Are You A Turtle on a Fencepost?

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Are You A Turtle on a Fencepost?

by Jay Deragon on 07/29/2008 05:01 0 comments , 77 views
Categories: Business Process Management (BPM), Social Media, Knowledge Management, Open Source, Reviews, Search, Twitter, Web Services, Google, Vendor News, Collaboration, Mashups, Web Content Management (WCM), Content Management Systems, Social Computing, Web 2.0, Marketing, Enterprise 2.0, Blogs

Turtle on a Fence Post Turtles can’t climb rather all they can do is crawl. How can a turtle get on a fence post unless someone helped put them there? Once propped up on a fence post they also can’t get down, without falling, unless someone helps them down.

Like the turtle on the fence post none of us can achieve much without the help of someone else.As we individual crawl around the social web we meet people, we collaborate and share and soon we may find ourselves lifted up with new information, new perspectives or with answers we seek.

One of the many benefits of any relationship is learning. Learning from others perspectives, expertise, experiences and from the relationships others have with others. The social web fuels the velocity of learning for those seeking to learn.

The collective learning lifts us individually as well as collectively up to new heights where we gain broader perspectives that help us achieve whatever objectives we pursue. Like a turtle on a fence post we’re lifted up not by our own selves rather with the help of others.

Whether for business or personal reasons people need other people to reach new heights of accomplishment. People need different things to gain a sense of accomplishment or to achieve specific objectives. The essence of human satisfaction is based on an exchange, whether it be giving or taking, it is an exchange. The human soul is best fulfilled by the act of giving and most people want to give something because it is inherent in all of us to give. Giving also satisfies our egos by fulfilling our self esteem to know that we have something of worth to give another which satisfies their needs.

We all have been given a new powerful tool called the social web. Just like the turtle on the fence post, the social web provides the means for many to gain from the helping hand of others who give us all things new, learning, sharing and new relationships. What we do with this power is an individual choice and most will choose to give. All this giving is creating profound effects that many try and define or predict. The power of giving and the outcomes only have one certainty, used properly one can lift up another who then collectively can lift up millions.

If you find yourself on a fence post just know that you didn’t get there by yourself and if you want to be lifted up even higher you’ll need a helping hand.

What say you?