"Purpose-Ideas are articulated via Social Objects, not Messages."
Hugh reminds us that the Why of a business (its purpose) can't simply be expressed in messages. It has to be expressed in actions.
As he puts it beautifully:
"Social Gestures beget Social Objects".Quite.
It's something I talk about a lot as we organise around the Purpose (our why) that drives Brando-Digital (the story so far in five slides, below). What stuff do we do that is more than skin deep? How will we live our purpose?
Perhaps there's a call to action in all this for those who believe in the power of the network and the dominance of communities (and I know I ain't the only one...).
Maybe, if you aren't already, consider taking your love of the social offline?
Do something for your community in the real world. Pledge away (by posting a comment) below. If five people post a pledge, I'll join in and share what I'll be doing and have been doing.
I'd rather do it that way because then I'll know the community of loosely connected nodes that make up this blog DO care. And it makes me sound a bit less like ' I-do-a-lotta-work-for-charidee', mate.'
One thing I know all of us who join in will share is a sense of community.
And it is a sense that is more than skin deep.
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Couldn't agree more, in fact I'd planned a similar entry for our blog soon.
ReplyDeleteAs well as sending me on the London to Paris bike ride, we're supporting a charity cycle ride across europe (raising money for cancer research) and working on a social entrepreneur type project in this area.
Does that count as a pledge?
That's exactly the stuff! One down, four to go!
ReplyDeleteHere's a particularly touching example of visible charity in action: the St Columba's Hospice Christmas Tree. Each light represents a lost love one who was cared for by the hospice. It's a very visible object that binds the community round it. The lighting up ceremony brings all the families together.
ReplyDeleteThat's very cool Richard. A visible and social object.
ReplyDeleteIf there's anything you're willing to share about your personal involvement in this or similar - that's the kind of thing we're looking for here. But only stuff you're comfortable with sharing, of course.
I keep thinking we should refer to social objects (even the visible, physical manifestations) as social subjects. After all, social networks self-organize and develop in intersubjective spaces, sometimes associated with, but never synonymous with physical locations.
ReplyDelete