Are You Ready For the Social Era?

Go ahead. Dig in your heels. Shove your head in the sand. Keep telling yourself that the good old days are still here. It's your call. But when the unstoppable force hits what you think is an immovable object, perception will be upended by reality in a none to flattering way. In other words, shit will hit fans, asses will find slings.

While you were busy managing your workforce the pendulum swung. Business will never be the same. Sure, there'll be Mastodons around for a while, but the ice age is over. They can move to higher ground, or migrate towards the polls, but these are temporary moves. A handful of firms are starting to figure out how to succeed in the new paradigm. Connecting, engaging and co-creating is the new path forward. Using social media to communicate and take won't get you very far. Success breeds imitation and today's vanguards are garnering plenty of it, so it won't be long before the herd heads in this direction. Fair warning, predators are waiting in the bushes to pick off the laggards.

So what am I getting at?!

Nilofer Merchant (@nilofer), HBR blogger and one of my favorite thinkers, just released a new book, "11 Rules for Creating Value in the Social Era." I recommend reading it yesterday. It's a short, crisp read on the what, why and some of the how of the Social Era. Nilofer doesn't have all the answers, but I think she'll help you begin the transition from today's road to ruin to tomorrow's path of sustainable prosperity. It's short enough that I don't want to give away the milk, so you'll just have to take my word on this one... Or, I guess you could go read Nilofer's latest post, which introduces the book.

I opened this post by inviting you to do what exactly what your gut reaction is probably telling you as the social era sets in. Go with what got you there. Run scared. Duck and cover...

Alternately, you could wake up from your stupor, pull your head out of your rear, and start dealing with reality. The tidal wave of change is upon us. If it hasn't hit your business yet, it will soon. Open your eyes.

It's your call.