I’ve got a lot of friends trying to get a grasp of “social media”.  Why do it? How does it work? Should I we have special training or new security rules? How do I manage work and personal life on this new platform?

The fact is these aren’t new problems, they are old problems.  For training, I recommend you go watch the Andy Griffith show– yes, the Andy Griffith show, with Sherriff Taylor, Floyd the Barber and Goober, the mechanic.

 One question I see a lot is how to manage work and personal life in social media. The folks in Mayberry dealt with this just fine.  Andy switched between the two with ease as he walked around town.  Goober would fix your car and bring it to your house.  Floyd pretty much mixed personal and business together at the same time, cutting your hair while talking about the town.  It is not what most of us do today, but it’s hardly a new idea.

Is this an efficient way to work? On the surface, Mayberry looks pretty laid back but look a bit deeper at this pretend world.  Andy always knew what was going on in his town – knowing the people certainly helps him do a better job.  Goober didn’t always present the most polished image and wasn’t too bright but you knew him and you knew you could trust him. If you were going to get your car fixed, who would you pick?

And Floyd – he is the master of social media.  He created a shop where people like to hang out.  They play checkers, talk to the other customers, and even run across the mayor and sheriff from time to time.  Do you think all the “non-business discussion” hurts Floyd’s business?  No way… he is always cutting hair!

But here is the real key… Andy, Goober and Floyd don’t do this because of some clever plan to be more social and generate more revenue.  They were simply being themselves in an open and honest way.