Comments on: What’s One Thing I Can Do Right Now?

By: AHA

AHA — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:19:48 +0000

Simple thing: define core purpose of yourself or your project. This is hard for most people though, but a simple thing that will reap huge benefits in the long term.

By: Adam Singer

Adam Singer — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 14:53:45 +0000

Hey Ken – agreed with the importance of taking the first step (see this one: http://thefuturebuzz.com/2009/05/04/the-first-step/ ) – however I see that as different than “what can I do right now” or “what can I start doing today.” Only when you have a path and direction should you begin — not just from one thing.

By: Chris Grayson

Chris Grayson — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 00:37:04 +0000

“What’s One Thing I Can Do Right Now?”

You can start working on your strategy.

By: Shari Weiss

Shari Weiss — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:38:11 +0000

Ken, I love your final paragraph with the questions the “client” should ask him/herself.

However, why not offer a One-Thing-To-Do as — Making certain to understand the Big Shift and how the Business World has changed forever.

That means, to me, that any organization that wants to find success in the future must change its mindset from “Business as Usual to Business as it must be to accommodate more empowered and informed customers”

By: Lucas

Lucas — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:47:48 +0000

Perfect timing – I actually met with a new client (small nonprofit) two days and this is exactly what she wanted to know. She had been attending nonprofit events and panel discussions for months without ever being able to get what she found to be an acceptable answer. She said that it was always these lively discussions about the limitless amount of things social media could do for nonprofits and about all the great things it had been used for already. At the end of all of these discussions she would raise her hand and ask what she could do right then to get started in social media. Every time, without fail, her question was greeted with a sort of blank look and then more “fluffy” social media talk.

Based on that client’s experiences, I’d have to lean more towards Lesli’s take on this recurring question. While I agree with you that it’s a sign the questioner is approaching it with the wrong frame of mind, I think you overlooked an important fact – they’re the client, we’re the professional. This person is looking for a way to sift through the information overload social media produces. I think Lesli’s got the right idea. In fact, this scenario should be viewed as a good thing: it shows that the questioner is willing to take concrete action.

Since my experience is solely with nonprofits, I can absolutely confirm your suspicion that all of these questioners who are in the nonprofit sector are looking for a “silver bullet.” The workloads that most nonprofit workers have to shoulder is enormous. Taking on additional responsibilities is not something they can afford to take lightly. I’ve seen over-worked marketing/communications directors turn green at the thought of being assigned more duties because the organization decided to “join that social media stuff.”

With regard to them being able to just Google it – shhhhhh. Talk like that could put a lot of industries out of business. Or lots of people could find themselves with the same results I got the time I decided Google equipped me with all the knowledge needed to render the home renovations industry obsolete in our household. (My wife still loves to tell the story about the crooked shelves.)