Are you Broadcasting, Lurking or Engaging?

I have been moderately active in social media for a few years now. And I can sort people into Broadcasters, Lurkers and Engagers.

Broadcasters just push stuff out either about themselves or their business. Their message is, “It’s all about me.”

The Lurkers just hang out and watch they are the LinkedIn connections that are always looking at your profile or pursuing your connections, but they don’t say much and they don’t deliver much value to the network.

Then there are the Engagers, these are the folks that congratulate you on a new job, or they participate in a group post and or they are willing to introduce you to someone who may be helpful to you. In other words they see you. You are more than just a connection.

Now consider your workplace and you role as a leader? Are you a broadcaster a lurker or an engager?

Broadcasting leaders look like the leader that is always pronouncing a new initiative or new policy but they are not really listening to their team about the effect any of this is having on the business. It’s more important for the broadcaster to let everyone know they are in charge.

The lurker is the leader who may be in over their head. So they are just hanging back hoping no one will notice. They are getting work done and if they have a good team, the team may carry them for a while.

The engager is walking the floor and making the rounds. They are delivering a message and listening to the feedback. They are engaged in the lives and the trials and triumphs of their people’s lives. In other words people are more than an asset. These leaders see their teams as individuals

Guess which type has built a multi-million dollar business on-line? Guess which one has a team that is catching the eye of the customer and senior leadership?

Which one are you