Stranger in a strange town

I have a funny relationship with Leeds.  I've lived here for longer than I lived in my "home town" of Liverpool but I still think I'm leaving every year.  I haven't done so far, and perhaps I never will.  But what does that say about me, and perhaps the experience that many of us have of our lives in cities?  

I've spent the evening at an RSA event in Leeds - 100 or so people in the posh Leeds Club, drinking nice wine, eating canapes and chatting about this and that.  One of the speakers was an academic from Leeds University, who spoke about what being an RSA Fellow means to him.  The detail has escaped me, but I remember him saying something about how he often feels like a stranger in Leeds.  But, he reckons, if you were to ask people in the street how they feel, many would probably say the same.

I don't know exactly what point he wanted to make, but I thought he was making a point about the connections he can make through the RSA - and the change that can take place as a result.  That's my interest in being involved with the RSA - and tonight hinted at what it can offer.  There's a bit of the old duffers' drinking club about it still, but there are also plenty of people who look like they're up for a bit of social change.  All coming at it from lots of different angles.  I think that's potentially very exciting.  And it might just help me to get a different relationship with my adopted city.  

I enjoyed tonight - even though I'm not the most natural networker in the world - at least not in the conventional sense.  But I saw this yesterday from Seth Godin - and it really struck a chord. (try to get past the scratchy audio - it's worth a watch).  

Networking shouldn't be about stacks of business cards or Facebook friends.  It should be about finding more people to whom you can be useful.  That's what I hope happens through my involvement with the RSA.  Canapes and wine are good.  Finding people with whom you can create a bit of social change is priceless.

You can read RSA Chief Exec Matthew Taylor's reflections on the Leeds event here.  

Comments

[Tom Mansel]

Intersting point, though I must preface this by putting my hand up and saying I am guilty of regularly posting cak on my FB profile.

Maybe Facebook & Twitter are so popular precisely because most of their their (myriad) users don't have to ask any burning questions (among which, to misquote JFK, might be "Ask not what your network can do for you; ask what you can do for your network"). The majority just key in banalities (Oooh I just finished eating an apple - wow), sit back, and read...other banalities - and feel as if they are staying in touch. Assuming they get a dopamine networking rush without doing any work, perhaps it should be called 'notworking' instead? The term would seem very apposite for those using FB on company time.

That said, I came across a social business the other day called Art Switch (www.art-switch.com), and thought of an artist friend, whom I hadn't seen in a while, for whom this company could be really useful. I found said mate on FB, sent him the link and asked him to be my 'FB friend'. In this capacity I'm sure networks like Facebook & Twitter can help spread good ideas about social business...