Comments on: Does Blogging Substitute Real Action? http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/11/does-blogging-substitute-real-action Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:29:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Sean Stannard-Stockton http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/11/does-blogging-substitute-real-action#comment-1491 Sean Stannard-Stockton Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:42:44 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/11/does-blogging-substitute-real-action#comment-1491 I'm an investment manager and I have CNBC on all day at work. CNBC is nothing but a parade of people talking about their ideas. There is now an ad for Barclays that shows people at meetings and in offices and slowly all the stuff (desks, computers, etc) disappear. The people don't even react and just keep talking to each other passionately. The tag line is something like "We only need ideas". Action is important. Obviously, but ideas are needed first. Creating/refining/disseminating ideas is an action in itself. The danger is that some people enjoy thinking up new ideas so much that they do not actually act on any of them. I’m an investment manager and I have CNBC on all day at work. CNBC is nothing but a parade of people talking about their ideas. There is now an ad for Barclays that shows people at meetings and in offices and slowly all the stuff (desks, computers, etc) disappear. The people don’t even react and just keep talking to each other passionately. The tag line is something like “We only need ideas”.

Action is important. Obviously, but ideas are needed first. Creating/refining/disseminating ideas is an action in itself. The danger is that some people enjoy thinking up new ideas so much that they do not actually act on any of them.

]]> By: perla http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/11/does-blogging-substitute-real-action#comment-1481 perla Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:15:29 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/11/does-blogging-substitute-real-action#comment-1481 Michele - you are absolutely right. There are some people who have changed the world simply by their ideas and their ability to spread them. For example, in thinkers like Milton Friedman, Hernando de Soto, C. K. Prahalad have revolutionized approaches to economic development by their ideas and dissemination of them. And exactly, as you point out, Phil, the dissemination part is about gaining trust, confidence of people outside the small core of supporters. The challenge for nonprofits and philanthropy is not the absence of good ideas - the challenge is encouraging more people to be evangelists and lead these conversations and propel them to mass adoption. When people talk about supporting leadership development in our sector, I frequently think that this - idea dissemination generally - needs to be one of the dimensions of leadership that should be included. Michele - you are absolutely right. There are some people who have changed the world simply by their ideas and their ability to spread them. For example, in thinkers like Milton Friedman, Hernando de Soto, C. K. Prahalad have revolutionized approaches to economic development by their ideas and dissemination of them.

And exactly, as you point out, Phil, the dissemination part is about gaining trust, confidence of people outside the small core of supporters. The challenge for nonprofits and philanthropy is not the absence of good ideas - the challenge is encouraging more people to be evangelists and lead these conversations and propel them to mass adoption.

When people talk about supporting leadership development in our sector, I frequently think that this - idea dissemination generally - needs to be one of the dimensions of leadership that should be included.

]]> By: Phil http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/11/does-blogging-substitute-real-action#comment-1471 Phil Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:28:17 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/11/does-blogging-substitute-real-action#comment-1471 Yes, Blogging reminds me of the marches, sit-in, be-in, rock concerts, consciounsess raising groups, and bull sessions that were so much a part of the '60s. Sometimes we need to talk "outside the system" and socialize with one another before there is enough trust, solidarity, civic friendship, common ideas, emergent common sense, and cultural momentum to make change on a larger scale possible. You build a movmement one mind, one conversation, at a time. Yes, Blogging reminds me of the marches, sit-in, be-in, rock concerts, consciounsess raising groups, and bull sessions that were so much a part of the ’60s. Sometimes we need to talk “outside the system” and socialize with one another before there is enough trust, solidarity, civic friendship, common ideas, emergent common sense, and cultural momentum to make change on a larger scale possible. You build a movmement one mind, one conversation, at a time.

]]> By: Michele Martin http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/11/does-blogging-substitute-real-action#comment-1029 Michele Martin Sat, 24 Nov 2007 12:36:05 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/11/does-blogging-substitute-real-action#comment-1029 Perla--great post! I agree completely, but think you can take things one step further and argue that in many cases, blogging is exactly the action that needs to take place for an organization. I've written more about this at my own blog and received some great comments from other bloggers, too. You can find the post at: http://michelemartin.typepad.com/thebambooprojectblog/2007/11/does-blogging-r.html Perla–great post! I agree completely, but think you can take things one step further and argue that in many cases, blogging is exactly the action that needs to take place for an organization. I’ve written more about this at my own blog and received some great comments from other bloggers, too. You can find the post at:

http://michelemartin.typepad.com/thebambooprojectblog/2007/11/does-blogging-r.html

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