergraduate school. I, on the other hand, took one philosophy 101 class and that was more than enough for me. I was so frustrated with the back and forth, the debating an idea for ages with no action! Maybe I am just impatient, or in need of gratification, but I like to see the results from that kind of mental deliberation. Love those doers. Besides, where would we be today if those who build the pyramids just sat there and wondered what it would be like if they built them?
Can't agree more. Not much more to add here than it reminded me of a great question to ask any one who claims success or experience with social media (and would make for a great blog post)."Name 5 things you've executed / provided strategy RE: social media."Easy question that a true 'doer' should be able to answer, regardless if it was successful.
Loved your response when the bloggers said they'd be irrelevant in 5 years. U noted that they'd still be ahead of the pack, wherever that pack is going
Good point. The big doers typically play behind the scenes on the client side, spending more time driving organizational change versus participating publicly and promoting themselves (not that the latter is bad...it can be good, though is often abused). This is a common thread, from my perspective.
So where are the lessons learned? Re doers--the topic of debating is "doing"--that's how the Jewish Talmud was created, by anyone contributing a perspective to the debate. That's the beauty of social media as well.
Steve, great meeting you yesterday.I couldn't agree more. The only problem is that it's often a lot harder to meet the "doers." They're not the ones that are out there talking. They're too busy doing something.
I'm definitely honored to be listed with Michael, Richard and Angela.Yes that was an absolutely fantastic discussion, and thanks again Steve for carving out time out of your hectic schedule to sit, eat and chat.I would like to add that a large portion of our time is spent on internal evangelism - we need to constantly reaffirm that social media is a crucial strategical and tactical ingredient, and not just the latest flavor of the month.To Thorpus - I've started up a series of panels on Social Media, so if you are in the Bay Area hopefully we can meet you there. Otherwise I know Michael, Angela and Richard are active speakers and usually on a stage somewhere in the world. Don't be afraid to ping us and ask!
thanks you Steve. The panel was great and dinner was even more memorable. It was great to finally meet you in person. I am sure we will be seeing more of eachother in the future. Regards,Michael
next time let me know and I will send you a better pic. I think @briansolis took this @blogworld #1
Great post and great job on the panel! I heard your golden nuggets through the tweets on #hpsmr.I can vouch for the Frosty-the-HP-doer. I work inside HP and get to see him in action. Yes, he certainly is a doer!
Thanks for this Steve... and thanks to everyone for the great conversation on Wednesday night. It was great to be a part of it. I can't help but feel guilty though. Every time I participate in an event like this, I know I'm learning more from the audience than they are from me. The questions asked are always as important and educational as the answers given.Cheers,RBH
Thanks for telling us where to follow some doers like yourself.
Steve - I've been a long time follower / admirer of your work, thanks for all you do. Saw this post and thought I would share a link to some similar thinking we posted last week at my new company . . . http://news.raidious.com/blog/raidious-digital-content-services/0/0/we-do-We just started a "doing" company - focused on exactly what you're talking about here, actually doing the work required to manage, monitor, and moderate social media. Would love to hear your thoughts on our approach . . . http://www.raidious.com/about-us/processThanks again for the great thinking!t