Comments on: Engagement, Authenticity, Influence: I’m Calling Shenanigans

By: Bill Wren - Writelife

Bill Wren - Writelife — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:05:22 +0000

I loved this, particularly when she says, “And I began to see that our audience was large, loyal, appreciative and quiet.” Emphasis on quiet.

Numbers never tell it all; numbers often get it wrong. :)

By: Andrea Ross

Andrea Ross — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 23:13:13 +0000

Thank you, Susan. I'm touched.

By: rebeccahappy

rebeccahappy — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:31:58 +0000

For sure we learned a lot of these things when we were kids but as adults sometimes we become dense. Add to that a business mind that has learned one way of doing things now in front of a bunch of new tools and old behaviours. When people repeat, authentic, engage and influence I think it is a reminder to themselves and others as the tools sometimes mask the humanity behind them.
In reality, this happens all the time even face to face..think about it Sue. The one I can speak to most easily is the doctor patient relationship but you can find it anywhere. Doctors hide their authenticity behind the clip board and white coat and we want them to sometimes. In fact, however it has been shown that once they touch their authenticity and enter into engaged exchanges with the patient, different healing occurs. When they meet human to human. The professional exchange of services still occurs but the influence comes from a relationship of trust.
It is easy for those that have integrated these skills to get frustrated with the ignorance of some who have forgotten the humanity in the social space but that is where it is a catch 22 maybe. Being authentic also can mean screwing up big time. If we want things to be better then helping educate is one option open to you…closing barriers and putting on a white coat is another.

By: heatherrast

heatherrast — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:30:18 +0000

Two thought directions.
One – results without the work. It's the online version of the get-slim-quick pill. Ties in with the sense of entitlement kind of hanging around the generation like a cloud. Demonstrating the three character attributes you discuss takes time and energy and really should be a cultural thread woven within organizations rather than traits demonstrated by a select few.
Two – Vulnerability. To engage, to “be yourself” whatever that position may be, and to possess influence, I think those traits make people (and companies) vulnerable. It's the weak ones who see the vulnerability as a detractor to their credibility, rather than the magnetic pull of approachability that it really is.

By: juliewalraven

juliewalraven — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:14:11 +0000

Thank you! Not only did you make sense and provide great examples, the video (which I played parts of twice) really touched me. Seems like you are talking in the dark sometimes and then you realize people were listening…