A Bigger Voice

What If Your Idea is No Good, Misinformed, or Driven By Ego?

I recently tweeted that there is a danger in turning an idea into a movement. This was in response to a friend of mine who had tweeted a famous line from the song,  Alice's Restaurant, "three people makes an organization." And if we can get 50 people, it's a movement. Photo by ninahale.

No, I haven't backtracked on the concept of A Bigger Voice, which is about developing a better way to turn an idea into a sustainable movement. But what I've been thinking about lately is that movements can be created based on faulty ideas, ego-driven leaders, and misinformed assumptions. It's useful to look for these red flags up front.

A few tips:

• Is the idea from the wisdom entrepreneur borne of experience--an insight to a problem that he/she has felt the pain of? Or is it political correctness that drives the cause?

• Is the idea a new twist to an age-old problem? Or is it rhetoric that can be identified as motherhood and apple pie?

• Is the wisdom entrepreneur humble enough to listen to other points of view, or is he/she driven by being right?
  

  

• Is the wisdom entrepreneur well-read and educated on the cause at hand to have validated the soundness of her idea? Or has emotion taken over any chance of looking at pertinent facts and figures?

I say this at a time when groups are rising up in the US in response to public policy, Congressional and presidential actions, and an upheaval of the status quo in society and business. Not all movements deserve to get the attention they do. Not all ideas are good ones. We need to be thoughtful enough to separate the wheat from the chaff. 

Photo by joguldi

Iran and Social Media

The power of technology to create a groundswell was shown in Iran this last week. People all over the world are seeing and hearing and reading what's going on with the protests over the recent elections and the response by the theocratic government. 

One voice can start a community. Communities create stunning results. It's even more startling when it's a world community, from a top columnist for a US paper to the anonymous voice of an Iranian woman. Two voices on Iran:

Peggy Noonan's column, Whose Side Are We On? You Have to Ask?, points out:

"Twittering and YouTubing made the story take hold and take off. But did the technology create the rebellion? No, it encouraged what was there."

She goes on to say,

"Revolutions are revolutions and rebellions are rebellions; they don't work unless the people are for it. In Iran, Twitter reported and encouraged. But the conviction must be there to be encouraged."

Wisdom entrepreneurs take note. Noonan is saying that the technology is a tool that amplifies. But the voice must be there first, with conviction, and I would say, commitment.

The other voice is a simple but powerful one, one that tells the story with minimal words and photos. It paints a stark portrait that only those who are there can fully comprehend.

Note that this YouTube video was created on Friday, June 19, less than a day ago. This morning, at about 9:30am Mountain Time, when I first saw the video, it had 300+ views. I found it from a friend on Facebook who had posted the link (thanks, @kareanderson!) Now, several hours later, as I'm posting this, the video has over 1700 views. That's how fast we can connect now.  When there is so much at stake, when we are compelled by history in the making, the ties between us are created with mind-boggling speed.

The following question has never been more important or pertinent:

What will you do with your voice?

Photos by .faramarz

Update on Networking Naturally Program

In offering the Networking Naturally Program, I'm realizing it's become a case study for A Bigger Voice. I'm seeing how the model works "in the field." Some thoughts:

• Crystallize: It was difficult for me to develop this program, to help others learn to network better and realize the benefits of networking, until I could get to the essence of what would make this program different. Ahhh...the sweet feeling of innovation--a new solution to an old problem!  When I hit upon the idea that there are underlying principles that successful networkers use, independent of their personality and style, I tapped into my own wisdom. That led me to the name of the program, "Networking Naturally," and marketing copy that described what it is that I was offering. The stunning result has just emerged from recent activity on the participant-only blog: A Community of Givers. Participants were asked to answer the question, "What do you want help with?" It wasn't too long after the answers came in on the blog (as comments) that I could see participants giving first before asking for anything. This one of the principles of Networking Naturally.

• Build Community: There are three primary tools for building community, Marketing, Networking, and Technology. In addition, communities are built around a central question, one that is expansive enough to keep everyone engaged for a long time. The central question for the community forming around the Networking Naturally Program is, "How do I network more naturally and more effectively at the same time?"  A great question to explore as there's no quick answer. Marketing this program has shown me the wide range of tools that are now available--from email announcements to my ezine list to talking about the program on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, to postings on three blogs (all my own.) Networking has played a large part in getting the word out--via my connection to the Northwestern University Alumni Association. This is a relationship that started several years ago when I did a series of interviews with Northwestern alums for a Northwestern-sponsored career podcast. I'm learning that networking with groups that have a large distribution list can accelerate the path of a wisdom entrepreneur, by delivering a critical mass that becomes the core of the community. Technology has been the final piece of the puzzle, creating a sense of community from people coming together all over the world (literally!) to learn about networking. I set up a participant-only blog, thinking it was just a central repository for information. It's been that and more, one of the great success stories of the Networking Naturally Program. To give you a sense of the activity, in the first week alone, there were over 3000 hits on the blog. You can use Marketing, Networking, and Technolgy well and still not have a community. My colleague on A Bigger Voice, Ellen Ingraham, who served as the networking consultant during the pilot last year, has a been a wonderful partner in creating a culture of giving and role-modeling community-building skills. She's a natural at both.

• Sustain. Efforts are underway to look at how to sustain this Community of Givers, after the program ends on April 29. I purposely did not monetize as much as I could have from this first go-around on Networking Naturally Program, when community-building and giving back was really the intention. The fee for the public is $37 for all four teleseminars. 100% of the fee from those registering through Northwestern University (as a partner in marketing this program) is being donated back to Northwestern, to fund future career programs for alumni. Monetizing, to create sustainability, will come afterwards. 

There's still time to be join in--to get an inside view of community-building, as well as learn some valuable networking skills, and to connect with a community of givers. All sessions (MID-DAY and EVENING) are recorded and replays are available through May 31, 2009.  Go to www.naturalway2network.com to register.

How Book Authors Can Have a Bigger Voice

Forget the book tours. Go online. That was the advice of Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Work Week. If you don't believe Ferriss, check out this series of interviews with successful authors who are using social media to get their ideas out into the world.

The first interview is with Dan Pink, author of Free Agent Nation, A Whole New Mind, and The Adventures of Johnny Bunko. I've talked about Dan Pink on this blog before (and on my other blog, Ordinary Life, Extraordinary Living) because he always seems to have his pulse on where the world is heading (although these days, it seems like no one knows the answer to that question.) One of the ways I learn best is from reading what smart people have to say and Pink comes through as usual. He's right on target when he says in the interview: "Marketing is not a monologue. It’s a conversation." I would add, ideally, the conversation leads to a community.

A quote from Rohit Bhargiva, author of the book, Personality Not Included:

"The best thing social media can offer any author is a way to connect with influential voices who are currently talking about your subject, and letting people share your content and ideas with one another. The first point is about connecting your book with the people that can spread the word to all the right audiences. The second is about letting your readers and people who like the book spread the word about it. I would say that for any author, the trick is to try and focus on both of these pieces."

He's really talking about using both top down and bottom up approaches to having a bigger voice, as well as the use of networking to connect to the top and others who have a large following. Fortunately, as Bhargiva states earlier in the interview, individuals who were previously inaccessible are now accessible using social media. He gives the example of leaving a comment on John Mackey's blog (CEO of Whole Foods) and having Mackey respond to the comment.

Take the time to learn from these authors who are already using social media and using it well. Hats off to Satchi Studio, a web design and marketing firm for doing these interviews and providing some valuable insights.

Photo by oddsock

Three Cups of Tea

I just finished the book, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Dave, my friend from Traverse City and a partner in crime on spreading the word about A Bigger Voice, had seen Mortenson speak last month at a local school.

Dave described Mortenson as an ordinary, humble man, doing extraordinary things, against all odds--a single voice that had turned an idea into a movement.  I was hooked enough to order the book.

The book is a wonderful example of how one person can make a difference and what it takes to be successful on that journey--listening more than speaking, humility, persistence, a compelling vision, an ability to create allies in unexpected places, courage, and faith. Faith that despite the lack of you name it--money, supplies, time, people--there is more than enough in the world to manifest our vision. More than enough willingness. More than enough know how. More than enough heart.

Mortenson's story reinforces the principles of A Bigger Voice:

• One voice can start a community. Starting with an idea and a promise to a village elder in Pakistan to return and build a school, Mortenson grew his community into a melange of tribal leaders, religious clerics, mountaineers, school children, taxi cab drivers, military personnel, widows, philanthropists, librarians, journalists, well, you get the idea. Just about anyone that he came into contact with who resonated with his cause became part of his community.
• Community creates stunning results. Schools that normally would take the better part of year to build came together in less than three months, with the help of villagers who embraced the vision of a place to educate their children. Religious leaders banded together to support and endorse Mortenson's work, to remove the obstacles of local village politics.
• Sustainability requires monetization. Mortenson tells about being on the edge of financial disaster, for long periods of time, even with benefactors who provided substantial donations. With the publication of a bestselling book, and a speaking schedule that is booked a year in advance, I'm guessing that monetizing is no longer an issue and that sustainability is now a reality. The point is that even with a non-profit in place, a board, and a thriving community, this work was not sustainable until Mortenson was able to create a steady revenue stream.

All entrepreneurs, not just wisdom entrepreneurs, should read this book. It has given me perspective and inspiration on my own journey with A Bigger Voice.

Power Chicks in Houston

I was in Houston last week to work with a group of budding wisdom entrepreneurs--members of a women's networking group, lovingly known as the Power Chicks. (There was also one Power Dude, as you'll see from the following videos.)

At the end of the three hours, all of the participants had identified a next step that got them into action and moved them towards doing well and doing good in the world--from supporting caregivers to youth at risk to parents of kids with juvenile arthritis. See this quick video to get a feel for the energy in the room:

Houston, Feb 2009, A Bigger Voice seminar from Carol Ross on Vimeo.

What this means is that you can start from anywhere and make progress on transforming an idea into a movement. The concepts and principles of A Bigger Voice are sound. Well, I guess I knew that already but it's always good to confirm it in the field with a diverse group.

My thanks to the fabulous Laura Bellomy, the alpha Chick, who hosted this event. You'll be seeing more of Laura in the future, as I've lined her up as one the wisdom entrepreneurs I want to interview.

An offer for 2009:  Want to get some help transforming an idea into a movement? I'll do a four-hour seminar on A Bigger Voice, with up to 25 participants, anywhere in the US, for free. You'll need to pay my expenses, airfare from Denver, and do the marketing.  So start thinking about the budding wisdom entrepreneurs in your community who are ready to move into action. I can't wait to see what happens. Contact me through Twitter (@carolross) or via email: carol [at] abiggervoice [dot] com.

You CAN Build a Community Around Filling a Job

I love how the world works. Ask a question and the answer appears.

This morning, I received an email that I had a new follower on Twitter.  (BTW--If you haven't given Twitter a try, give it two weeks of your time and attention, follow a wide variety of people, and see what happens. It's networking on steroids--both in quickness and number of new, relevant connections.)

The new follower, Susie Parish (Twitter name: @susieparish), has on her Twitter bio: "creator of an online community site for Best Job in the World applicants."

Going to Susie's social networking site, the welcome reads, "A 60 second video was not enough to be able to really share who you are and what you've done in order to be qualified for the Best Job in the World! Join this community to share more about yourself, learn more about other fellow island-caretaker wannabes, and connect with each other to have fun with this dream job opportunity."

How cool is that?

So what do you want to build a community around? And what's the bigger voice that you want to engage others in?

Can You Build a Community Around Filling a Job?

If you received an email with the following opening, what would you do?

Tourism Queensland is seeking an Island Caretaker for the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef - we like to think of it as "The Best Job in the World".

Location: Islands of the Great Barrier reef, Queensland Salary: $150,000 (6 month contract) Responsibilities: Clean the pool Feed the fish Collect the mail Explore The Islands and report back Applicants: Anyone can apply, just visit islandreefjob.com and upload a video application Applications close: 22 February 2009

Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I'd check it out. It's the real thing, with a rigorous selection process that includes a 60- second video as part of the application that is rated by viewers of the site.

You can check out latest videos, most popular videos, and most viewed videos. It's a microcosm of online video--where the most popular and most viewed include bikini-clad women (one brave one in Canada was shown with snow flying across the screen), high-energy and entertaining personalities, and well-thought out, targeted messages.

photo by clamabue

How this relates to A Bigger Voice:

• Crystallization. Clearly articulated message that attracts "kindred spirits," individuals who are web-savvy, at ease with online video, articulate, love an adventure, and thrive on fun and connection with others. Part of the wisdom: Creating a posting for a job that seems too good to be true is in itself great marketing and reinforces the type of people who will apply.
• Community-Building. The tools that A Bigger Voice uses to build a community are front and center: Technology, Marketing, Networking. While this might seem like it's all about technology (uploading videos and rating them), the genius is evident in the marketing and networking. I think of marketing as part visibility, part attraction, part filling a need.  Networking happens naturally. I found out about the job opening from a friend who I only occasionally email. I tweeted about this on Twitter (@carolross) and am now blogging about it. The big question: When the main purpose of filling the job is done, what happens to this site and the people who have a passion for adventure, video blogging, the Great Barrier Reef, or applying for jobs too good to be true? I don't know that the Tourism Queensland team intended to build a community from the recruitment process (although video blogging, once it starts will certainly help with that.)
• Sustainability. Obviously, someone figured out the ROI from the Tourism Queensland office before embarking on this effort. 

Looking at this from a slightly different angle, if you were charged with promoting the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, how would you traditionally do it? And now that word travels fast through the Internet, online video is cheap to produce and easy to upload, and people are hungry for authenticity and freshness, what would you do?  Yeah, that's what I thought. Welcome to a bigger voice....

Communities of Circumstance

Photo by Joe Shlabotnik

Often when we use the word “community” these days, we’re thinking about a community of affinity, a community of people who have significant values in common. In A Bigger Voice we often refer to this kind of community as a “community of kindred spirits.”

But when we’re talking about changing something big in the world, another kind of community may also come into play. This is what I’d call a community of circumstance, or a community of common stake.

For example, I live on an inner-city block in Minneapolis. The people on my street are extremely diverse in many ways—in class, in race and ethnicity, in language, in political views. I don’t spend time with any of my neighbors—I like them fine, but we’re not close friends and we don’t share much about our lives. We have different ideas about what would make things better on our block. At a recent public meeting, it became clear that we all had different reactions to the barrier the city council and the police put up at the end of our street this summer. I have a “Peace Now” sign in my yard; my neighbor has a “Liberate Iraq” sign on his porch. We are not a community of affinity.

Photo by Sanjay Kumar

However, the people on my block are bound together by where we live. Our actions on the block affect one another. We have a common stake in our neighborhood. Unless we choose to move, we have to work it out together. In this case, our common circumstance is geographical. In other cases, it may be professional, or connected to a chosen or unchosen life circumstance (a child with cancer, an ethnic heritage, an abiding interest in agriculture or architecture).

When you want to create a big change in the world, you gather energy and ideas and comfort from a community of kindred spirits—from people who are excited by the same ideas or hold the same deep values, who see the world the same way. But to actually bring the change into being, you are likely to have to work with people you don’t agree with or whose values are different from yours. Finding the connection—the common stake—is crucial to getting things done. On my block, the common stake is obvious. On a bigger scale, it may not be quite so clear.

Who are your kindred spirits? And who else will you have to work with to get the job done?

Dave Taylor's Keynote at Thin Air Summit

Dave Taylor gave the keynote at the opening of the Thin Air Summit. And what an opening!

He's a pioneer in the use of the Internet, going back to the '80s. With that experience comes a wise perspective. I found Dave's keynote to be smart, compassionate, and best of all, a much needed viewpoint about how technology is impacting us as a society and a culture. You don't get that from the average geek.

Some key points from his talk, "Finding a Voice: The Evolution of Personal Media Through History":

• All of us are publishers. Dave asked the room how many were bloggers, podcasters, vloggers (video podcasters), on Twitter, on Facebook. Lots of hands raised, which you would expect in this kind of crowd. The point is that there are multiple avenues for getting your point of view out in the world. This is one of the underpinnings of A Bigger Voice--you don't need to go through gatekeepers (e.g., publishers, programmers for radio or television shows) to have a bigger voice in the world.
• We are story-tellers. Dave talked about how human beings have the desire to tell stories. His presentation was a great example of this, telling us about graffiti from 79AD in Pompeii and bloggers jailed in oppressive regimes, to illustrate his points about the drive and dangers of having a voice. Stories stick. Stories capture our imagination. It's why A Bigger Voice emphasizes telling your story of why you are passionate about your cause, how you've come to do the work that you doing.
• Each of us represents more people with similar ideas. We not only have the ability to have a voice, we can influence others as well. I loved this point from Dave as it goes to the core of a principle from A Bigger Voice: One individual can start a community.
• The human desire for expression is strong. People are willing to risk being jailed, tortured, and killed to be heard.  Citing examples like Anne Frank, Thomas Paine and places where freedom of speech is non-existent, Dave made the case for why so many of us are lucky to have open disagreement and heated discussions, publicly.
• Divergent voices are the sign of a healthy system. Yes! Yes! and Yes!  It's the secret to what A Bigger Voice calls a "vibrant community." Corollary point: One person starts the conversation and then someone else riffs off of it. You can't control this, nor do you want to. Any blogger who has written a provocative post and seen comments come pouring in knows this, in spades.
  Dave summed this up nicely:
  • More Voices = Less Control
  • Less Voices = Death of Democracy
• Everyone's a media channel. We are the new citizen journalist. This goes to points made in the Long Tail. And the idea that bottom-up change is possible, now more than ever.
• With power comes responsibility. Think before talking. I think often at the root of flaming, talking without thinking about the ramifications, and just silly stuff is self-righteousness. It's why the personal development part of this journey is so important. We need to be in service to something other than our ego.

I'm usually much more measured in blogging about my experiences--waiting a few days after I've had a chance to digest and process. And I think I'm getting into the spirit of social media--which is about connecting to many and sharing in real time.

Jeremiah Owyang will give a keynote this morning, in less than an hour. I'll try to blog about what I learn from his talk soon....