—
As an experienced executive and a personal coach, I cannot overstate the potential and power of quality conversations around a meaningful topic or goal.
Perspectives broaden. Relationships strengthen. Obstacles shrink. Lives change.
Virtual conversations on digital and social media have made communication instant, borderless and all-inclusive. But nothing comes close to being present in actually listening to someone as he or she presents an opinion, shares a story or initiates an idea.
Wouldn’t you rather listen to Martin Luther King’s soul-stirring “I Have A Dream” speech than read its transcript in cold, sans-serif fonts on your mobile phone? (And give it a “Like”?)
There’s something intrinsically rewarding when we participate in a real conversation. We feel more connected with the topic. We become aware of our potential to influence the narrative. We take pride in our own accountability for the outcome.
That’s why I’m excited for The Good Men Project and the Social Interest Groups they’ve been growing.
As a columnist for The Good Men Project, I’ve always felt that I am, in my own small way, helping to continue the conversation no one else is having — one that’s about the changing roles of men in the 21st century.
Social Interest Groups take this conversation to the next level in terms of their vision of creating participatory media. There isn’t another platform where groups of people can actually talk to one another every day in an organized fashion about some of the most important topics of our times.
In essence, Social Interest Groups are live phone calls about social and personal issues that people anywhere in the world could join.
Now The Good Men Project has launched an IndieGoGo campaign to scale Social Interest Groups to become even bigger.
The plan is to add a wider spectrum of topics well worth dozens of conversations to their existing groups on stopping racism, disposability of men, and mental health. These new groups include: environmental activism, the future of education, anti-bullying, spiritual fitness, among many others.
Many of us are everyday participants of small talk and water cooler chatter: Which team won the game last night, what happened at last week’s office party, or who should and shouldn’t be president.
When was the last time you had a conversation with someone that could potentially make the world better in some real way?
Now you can.
I’m proud to support GMP’s efforts and I hope you will too. Check out their IndieGoGo campaign here. Share it or donate if you believe it’s worthwhile.
Game Of Thrones resident dwarf-with-giant-sized-IQ Tyrion Lannister once quoted himself with “A wise man once said a true history of the world is a history of great conversations in elegant rooms.” Today’s rooms are far more virtual and don’t come any more elegant than this.
—
This post was originally published on the author’s blog at NewAndImproved.Me and is republished here with his permission.
—
