Sharing is Caring

Sharing is Caring Are you being stingy with your intellectual property?   Do you withhold information? Are you so private, people think your a snob? I feel its OK for me to ask these questions because Ive been accused of being stuck up when actually I was withholding (information, my true self, ideas, etc). When you open up and share, perhaps even your emotions, people feel like they can trust you.   And if they feel they can trust you they will open up as well.   Drop your guard, be generous.   Give more than you received and see what starts to happen. Think about the friends you have.   What is it that you appreciate most about them?   One of those qualities just might be their generosity. You may recall the old MM jingleMMs make friends, friends who are made for sharing with one another. As corny as this commercial is and as silly as this concept sounds, I think it sends a message of doing the right thing.   No one ever died from sharing, did they? We compete.   We are trying to survive, I get this.   But we also have to work together. What do you know about Open Source software?   It is free software that is developed collaboratively and openly shared.   It is improved upon by anyone.   Think about how Wikipedia works.   Heck, think about Google. This newer collaborative business model isnt predicated on making money, but based upon using the shared knowledge of others to build something better.   Free isnt always better, but it is an option.   It is a starting point by which to engage customers and build relationships.   Who knows what it might lead to. Here are some suggestions: Volunteer Share job leads Inform others of events, articles, information youve found interesting or helpful Stop locking down your profiles. Stop being afraid of sharing.  Be social!   Be collaborative.   Help each other.   Work together. Jeez, have some fun!