As a society we’re always in a continuum of redefining. We repurpose and redefine pieces and parts of our society as our needs suit us – words being the canary for societal change.
By Hans Silvester
– Photographer Extraordinaire
The example of which has caught my attention lately is tribes. Oh, I’ve read and seen it applied several ways over the years, and have actually written about it in a graduate paper a few years back – but the emergence and reassignment that’s coming with this word is big and the driver behind this push is social media.
As a society of social creatures, we are driven to belong. We join a group, go to church, have our classes, gangs affiliate, and so on – we partition ourselves to align with our ‘tribes’ – or as I wrote about, our communities of practices, commonly known as COPs.
Social media and online communication is the new glue that holds this tribal bonding together. Through online capabilities, one doesn’t even have to be physically present to interact with a tribe, but can be present all the same via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Vine, and a plethora of channels. The followers, the ‘likers’, the engagers become our tribes.
It’s a powerful opportunity to position one’s self as an influencer – one who sways a tribe to act specifically. It’s also a powerful opportunity to be the purveyor of good will, support, encouragement, enlightenment, and success for the tribe as a whole. This type of tribal philosophy builds forever foundations.
Be choiceful of your tribes. Select, encourage, nurture, and gain your tribe. Be purposeful in that you lift all boats of your tribe, so that in turn all boats lift you. It is a shared experience of energy, knowledge, and reference. Use your social media channels to embark on the voyage of discovery of your tribal path. Bring value to your tribes, and they in turn will float your boat.
Written with my humblest acknowledgement and gratitude to Seth Godin – a Tribal Master!
My next post: Tribal Management
~ I Ignite The Pursuit of Knowledge~ 