Testing, One-Two-Three, Testing

Is this thing on? tap-tap-tap Hello, is this thing on?
Daily, I am engaging in conversations that have potential to be life-changing, seriously. Not just for me but for those with whom I am speaking. When you work in recruiting or human resources, you tend to have important things to say that potentially have impact. This isn’t always true, as proven by many a twitter stream but nonetheless, important to remember.

The last six years have seen me become completely entrenched in social media. For me, it started with theLadders.com and myspace. I learned the in's and out's and how to use them to my benefit, as a tool for my job or a forum where I could be heard, and also market my clients and my company. Throughout my induction into all things new media, there have been opportunities for me to speak, train, and share what I know. It isn’t much, trust me, but I know that it is the future and business as usual is no longer business as usual.

Last November, I stood before a group of optometrists to share with them the benefits of the use of new media. They were a group that networked together and pooled resources to get the best of the best in everything. Requirements to join this group included $1M or more in annual revenue, paying their vendors on time (never late) and treating those vendors respectfully. If the vendors were mistreated, the optometrist was reported to the group and quickly dealt with. Prestigious would describe this group of doctors and their office managers.

But even with all their prestige and desire to be better, do better for their patients, most could not wrap their heads around change, relying strictly on phone book listings to garner new patients. I suggested being flexible in today’s business place, understanding that hiring and retention practices are changing, along with marketing and business development. They all nodded in agreement but didn’t want to change, themselves. Hello, is this thing on?

Inflexibility is not a character-trait to adhere to today. Facebook changes almost daily, every day a new group or fan page is created called, “Bring my old facebook back…” Get over it. That is like saying, “I want to buy version 1.0 of the iPod. A new one, please.” Not gonna happen. Upgrades to all things internet are happening continuously. The only thing constant is change. Count on it.

©by rayannethorn

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Permalink Reply by Ambrish Kochikar on March 3, 2010 at 11:56am

Thanks, Rayanne. That was good read! For some, it takes nothing short of a demonstration and what-if scenario building (including 'doomsday') to get them to hop off the fence or jump over it.

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Permalink Reply by Sean Ryan on March 3, 2010 at 12:16pm

Good read.

With some of the older executives I've dealt with as a communications person, the difficulty is explaining what the heck "Twitter" or a "Social Network" IS.

One executive I worked with at a start-up was still getting his head around the concept of having a website! This was recently! He was ready to throw money at sponsoring a conference (old school) but didn't see the value of putting a fraction of that in to social media/website/etc.

There was definitely a language barrier there - which certainly was attributed to some stubbornness on the executive's end.

Change is a way of life... right on, Rayanne.

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Permalink Reply by Steve van horn on March 3, 2010 at 12:41pm

Rob, my partner is in one of those groups, he writes computer programs even, yet, he just this month finally joined Face Book, lol. I kept telling him, "It's free & it's not going away" ;~}

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Permalink Reply by Bill Boorman on March 3, 2010 at 9:13pm

Rayanne,
the only constant in life is death and the bonus track. Everything else is subject to change at a moments notice. For me, the key to succesful change is blending. Not letting go of the old completely and being totally seduced by shiny new things. Before changing anything, take the best out of the old and the current. Keep it and enhance it but don't disguard the good things because they have become old. in social media I call it old rules, new tools. Doing things the way we always have, only faster, wider and in a much more public place.
looking forward to tommorow,
Bill