“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do.” – Moliere

Opportunity cost is a powerful concept. Finance 101 teaches us that inaction is the riskiest move of all. If you hide your money in a mattress, you remove yourself from the game, abandoning all hope of future return. Even worse, what happens if the mattress accidentally goes up in flames? Game over.

In business, as in life, every decision involves some risk. Each time an organization chooses to pursue Path X, it sacrifices the potential upside of Path Y or Z. But credible information can reduce that risk, and strong leaders look for reliable signals to guide their choices.

When deciding how social media fits into the workplace, leaders would be wise to watch and listen for signals from employees. These days the noise is deafening. New methods of organizational collaboration and communication are proliferating — not just through authorized corporate initiatives, but through ad-hoc efforts of workgroups and individuals who are pushing the social envelope just because they want to work smarter.

This isn’t heretical. It’s progress. It’s a by-product of human culture that’s as old as fire and as enduring as the wheel — and it was the upshot of yesterday’s #TChat World of Work exchange, as @Hootsuite HR Director Ambrosia Humphrey (@hambrody) and her team moderated a spirited discussion about social media’s role in work life.

The Big RT

Among hundreds of comments, which one registered highest on the retweet scale?

“Telling today’s employees not to use social media is like telling employees several years ago not to use the phone.” @MattMonge

In other words, business leaders, the social ship has left the harbor. Many of your employees eagerly climbed onboard, and it’s not too late to steer that vessel toward a desirable destination.

But which way to go next? We feel the pain of that question even here at TalentCulture.com, as we choose social platforms and tools that will best serve our mission, going forward. Recently, we’ve been exploring dozens of solutions to enhance workflow and internal communication, as well as tools to engage the TalentCulture community. Our conclusion? Even for a fearless crew of passionate social media advocates, the options can be overwhelming.

Sure, there’s a price for progress. The process can be messy. But even if you stumble, you’re still moving forward. And if our #TChat comrades have anything to say about it, environments where social connections are enhanced promise far more benefits than the status quo.

Bottom Line

The only rationale for standing in the way of social workplace progress is fear. But in this brave new socially-driven world of work, fear might as well be money in a mattress.

Did you miss this week’s preview? Look here — and look below for a swanky slideshow of yesterday’s many tasty tweets. We again thank our new best friends over at Hootsuite, who guest moderated #TChat World of Work with characteristic Twitter savvy: Joining Ambrosia were Ben Watson (@bitpakkit), Hootsuite’s vice president of marketing; Steve Johnson (@steve1johnson), Hootsuite’s chief revenue officer; and additional members of Hootsuite’s HR team, Sabrina Lavin and Kristine Naldoza.

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#TChat INSIGHTS: One Trillion Dollars of Social Media Tweets

Storified by Sean Charles · Wed, Sep 19 2012 21:23:51

What’s Next on the #TChat Radar?

Be sure to join us next week (Wednesday 9/26, 7pmET/4pmPT) as we explore the dynamics of generational differences in the workplace — especially when older workers report to younger managers. (Read the preview post.)

Image Credit : Riesgo frente a recompensa, by Daniel Lobo