It takes more than a swoosh to separate the ‘just do it’ people from the ‘no can do’ folks. At first I was thinking it was an optimist vs pessimist deal. But then I realized it was more about risk tolerance. People who can handle being wrong, looking foolish or possibly having things go sideways seem to be more willing to try something new.

It seems as though some people believe they are contributing more strategic value when they can identify all the risks and throw them up as barriers. It’s like they’re saying “look how I’m saving us from disaster” and “yes, I did just earn my pay cheque.”

I think it’s more difficult to be the person who recognizes the challenges and focuses on solutions to make it happen, rather than dwelling on excuses to set the opportunity aside.

Why am I thinking about this now? I’ve been speaking to a lot of groups about using social media in government, and these two camps (just do it/no can do) really stand out. This weekend, I had a great time meeting with a room full of ‘just do it’ professionals to discuss social media in local government. They are pursuing professional development at Capilano University, so I’m thinking they are already prone towards trying new things. What I found was that our discussion focussed on the opportunities to use social media, rather than the barriers.

When I’ve presented at conferences, I get more of a mix. There are plenty of naysayers who have a long list of reasons why it’s too risky. They’ll lose control of the conversation, the community will bash Council, staff will waste time on Facebook, they don’t have the resources, they might get sued for not protecting privacy, there might be problems with FOI…yadda yadda yadda.  Actually, these are all really valid concerns. But not insurmountable issues.  What’s interesting is that others in the same group were more focussed on the solutions to these concerns so they could move forward. If I actually understood Yin and Yang – I wonder if this would be a good example?

Anyway, for myself, the biggest barrier was my own laziness. I’ve been in this business of communications for more than 20 years, and my reaction was more “Man, I do NOT want to have to learn another whole set of communication tools.”  I could have focussed on the issues and use them as barriers to delay the inevitable. But then I realized I wasn’t quite ready to retire, so I’d better jump in.  Now I can’t believe how many great opportunities these tools provide, and I wish I’d had them on hand in the past.

So the point of my ramble here is that I believe successful organizations are those that have enough of the ‘just do it’ people in place to make progressive decisions and allow for some risk.  Social media is just one example of taking a step into unknown territory, and reaping benefits you may not have contemplated. So ask yourself – what campers are you hanging out with?