Monday 12 August 2013

Are you using the best glue for you in ensuring online and in-person harmony?

I don't like the use of the word balance, as in work/life balance, because for me it denotes equality. Our personal and working lives are not equal. I therefore think that the concept of work/life balance is nonsense. I do believe we can keep our personal and working lives in harmony with one another.

A key quest in all of our lives is to find/create harmony between the opposing forces that are everywhere, work/life, leadership/management, relationships/tasks, pain/pleasure etc etc etc etc.

The big one today is finding/creating harmony between online and in-person.

We need a glue that binds opposites together. I call this glue relationship harmony points (RHP).

Most people see online and in-person as illustrated in the first diagram below, the view is either/or. A both/and view provides a different perspective (the second diagram)  To work both/and we need to find the glue, the relationship harmony points (RHP).


The glue, the RHP for me between online and in-person is community, connection, and collaboration.  


Your glue will be different hence the title of this post - Are you using the best glue for you in ensuring online and in-person harmony?

In-person I am focused on doing great work for, delivering value to, and building relationships of high value and mutual reward with people whom I have shared-values and shared purpose. Community, connection and collaboration are therefore always uppermost in my mind.

To keep my online work in harmony with my in-person work I therefore focus on
Making my work and the work of my colleagues accessible to our tribe whenever they choose, wherever they are.
Sharing and spreading my colleagues/clients and my own stories and body of work so that we may attract others to our tribe.
Using and encouraging the use of technology that makes meeting with others and sharing easier e.g. Google docs and Google+ hangouts.

The point of online for me is to make community, connection and collaboration with people of like heart and mind simpler and as mutually rewarding as possible.  

Why are you online? 
What is the glue for you that would mean greater harmony between your online and in-person actions?

Be the difference you want to see in the world.
Ian

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