It’s the second question we ask each other when we first meet. The answer is usually related to work. Imagine if the second question was who are you?Millions have had to ask that question in the last two years. Some have had to find out who they were and some have discovered they are not defined by a job title or position.
A Game Changer or Life Changer?
I attended an event in Chicago this past weekend which was a chance to work with 150 really smart people and I’m so glad they let me sneak in. To some this may have appeared to be a social media convention. Social media are tools. This was not a tool convention. This was a gathering of passionate people taking about business.
SOBCon was founded by the irresistible Liz Strauss who has helped me beyond words along with her partner Terry Starbucker who is a loving and engaging guy who doesn’t mind singing in front of 150 people. That alone deserves admiration!
Thanks Liz and Terry for the privilege of attending SobCon 2010.
Nice To See Ya
We often go to “conventions” to learn stuff, do some networking and take away some additional nuggets to help our career and our business. All too often we return to our work with a renewed energy that lasts until Wednesday.
Then the old ways and the pressures of the system weigh us back down to where we were before we got on the plane. The binder collects dust, the bag of business cards is lost forever, the best of intentions to stay in touch fades and life goes on.
SOBCon is about full participation. If you attend, you work. And magic happens. You make new friends and business associates. I had numerous discussions with people who were asking my advice right after I sought theirs and it was a soft place to land and share.
I was reminded of the old sales adage that we are not selling hammers; we are selling you the ability to put a nail in the wall to hang your favorite picture.
SOBCon was not social media convention, it was not a discussion about how cool we are that we understand the power of the Internet and digital media. Who cares about all that crap if you don’t have people to put valuable information on these channels?
SOBCon was about people who work in large companies working with large brands sitting right next to sole proprietors navigating the scary world of business all on their own.
Find people you want to work with who will care about your ideas. Unearth those who want to help you while you help them. Don’t stop until you can follow what you know you should be doing and pay no attention to those who disagree.
SOBCon was not about social media and this post was not about SOBCon. This post was about finding ways for you to improve the collaborative nature of your work.
When did you last look inside yourself and those around you and ask the tough questions? Who are you, not what do you do?
This is what change feels like.
#sobcon stream on Twitter.
@knealemann
strategy. marketing. social media.
