The only reason one has influence over another is because another acknowledges it, recognizes the existence of it.
But even that’s not enough. One has to be actualized, to be made real, again and again, along with being acknowledged. Once those two things occur, then the virtal nature of peer networks accelerates the growth of one’s influence. And that acceleration is what drives social influence over time, especially online in the realm of social networks today.
That’s what I call the triple AAA rating of social media influence. Social media influence can wield extensive power if it’s AAA, but it doesn’t mean there’s expertise. For that matter, expertise doesn’t always wield social influence. However, if you write and share a lot online about X, Y and/or Z, and it’s acknowledged and actualized as such, it generates influence.
Expert, novice, crazy or crackpot — social media influence makes for popularity that rules the roost. But again, if I don’t acknowledge it, you’re not influential. To me anyway.
According to John Sumser, influential analyst of HR technology market strategy and purveyor of the HRExaminer.com online algorithm-generated influencer lists, one way of thinking about influence is that the only place influence matters is within your network. Completely agree — your network that recognizes and makes real your influence.
Now, there are many services that attempt to quantify (and qualify) your social influence — Klout, Twylah, Traackr, TwentyFeet, Peer Index, SocialIQ, Booshaka…
Booshaka? Really?
Anyway, these social influence ranking tools can generate quite a negative, visceral reaction with folks, that they’re stupid, inaccurate tools that measure quantity, not quality. But I’d argue that these tools will come and go, and that we’re always going to try to measure stuff and online rank (think search engine page ranks), but your true triple AAA social influence as defined and promoted by your human counterparts is what rocks the world, not an algorithm.
Remember, your peers do influence your #Klout score. It ain’t all robots.
I agree with my #TChat co-creator, Meghan M. Biro: Social influence can be harnessed for the greater good of the community & the workplace. It takes time and quality leadership. Sadly, it can also be harnessed for the great bad when you speak with a forked tongue to offend and stoke caustic fires.
Be a triple AAA for the greater good. That’s the social influence I acknowledge and actualize.
Thank you again for being a part of our TalentCulture #TChat community. The greatest social influence on us is you. Really. Otherwise Meghan and I wouldn’t be here. Thank you.
You can read Crystal Miller‘s precap here and here were the questions from last night:
Q1. What does “influence” mean to you? Does it matter?
Q2. What goes into creating influence? How does one become ‘influential?’
Q3. What are some of the most significant ways “influence” impacts the world of work?
Q4. Are there any potential downsides or landmines associated with having influence?
Q5. Do current tools like Klout accurately reflect influence? Can “influence” be quantified in the first place?
Q6. What impact does social media and emerging technologies have on our perceptions of influence or influencing our behaviors?
The #TChat Twitter chat and #TChat Radio are created and hosted by @MeghanMBiro @KevinWGrossman and powered by our friends and partners @TalentCulture @Monster_WORKS @MonsterCareers @HRmarketer and of course @Focus.
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