What Happened To Accountability?

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Perhaps this isn’t a new trend, and is something that’s pervasive. Perhaps I’m just getting more visibility to it because of my immersion in fast-moving media environments.

But there’s a startling lack of accountability swirling around right now, both in business and individual senses. And it’s arresting to me.

This isn’t a post with the answers. Rather, it’s a post fraught with questions (and as usual, a pile of opinion). I need your help to think it through. Am I crazy?

Shortcuts In Business Social Media

I posted recently about how social media is much more about culture shift than operational capacity. And in the comments, my astute friend Olivier Blanchard discussed the social media industry’s responsibility to better teach and educate about what social media is and isn’t.

I agree. But. Yes, I think we need to continue emphasizing social media’s impact as a core business philosophy and not just a set of tools and technology, and raising those points enough to drown out the shortcut seekers. But I also maintain that businesses have to WANT this to work for them, and be willing to implement the changes and adjustments to their business communications approach across the board.

In short, don’t we have the make them accountable for their own culture, and doing the hard work on their own? Where’s the line when you have to let a business fail because of their own shortsightedness, and when is it because the Royal We have failed them?

Information Overload and Boundaries

I get that there’s a ton of information available to us like never before. I get that there are social networking sites galore and media from the every man. I get that we’re all more accessible than ever. I get it.

But I’m a bit weary of the idea that because there’s all that information, we have to digest it all, and then complain that we don’t have the time to read things thoroughly or make truly informed decisions because we have “information overload”. Last I checked, this is all opt-in stuff, and if you’re focusing on the things that matter to YOU (instead of to “them”), you have absolute control over how much you digest and when. (I’d even argue that with all the tech that’s available, you might have more control than you ever have. The universe invented the Mark All As Read button for a reason.)

Drawing your own boundaries is every bit as important in this warp-speed age as it ever was. And respecting other people’s boundaries and choices seems like it’s even more important given all the variations on a theme that are possible now. Yes? No?

Entitled To Free

There’s an immense amount of free information out there today. I put it on my blog every week, and I’m not even the best at it. You’ve got amazing content creators all around you putting their expertise on video, blogs, e-books, podcasts… you could choke on the quality free content that’s out there for the taking.

So this post by Whitney Hoffman on the power of “no” stopped me in my tracks. And it made me reflect on the fact that our expectations have changed for what we’re entitled to have and get for free. There’s a fine line between asking for someone’s input or sharing in someone’s valuable content, and taking advantage of someone’s expertise and livelihood. Where’s the line? I’m not sure I can define it (maybe you can?), but I can sure feel it when I see it or experience it.

I believe that businesses, professionals, and artists should be paid for the value of their work. And I absolutely adore the culture of openness and collaboration that social media perpetuates. I, personally, believe in giving tons of it away and I try to do that a lot. So when do we cross over from sharing and venture into the realm of demanding too much? Can our culture of free coexist with the business world?

But They Have Status

I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard “yeah, but it worked for them because they’re big/famous/talented/Jesus”. This chaps me, every time.

Companies don’t succeed in social media because they’re big. They can succeed more easily at scale because they’re larger, but the philosophies that underpin their strategies are the same as they should be for the not-so-huge business kicking ass at social media. It’s about intent and approach, not firepower.

Same applies for the successful social media efforts led by social media leaders. In most of the best examples, the leaders are leaders because their work is good. The quality work and contributions beget the notoriety. Not the other way around. And it usually takes a heck of a lot more time and commitment than is ever reflected in the flash of microfame.

Does the size of the audience help with the kickstart? Sure, if the effort is worthwhile and based in the right intent. But if it sucks, the audience is just as big, and just as likely to loudly articulate just how bad it is.

This to me is just an excuse. Sorry. YOU can do this. Yes, you can. Every single person doing this well started somewhere. You don’t have to start huge. But you can do this, and even if you fail a few times, you will find success if you’re in it for the right reasons. You don’t have to be “them”. Be you, and find your own path to success. Stop getting in your own way.

Am I Crazy?

So, am I imagining these things? Has our instant gratification world caused us to more quickly point the finger at external factors preventing our success, rather than taking on our own challenges? Is personal accountability lacking here more than elsewhere, or am I just jaded and cynical because I see it every day?

I’m such an optimist. I believe in potential and the power of words like “might”, “could”, “possible” and “maybe”. But I’m frustrated. Help me work this out constructively in my head?

Photo Credit: ItzaFineDay

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  • http://www.jeremymeyers.com/ Jeremy Meyers

    A few things:

    Social Media tools without accountability is what drives me crazy and makes me call shenanigans on the whole Social Media space. What SM concepts boil down to is these four words: Do Your Job Better. Engaging with customers? thats not something Seth Godin came up with, its a core principle of PR (you know.. PUBLIC RELATIONS). Organizations and the structure of mass/pop media have created a culture historically (short-term historically, last 50-60 years or so) where Marketing/PR/Customer Service professionals could be lazy and slack and focus on useless things like trying to get their company on Oprah or in front of a ton of eyeballs.

    If companies were making their employees accountable to Do Their Jobs Better, the whole SM space would seem gratuitous. But they dont, they’re stuck in bad habits, and so this monster was created.

    Also, there are a ton of examples of big companies that do social media badly or not at all, so the resource argument is moot. We all get overwhelmed with information sometimes, the trick is to filter better, and hopefullly improving your process can lead to less time spent trying to find a mass audience for something and more time spent finding and empowering fanboys/girls.

    Jeremy Meyerss last blog post..I’m a customer. Envelop me, dont tack me on.

    • http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com olivier blanchard

      Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy. I am printing this and pinning it to my wall.

      olivier blanchards last blog post..Defining Social Media ROI once and for all, and understanding the action-reactive-return narrative

    • http://www.sametz.com/roundthesquare/ Tamsen McMahon (@tamadear)

      Perfectly said.

      Perhaps the personal equivalent is striving to be “useful,” rather than to be “successful.” If I’m useful, success will come.

      Tamsen McMahon (@tamadear)s last blog post..The value of self-sufficiency; or No, I will not take your money

    • Bill Free

      There are plenty of companies — mine included — that are “making their employees accountable to do their jobs better.” But accountability is measured against outcomes. You can have all the accountability on the planet and still not engage your customers unless that’s what you set out to do.

      Frankly, there are a lot of business leaders that simply can’t wrap their brains around the principles behind social media. As Jeremy points out, they’re always been out there: in “public relations,” in focus groups; even sales conferences. But too many organizations are hardwired to aggregate eyeballs, to manage message, to profile customers exclusively by purchase behavior. I don’t think it’s either lazy or useless. It’s the way it’s always been done, and by and large it works.

      Specialists have a role and a responsibility to drive change, and technology adoption is only part of the equation. Businesses do have to want SM to work for them, and by engaging them in the conversation thought leaders help articulate that desire.

  • http://www.jeremymeyers.com/ Jeremy Meyers

    A few things:

    Social Media tools without accountability is what drives me crazy and makes me call shenanigans on the whole Social Media space. What SM concepts boil down to is these four words: Do Your Job Better. Engaging with customers? thats not something Seth Godin came up with, its a core principle of PR (you know.. PUBLIC RELATIONS). Organizations and the structure of mass/pop media have created a culture historically (short-term historically, last 50-60 years or so) where Marketing/PR/Customer Service professionals could be lazy and slack and focus on useless things like trying to get their company on Oprah or in front of a ton of eyeballs.

    If companies were making their employees accountable to Do Their Jobs Better, the whole SM space would seem gratuitous. But they dont, they’re stuck in bad habits, and so this monster was created.

    Also, there are a ton of examples of big companies that do social media badly or not at all, so the resource argument is moot. We all get overwhelmed with information sometimes, the trick is to filter better, and hopefullly improving your process can lead to less time spent trying to find a mass audience for something and more time spent finding and empowering fanboys/girls.

    Jeremy Meyerss last blog post..I’m a customer. Envelop me, dont tack me on.

    • http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com olivier blanchard

      Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy. I am printing this and pinning it to my wall.

      olivier blanchards last blog post..Defining Social Media ROI once and for all, and understanding the action-reactive-return narrative

    • http://www.sametz.com/roundthesquare/ Tamsen McMahon (@tamadear)

      Perfectly said.

      Perhaps the personal equivalent is striving to be “useful,” rather than to be “successful.” If I’m useful, success will come.

      Tamsen McMahon (@tamadear)s last blog post..The value of self-sufficiency; or No, I will not take your money

    • Bill Free

      There are plenty of companies — mine included — that are “making their employees accountable to do their jobs better.” But accountability is measured against outcomes. You can have all the accountability on the planet and still not engage your customers unless that’s what you set out to do.

      Frankly, there are a lot of business leaders that simply can’t wrap their brains around the principles behind social media. As Jeremy points out, they’re always been out there: in “public relations,” in focus groups; even sales conferences. But too many organizations are hardwired to aggregate eyeballs, to manage message, to profile customers exclusively by purchase behavior. I don’t think it’s either lazy or useless. It’s the way it’s always been done, and by and large it works.

      Specialists have a role and a responsibility to drive change, and technology adoption is only part of the equation. Businesses do have to want SM to work for them, and by engaging them in the conversation thought leaders help articulate that desire.

  • http://www.thatdamnredhead.net Stacy Lukas

    Wow. I couldn’t agree more with Jeremy on this one. I’m actually in a situation right now that can be written up as the perfect case study to exemplify your frustrations in this post, but I can’t disclose details here and was actually thinking about emailing you, anyway. ;)

    In short, not only does it come down to Do Your Job Better, as Jeremy states, but it also comes down to I’m Not Going To Do Your Job For You. Yes, we do have to make companies accountable for their own culture and doing it on their own. To answer your question “Where’s the line when you have to let a business fail because of their own shortsightedness, and when is it because the Royal We have failed them?” . . .

    The line is when you cut the umbilical cord.

    I am all about educating others about the strategy, tools, the culture, the latest shiny object, the “best practices” — whatever, fine. Because you’re right, anybody can do it with enough information, enough insight, enough time, enough commitment, enough trial-and-error, and enough patience. But I had somebody raise their hand and ask me during a seminar, “Can’t I just pay you to do all this for me?” I told her that I was there to educate her, to empower her, and to guide her, but no, I’m not going to do it for her.

    She looked at me as though I had just told her I ate a bowl of babies for breakfast.

    I try very hard to hold people’s hands as long as I can when learning about all this social media stuff, but eventually you gotta step back and let the bird fly from the nest. If they don’t do the legwork, or if (for example) they pay no heed to your advice that gee, maybe having a Twitter account for a chamber of commerce isn’t the best strategy to get the word out if there are only 5 active twitterers in the entire region, that is their own shortsightedness, especially if they get upset at us when “it’s not working”. It is only the fault of the Royal We if we don’t educate them enough to realize that, and to realize that social media isn’t their miracle pill.

    Stacy Lukass last blog post..FastTrac Entrepreneurs: It’s not a question of whether you have a website, it’s what comes next.

  • http://www.thatdamnredhead.net Stacy Lukas

    Wow. I couldn’t agree more with Jeremy on this one. I’m actually in a situation right now that can be written up as the perfect case study to exemplify your frustrations in this post, but I can’t disclose details here and was actually thinking about emailing you, anyway. ;)

    In short, not only does it come down to Do Your Job Better, as Jeremy states, but it also comes down to I’m Not Going To Do Your Job For You. Yes, we do have to make companies accountable for their own culture and doing it on their own. To answer your question “Where’s the line when you have to let a business fail because of their own shortsightedness, and when is it because the Royal We have failed them?” . . .

    The line is when you cut the umbilical cord.

    I am all about educating others about the strategy, tools, the culture, the latest shiny object, the “best practices” — whatever, fine. Because you’re right, anybody can do it with enough information, enough insight, enough time, enough commitment, enough trial-and-error, and enough patience. But I had somebody raise their hand and ask me during a seminar, “Can’t I just pay you to do all this for me?” I told her that I was there to educate her, to empower her, and to guide her, but no, I’m not going to do it for her.

    She looked at me as though I had just told her I ate a bowl of babies for breakfast.

    I try very hard to hold people’s hands as long as I can when learning about all this social media stuff, but eventually you gotta step back and let the bird fly from the nest. If they don’t do the legwork, or if (for example) they pay no heed to your advice that gee, maybe having a Twitter account for a chamber of commerce isn’t the best strategy to get the word out if there are only 5 active twitterers in the entire region, that is their own shortsightedness, especially if they get upset at us when “it’s not working”. It is only the fault of the Royal We if we don’t educate them enough to realize that, and to realize that social media isn’t their miracle pill.

    Stacy Lukass last blog post..FastTrac Entrepreneurs: It’s not a question of whether you have a website, it’s what comes next.

  • http://ariwriter.com Ari Herzog

    In years past, I remember watching Court TV. Do you know how many times someone enters a plea of guilty? I don’t know the statistics but not often.

    Accountability is an old concept so I won’t comment about social media–but on jurisprudence.

    If you go outside, Amber, knowingly commit a crime, get arrested, and be provided a court-appointed attorney, do you want to stake bets on the odds of the attorney advising you to enter a plea of not guilty? Yet the law entitles you to enter any plea you want, so why take the easy route and admit you did it?

    Maybe the problem isn’t with accountability but entitlement. Maybe too many people are provided inalienable rights to be, act, or do certain things. Maybe too much is given and taken for granted.

    Ari Herzogs last blog post..Be Original But Don’t Echo

  • http://ariwriter.com Ari Herzog

    In years past, I remember watching Court TV. Do you know how many times someone enters a plea of guilty? I don’t know the statistics but not often.

    Accountability is an old concept so I won’t comment about social media–but on jurisprudence.

    If you go outside, Amber, knowingly commit a crime, get arrested, and be provided a court-appointed attorney, do you want to stake bets on the odds of the attorney advising you to enter a plea of not guilty? Yet the law entitles you to enter any plea you want, so why take the easy route and admit you did it?

    Maybe the problem isn’t with accountability but entitlement. Maybe too many people are provided inalienable rights to be, act, or do certain things. Maybe too much is given and taken for granted.

    Ari Herzogs last blog post..Be Original But Don’t Echo

  • http://www.whitneyhoffman.com Whitney

    People get “famous” in social media because of their hard work, which they were doing long before “fame” and notoriety were part of the equation. Now, there’s pressure to perform every day, like a band who has a hit and we ask them to keep making “more stuff like that” every day. People think what others do comes easily for them- they never see the hard work that goes into it. This was really brought home for me this week when I read an article in Time Magazine that interviewed a bunch of Pulitzer Prize winning authors,and they spoke about how much they loved their work, but how hard it was. Someone even said that they more they wrote for themselves, the better they did- every time they tried to write for what they thought people wanted, the prose just didn’t ring as true.

    I think this concept applies equally to individuals and businesses. You have to know who you are. You have to know your business. Then, it becomes easier to articulate what you are trying to accomplish, and then craft a strategy to get you there.

    I do think social media is like the 21st century telephone, telex, or telegraph- messages come in ‘over the wire’ and we have to decide what’s important to us- what we might incorporate into our own daily news file.

    If you are someone seeking attention of others, you should be doing something worthy of attention. You do need to be able to let people know what you’re doing and make a case for why you deserve their attention or money- that’s where all that silly stuff I learned in law school now comes in handy- you need to let people know why you are special, or solve their problem, or where your relevance is in their greater lives.

    Company size is not always the metric we should be concerned with, but how to identify the best audience in the ocean of the internet. Some small, community-sized business doesn’t always need to reach the whole world. A country doctor, for example, may not have the best luck increasing his practice size by being on twitter, but being able to take patients questions informally or answering frequently asked questions on his website might just bring people in who are looking for a doctor in his community.
    In contrast, I know tons of local antique shops that have closed their brick and mortar businesses, because all the business has moved online to places like Ebay. Retail may work well with a combination of bricks and mortar and internet, but maybe personal services like health care, or a sandwich and cup of coffee, not so much.

    Like anything else, it’s not the tools- it’s the way you use them to greatest effect for the problem at hand. A hammer solves lots of problems, but not all of them, and sometimes you just need a wrench to tigghten things up a bit. :)

    Whitneys last blog post..Using the Tools at Hand

  • http://www.whitneyhoffman.com Whitney

    People get “famous” in social media because of their hard work, which they were doing long before “fame” and notoriety were part of the equation. Now, there’s pressure to perform every day, like a band who has a hit and we ask them to keep making “more stuff like that” every day. People think what others do comes easily for them- they never see the hard work that goes into it. This was really brought home for me this week when I read an article in Time Magazine that interviewed a bunch of Pulitzer Prize winning authors,and they spoke about how much they loved their work, but how hard it was. Someone even said that they more they wrote for themselves, the better they did- every time they tried to write for what they thought people wanted, the prose just didn’t ring as true.

    I think this concept applies equally to individuals and businesses. You have to know who you are. You have to know your business. Then, it becomes easier to articulate what you are trying to accomplish, and then craft a strategy to get you there.

    I do think social media is like the 21st century telephone, telex, or telegraph- messages come in ‘over the wire’ and we have to decide what’s important to us- what we might incorporate into our own daily news file.

    If you are someone seeking attention of others, you should be doing something worthy of attention. You do need to be able to let people know what you’re doing and make a case for why you deserve their attention or money- that’s where all that silly stuff I learned in law school now comes in handy- you need to let people know why you are special, or solve their problem, or where your relevance is in their greater lives.

    Company size is not always the metric we should be concerned with, but how to identify the best audience in the ocean of the internet. Some small, community-sized business doesn’t always need to reach the whole world. A country doctor, for example, may not have the best luck increasing his practice size by being on twitter, but being able to take patients questions informally or answering frequently asked questions on his website might just bring people in who are looking for a doctor in his community.
    In contrast, I know tons of local antique shops that have closed their brick and mortar businesses, because all the business has moved online to places like Ebay. Retail may work well with a combination of bricks and mortar and internet, but maybe personal services like health care, or a sandwich and cup of coffee, not so much.

    Like anything else, it’s not the tools- it’s the way you use them to greatest effect for the problem at hand. A hammer solves lots of problems, but not all of them, and sometimes you just need a wrench to tigghten things up a bit. :)

    Whitneys last blog post..Using the Tools at Hand

  • Pingback: Web Media Daily – July 9, 2009 | Reinventing Yourself...

  • http://www.kinkennoncommunications.com/blog Shane Kinkennon

    How thought-provoking. Thank you for writing. I think that, maybe, when there is more ambient noise in the atmosphere (personal, organizational, whatever), we think we can get away with more … or less. “Please don’t hold me accountable for not paying attention to you at the dinner table … my Blackberry needs me.” Or, “We the client organization are willing to do the least that we must, and commit to absolutely no effort toward cultural shift … but you are accountable if we fail.” It’s not charming, and we’re all guilty in one way or another.

    Shane Kinkennons last blog post..Social media for the organization: a few good resources

  • http://www.kinkennoncommunications.com/blog Shane Kinkennon

    How thought-provoking. Thank you for writing. I think that, maybe, when there is more ambient noise in the atmosphere (personal, organizational, whatever), we think we can get away with more … or less. “Please don’t hold me accountable for not paying attention to you at the dinner table … my Blackberry needs me.” Or, “We the client organization are willing to do the least that we must, and commit to absolutely no effort toward cultural shift … but you are accountable if we fail.” It’s not charming, and we’re all guilty in one way or another.

    Shane Kinkennons last blog post..Social media for the organization: a few good resources

  • http://justinkownacki.blogspot.com/ Justin Kownacki

    Accountability is absent in all forms of society right now because there are no consequences for NOT being a stand-up guy (or girl). We stopped rewarding the values we traditionally admire because we’re afraid of litigation or other negative actions from those who prefer the lazy approach to “success.” As a result, mediocrity prevails, because at least everyone is equally annoyed by (and indifferent to) mediocrity.

    The social media system is too easily gamed by people who substitute access for value. Instead of becoming successful based on one’s own merit, social media success is predicated on numbers and “stickiness,” which discourages honesty in favor of marketing. Perhaps the most damning thing about the “social media revolution” is that it reinforces the pessimistic presumption that nobody really cares about anything anywa–

    – OMG MICHEAL JACKSON DIED!!!!

    Justin Kownackis last blog post..Must the Show Go On?

    • http://www.jeremymeyers.com/ Jeremy Meyers

      Actually i’d say those who are definitively not ‘stand up guy/girls’ get rewarded with reality shows.

      Jeremy Meyerss last blog post..I’m a customer. Envelop me, dont tack me on.

  • http://justinkownacki.blogspot.com/ Justin Kownacki

    Accountability is absent in all forms of society right now because there are no consequences for NOT being a stand-up guy (or girl). We stopped rewarding the values we traditionally admire because we’re afraid of litigation or other negative actions from those who prefer the lazy approach to “success.” As a result, mediocrity prevails, because at least everyone is equally annoyed by (and indifferent to) mediocrity.

    The social media system is too easily gamed by people who substitute access for value. Instead of becoming successful based on one’s own merit, social media success is predicated on numbers and “stickiness,” which discourages honesty in favor of marketing. Perhaps the most damning thing about the “social media revolution” is that it reinforces the pessimistic presumption that nobody really cares about anything anywa–

    – OMG MICHEAL JACKSON DIED!!!!

    Justin Kownackis last blog post..Must the Show Go On?

    • http://www.jeremymeyers.com/ Jeremy Meyers

      Actually i’d say those who are definitively not ‘stand up guy/girls’ get rewarded with reality shows.

      Jeremy Meyerss last blog post..I’m a customer. Envelop me, dont tack me on.

  • http://www.momblebee.com/blog Momblebee

    Oh boy can I relate…
    I founded a small startup children’s footwear brand and had great success (at least in my book) at getting the brand out there via social media. The success had NOTHING to do with resources in the money or human sense of the word. It worked without a budget and I did it as a one woman show with tenacity and hard work in connecting with hundreds of right bloggers in a somewhat obsessive way. The only resources I had were my brain, a laptop and a great product that I believed in. Now I am out on my own offering these services to other businesses, but I’m noticing that many of them just don’t get it. They want me to get them all over the internet when they don’t have much to offer in return. Either they want me to tell them how to do it for free or they want me to do it for them “at a discount” because THEY are a startup (last time I checked, so was I), or they may be willing to pay my fee, but their product isn’t worth talking about, or they simply don’t understand the concept of engagement. Success in social media marketing is not rocket science. It really boils down to some simple concepts: great product or service+great research+great communication+great follow through=successful campaign. That’s my recipe at no charge.

    Momblebees last blog post..What Brands Really Want From Product Reviewers

  • http://www.momblebee.com/blog Momblebee

    Oh boy can I relate…
    I founded a small startup children’s footwear brand and had great success (at least in my book) at getting the brand out there via social media. The success had NOTHING to do with resources in the money or human sense of the word. It worked without a budget and I did it as a one woman show with tenacity and hard work in connecting with hundreds of right bloggers in a somewhat obsessive way. The only resources I had were my brain, a laptop and a great product that I believed in. Now I am out on my own offering these services to other businesses, but I’m noticing that many of them just don’t get it. They want me to get them all over the internet when they don’t have much to offer in return. Either they want me to tell them how to do it for free or they want me to do it for them “at a discount” because THEY are a startup (last time I checked, so was I), or they may be willing to pay my fee, but their product isn’t worth talking about, or they simply don’t understand the concept of engagement. Success in social media marketing is not rocket science. It really boils down to some simple concepts: great product or service+great research+great communication+great follow through=successful campaign. That’s my recipe at no charge.

    Momblebees last blog post..What Brands Really Want From Product Reviewers

  • http://www.ChristopherSPenn.com Christopher S. Penn

    Accountability also means a willingness to take the arrows when they’re due.

    Standing up might mean glory, but it almost certainly also means getting shot at. In order to do that, to stand up in the face of fire, you have to believe in something. You have to be driven by more than shallow self-gratification, because self-interest will make you sit back down the moment you see anyone nock an arrow into their bow.

    “Will you join in our crusade? Will you be strong and stand with me?” – Les Miserables

    No musical in the world says, “Will you self promote for me?”

    Ever.

    Christopher S. Penns last blog post..The only green shoots are the ones you’re smoking

  • http://www.ChristopherSPenn.com Christopher S. Penn

    Accountability also means a willingness to take the arrows when they’re due.

    Standing up might mean glory, but it almost certainly also means getting shot at. In order to do that, to stand up in the face of fire, you have to believe in something. You have to be driven by more than shallow self-gratification, because self-interest will make you sit back down the moment you see anyone nock an arrow into their bow.

    “Will you join in our crusade? Will you be strong and stand with me?” – Les Miserables

    No musical in the world says, “Will you self promote for me?”

    Ever.

    Christopher S. Penns last blog post..The only green shoots are the ones you’re smoking

  • http://thelostjacket.com Stuart Foster

    Accountability in social is the killer app. Seriously. Think about that and chew on it a little bit. It essentially boils down most of the key tenets and wraps it up in a one word answer. SM holds companies and people accountable because it empowers your critics.

    Just because you start using social doesn’t make you any less accountable though. In fact it makes you more on the hook for your decisions.

    I had a similar wave of frustration and wrote this post about 2 weeks ago: http://thelostjacket.com/marketing/magicjesus-social-media

    In essence: Jesus=Magic Social Media=Not

    Stuart Fosters last blog post..Spin is Dead

  • http://thelostjacket.com Stuart Foster

    Accountability in social is the killer app. Seriously. Think about that and chew on it a little bit. It essentially boils down most of the key tenets and wraps it up in a one word answer. SM holds companies and people accountable because it empowers your critics.

    Just because you start using social doesn’t make you any less accountable though. In fact it makes you more on the hook for your decisions.

    I had a similar wave of frustration and wrote this post about 2 weeks ago: http://thelostjacket.com/marketing/magicjesus-social-media

    In essence: Jesus=Magic Social Media=Not

    Stuart Fosters last blog post..Spin is Dead

  • http://www.themurr.com DaveMurr

    Demystification is vital. Followed by education. Both go hand in hand. Then we can talk about empowerment.

    Give others everything they need to succeed and be there for support. If they refuse to “listen”.. well that is their choice isn’t it. I feel no responsibility towards someone who decides to cross a busy street without looking. Especially after I’ve handed them a “how to cross a busy street without getting hit guide.”

    When I was in art school, the professors gave us the skills and knowledge to paint our own pictures. I don’t think any of us had the notion that they would be doing it for us.

    People will pay for knowledge and with knowledge comes power. It has been my experience that when we take the time to connect the dots, a light bulb goes off and people recognize they can do this social medianess themselves.

    DaveMurrs last blog post..Social Media Club – Detroit/Ann Arbor

  • http://www.themurr.com DaveMurr

    Demystification is vital. Followed by education. Both go hand in hand. Then we can talk about empowerment.

    Give others everything they need to succeed and be there for support. If they refuse to “listen”.. well that is their choice isn’t it. I feel no responsibility towards someone who decides to cross a busy street without looking. Especially after I’ve handed them a “how to cross a busy street without getting hit guide.”

    When I was in art school, the professors gave us the skills and knowledge to paint our own pictures. I don’t think any of us had the notion that they would be doing it for us.

    People will pay for knowledge and with knowledge comes power. It has been my experience that when we take the time to connect the dots, a light bulb goes off and people recognize they can do this social medianess themselves.

    DaveMurrs last blog post..Social Media Club – Detroit/Ann Arbor

  • http://jslima.wordpress.com Joe Lima

    Hi Amber,
    I thought you were on vacation? :) I read your last post, read Olivier’s comments (along with the others), and re-read this post. It seems that you and other social media practitioners/advisers are frustrated about being blamed for the “failures” of businesses trying to incorporate social media into their mix. (Side note, Todd Defren had a similar post on Monday).

    It comes down to passion vs casual interest. You are very passionate about the possibilities and realities of social media. Your mind is always thinking about sharing new ideas. I bet your arms fly around when you start talking about strategies and tactics.

    On the other side, there are people who dread having to deal with social media. It is thing they hope will go away. When they realize social media and its underlying principles are here to stay, they want someone else to deal with it internal to their organization. It becomes a hot potato until it is forced upon them.

    Social media does not work in a business unless the employees believe in it in their gut. It goes to your point about the culture. People will gladly be held accountable if they feel that embracing social media principles will help their individual careers. Until these elements are in place, the social media practitioner will be blamed for every failure.

    Keep up the great work!

    Joe Limas last blog post..Getting away in an “always on” world

  • http://jslima.wordpress.com Joe Lima

    Hi Amber,
    I thought you were on vacation? :) I read your last post, read Olivier’s comments (along with the others), and re-read this post. It seems that you and other social media practitioners/advisers are frustrated about being blamed for the “failures” of businesses trying to incorporate social media into their mix. (Side note, Todd Defren had a similar post on Monday).

    It comes down to passion vs casual interest. You are very passionate about the possibilities and realities of social media. Your mind is always thinking about sharing new ideas. I bet your arms fly around when you start talking about strategies and tactics.

    On the other side, there are people who dread having to deal with social media. It is thing they hope will go away. When they realize social media and its underlying principles are here to stay, they want someone else to deal with it internal to their organization. It becomes a hot potato until it is forced upon them.

    Social media does not work in a business unless the employees believe in it in their gut. It goes to your point about the culture. People will gladly be held accountable if they feel that embracing social media principles will help their individual careers. Until these elements are in place, the social media practitioner will be blamed for every failure.

    Keep up the great work!

    Joe Limas last blog post..Getting away in an “always on” world

  • http://wordswillsaveme.wordpress.com Teresa Basich

    My reply got too long, lol. Blogging it!

    Fantastic points, though, and really great food for thought (and discussion).

    Teresa Basichs last blog post..My Gift is My Song and This One’s For You

  • http://wordswillsaveme.wordpress.com Teresa Basich

    My reply got too long, lol. Blogging it!

    Fantastic points, though, and really great food for thought (and discussion).

    Teresa Basichs last blog post..My Gift is My Song and This One’s For You

  • http://www.tommartin.typepad.com tom martin

    Amber,

    First in the spirit of Thank a Blogger Thursday — thanks for sharing as much as you do. As you note above, that is truly one of the great aspect of SocMe and I think will be the single biggest (lasting) change that SocMe causes in the world. It used to be we held our knowledge close and felt the need to charge everyone for access to it but SocMe has (as you noted) changed that paradigm to one in which we all hope to Netscape our way to success. Give a little for free and then get paid to provide more customized information or guidance later.

    These are all great points. In the end, SocMe gives everyone a level playing field — there are no shortcuts. In fact, if you look at some of the biggest SocMe bloggers (thought leaders) out there like you, @MackCollier, @BethHarte and even guys like @ChrisBrogan… they don’t come from big companies. They’re either solo acts or parts of small companies.

    Thanks again for continuing to add to the shared knowledge base. I’m sure I speak for many when I say how much we appreciate your voice.

    @TomMartin

    tom martins last blog post..Why You Should Play Along With Thank a Blogger Thursday

  • http://www.tommartin.typepad.com tom martin

    Amber,

    First in the spirit of Thank a Blogger Thursday — thanks for sharing as much as you do. As you note above, that is truly one of the great aspect of SocMe and I think will be the single biggest (lasting) change that SocMe causes in the world. It used to be we held our knowledge close and felt the need to charge everyone for access to it but SocMe has (as you noted) changed that paradigm to one in which we all hope to Netscape our way to success. Give a little for free and then get paid to provide more customized information or guidance later.

    These are all great points. In the end, SocMe gives everyone a level playing field — there are no shortcuts. In fact, if you look at some of the biggest SocMe bloggers (thought leaders) out there like you, @MackCollier, @BethHarte and even guys like @ChrisBrogan… they don’t come from big companies. They’re either solo acts or parts of small companies.

    Thanks again for continuing to add to the shared knowledge base. I’m sure I speak for many when I say how much we appreciate your voice.

    @TomMartin

    tom martins last blog post..Why You Should Play Along With Thank a Blogger Thursday

  • http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com olivier blanchard

    I was going t try and add my two cents to this discussion but I don’t have to. It’s all been said already, starting with (aside from your post) Jeremy’s comment. Wow. Yes!!!!! (Um, I mean NO, you aren’t crazy.)

    olivier blanchards last blog post..Defining Social Media ROI once and for all, and understanding the action-reactive-return narrative

  • http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com olivier blanchard

    I was going t try and add my two cents to this discussion but I don’t have to. It’s all been said already, starting with (aside from your post) Jeremy’s comment. Wow. Yes!!!!! (Um, I mean NO, you aren’t crazy.)

    olivier blanchards last blog post..Defining Social Media ROI once and for all, and understanding the action-reactive-return narrative

  • http://www.sametz.com/roundthesquare/ Tamsen McMahon (@tamadear)

    Perhaps it comes down to a basic paradigm of belief about which is more important: the ends or the means?

    If you’re in the “ends” camp, then accountability is moot. If I want X result, then I’ll do whatever I need to get that result. And if don’t get the result I wanted? Well, then, that’s a failure beyond my control.

    Say, for example, I want a rose. Well, I’m going to go get myself a rose. And if the rose dies, that’s the fault of the supplier. If there aren’t any roses to be had, then that’s the fault of the climate, the economy, whatever.

    If you’re in the “means” camp, then I’d suggest it’s all about accountability, because those folks see the ends as a direct result of the means. If I want X result, then I need to figure out exactly what I need to do get the result I want. In other words, if I want a rose, I need to plant a rose bush. I can’t plant a lily and expect a rose to come out. The result I get is the result I earned.

    Like in anything, though, the people who make us say WTF? to ourselves (or hell, even out loud) are those who don’t play by the same internal “rules” that we have. “Ends” folks flock to other “ends” folks (how else to explain the proliferation of the “get 10,000 followers today” players in the social media field?). “Means” folks stick with “means” folks.

    In other words, lack of accountability is only a problem to those of us who value accountability.

    Tamsen McMahon (@tamadear)s last blog post..The Value of Self-Sufficiency; or No, I will not Take your Money

  • http://www.sametz.com/roundthesquare/ Tamsen McMahon (@tamadear)

    Perhaps it comes down to a basic paradigm of belief about which is more important: the ends or the means?

    If you’re in the “ends” camp, then accountability is moot. If I want X result, then I’ll do whatever I need to get that result. And if don’t get the result I wanted? Well, then, that’s a failure beyond my control.

    Say, for example, I want a rose. Well, I’m going to go get myself a rose. And if the rose dies, that’s the fault of the supplier. If there aren’t any roses to be had, then that’s the fault of the climate, the economy, whatever.

    If you’re in the “means” camp, then I’d suggest it’s all about accountability, because those folks see the ends as a direct result of the means. If I want X result, then I need to figure out exactly what I need to do get the result I want. In other words, if I want a rose, I need to plant a rose bush. I can’t plant a lily and expect a rose to come out. The result I get is the result I earned.

    Like in anything, though, the people who make us say WTF? to ourselves (or hell, even out loud) are those who don’t play by the same internal “rules” that we have. “Ends” folks flock to other “ends” folks (how else to explain the proliferation of the “get 10,000 followers today” players in the social media field?). “Means” folks stick with “means” folks.

    In other words, lack of accountability is only a problem to those of us who value accountability.

    Tamsen McMahon (@tamadear)s last blog post..The Value of Self-Sufficiency; or No, I will not Take your Money

  • http://www.principledriven.com/blog Guy Harris

    I don’t think I can add anything of substance to what has already been eloquently said. I just want to say thanks for this post. Well done!

  • http://www.principledriven.com/blog Guy Harris

    I don’t think I can add anything of substance to what has already been eloquently said. I just want to say thanks for this post. Well done!

  • http://blog.lindsaymallen.com Lindsay M. Allen

    The issue of accountability is especially frustrating when, say, a company IS using social media and has current or prospective customers calling out for help, information, problem resolution, etc. … and it all falls on deaf ears.

    There are SO many companies participating in social media but only using SM as a one-way, top-down communication tool rather than actually ENGAGING. With the exception of @SouthwestAir, the airlines seem to be REALLY guilty of this, except when something big happens and they’re essentially forced to respond to concerns. (Too little, too late, by the way). What’s the point of using social media if you aren’t using it to interact?

    Companies: I don’t just want to know your specials or get your coupons … I want you to answer me when something is amiss and I bring it to your attention! If you’re not going to interact, then you probably shouldn’t be using social media in the first place. Or maybe you should just create a page that says “In order to ensure proper customer service, call us at xxxxxx or e-mail us at xxxxxxx” (not that I’d necessarily recommend that route, but you get what I’m saying …).

    Bottom line: Don’t communicate AT me instead of WITH me and then wonder why I’m not a happy customer.

  • http://blog.lindsaymallen.com Lindsay M. Allen

    The issue of accountability is especially frustrating when, say, a company IS using social media and has current or prospective customers calling out for help, information, problem resolution, etc. … and it all falls on deaf ears.

    There are SO many companies participating in social media but only using SM as a one-way, top-down communication tool rather than actually ENGAGING. With the exception of @SouthwestAir, the airlines seem to be REALLY guilty of this, except when something big happens and they’re essentially forced to respond to concerns. (Too little, too late, by the way). What’s the point of using social media if you aren’t using it to interact?

    Companies: I don’t just want to know your specials or get your coupons … I want you to answer me when something is amiss and I bring it to your attention! If you’re not going to interact, then you probably shouldn’t be using social media in the first place. Or maybe you should just create a page that says “In order to ensure proper customer service, call us at xxxxxx or e-mail us at xxxxxxx” (not that I’d necessarily recommend that route, but you get what I’m saying …).

    Bottom line: Don’t communicate AT me instead of WITH me and then wonder why I’m not a happy customer.

  • http://stephenpsmith.com/blog Stephen Smith

    Justin hits the nail on the head with his comment.
    The only thing that I can add is that we (those of us that are SM evangelists) also need to cultivate a sense of responsibility as well. Social Media is much more than a tool or platform, it is developing into an essential business function, like Accounting, or Shipping/Receiving.

    “We” need to educate “them” that Social Media is not a sign on top of the building, or a magic customer machine, or a free alternative to TV advertising.

    When Social Media is fully integrated into a business, and its function fully defined, then accountability and responsibility become measurable and manageable. For example, everyone knows that the TPS reports have the new cover sheet, right?

    Stephen Smiths last blog post..Age Of Conversation 2- They Just Don’t Get It

  • http://stephenpsmith.com/blog Stephen Smith

    Justin hits the nail on the head with his comment.
    The only thing that I can add is that we (those of us that are SM evangelists) also need to cultivate a sense of responsibility as well. Social Media is much more than a tool or platform, it is developing into an essential business function, like Accounting, or Shipping/Receiving.

    “We” need to educate “them” that Social Media is not a sign on top of the building, or a magic customer machine, or a free alternative to TV advertising.

    When Social Media is fully integrated into a business, and its function fully defined, then accountability and responsibility become measurable and manageable. For example, everyone knows that the TPS reports have the new cover sheet, right?

    Stephen Smiths last blog post..Age Of Conversation 2- They Just Don’t Get It

  • http://www.communicationammo.com Sean Williams

    Accountability. Such a simple word, Amber, yet so fraught. I, too, have been thinking a fair amount about this. What is the proper role of social media, is it a replacement or a complement, is it a revolution or merely a skirmish?

    I started down a path of linking anonymity, accountability, authority and accuracy — the 4-A’s — and began from a standpoint of seeing anonymity as a potentially fatal issue, undermining the other A’s. But I thought about the historic role of anonymity in journalism, particularly political journalism, and reconsidered. Now I’m considering accountability and its lack the keystone of the argument.

    The philosophical ideals of social media seem clear — democracy of ideas, wisdom of crowds, the market at work, the leveling of the playing field and the death of spin. In practice, I don’t see the reality of these ideals. In business, there is still the imperative to generate revenue, and as in other times, that leads to defecting from the optimal to the expedient, and sometimes outright lack of ethical boundaries.

    Social media suffers from the same infection of other tactics — the desire to make it fit every situation, for every organization, divorced from strategy. Mind, I’m still puzzling and experimenting through these tools — it certainly has been an interesting conversation, and my conclusions are rooted shallow.

    But, as long as we have debates based on the ethical foundation of our profession, are willing to recognize when we are too much breathing our own air and believing our own press clippings, and remain skeptical when metrics and measures don’t seem to add up quite right, we have a good chance of finding an interesting application for, or even the proper level of participation in, social media.

    Sean Williamss last blog post..Social media: The triumph of symmetrical communication?

  • http://www.communicationammo.com Sean Williams

    Accountability. Such a simple word, Amber, yet so fraught. I, too, have been thinking a fair amount about this. What is the proper role of social media, is it a replacement or a complement, is it a revolution or merely a skirmish?

    I started down a path of linking anonymity, accountability, authority and accuracy — the 4-A’s — and began from a standpoint of seeing anonymity as a potentially fatal issue, undermining the other A’s. But I thought about the historic role of anonymity in journalism, particularly political journalism, and reconsidered. Now I’m considering accountability and its lack the keystone of the argument.

    The philosophical ideals of social media seem clear — democracy of ideas, wisdom of crowds, the market at work, the leveling of the playing field and the death of spin. In practice, I don’t see the reality of these ideals. In business, there is still the imperative to generate revenue, and as in other times, that leads to defecting from the optimal to the expedient, and sometimes outright lack of ethical boundaries.

    Social media suffers from the same infection of other tactics — the desire to make it fit every situation, for every organization, divorced from strategy. Mind, I’m still puzzling and experimenting through these tools — it certainly has been an interesting conversation, and my conclusions are rooted shallow.

    But, as long as we have debates based on the ethical foundation of our profession, are willing to recognize when we are too much breathing our own air and believing our own press clippings, and remain skeptical when metrics and measures don’t seem to add up quite right, we have a good chance of finding an interesting application for, or even the proper level of participation in, social media.

    Sean Williamss last blog post..Social media: The triumph of symmetrical communication?

  • http://venmarkmedia.com claudio alegre

    My grandfather always said, “Unless you are a fireman, don’t walk into a burning building”

    He also said,though I don’t think it was his…”that little cute white spot on chicken shit is shit too”

    I guess he meant: don’t take on a job you are not qualified to finish…

    …and the second one: just cause it looks good doesn’t mean it is good, (substance v. style)

    I think accountability is a Shape shifter, it appears to be one way, then when the time comes it looks different!! I don’t get it! Because we don’t get many chances at being un-accountable…gotta make’em all count!

    I’m guilty of being un-accountable…it sucks, it’s a horrible feeling when you could’ve prevented something from occurring, put in a bit more effort but you didn’t. That feeling alone makes me drop ice down my pants to stay awake the xtra hr, to get it done better. No shortcuts!

    Being on the receiving end is no ride on a Rickshaw either. Being accountable and holding others accountable are sides of the same coin.

    Thanks for sharing Amber :)

    claudio alegres last blog post..My Experience for what Works on Twitter!

  • http://venmarkmedia.com claudio alegre

    My grandfather always said, “Unless you are a fireman, don’t walk into a burning building”

    He also said,though I don’t think it was his…”that little cute white spot on chicken shit is shit too”

    I guess he meant: don’t take on a job you are not qualified to finish…

    …and the second one: just cause it looks good doesn’t mean it is good, (substance v. style)

    I think accountability is a Shape shifter, it appears to be one way, then when the time comes it looks different!! I don’t get it! Because we don’t get many chances at being un-accountable…gotta make’em all count!

    I’m guilty of being un-accountable…it sucks, it’s a horrible feeling when you could’ve prevented something from occurring, put in a bit more effort but you didn’t. That feeling alone makes me drop ice down my pants to stay awake the xtra hr, to get it done better. No shortcuts!

    Being on the receiving end is no ride on a Rickshaw either. Being accountable and holding others accountable are sides of the same coin.

    Thanks for sharing Amber :)

    claudio alegres last blog post..My Experience for what Works on Twitter!

  • http://twistedturtle.wordpress.com Heather

    Great blog post – I was just thinking of writing a blog post on this very topic of “accountability” (stemming from a bathroom contractor nightmare my parents are facing). I feel like some of it comes down to a loss of customer service and companies having been able to go too long with the thought that they can just go and get a new customer, so pleasing the ones they have really doesn’t matter. I believe social media is changing that and putting more emphasis on being accountable to what you are putting out there into the universe – a rude awakening for many! The ability for just one person to spread negative comments about your brand virally is a big threat to organizations now.

    Oh and I must say I just loved Stacy’s comment “She looked at me as though I had just told her I ate a bowl of babies for breakfast.” I think a lot of what Stacy said helps answer the question about where to draw the line between what you give away for free and what you charge for as a part of your services and expertise. It’s OK to share and get someone started, but you definitely don’t have to do their job for them.

    Some of it has to do with a lack of repercussions. In many organizations people slide by day after day not contributing much without any repercussions, which leads the next person to say “why do I bother”. Many of us aren’t doing jobs that represent what we are passionate about, we’re doing jobs that help us put food on the table – you don’t get the same level of contribution when that’s the case. Given the economy there have been a lot of cutbacks, meaning the remaining workers are being burdened with additional work they didn’t have before – especially in non-profit and government sectors. That leads some to expect more for less or look for ways to cut corners.

    I truly hope we get back to better customer service, where people care about the jobs that they are doing, and where there is “accountability” when those jobs aren’t getting done. When I do meet people that really come through and are present in the conversation – I try to show my appreciation.

    Heathers last blog post..Why Twitter Makes My Socks Roll Up and Down

  • http://twistedturtle.wordpress.com Heather

    Great blog post – I was just thinking of writing a blog post on this very topic of “accountability” (stemming from a bathroom contractor nightmare my parents are facing). I feel like some of it comes down to a loss of customer service and companies having been able to go too long with the thought that they can just go and get a new customer, so pleasing the ones they have really doesn’t matter. I believe social media is changing that and putting more emphasis on being accountable to what you are putting out there into the universe – a rude awakening for many! The ability for just one person to spread negative comments about your brand virally is a big threat to organizations now.

    Oh and I must say I just loved Stacy’s comment “She looked at me as though I had just told her I ate a bowl of babies for breakfast.” I think a lot of what Stacy said helps answer the question about where to draw the line between what you give away for free and what you charge for as a part of your services and expertise. It’s OK to share and get someone started, but you definitely don’t have to do their job for them.

    Some of it has to do with a lack of repercussions. In many organizations people slide by day after day not contributing much without any repercussions, which leads the next person to say “why do I bother”. Many of us aren’t doing jobs that represent what we are passionate about, we’re doing jobs that help us put food on the table – you don’t get the same level of contribution when that’s the case. Given the economy there have been a lot of cutbacks, meaning the remaining workers are being burdened with additional work they didn’t have before – especially in non-profit and government sectors. That leads some to expect more for less or look for ways to cut corners.

    I truly hope we get back to better customer service, where people care about the jobs that they are doing, and where there is “accountability” when those jobs aren’t getting done. When I do meet people that really come through and are present in the conversation – I try to show my appreciation.

    Heathers last blog post..Why Twitter Makes My Socks Roll Up and Down

  • http://wordswillsaveme.wordpress.com Teresa Basich

    Ok, I decided to come back.

    I think that during that last big boom our economy saw businesses fell out of the hard work ethic. Everything was going so well that people didn’t need to work as hard. And although they didn’t need to work as hard, they dropped the whole “should” part, too. Maybe we didn’t need to work as hard as before, but we should have. Also, money was coming in in droves so businesses could hire a ton of people to micro-delegate, to such a degree that people really didn’t have to be accountable anymore.

    Then things took a dive. Companies started laying people off. The accountability factor began to rise again as less and less people had more and more to do, and more and more to be responsible for.

    Responsibility scares people because failure is an inherent part of responsibility, and we’ve all been taught to fear failure. We forget, though, that failure in battle doesn’t dictate failure in war.

    Maybe accountability/responsibility (and potential failure) would be easier for people and businesses to accept if there weren’t so much at stake right now. We believe there’s no room for failure anymore, so there’s this panic that keeps us from taking risks, or, at the least, stepping into the unknown.

    I think that when it comes to social media a certain amount of failure is inevitable. You have to see who’s been successful using it and who hasn’t, and maybe screw up a few times before you really get it. Sometimes it can be really difficult to translate theory and method into actual application, but it’s obviously not impossible, and neither the possibility of failure nor the difficulty of application are good enough reasons to not follow through with a good plan of action.

    All you can say in your role is, get over it. At some point you just have to make clients take that first drive by themselves. You’ve taught them to accelerate and to brake when they should, use their signals when appropriate, and how to shift as smoothly as possible. Now, leave them the keys on a day you know they have errands to run and take off for the afternoon.

    Good stuff. You have ridiculously intelligent readers, their comments are out of this world.

    Teresa Basichs last blog post..My Gift is My Song and This One’s For You

  • http://wordswillsaveme.wordpress.com Teresa Basich

    Ok, I decided to come back.

    I think that during that last big boom our economy saw businesses fell out of the hard work ethic. Everything was going so well that people didn’t need to work as hard. And although they didn’t need to work as hard, they dropped the whole “should” part, too. Maybe we didn’t need to work as hard as before, but we should have. Also, money was coming in in droves so businesses could hire a ton of people to micro-delegate, to such a degree that people really didn’t have to be accountable anymore.

    Then things took a dive. Companies started laying people off. The accountability factor began to rise again as less and less people had more and more to do, and more and more to be responsible for.

    Responsibility scares people because failure is an inherent part of responsibility, and we’ve all been taught to fear failure. We forget, though, that failure in battle doesn’t dictate failure in war.

    Maybe accountability/responsibility (and potential failure) would be easier for people and businesses to accept if there weren’t so much at stake right now. We believe there’s no room for failure anymore, so there’s this panic that keeps us from taking risks, or, at the least, stepping into the unknown.

    I think that when it comes to social media a certain amount of failure is inevitable. You have to see who’s been successful using it and who hasn’t, and maybe screw up a few times before you really get it. Sometimes it can be really difficult to translate theory and method into actual application, but it’s obviously not impossible, and neither the possibility of failure nor the difficulty of application are good enough reasons to not follow through with a good plan of action.

    All you can say in your role is, get over it. At some point you just have to make clients take that first drive by themselves. You’ve taught them to accelerate and to brake when they should, use their signals when appropriate, and how to shift as smoothly as possible. Now, leave them the keys on a day you know they have errands to run and take off for the afternoon.

    Good stuff. You have ridiculously intelligent readers, their comments are out of this world.

    Teresa Basichs last blog post..My Gift is My Song and This One’s For You

  • http://justinkownacki.blogspot.com/ Justin Kownacki

    Teresa nails it: “We’ve all been taught to fear failure.”

    We’re not a culture that rewards long-term success; we require immediate results. A learning curve, or some downtime during periods of readjustment, are not allowed. (Look at the annual coaching carousel in every major sport, where last year’s Coach of the Year is automatically on this year’s “hot seat.”)

    Until our society (and I think this may be specifically American) rewards long-term experience over short term luck, we’ll continue to have a skewed impression of what constitutes “success” — and we’ll continue to avoid personal responsibility in favor of shifting the blame.

    Justin Kownackis last blog post..Must the Show Go On?

  • http://justinkownacki.blogspot.com/ Justin Kownacki

    Teresa nails it: “We’ve all been taught to fear failure.”

    We’re not a culture that rewards long-term success; we require immediate results. A learning curve, or some downtime during periods of readjustment, are not allowed. (Look at the annual coaching carousel in every major sport, where last year’s Coach of the Year is automatically on this year’s “hot seat.”)

    Until our society (and I think this may be specifically American) rewards long-term experience over short term luck, we’ll continue to have a skewed impression of what constitutes “success” — and we’ll continue to avoid personal responsibility in favor of shifting the blame.

    Justin Kownackis last blog post..Must the Show Go On?

  • http://orange-envelopes.com/blog/ John Heaney

    I continually revisit the maxim that culture trumps strategy. Always. For each successful execution of a SM strategy there must be at least half a dozen that fail because the entrenched culture obstructs/ignores/belittles the new SM initiative. Then, when the program fails to gain traction, it can be labelled ineffective and discarded without remorse. After all, they tried, didn’t they?

    Although there are many companies with lone SM mavericks who immerse themselves in solo SM engagement, it’s unlikely that their efforts will impel the company to embrace a cohesive SM strategy. That has to come from the company’s leadership. You know, the one’s who define the company’s culture. Oops… see the problem? The same people who have created and maintained a insular company culture are the one’s who have to relinquish control, embrace dialogue and accept feedback that is certain to include critiques.

    By relegating their SM initiative to a hasty demise, these executives are free to profess their handy excuses and ultimately evade accountability for their failure to lead.

    John Heaneys last blog post..How to Get 500,000 People to Hate Your Company

  • http://orange-envelopes.com/blog/ John Heaney

    I continually revisit the maxim that culture trumps strategy. Always. For each successful execution of a SM strategy there must be at least half a dozen that fail because the entrenched culture obstructs/ignores/belittles the new SM initiative. Then, when the program fails to gain traction, it can be labelled ineffective and discarded without remorse. After all, they tried, didn’t they?

    Although there are many companies with lone SM mavericks who immerse themselves in solo SM engagement, it’s unlikely that their efforts will impel the company to embrace a cohesive SM strategy. That has to come from the company’s leadership. You know, the one’s who define the company’s culture. Oops… see the problem? The same people who have created and maintained a insular company culture are the one’s who have to relinquish control, embrace dialogue and accept feedback that is certain to include critiques.

    By relegating their SM initiative to a hasty demise, these executives are free to profess their handy excuses and ultimately evade accountability for their failure to lead.

    John Heaneys last blog post..How to Get 500,000 People to Hate Your Company

  • http://www.stevebellnow.com Steve Bell

    Amber – first thing, awesome post and outstanding comments.

    I have to agree with Justin and Teresa! The world today is different and many of us at not overly happy with the changes. The priorities are somehow not where we want them to be at.

    Personal responsibility needs to be the tag line!

    Steve Bells last blog post..Next Up – The Difficult Employee

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