I Still Believe

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Brass Tack Thinking - I Still BelieveI’m a pragmatist.

One of my strengths is that I can take a big, lofty idea (usually conceived by someone else), and help bring it down to earth. Break it down into reality, make it happen. Tamsen excels at that, too. (The blog’s tagline here is no accident). So for most purposes, I’m pretty practical, and I’m sometimes the killjoy as a result.

But I’d like to say something.

I’ve been in the business world for nigh on 15 years now. I’ve worked in nonprofits and the corporate world, mostly in communications roles like fund development, marketing, client services. I’ve seen little business, big business, slow business, and fast business. I’ve experienced bringing the web into the business world, and all that’s entailed (for better or worse). I’ve watched a lot of stuff change, and a lot of stuff stay the same.

In the 3 years or so that I’ve been working in and around social media specifically, I’ve seen some amazing things happen. I’ve been in awe of the implications, the changes, the subtle shifts (and the not so subtle) that have been happening in the way we communicate with one another, be it business or personal.

And I’m still excited.

I know negativity sells. Controversy catches eyes, and it’s all the rage right now to, well, rage against the machine that is social media. Or point out all its shortcomings. Or declare things or people dead, over, overhyped. Or spend time tearing ideas down instead of applying true critical thinking, and figuring out how to build something from the rubble.

But I just don’t think that’s very helpful.

We are indeed at a time of unprecedented opportunity. The web and its agility give voices where there were none, ways to connect that defy time and geography, opportunity for ideas that might never have seen the light of day. It’s helping businesses rethink everything from their culture to their people to the systems they’ve built, and even big ships are finding themselves turning in new directions.

And we’re starting. We’re trying. We’re learning with little things that feel comfortable and familiar (and don’t always go so well, but that’s the nature of progress). There are missteps and misunderstandings and lots of imperfections, but those will always be there. The nature of a gawky adolescent with limbs too long and a mind too easily distracted.

But we are moving. Waking the sleeping giant. Growing and maturing with flashes of brilliance amid our zealousness. And things are indeed changing around us…for good.

I think that’s pretty spectacular. We’re part of history right now, and not an insignificant part. To all of you with enthusiasm and knowledge, I say let’s leave people with things they can do. Focus some of our boundless energy into the hard work of creating, of criticizing with thoughtfulness and progress in mind, and laying a foundation upon which we can build this next generation of human connectivity.

I still believe. Do you?

photo credit: Bob Jagendorf

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  • http://www.themurr.com/ David Murray

    You know Amber, I'm not sure what I believe. That may sound like cynicism, but in reality it is a reflections of deep thought I've had on the subject of the social web. I do believe that the online entity we call social media is nothing more than the reflection of our offline behavior. So if that theory holds any weight, it shouldn't be a surprise that we see a flux of good, bad, indifferent opinions on this subject.

    I will say, that like you, I have been witness, seen, shared, and have experienced some amazing things all due to this thing we call social media. So I believe that we now live in the days of possibilities now more than ever.

  • jeanniecw

    I myself am sick of hearing about the “death” of everything from social media to the Internet at large. I believe in social media because I've been witness to amazing things. I agree with you – I'm still excited. You and I first connected via Twitter discussing our work and children- not something that would likely happen without faith and belief we were on to something. Cue Journey!

  • AmberNaslund

    I don't think that sounds like cynicism. That's sounds…pragmatic. :) And I agree with you. Not as a perfectly accurate reflection, mind you, because it's a lens that can and does distort many things. But both the amplifying and distorting power of the web is part of what makes it so powerful (and frightening at times). But the possibilities are what *I* want to focus on. So that's where I'm headed.

  • http://twitter.com/tasmijn Bas Helderman

    I haven't got 15 years of experience on my resume yet, so I'm still struggling to bring lofty ideas back to earth without sounding like a moody pessimist and know-it-all. So yes, I believe but I sometimes have a hard time delivering the message. How do you cope with that? :)

  • http://4thress.com Carl Thress

    Pragmatism and optimism are a good combination. Too often, pessimists equate their negativity with being pragmatic. (I've been guilty of it myself.) I'm still quite new to social media, and was skeptical at first, but from what I've seen, the space has plenty of smart people who are finding ways to keep it moving in the right direction. As long as that continues — and people continue to question the status quo, press for accountability, and push the boundaries — I think there's plenty of cause to believe.

  • mikehartcxo

    Social media is an interesting evolution to watch. And evolve it will. It won't be perfect, but it will survive. The internet is rapidly becoming the highway that connects us all and in many ways already does. Social media (as a app, or platform) is still in its infancy and will continue to be refine itself to best suit its users. When you're immersed in it 24/7 there is just too much information to process at times. But at the 100,000 ft level, we've only just begun.

  • http://twitter.com/fellowstream fellowstream

    I do still believe. I was only 20 when I saw the web really take off, and now 10 years later, I've been told by so many people that the web is saturated and crowded. That social media is a fad. That everyone that will be done has already been done and anyone new has “missed the boat.”

    For better or worse, though, my husband and I really want to try creating great project management tools on the web. It's a pretty crowded space with lots of good competitors. However, we believe there's still room for good ideas out there, and in that space, there's room for us to build something of value that people will want to use.

    Keeping our fingers crossed!

  • http://rickcaffeinated.com Rick Stilwell

    Me and my computer science degree took our first job in systems programming 20yrs ago, and last year I took accumulated experience and other talents with me to my current position using social media in a completely new setting. I've really excited, I still believe – and I still want to make it real and manageable for folks to use it and benefit from it. My biggest thrill is seeing someone “get it”. Multiplying that drives me more than just about anything else. Geeking out on someone's first use of a short URL, or seeing that someone actually does man the twitter board for a company, or being retweeted by someone who should know better – it's the little things that work. :)

  • http://brasstackthinking.com Tamsen McMahon (@tamadear)

    For good or for ill, there are plenty of folks whose ears don't hear your voice until you have a certain level of experience under you belt. I know I've been through that phase, and have been mightily frustrated by thinking I had the answer… and being ignored completely.

    Sometimes bringing change is an undercover operation; sometimes the best way for YOU to make change happen is not for you to do it at all, but rather use what (and who) is there and being listened to already. Examine the power structures where you are: Who are the people that folks *do* listen to? What do those people respond to? (And importantly, what *don't* they respond to–avoid presenting your idea on that side!) What do they care about? What motivates them? Is there a way to put the idea in terms that person values?

    Sometimes it's about taking the long view, and focusing on winning the war and not the individual battle. If you really want to get something accomplished, you'll be willing to take your ego out of it–in other words, you'll be willing to do what needs to be done to get the message across (which often means NOT getting credit…).

    Sometimes it's simple semantics. We're using terms around our idea that people don't understand, or that scare them, or push their buttons or whatever. Sometimes it's simply calling something by another name can get it through (I've had to banish “brand” from my language while at one institution; I used “image” or “positioning” instead. In another case, someone didn't agree with strategic plans, so I helped him create a “strategic goals document.” It was a strategic plan.)

    In short, watch and observe: see what people do that works, try to figure out what people are reacting negatively to, and adjust your approach.

  • Pingback: When Social Media Stops Being Shiny | New Comm Biz

  • mikehartcxo

    When you see an announcement such as this you begin to appreciate how the landscape is changing as we speak. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15891236?sour…

  • http://twitter.com/jessicamalnik Jessica Malnik

    Great post, Amber! I definitely still believe. While Facebook and Twitter may not be around forever, I think the building blocks of social media will be. It's so incredible to think how much has changed in the last decade. I mean Facebook has only been around for 6 years, and it's completely changed how so many of us interact with our friends, coworkers, and companies. Like you stated, there will always be missteps along the way, but that's part of the territory.

    Coming to think of it, you wrote social media has given voices and unprecedented opportunities to so many. For instance, if it wasn't from Twitter, I would have never come across your amazing blog. That's on a small scale. But, the opportunities for networking and to share ideas has grown exponentially because of social media.

  • http://twitter.com/tasmijn Bas Helderman

    Thanks for your reply Tamsen!

    I recognize what you're saying, but it's often so hard to stick by these simple rules. Business politics just slip from my radar when I need them most. Maybe because I'm still anxious to actually get the message through, to show I'm capable. I guess they take time to grow on me ;)

  • http://twitter.com/tasmijn Bas Helderman

    Thanks for your reply Tamsen!

    I recognize what you're saying, but it's often so hard to stick by these simple rules. Business politics just slip from my radar when I need them most. Maybe because I'm still anxious to actually get the message through, to show I'm capable. I guess they take time to grow on me ;)

  • http://twitter.com/swoodruff Steve Woodruff

    I guess I'm pragmatic about the outworkings and the particulars, yet idealistic and bullish on the overall trends. We're heading into an “on steroids” era of networked communications, I'm old enough for it all to still be breathtaking. Hopefully, that sense of wonder will never go away…

  • FrankReed

    Amber – I am thankful for folks like you who remind me of the need for optimism. It is VERY easy to turn to the negative, sarcastic and cynical and I still do quite often. I have been around longer than you have so that side of me is fueled by more experience. That's just the way it is.

    I want to believe but I just caution against doey-eyed optimism and the feeling that social media is some magic elixir. It's simply not. It has incredible potential for both good and bad. I worry about those who are learning that social interactions online are a good option / substitute / replacement for true human interaction and relationships. Just like social media is a tool and a channel (not the answer to all troubles) so is this kind of 'relating'.

    I just would like to see more caution exercised in the promotion of social media as 'the answer' when all it really is is just another option.

  • http://twitter.com/steveolenski steveolenski

    I have to admit Amber when I first read this line “…laying a foundation upon which we can build this next generation of human connectivity.” my initial thought was, 'whoa, getting a little grandiose there, aren't we? I mean, “next generation of human connectivity?”

    But then I realized she's right on the money … it's damn imposing to think of the magnitude of this shift, if you will, in the way we communicate.

    I'm not sure many people realize the scope of what is truly going on right before their eyes…

  • http://twitter.com/megfowler Meg Fowler

    Maybe this could be the death of “the death of” posts? :)

    I think I stumble into crankiness sometimes on social networks when I'm faced with aggressive self-promotion/oversimplification of things that aren't simple, so they can be sold to people who want simple/obsession with tools over tactics/people creating contrary stances as pure linkbait, etc. That's when I let loose with owly tweets that I generally wish I hadn't sent.

    Then I remember how lucky I am to have watched a lot of this happen, and how much has come into my life as a result of all this stuff — regardless of the contentiousness or fractiousness of the other folks around me taking part in it — and that “social” really boils down to people being people, in the end, for better or for worse.

    My blog got me a job way back in 2005, and my best friend met her husband through my comments section. Twitter led me to clients, a ton of new, wonderful relationships, a new job and the love of my life. Facebook allows me to stay hilariously connected with my dad, 3,000 miles away, through our daily banter. Social Media for Social Change has raised more than $35 K for charities, and all because my S.O decided to hold a tweetup with a donation attached. I've been able to share music and images and words with people I never would have met any other way.

    How can I *really* complain?

  • clintstonebraker

    It seems to me that many people feel the only way they can be heard is to criticize or tear down. I consider myself to be a pragmatist as well, without cynicism or negativity (most of the time). Any idea or movement that is new or life changing goes through cycles of shedding what is no longer effective. When people are faced with charting unknown territory many will clamor for a return to the status quo. True growth and change will always include a degree of discomfort, either accept and embrace this fact or move out of the way.

  • http://twitter.com/katgordon Katherine M. Gordon

    Yes, I do. Even more so since last week when I spoke at the 140 Conference in SF. Hearing how the real-time Web has changed different businesses — including cattle ranching, religion, relationship commerce — was a real “we're not in Kansas anymore” moment for me. There was so much genuine interest in my topic — how women consumers are more knowable via social media — that a new conference was born (@3percentconf). None of this could have happened as recently as 5-7 years ago. How lucky are we?!

  • http://membershipjedi.com MikeCassidy

    I believe, I believe! I don't think social media or life 2.0 is the salvation, yet it has been such a beautiful platform from which to grow — in knowledge, collaborations, friendships, and connectivity. The dawn of the internet shrunk us geographically yet provided limited opportunities to connect and social media has certainly created a bridge that spans industries, people, economics, governments, businesses, etc. I certainly feel fortunate to bear witness as all “this” evolves and love constantly asking, “wow…what's next!?”

  • http://www.womanzworld.com/ Natalie Sisson

    I'm excited too, every day. I see the potential of social media in everything I do. Sure it can get overwhelming, even stressful but if you view it as a continual learning experience, a way to make amazing new connections, to help people and be helped and as FUN then you're going about it the right way.

    We're experiencing some phenomenal shifts in not only the way we communicate online but with changes in human behaviour in using these innovations in tools and services. That's pretty special in itself. Like being around when the radio was first produced, or the TV.

  • http://www.kherize5.com Suzanne Vara

    Amber

    I believe that SM is here to stay but we are in the infancy stages. Let's for a minute think of television. Back in the day when tv was introduced, it was a the talk of the town but it was a fad. There were flaws and not everyone believed. TV was the death of the theatre (that never happened), was the death of radio (that never happened) and it continued to grow. From a few channels to ridiculous amounts (still with nothing on sometimes) it evolved to what it is today and it is still changing.

    I am eager to see how SM grows and very excited to be a part of this as a marketer but also consumer.

    Excellent thoughts here.

  • http://twitter.com/chrisjoneslehi Chris Jones

    I needed this post today (and yes, I know you wrote it weeks ago). I believe in the opportunities out there, and I seriously believe in the opportunities I have in front of me, and yet I almost despair at my weakness in taking advantage of them. There are so many things I want to do, and that I could do, and I am able to do so few of them. While I’m busy over here, how many things are going on over there?

    But there you are, and you’re doing things, and so is Tamsen, and thousands of others. You don’t spend a lot of time on the cosmic significance, you just do the work. I can do that. I hope I can do that.

    Back to work. And thanks.