Let’s Give It A Shot Is Better Than ‘Do This’
Stepping up to encourage people to participate means more than telling people what to do.
I am not a believer in a ‘listen to me’ approach, but more of a ‘let’s give it a shot’ dynamic to the initiatives we are a part of.
When you feel you are finding your voice, finding situations where you can exercise it, and have growing confidence to do so, it’s ok to try something that might not even work. What’s the worse that could happen?
We all have the opportunity to step up and give meaning. If we care enough, we can also make a difference.
The night before 2023 You Are The Media Creator Day, Matthew Denyer hosted an event called Failed Nights. Three business owners shared stories on how things didn’t go their way, the failures that happened and how they may or may not have changed their lives. I was at the first-ever Failed Nights event and there was some brutal honesty on show, but you had to be there.
At the Creator Day itself, I stood on stage and presented a small task to everyone. The goal was to post on social media with the hashtag #InPoole. One of the problems at any event, large or small, is you simply won’t get to meet everyone. I’m sure there will be people that you will certainly get on with, and certainly should connect with, but you do so because there is no delegate list to read through.
The hashtag posting was an experiment in a possible solution to that interesting problem.
It certainly wasn’t about connecting with me, as I could have put my links on screen, with a QR code or a bit.ly link. The objective was to connect everyone together.
The amount of online chatter from that exercise was fantastic. A hashtag presented with no explanation, or no call to action would have fizzled away quickly. People would have posted, but not searched.
It’s now changed to a hashtag that proudly says, I am here, doing business and supporting business #InPoole.
It is better to lead by example and try out new ideas, rather than deliver industry rhetoric that has been with us for generations.
There are creative ways, where we have a presence, to make a difference. We just need to give it a shot!
