Connecting - MN BLog Conf 2012

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

Why Blog?

Make Connectionsbut with who?

Family & Friends?Like-Minded People?Diverse people?

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

Reasons to Connect

Strengthen Family or CommunityEmpower or Build CommunityCreate New Diverse Community

Blog on Purpose(you can take that several ways at once)

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

It’s not all about you.

It’s just not that kind of party.

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

The Cause

What are you trying to achieve?How do you advance your goal?

Leadership = Passion + Truth

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

SpinSucks.com Gini Dietrich

ADCMinnesota.org

Hussein Samatar

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

(Not exactly in the same category of leadership, but it’s mine)

Politics: Not just the games of elections & power1) The art & science of human interaction (eg, “Office Politics”,

“Domestic Politics”)2) The operating system of a Democratic-Republic

56%23%

21% Liberal

Conservative

Moderate

46%

18%

9%

3%

7%

5% 12%USA

UK

Canada

Australia

Germany

Brasil

Other

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

Building a Diverse Community

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

On ClevernessDao De Ching 45(Peter Merel translation)

Great perfection seems incomplete,But does not decay.Great abundance seems empty,But does not fail.

Great truth seems contradictory,Great cleverness seems stupid,Great eloquence seems awkward.

As spring overcomes the cold,And autumn overcomes the heat.So calm and quiet overcome the world.

大成若缺，其用不弊。

大盈若冲，其用不

穷。

大直若屈，大巧若拙，大

辩

若

讷。

静

胜

躁，寒

胜

热。清静

为

天下正

。

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

Don’t Be Afraid of Being Wrong!

A real leader listens – and can admit when theyare wrong. A strong community builds when everyone has something to add. Sometimes,that’s schooling you.

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

Building Community

The best writing is just like social activism:There is something for heart and arm and brain.

Appeal to the heart with passion,Convince the brain with facts,Develop a strong course of action.

Stan Rogers

Nothing builds community better than shared work!

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

Connection Theory

The Final Piece

“Technology advances when all thebits and pieces are lying around and someone, anyone really, connects them in a way that is new and useful.”

James Burke (BBC)

This is what Burke called “The Trigger Effect”

And it works for much more than technology!

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

More Than Just Your Blog

Reductionism: Breaking a system down to its individual components.Holism: Examining a system as a whole and observing its function.Connectionism: Observing how the components interact to make a whole.

A successful blog is a connected blog, part of a greater whole.Functionally – through other social mediaSocially – across a diverse audiencePhilosophically – is part of a bigger movement

Pay more attention to the connections than to the pieces!

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

Building a Connected Blog

Understand the Cause – More than just youLeadership – Passion and TruthDecency – Respect and HumilityUnderstand the Whole – More than your blog

And make use of all forms of social media to build your audience!

Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community

Connecting

Summary

Blogging, like all writing, can be a tool for empowerment.

A crazy world in the throes of change needs leadership!

Connect, especially with those you don’t agree with(you may be amazed what you learn!)

Blog on Purpose – the rest will follow.

John Steinbeck