So I've never been big on new years resolutions. Seems like they are a marketing vehicle for diet beverages and fitness clubs. And by February, or perhaps before the end of the first week, it's like the alcoholics binge, "I'll never drink again…" but as soon as the hangover is done, all we have is the memory of the promise and pain of the past.
Instead of looking for a resolution, I have set some goals for 2010. I have reassessed my 2009 goals and revised them to meet my life a year later. But I don't want to enter into 2010 without some reflection on what my intention is. I do find that end of year times are good for looking back over the year and setting the course for the coming year.
So my theme is from a Fountains of Wayne song that was featured in the movie Robots. The main boss man in the movie sings "Don't tell me what you could've done, or what you should've done, tell me what you already did." Seems like that is a fitting motto for 2010 for me and for Social Media practices in general. Much of '09 was spent trying to prove the value of social media, the ROI of the community, the FTE vs bottom line proposition to creating a Facebook page. But there was a lot more talk about social media than there was doing, in my opinion.
I know that I busted out of Dell with some high ideas of how social media was going to take me upwards and onwards to my next position. And while I didn't fail, exactly, the bulk of my '09 was hunting for the work and not necessarily doing it. And oddly, or perhaps expectedly, as I DID get some new social media work, the client would flake out and decide they didn't want to do the project, or they just didn't want to pay me at all. Or even better, they wanted to entice me about "creating the social media role" within their company and then taking me to coffee for a mind meld rather than a discussion. Ideas were all that this CEO wanted. He was hammering me for strategy ideas on how to launch his company and iPhone app business.
So this year it is my intention to do more and talk less about social media. I have a great opportunity at my new job with WeissComm Parnters, and a bunch of stellar clients who are looking for our company to lead them into the next decade. So rather than puff up the idea of social media, I plan to execute social media programs, platforms, communities, strategies and tactics. And get some stuff done.
And as far as resolutions… Reading a magazine today (offline, thank you very much) I was struck by the word AUTHENTICITY.
That is the resolution that I am setting for myself this year. To be more authentic with my work, with my family, and most importantly with myself. I am responsible for my actions and inactions.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to the following people.
- Cathy Beans of Dell
- Bob Pearson of WeissComm (formerly of Dell's community and conversations team)
- Pete Hayes for 15 years of mentoring and friendship
- Jonathan Byerly of Dell
- My amazing wife Susan McElhenney
I would also like to make amends to the following people (this was not premeditated):
- Omar Gallaga (@omarg) for taking the brunt of my venom on Twitter sniping
- Lani Rosales (@laniAR) for getting linked into the Omar thing
- Richard Margetic (@byjove) for leading in his own way
- Manish Meheta for ushering in the Next Gen at Dell, for many people in so many ways
The rants were fueled by anger and disappointment. And while they have been removed from my site for some time, the damage was done. It was not my intention to rage for rage sake. But I am continually learning that we get what we give. And I do not want to focus my creative expression around tearing something down. I prefer to be about building and celebrating. Perhaps the next beer is on me in 2010.
I hope that we find ourselves together in authenticity this year. And I hope the next 12 months brings more doing, rather than hunting, for all of us.
@jmacofearth
permalink: http://bit.ly/2010-todo
Uber.la 2009 – The Year In Review: Renewing My Commitments for 2010
