Collaboration - Day or Night

Two weeks ago before the Canada/Russia World Junior Semi-Final I was settling in for the game when I saw this tweet.

any #goc have vpn access and can check something on publiservice for me?
— Nicholas Charney (@nickcharney) January 4, 2012

The following thread ensued.

data-in-reply-to="154371555126808576"> @nickcharney If needed I can seriously be to the office and back in less than 10 minutes. #nojoke #islandlife
— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) January 4, 2012

data-in-reply-to="154372215289290752"> @nickcharney it's not a big deal, seriously. I'll be back soon. Just DM me what you need.
— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) January 4, 2012

Before puck drop I was able to get to the office, grab my laptop, get back home, find and send Nick what he needed. 

Shortly after Nick send this out (and my response).

style="font-family: Calibri;"> data-in-reply-to="154383940826828800"> @nickcharney Glad to help Nick....Not just the NHL that can do 24/7!!! #w2p
— Rod Gallant (@Rod_Gallant) January 4, 2012

From start to finish it took about 20 minutes of my time. A small investment of time but a huge investment in building relationships.
  
This interaction speaks volumes for the community that has been built on twitter by government employees. I have no vested interest in what Nick was working on and didn't even know what it was. But because of my previous interactions with him it was a no-brainer for me to jump in and help out as he's done for so many others, including me, in the past.

The beauty is that this type of interaction isn't unique. Day after day I see examples of government employees helping each other out. Social media tools have allowed for the ability to connect day or night and it isn't because we have to but because we want to, which is a big difference. This is also what I believe will sustain this community and allow it to continue to grow and become stronger. 

We all contribute in our own way, make sure you find a way to help out. You'll be glad you did.    

Social Media in the Workplace

I recently attended a session organized by HRANS (Human Resources Association of Nova Scotia), PEI chapter. The speaker was Detry Carragher of Streamline Consulting, her presentation revolved around the power of social media and ensuring that companies develop policies to handle the variety of different questions that the use of social media in the workplace can bring. My main take-away from the session was a video that was developed by @equalman, based on the book "Socialnomics" by Erik Qualman.

If you're having trouble convincing others who think you don't need to use the tools that are out there and that they are just a fad. Don't worry, you are not alone. I've been preaching the benefits of both internal and external tools we have available to anyone that will listen. 

Get any doubters to give you 5 minutes of their time and show them this video. It's packed full of information and stats presented in a very compact and convincing manner that will hopefully change their mind. Some take more convincing than others but if you can get one or two key people in your corner they can help make the path alot clearer.