Are You a Social Capitalist?

Heath Row joined the Fast Company team in July 1997 as an associate editor (more on his profile on LinkedIn). The Company of Friends, Fast Company's readers network, launched in October 15, 1997.

... after I realized that the connection people felt to the periodical was similar to the connection folks feel with other people -- and readers started approaching us asking to be introduced to other readers (I didn't know about the latter at the time). The basic idea behind the readers network was that people who resonated with the key themes of the magazine -- innovation and change -- should know other business leaders who connected with the same concepts in their home towns.

If you insist on some stats, since 1997, almost 45,000 people have joined the Company of Friends, which in 2005 comprised about 200 local chapters and online special interest groups. The Company of Friends at the time, and probably still now, was the only multi-industry and -practice professional association connected to a magazine in the world.

That's how we met. Heath's official title was Social Capitalist. What does a Social Capitalist do? I reached out to Heath last night to find out. Here's what he said (emphasis mine):

I chose the title Social Capitalist for several reasons.

One, I was inspired with the body of work surrounding social capital -- the value of personal relationships in the workplace.

I was also inspired by purpose-led community organizing such as that exemplified by the Quakers, Robert Putnam (in his book Bowling Alone), and network-based creative endeavors such as mail art, tape trading, and punk rock.

Thirdly, I've long been interested in left-leaning politics, and the idea that society could be organized around a capital that was more than monetary was appealing.

A social capitalist does three things well.

1. She makes sure that the right people meet each other at the right time to create the most value collectively.

2. She does all of her work tapping into her personal network in order to benefit from the group mind, collective skills, and shared knowledge available to her.

3. She does so in such a way that shares a model and set of practices that other people can learn from and use to do the same themselves.

As we hear more and more about bloggers on the corporate side, I wonder if organizations realize that these individuals do hold a lot more than just the responsibility to the dialogue with customers (and employees). Social media tools actually enhance this intrinsic value of personal relationships across the organization and outside its walls.

These relationships have the power to inspire meaning and purpose that goes beyond messaging to the organization of work through the creation of community. Some companies are beginning to think about harnessing the creative juice that is generated in the exchanges made by the communities. Which in turn can become experiences worth having by employees and customers that feed back into the purpose of the community.

I've often asserted that relationships cannot be "managed", instead we can build upon them. Heath articulated the skills you want in such a person - a connector is also a social capitalist.

Are you a social capitalist? Is there one in your network?

Comments

[Lauren Vargas]

I dig this title better than community manager...the meaning is much more powerful!

[Chris Baskind]

Heath Row was really the original "community manager," wasn't he? While a lot of folks trying to pass themselves off as innovators in the field were still in short pants ... ;-)

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Lauren - the term manager so many times is a misnomer used in that context.

@Chris - when Fast Company declared 'Computing is Social' they knew what they were talking about. The team Alan and Bill put together was the who's who - they got it. Heath was a tremendous addition as he also took their Web site to the next level, one that is still unequaled today.

[Ricardo Bueno]

Valeria,

I'm happy to announce that the little project I've been working on just went live on my website. I wanted to give you many, MANY Thanks for your contribution!

Also, with this release, I'd like to think that I'm working my way towards becoming a Social Capitalist in my own right.

Thanks again for the content, both through the blog and on the piece itself.

[Mark Northern]

It's always great to hear what Heath is up to. Thanks for the update. (His band is pretty good, too. Don't know if they are still playing together or not.)

[David MacGregor]

Heyyyy…Heath is the man.

In the beginning I thought he might have been a made up character. You know - Heathrow asin…I don't have to explain, surely.

I was the coordinator of the Auckland cell of Company of Friends. The farthest outpost - New Zealand. Luckily I was creative director for the biggest brewer in the country - so we were able to offer plenty of hospitality to members. I picked up the reigns from a far more organised guy who's business responsibilities at Y&R had taken off. The group would wilt if no-one stepped up. I forgot the cardinal rule: Never volunteer. However I did become the (un)coordinator of the Auckland Cell. Heath did his best to support us. He was great - he is supportive and communicative. In the end I had no doubt he was real.

In the end our group slipped away. The Internet Bubble. The Enron thing. It all became too Americo-centric. I started my own magazine for us. But I tip my hat to Fast Company. It was sensational and influential.

Nice to catch up Heath…and you have BAND!

[Heath Row]

Valeria, I'm just now seeing your post -- thanks for using my words in such an accurate way.

While the band -- the Anchormen -- might be inactive (I had an act in New York called the Trylons for a spell, but we never played out), the _work_ continues.

Since I left Fast Company in 2005, I worked with Seth Godin to help launch Squidoo, and since 2006, I've done marketing research for DoubleClick -- now Google.

The Company of Friends -- social networking circa 1997 -- remains one of the more interesting and important things I've had a hand in. That's why it's so cool to see social media so widely spread these days -- and to see Fast Company reorganize its Web site around connection, communication, and collaboration.

David, I'd like you to mail me a copy of Idealog. Looks like a worthy project!