A large portion of my day is spent online. That’s what I get paid to do. One of the benefits is that I’ve been able to develop a lot of great relationships. I love connecting with people who are passionate and intelligent about the communications and social spaces. While a lot of the relationships are purely professional, and many I probably will never meet in person, there are quite a few relationships that have turned into friendships. I’ve developed a bond with people where I can share frustrations, ask for advice, have laughs over a beer (or over pounds of beer). Those…those I feel are true friendships.
Recently, I had an unfortunate incident with someone who I considered to be part of the “friend” crowd. While I won’t get into specific details, I felt like the investment I had put into the relationship wasn’t valued any longer. The friendship was no longer about benefiting the both of us, it was clear this person was more interested in benefiting themselves. I don’t blame this person, and in fact, I blame myself. I blame myself for being naive. Naive about not realizing that everyone has their own agenda in a relationship. Naive about not realizing that when the basis of your relationship began based upon a professional platform, the agenda is cultivated differently.
Now, I don’t feel this person is a bad person. Chances are we’ll bury the hatchet and connect again sometime in the future. What it does show me though is the power of the shift of communication. Had this been someone who I hadn’t truly connected with and was simply a business colleague, it wouldn’t have bothered me as much. To me, this shows that true relationships can come from interacting online. It opens my eyes to so much, both on a personal and professional level.
I’ll be honest, this was definitely a learning experience, but it also was one that, quite frankly, sucked. But it was a lesson learned, nonetheless. Despite being a tough lesson, it was beneficial to me. One that I can take from a personal level and apply it professionally. It shows the depth of trust and respect one can build online for a person, for a brand. From a professional standpoint, do you know how your community feels? Have you invested the time and effort and brought value to your community? And if so, do you know their agenda? Whose interest are you looking out for?
While the consequence of a relationship going bad is severe, the value I received from those “friends” is so valuable that I’m willing to take on the risk associated with forming close bonds. From a brand standpoint, you need to be willing to stick your neck out a little and form those relationships. But also realize that not every member of your community is casual. Some have an invested interest in your brand. Have you evaluated your relationships lately?
