Comments on: Doers and Talkers

By: Keith Casey

Keith Casey — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:56:43 +0000

Talkers vs Doers

Ironically, this is a conversation that I’ve been pushing for months. The Do’ers need to get better connected and see how we can help solve each others’ problems or at the bare *minimum* provide some outside perspective from one another. I started a small group that was doing just that… where Do’ers – especially operational types – could come together and say “here’s my problem, what do you think?” Andrew Wright (Batterista) was in on the first one of those, I hope we can get them to stick.

And if I have to sit through one more “oh, why can’t we be like the Valley” or “where do we get money” discussion, I’m going to scream. Yes, I know I used to be one of them.

By: jgraziani

jgraziani — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:52:04 +0000

Yes, we are all talkers at times and doers at other times. But really — who cares? What are we discussing? Who is more important? Which position is most valuable to a company? Who’s the biggest geek? Good grief. How old are we — 12?

I’m not saying that it isn’t important to discuss these issues, and I’m very glad to see this was a civil — even pleasant — conversation. But can we all agree that both talkers and doers are necessary to the furtherance of business and communication through social media?

You don’t need an MBA to convince a board of directors that social media is important. And you don’t need a technical degree to build a really great presence online. But I think all the talkers and all the doers need to work together to make social media work well for their companies.

By: Maddie Grant

Maddie Grant — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:50:48 +0000

I actually think this is a very interesting distinction. I think in the social media space, where there are millions of “users” and now, many “analysts” or “talkers” observing the patterns and describing what’s going on globally, we’re actually seeing a gap between those people and those who can help companies or organizations actually start participating, the “doers”. I would say that even though those of us who are bloggers have a foot in both camps, we should strive more and more to be “doers”, because there is a serious need. Within all our analyzing and beta-testing, we should strive to really teach.

By: bdsanchez

bdsanchez — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:05:06 +0000

Agreed, genre issue is the same and boring.
In some corporations where they have not embraced Social Media, we end up wearing the “doer” cap and rely on the reports and research from the Jeremiah’s of the world to validate our concepts and plans.

By: markingegno

markingegno — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:34:50 +0000

The genre issue is always the same. It’s boring.
The talkers/doers distinction is interesting, but I don’t it can actually lead to anything. Anyone of us is sometimes a talker and sometimes a doer. Aren’t we?

By: Charlie Nichols Browning

Charlie Nichols Browning — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:20:16 +0000

As with most categorizations, I think most people fall a little into both. Those of us that are social media people have “talking” as a key part of “doing”… i.e. the talking and conversation is the doing. 8-)

That said, I do think the analysis and pondering of which one is more “you” is valuable… in a self-awareness sense and in a industry-conversational sense.

BTW, I slightly expected this to be a little flaming… Glad to hear it’s not. 8-)

Charlie

By: Jeremiah Owyang

Jeremiah Owyang — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:58:34 +0000

This is a good discussion to have.

Yes, I’m a talker now, and as an analyst, this is part of the job description –literally.

My role as an industry analyst is to examine what doers have done right –and wrong, and then document and share it. As such, having been a former doer helps me to identify what’s working.

Secondly, analysts are much akin to product managers, we create reports, provide advisory, which are sold as products. So just as your company has products we do too. We are doers too, please don’t discount our deliverables.

One final caveat however, while I may not be a ‘doer’ in the traditional since, Forrester itself is doing a lot with social media (the space I cover) and we try hard to practice what we preach.

By: QueenofSpainErin

QueenofSpainErin — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:43:13 +0000

I don’t want to say anything and then be branded a ‘talker’…. it should be noted that this entire convo started because of the newsweek article on Geek Girls, and how I did not think the men in tech would ever be written about in that manner, or need the stunts and capes.

How it got here….