Milestones or the pursuit of them can mess you up big time, especially if you are going after the wrong ones.
Social networks can blur the line, really. Take any social network and one of the easy metrics to measure is “quantitative” rather than “qualitative.”
On LinkedIn, it it is the total number of contacts
(It is easy to miss how many of these contacts really matter and it is also easy to miss for how many of these contacts you really matter)
On Facebook, it is the number of Friends
(Again easy to miss, how many are “really” your friends and it is also easy to miss, how many consider “you” as their real friend)
On Twitter, it is the number of followers
( It is easy to miss how many are following you just because you are following them. It is easy to miss how many quality Tweets do you actually write)
For me, the only measurement that matters is:
“Your capacity to contribute to make this world a better place.”
You can set appropriate milestones to measure this metric. Tools like social networks help but if these tools don’t contribute to help you with this metric, it really does not matter.
The performance is from students of a music school that teaches music to the blind.
The Southern California Conservatory of Music is the only place in the country that offers a braille music curriculum to teach musicianship of the highest caliber to blind and visually impaired students. It houses one of the largest braille music libraries in the world, and it also provides outreach programs to both blind and sighted children in the public schools who would otherwise receive no formal music education. After 37 years of steady service, this important community and national resource for the blind is facing severe financial difficulties, and has embarked on a fundraising campaign in an attempt to keep its doors open and continue its many programs.
I had an opportunity to talk to Dory Bavarsky, teacher over there and asked him about story behind the conservatory. Here is our conversation:
RS: Dory, what led you to get interested in this school?
DB: I was enrolled as a piano student at the conservatory at age 13. My teacher was Grant Horrocks, who along with Richard Taesch had founded the Braille Music Division of our school. I was studying classical piano quite intensively, and spent many of my weekends practicing at the conservatory. Since I was often there on Saturdays, I began to observe and then participate in the group classes for blind children. It was fascinating because the way these children were taught to engage in music was somewhat different than what I had been used to. Also, the range of abilities and disabilities presented in our group of students was quite vast and remarkable. I met children who had tremendous music gifts, including a few with incredible ears. Many of our blind students have perfect pitch, and some to such a degree that they can easily play back complicated music upon a single hearing. I was especially amazed by Rachel Flowers, who at age 4 was playing Beethoven sonatas by ear, though she could barely reach the keyboard. Eager to work with this special group of people, I continued volunteering as an assistant throughout my high school years. After graduating from UCSB, I was hired as a faculty member at the conservatory.
RS: Tell us more about the wonderful work the school is doing?
DB: Our school provides a variety of important services. We operate as a regular music conservatory, offering private lessons in all the major instruments, including voice, piano, violin, guitar, and flute. Our Braille Music Division offers the same level of intensive musical education to the blind community. We hold weekly group classes in Braille music notation, keyboard skills, and ear training, as well as private lessons for some students. In addition, the Braille Music Division has conducted numerous outreach programs at other schools for the disabled throughout Southern California. Last year, our teachers, including myself, visited three different schools on a weekly basis, and conducted music appreciation classes for their students. These classes involve playing all kinds of music, discussing it, and even giving the kids an opportunity to feel and play various instruments. These outreaches are an important aspect of our program, as they provided a wonderful musical experience for kids who richly deserve and enjoy it.
Over our many years of service, we have developed strong relationships with many other organizations working with the blind community, including Junior Blind of America, California State University Northridge, and California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped. We are also the headquarters for The Music Education Network For The Visually Impaired, which is an information network composed of musicians, specialists, students, parents, and music educators.
RS: What can you share about some of the success stories of the school?
DB: Our school has had so many successes, especially in our Braille Music Division. We’ve had several students who have gone on to study music at colleges and universities. In fact, some of them have come back and are now working as instructors! We have also had students who come to our program unable to read braille. In several instances these students’ school teachers had declared that they would never be literate. However, music brings out hidden abilities, and after a few years with us, not only were these students reading braille, they were reading braille music notation as well.
One of our most inspiring students is one I mentioned earlier, Rachel Flowers. Rachel started with us as a tiny, nearly silent little girl. Though she would hardly ever talk, her musical ears were astounding. Over the years, Rachel has developed into an extraordinary musician. Her participation in music has also aided her development into a cheerful, talkative young lady. She plays piano and flute, and during the last few years become an excellent Jazz player. Last year, Rachel impressed some of the biggest stars of Jazz, including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Hubert Laws, when she performed for them as part of an celebration honoring Herbie Hancock.
RS: What support are you looking for and how can people show their support?
DB: An important aspect of our Braille Music Division is that tuition for group classes is free for all our students. This policy ensures that no child is denied instruction based on financial circumstances. Thus, the conservatory has always relied on donations and grants to cover some of our operating costs. Unfortunately, because of the difficult economy, many of the annual grants we had been receiving did not come through this year. Simply stated, the conservatory needs immediate emergency funds in order to stay open for the next term. All donations help us keep our doors open and allow us to continue offering services from our current location. If we do manage to survive this challenging time, we will need continued support in order to continue and expand our programs. People can help us so much by donating to the school, and also by telling others about us.
Also, please visit http://www.sccm.us/index_files/Page1544.htm to view photos and performance videos of some of our Braille Music Division students. There is a terrific video of Rachel playing piano and flute, at the same time!
[Pardon the in-built sarcasm. Sometimes I like to have fun too]
Here is the list. Please feel free to add to the list. We both know that there are MANY more ways to do this.
1. Just say that it will only take a minute of their time and squeeze five to ten minutes out of their life.
2. Talk about something that is of importance to their project. In the end tag along your own project and continue the discussion.
3. Exchange a few (obvious kind of) emails where you get an “Yes” and finally ask for something that you want. They are now in a mood to say “Yes,” so they might say “Yes” again.
4. Just tell them that you had one more thing to discuss and go ahead and discuss a dozen things. They won’t notice it especially if they are weak in maths.
5. Tell them you are checking in to see if they need any help. If they say they don’t need any help, you can start by saying – “I was wondering…” and go ahead with your agenda.
6. Call them and say that you had a missed call from their phone so you wanted to check in. If they say they didn’t call you, blame it on the phone company and start talking about whatever you want.
7. Send them an email about some industry report. Five minutes later go to their office and ask them if they got the report. Whatever is their answer, say, “Isn’t that interesting…” and start on your agenda.
8. Send them an email. Leave a voicemail to check if they received an email. Send them an instant message to check if they got the voicemail. If you don’t hear back, send a message on Twitter, write on their Facebook wall and lastly also try to comment on their blog.
9. Use the power of reciprocation. Give them a “low cost” gift and make them a “high cost” request.
10. Just call them and talk as if you had an appointment with them.
With everything that is happening in the world, the focus is on how to get the most out of your network. This is the right question to ask but if you stretch it a bit you might “overwork” your network and cause trouble for yourself. Here are ten ideas about “how NOT to overwork your network.”
(The ideas are not in any order)
1. Don’t add people in your network to mailing lists without asking their permission. Just because you have their card does not mean that they want to hear from you via newsletters.
2. Don’t introduce new people to anyone without asking permission from both parties. Typically one person wants to meet the other because they want to get something from the other person and the other person may not have the bandwidth to give that “something.”
3. Don’t have unreasonable expectations of your network
4. Don’t expect to receive first.
4. Don’t introduce more noise in your network. People don’t have time to deal with new noise.
5. Don’t take your network for granted.
6. Remember the golden rule: You knowing someone is not the same as they knowing you.
7. Put yourself in their shoes before making any request.
8. Think about this: “Why would fulfilling your request be meaningful to them?” If you can’t come up with a good answer, it might be time to go back to the drawing board and re-design your request for help.
9. Don’t play games with your network. Sooner than later, your network will know your true intent. And, it better be GOOD.
Lastly, remember that you get license to make a request in the “short-term,” if you have built a relationship over the long-term.
Here are a series of questions that Amazon answered over the years:
1. Why do you want to go to the bookstore when you can find a book online?
[convenience]
2. Why do you want to search among a few thousand books when you can search among a few million books?
[long tail]
3. Your bookstore does not sell used books?
[used book marketplace]
4. Why don’t you want to save on taxes for the books?
[savings]
5. Do you want to know what other books did other buyers of this book purchase?
[cross-sell and upsell]
6. What are others saying about this book?
[comments, user-generated content]
7. What are others saying about what others are saying about this book?
[comments on comments, user-generated content on user-generated content]
8. What is the author of the book saying?
[author connect, engagement]
9. Do you want to carry a 1000 books along with you?
[amazon kindle]
10. Oh..you want to get the book instantly? No problem
[whispernet technology]
11. Do you want to add your own documents along with this book collection?
[amazon storage for books]
It is amazing to watch the evolution over the years. If you think about it, in the initial days Amazon had a clear disadvantage as there was no “instant gratification” for book buyers online. However, the additional benefits far exceeded this disadvantage. Now, with Kindle and whispernet technology, Amazon offers “instant gratification” along with all other benefits.
Hats off to them!
It makes me think about all the questions we are answering at the various businesses I am involved with. What are we answering today? What should we be answering tomorrow?
For the few hundred of you who are on the list, welcome!
I have finally started writing the newsletter. The first issue was sent out yesterday. The newsletter content is different. It is part personal and part education. Hope to keep it that way but it will evolve into something that will benefit both of us.
I welcome others to sign up for the newsletter at the link below:
The options in the title are for the question related to your content – be it on your blog, facebook, twitter or simply in an email that you sent yesterday.
“What will people do when they read your content?”
1. Skip [ and move on to the next one ]
2. Scan [ look for highlights or the key message and move on ]
3. Stop [ and think and probably thank you for triggering their thinking ]
4. Save [ and re-visit multiple times in the future ]
and/or
5. Spread [ touched by it so much that they voluntarily spread it for you ]
Here are some of my tweets (Twitter Id: @UpbeatNow) in the month of February 2009
Feb 2: ThinkTweet: If you are the “signal” you don’t have to complain about the noise. It’s what will amplify your presence (Twitter Link)
Feb 3: ThinkTweet: You can never “win” in an argument. If you win, you lose because the other person loses. If you lose, well, you lose. (Twitter Link)
Feb 4: ThinkTweet: Q. to the interviewee – “What would be a question you wish I had asked? Why? and What would be your response?” (Twitter Link)
Feb 5: ThinkTweet: “Mediocre help is everywhere. You can get it for less too.” (Twitter Link)
Feb 5: Insightful – “To know your level of incompetence on a topic, you need to be reasonably competent on that topic” – Jeffrey Pfeffer (Twitter Link)
Feb 7: ThinkTweet: Life can be simple if this equation is true everyday: “What you give to the world” > “What you get from the world” (Twitter Link)
Feb 12: ThinkTweet: IMPOSSIBLE is same as “I M POSSIBLE” ?? (Twitter Link)
Feb 14: ThinkTweet: The golden rule: “Nobody wants to be sold but everyone wants to buy.” (Twitter Link)
Feb 15: ThinkTweet: I know one thing and that is “I don’t know everything.” (Twitter Link)
Feb 15: ThinkTweet: If you don’t follow the right people, you miss insights and if you follow the wrong ones you lose time (Twitter Link)
Feb 16: ThinkTweet: Direction is important. If you running fast in the wrong direction, you will reach the wrong place – FAST! (Twitter Link)
Feb 17: ThinkTweet: You steal an idea from a friend and you get ONLY one idea. Get that friend engaged and you get one GOLDMINE (Twitter Link)
Feb 17: ThinkTweet: 140 characters is a LOT when you don’t have anything to say (Twitter Link)
Feb 17: PowerQ: What is your elevator pitch for your elevator pitch? (Twitter Link)
Feb 17: ThinkTweet: “My Boss is the problem” is an excuse which is at the same level as “The dog ate my homework” (Twitter Link)
Feb 18: ThinkTweet: What is your Plan B for your Plan B? (Twitter Link)
Feb 19: ThinkTweet: You have a “problem” when you don’t know the solution. You have a “bigger problem” when you don’t know abt. the problem (Twitter Link)
Feb 20: Persistence alone is NOT sufficient. Look at how many of you block fake (but persistent) tweeps. (Twitter Link)
Feb 22: “In life we make choices. I had to constantly make choices between love and hate. I chose love and I am here” – A R Rehman #oscars (Twitter Link)
Feb 23: #ThinkTweet: We want something YESTERDAY but we are not even willing to pay the price for it TOMORROW (Twitter Link)
Feb 23: #ThinkTweet: Stress is “trying to control what you know cannot be controlled” and forgetting to “engage in what you CAN control.”(Twitter Link)
Feb 25: #ThinkTweet: Your worry in the present is a reflection for the lack of it (for the future) in the past(Twitter Link)
Feb 26: #ThinkTweet: Now that you answered the question that was asked, think about the question that was important but NOT asked (Twitter Link)
Feb 27: #ThinkTweet: If you back is hurting someone’s knife, you should take the partial blame (Twitter Link)
You can find the previous two Twitter Digests here:
When you are good at something, you tend to look at all the problems via that angle. This is important for you to know as this is how you will be looking at problems. This is also important for you to know when you listen to experts as this is how they are looking at the problems.
This is all the more important when it comes to way we use social media.
Take LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and even blogs – there are a variety of ways of using these tools to contribute, increase your capacity and/or make a difference.
Every tool will have experts who know how to make the most out of these tools. Some of these experts go so deep on these tools that they will look at every problem as something that can be solved via THAT tool. These experts are also popular in THEIR community which seems to validate that whatever they are doing is WORKING.
So, what should you do?
Here is one suggestion:
Take the best of what the experts are suggesting that you do but PLEASE apply the advice to your context. Your specific case may require some change to the strategy or may warrant a TOTALLY different strategy.
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