What’s your take on harmonizing In real life and on-line?

For most of my life I have developed relationships, communicated, come to know and be known, in person and over the phone.

Over the past couple years the tools available to communicate, relate, engage and connect with others have exploded. Increasingly I find myself writing instead of talking on the phone. More and more I find myself engaged in social conversations with three or more people at a time online or in person. My relationships and the value I add to others is no longer restricted by geography. Quiet honestly, all this change in an area I love, communicating makes me feel a little overwhelmed at times.

As I listen to peers, clients and friends talk about social media, the web and the challenge of building successful relationships and businesses, I find myself thinking back to a conversation I had a month or so ago with two new friends, Charl Pearce and Leann Underwood.

It was in that conversation Charl kept using the term IRL, which stands for ‘in real life.’ She asked Leann and I about the impact our on-line efforts were having on our IRL.Charl discussed the need to question how we were converting online engagements into real experiences, the balance of online and IRL.

As we talked about all of the advances of technology, social media, enterprise 2.0, the web and technology in general I was reminded of a symphony and how varied elements come together to form unique melodies at different times. I was reminded of compositions and harmonies.

I started to think of relating and communicating as a symphony of sorts and that my challenge daily is to figure out what elements to focus on to create the unique melody; the value added experience I want to have and provide to others.

Over the next three post’s I will be asking a few questions about what I am referring to as

The symphony of relating and community building.

Let’s make it social- jump in ,comment, follow the thread; add value and have an experience.

The question I pose today goes to the heart of what Leann, Charl and I talked about.

What are the keys for you in orchestrating your relationship, community, business building symphony on-line and in real life?

What have you learned about building community and growing relationships and business on-line and offline?

How do you convert on-line engagement into IRL value added experiences

Here are a few of my thoughts.

Life is an experience. Each of us is designing, re-designing and living a life based on what we value and deem important; variety, security, achievement, love, recognition, contribution….

Business,vocations, ventures, callings are nothing more than frameworks for human beings to create value adding products and services for others to EXPERIENCE.

We relate to EXPERIENCE. We are hungry for VALUABLE EXPERIENCES.

We repeatedly return to experiences, people, companies and communities that add VALUE to our lives.

Relationships, communicating, and community building are VALUE ADDING EXPERIENCES. Value is experienced both online and offline; value is value and determined by the recipient.

As I continue to modify my relationship symphony various elements ebb and flow based on the priorities of my day, week, month, life and business.

Daily I am faced with what seems like endless possibilities to engage, connect, learn, relate and communicate. For a passionate communicator and lover of people like me today’s online communication tools and learning opportunities are the equivalent to an unsupervised candy store to a seven year old.

Pure bliss with the potential for a severe stomach ache.

Currently for me to experience high value and provide high value experiences I am playing with the following elements and using a plethora of tools to see what ‘sounds’ best in each composition as I continue to create this melody…

Online and over my phone:

Focus and learn; read and assimilate new information

Multitask, browse, relate, connect others, engage, share my stuff and others

Confirm meetings, correspond, check in

In Real Life

Focused one-on- one, face to face time time to deepen relationships

Quiet creating time.

Social conversations and engagements to build and be a part of community

Team and partner in person for change and growth

One thing I have learned is that each of us must listen to the music within and use today’s tools as we see fit to add value, to add quality and depth to our experiences.

Customization and curiosity….those are two ingredients helping me create community and relationship music.

Let’s have a conversation…your turn…

Pam Hoelzle