Ever wish your team meshed together better? Wouldn’t it be great if each member could bring their strengths to the task at hand in a complimentary way? The potential is real, so how do we make it happen?
There are two things to do. One: humility, graciousness and candor are the 3-in-1 lube for the relational gears. Apply the first two ingredients liberally and the third judiciously. Two: build connections that will form a band of like-minded but complimentary people who are driven to accomplish shared goals. When exercising this strategy, look for opportunities to build on the work of others.
The internet, by its very nature, is an incubator for collaboration. Tools are invented and rituals develop that facilitate connection. The culture of the net slowly evolves as one practice gives way to another. That culture got a nudge this week from Chris Brogan. For more than a year now, users of the service Twitter have suggested interesting people to follow each Friday. Chris suggests we utilize the larger space our blogs afford us to explain what a person we’re recommending has to offer.
This is a fantastic example of the evolution of online culture. It’s also case-in-point for how the net makes it possible over time to build our dream team. Making time to read, watch or listen to other people’s work exposes us to people we would mostly likely never meet otherwise. The same channels that make their work available to us also provide opportunities to engage in response. Suddenly, the exploration of working together with new people becomes less risky and more rewarding.
So where do you start? Take the advise of someone you trust. Start with the people they recommend and go from there. Here are a few folk I’ve found helpful:
@ajleon I just stumbled upon AJ’s blog recently. He’s a good writer with great ideas about customer service. His posts on business relationships and the ability of a single individual to make or break the customer experience are must reads.
@kikolani Christy Hines primarily writes about blogging and social media but she also ventures into related topics. Each Friday she posts links to articles she’s found helpful and categorizes them by topic. This week’s topics included writing, business, personal development, photography and more. Christy’s a great writer and a southern girl to boot!
@johnjwall and @cspenn John Wall and Christopher S Penn are the dynamic duo behind Marketing Over Coffee. The quality and value of the content they make available is amazing. If you are responsible for anything online you need to be reading and listening to these guys.
So there’s a start! These are people producing good work. Following them has led me to other interesting people and has helped me improve the quality of my own work. The connections are out there to be made. Who are you following?
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwright923
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the shout out, Step! It means a great deal that you would mention me in the same post as these peeps! You just made my weekend
You think that’s something, wait to til you hear the full story! Even though Brogan’s in my reader, I actually saw your post first and followed your link to his site to get the full scoop. So, good work, you earned it!