We're Not In This Alone

I’m thinking about the Lone Ranger. Doesn’t it seem significant that the person whose very name suggests solitude was never without his partner? Tonto did things the Lone Ranger couldn’t, and knew things Kemosabe didn’t. Together, each man was better than either could be alone.

So it is, I believe, in anything. Look at music: Rogers and Hammerstein, Burt Bacharach and Carol Bayer Sager, Elton John and Bernie Taupin—not to mention Lennon and McCartney or Elvis and Carl Perkins, Simon and Garfunkel or the members of Outkast: Andre and Big.

Everywhere we look, two heads are better than one and are the key to success. Steem itself is a partnership as well as a forum where partnerships flower: a seasoned blogger advises a newer Member on how to develop relationships within the Steem community; a third blogger shares the names of three additional bloggers that would love to hear the fourth blogger’s message. Tips and hints, advice and counsel, on and on. And from these partnerships, each of us becomes better.

It seems best to start, as the poet Henry Reed put it, with “a naming of parts”. What are the parts of a great Steem partnership?

First and foremost, there is trust, the glue of great relationships. We earn the trust of others by being consistent and by ensuring that we do what we say and say what we do. When others can predict what we will do, particularly from what we say, they feel comfortable. And that feeling is the heart of every great relationship. For example, I am doing my best to post a blog every Monday. That way, other Members can come to depend on reading something from me once a week.

The second is responsibility. But here, it’s worth noting the parts of that word: response and ability. We are able to respond to the requests of others. In today’s climate, that also means we are able to respond quickly—ideally, in near real time. When other Members post comments on your blog, how quickly do you respond to them? Good comments or bad comments—it’s important to let others know that you care that they read your material and that you appreciate them taking the time to comment.

The third is sacrifice. When we sacrifice for others—for other Members, particularly—they see that we are there not just to post and be paid, but to give something extra of ourselves. I don't think any of us want to be the phenomenon of “parachute bloggers”. You know, the blogger who drops in, posts, and pops back out—almost like a phantom.

Your audience doesn’t simply want stellar content; they want to know that they matter, and that the Member realizes the sacrifice others made on your behalf. They took the risk of commenting on your content. Some even offered you suggestions on how to make your blog look more appealing or how to add a certain feature. You easily could have flopped, made an unfortunate remark, or demonstrated that you had no idea who your audience was. They made a sacrifice; you must make one, too.

The legendary first couple of the American theater, Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, inspire my choice of the fourth key to partnerships. Their over fifty-year marriage inspired envy and awe in thousands who met them. Finally, one day not long before Ms. Tandy died, someone thought to ask them how they had endured so long and with such apparent love? Mr. Cronyn answered immediately and with conviction. “It’s simple, I think. We never said an impolite word to each other.”

The key to manners is mindfulness: being mindful of others. You can be confident, for example, that the person in the coffee shop speaking loudly enough into his cell phone that everyone within five tables can hear every word is not mindful of others. You can also be sure that he would not make a good partner. He thinks first of himself. A true partner thinks first of the partnership. So if you don’t agree with someone’s blog post, take the time to think “How would be the best way to let them know I disagree?” Being kind—but constructive—is the quickest way to making and keeping new friends.

Finally, it’s hard to imagine a great partnership without passion. In a great blogging partnership between a blogger and the Members, there is not merely a desire for a good outcome. There is a passion for a remarkable outcome. That outcome, in turn, is not to simply inform, but to inspire. It is not to post a good blog, but to have a great effect. In offering that suggestion, a remark by advertising legend David Ogilvy comes to mind. He told the story of audiences for the speeches of two famous Greeks. Of the first, audiences always remarked, “How well he speaks!” But of the second, they always responded, “Let us march on Sparta!” The first speaker impressed audiences; the second moved them. And it was his passion that inspired theirs.

As we all move ahead with our goals of inspiring Members on Steem to “march on Sparta”, we all will do well to remember that even the Lone Ranger was not alone. At least two heads always are better than one. And partners—especially those you can find everywhere on Steem—will help you get to Sparta, too, wherever your Sparta may be.

Christine K. Clifford, CSP is the author of eight books including YOU, Inc., The Art of Selling Yourself and Let’s Close a Deal: Turn Contacts into Paying Customers for Your Company, Product, Service or Cause. She is the CEO/President of Christine Clifford Enterprises. She helps companies and individuals craft their story and designs “knock your socks off” Media Kits for companies, individuals and entertainers. Visit www.christineclifford.com or email her at [email protected]. Don’t forget to ask! ™