Six ways to dive into social networking

"The most important capital we have is social capital," Allison Fine told participants at LSA's Executive Retreat last month.

"We need to be able to articulate specific needs and ask for specific engagement to mobilize people," she added, noting that even though social networks facilitated by technology look ethereal, the relationships are real.

Fine, the author of Momentum, Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age, told Lutheran executives to "stop lifting and start leveraging" in an open-ended, conversation-oriented way to mobilize people's skills and passions for mutual interest. She suggested that executives develop a "listen and learn" culture as part of a broader organizational ecosystem.

Leading in a facilitating way is like being a good host, Fine writes in Momentum, "A great host actively keeps the conversation lively, introduces people with common interests to one another, and makes sure that the seating arrangement keeps mortal enemies away from one another. The same listening, connecting, and facilitation skills transfer to the management of effective organizations."

Fine noted that the old way of communicating was to broadcast messages from the institution to the individual. Now communication goes in all directions and is both generated and received person-to-person.

"To flourish in the connected age, you don't need to create your own website ...," Fine said, "but you do need to be open to change and curious about the possibilities available in this new world."

This is especially true in communicating with Millennials, ages 15-29, who embody the connected age. Millennials want to change the world one household, one donation, one walk at a time. They begin their social cause engagement with things like Darfur, literacy, etc - not with communities of need. They are connected to a wide range of friends. They are not protesters, but are socially aware and interested in voting and buying green, for example.

"A mind-set of connected activism is necessary," Fine said.

Fine suggested these six tips to Lutheran executives:

• Ask Millennials to mentor other generations regarding the use of social media.
• Invite Millennials connect to friends and friends of friends – connect them to issues they care about.
• Present time-limited campaigns to engage Millennials. They may only work with you for a short period of time, but they may remain connected through relationships they develop.
• Learn to become comfortable working in a networked, power-to-the-edges way.
• Take time to explore. Try social networking tools and don't be afraid to fail.
• Learn where and how to best leverage resources.

"Social networking is a process - not an outcome," Fine reminded her audience. "When we push power to the edges, there is no precise way to foretell the outcomes."