Between "friend requests," "pokes," "tweets," RSS feeds and the constant barrage of text messages and email blasts that invade our attention every second of every day, it's easy to lose sight of whether we are the dog wagging the tail, or whether the digital tail is wagging the dog.
In Stephen Covey's "First Things First" (1994), he speaks of moving beyond "urgency addiction" and focusing on "quadrant two" management. What is "quadrant two" management, you ask? Take a look at this graphic:
Most of us spend the majority of our time in Quadrant 3 (Urgent but Not Important) activities. Much of the growth of the social networking phenomenon can be attributed to either these or Quadrant 4 (Not Urgent and Not Important) types of activities. I get it. I love playing Guitar Hero with my son but I'm not sure I am becoming a better person as a result.
Character builds and growth occurs when we act "on purpose" and with a purpose by focusing on Quadrant 2 activities that are Important but Not Urgent.
Take a moment to reflect on how you spend your time online and who you share your online time with. If used with a purpose, Groupsites can be a great way to bring people together to build true, trusted relationships; they allow us to empower each other to focus on the values, principles and actions that matter and make a difference.
Social Collaboration, when done right, is a Quadrant 2 activity. It can make important things happen.