Comments on: Guru Say What?

By: Johnny Mason

Johnny Mason — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:25:43 +0000

Thank you so much for this. Not only do I find the phrase “guru” annoying for anyone other than some dude on a mountaintop somewhere, but it make no sense. How can a person become completely proficient (an expert) at something that is constantly evolving? Techniques and options are changing all of the time. I think that the second someone calls him/herself a guru, their dedication to learning has stopped.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:59:44 +0000

What’s the “standard” to declare guru-ness?

I’ve worked with Nobel Laureates…and I never never knew one who considered themself a guru.

Quite the opposite. That said, being a Nobel Prize winner is a “standard.” So is being an Olympic gold medalist. Or a NYT’s “best-selling” author.

In the absence of a “standard,” something generally accepted by society, something to point to…declaring guru-ness may be 1) marketing, 2) Chutzpah, 3) naive and/or 4) something one will have to defend, demonstrate or drop.

(Standards are your friend).

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:43:10 +0000

Seems to me that it’s pretty tough to be anything but a “Student” in the social media space. Things change and evolve so fast around here, that to call *anyone* a guru seems a little… well, silly.

And for the record, I describe myself as a veteran of creating digital content with a passion for building community, particularly in using new media tools. I know, I know… it takes longer to say than “guru.” But then again, I’m a words person… and “veteran” seems to sum it up without suggesting anything more or less than the fact that I’ve been kicking around a while.

Great post (as always), Shannon.

By: ochojoe

ochojoe — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:07:52 +0000

ack! My “end of toungueincheek” tag was dropped from the comment.

By: ochojoe

ochojoe — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:06:23 +0000

Shannon, I love your post and the ensuing discussion. Maybe we need to consider words or terms other than “guru” – or better yet, we could stratify the space by creating a heuristic based on various labels. Here’s a start, to add to “guru”: ninja, blackbelt, sherpa, spirit guide, northstar, sensei, The “Tiger Woods” of ______, The “Jack Welch of ______”, etc. I’ll set up some Google Alerts and check Insights to see whats trending, and report back…

By: Maya

Maya — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:12:27 +0000

Shannon,

I agree. But I also dislike getting discounted as just another person when I am working my backside off to live and learn all this social media stuff. No, I have never been called a Guru and I never really refer to anyone else that way, but how do you refer to people who do know more than the average Joe? An expert? A guru? ….

I think we have to find a way to give people their due especially at a time when every other person claims to be an “expert”. No, and in no way is referring to someone as Guru the solution, but I wonder if other is any other way at all? Amber had a post about this a little while back …. http://altitudebranding.com/2009/09/are-we-really-just-students/

Thoughts?

By: Chuck Hemann

Chuck Hemann — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:10:06 +0000

Yep. Totally. I can see why that would be frustrating. Frankly, I think the space could use some constructive questioning every once in a while, which is what I think you’re trying to get at here…Constructive = talking to a PERSON, and not a vague reference to a group of people

By: Shannon Paul

Shannon Paul — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:04:53 +0000

Chuck,

Honestly, I don’t care what anyone calls me.

My point was that when people use the argument “the social media gurus say…, but I think (insert opposing viewpoint here),” that it’s a straw-man argument (thanks, Gerard).

If they can’t reference the specific group or individuals they’re disagreeing with, (preferably with a link) they might as well be arguing with an imaginary friend. Their point of view lacks substance and teeth if they can’t provide a concrete reference. It’s one thing to make an observation, but another to argue with “people” who are grouped together under some sort of blanket generalization.

Does this make sense?

By: Sean Williams

Sean Williams — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:02:15 +0000

Shannon — all kinds of shorthand fall a little short. When I hear “he’s a ____ Guru” my BS detector starts to chirp. But as long as you’re not a self-described guru, that’s fine with me.

As social media matures, there will be less need to call out and label PR/Comms/Mktg practitioners by that channel. Of course, that also implies that we take account of the differences in application of these tools, not a well-evaluated, well-researched area of study.

My theme for the week on comments seems to be that we need more objective research into the effectiveness of social media in business, moving more toward business objectives rather than mere output measurement.
Sean
@commammo

By: Chuck Hemann

Chuck Hemann — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:48:43 +0000

Just me offering only a $0.02 view, Olivier, but I’d bet the people being critical of those who DONT label themselves are jealous to a degree.

As an aside, you may not be comfortable with it, but I’d call you a guru in a second.