Virtuous Alignment: Something Technology Can’t Do

It was swank. Waiters in white coats serving coffee in China cups – with saucers. The whole conference was being held in some embassy on the Upper East Side. I had almost talked myself out of coming. Now I was feeling like the rube professor in the Big Apple. My drawl didn’t sound nearly as sophisticated as the international accents all around the room. But the title of the meeting, “Mobile Entertainment and Advertising,” was just too tantalizing. I sucked it up and introduced myself to the first guy I saw not talking to someone.
Me: “Hi, I’m Scott Shamp from the University of Georgia.”
Ed: “Wow, Go Dawgs. I graduated from UGA.”
Turns out Ed O’Meara was just the person for me to meet. He is the Marketing Director of the GSM Association, the world’s largest cell phone industry trade group that was hosting the event. And, even cooler, he was helping to move large parts of this powerful group from London to Sandy Springs! Less than an hour away from UGA’s doorstep.
It was a great meeting and I learned a lot. But that personal contact was the real prize (although I am not sure Ed would say the same thing). Ed is helping us understand the evolving field of cellular. And he is getting me in the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week. What a great connection!
I call it “Virtuous Alignment.” The good randomness that just seems to happen when you put yourself in the right contexts. And I have noticed that virtuous alignment rarely happens online. The limited bandwidth of email, chat, and phone calls are great for taking care of business. But they just don’t seem to spawn positive serendipity.
The messy meat space of face-to-face is time-consuming, expensive and often frustrating. It is so comfortable behind the keyboard. Instead of attending, you’ll just email later, right? Hey, isn’t the meeting going to be webcast anyway? You’ll just watch it from your office. But
watching isn’t engaging. People partner with participants, not passive viewers.
I used to think it was ironic that technology groups who understood online interaction would have conventions. Now it seems inspired. Virtuous alignment happens when people are in the same room.
My grandfather taught me how to shake hands. He made me say my name over and over. Repeatedly look him in the eye and smile. Man, practicing all that felt stupid. Now I do that each semester with my students. Turns out it is still a valuable skill.
So get up and go.