A movement toward environmental utopia might seem incredibly disparate to an online social networking engine, but the perfect analogy lies in their similar webs of intentional community. Just as ecovillages emerge through its members’ choice to share a common bond (in their case, the goal of living sustainably and harmoniously within and across communities on earth) so too do Facebook networks evolve through a mutuallyminded fusion (in their case, through sharing experiences in approximately four hundred characters or less updates within a virtual world).

Ecovillage, a sense of community

Now imagine all of the existing Facebook communities were able to subsist as freestanding entities and, yet, gel together, in the end, as more than the sum of their parts. While all ecovillages are guided by common goals, they all look a little different in how they seek attainment of them. Some practice communal living, sharing and producing income through onsite work, like through cottage industry at the New Talavan Community of Mississippi. Others, such as the Los Angeles Eco-Village, do not share income and maintain much paid work off-site. Though, according to Lois Arkin, LAEV Executive Director, ecovillages such as theirs are breeding grounds for business networking and, in fact, many small businesses have formed in their ecovillage thanks to the sense of community of its members.

Not your parents’ hippie commune
Ecovillages are direct descendants of the free lovin’ sixties when the sharing of resources within community living was not just a utopian quest for perfect existential, environmental, and social harmony but also the pragmatic choice. But, the ideal of living in perfect harmony within one’s community and environment has existed across time. Way back in the sixteenth century when Sir Thomas More coined the term utopia in his fictionalized account, he gave a satirical nod to its practical unfeasibility in giving it a Greek name meaning “not a place.” Still, his descriptions of and the continued connotation to the term utopia is that it sure would be a great place to live – even if it may be impossible in application. To prove so, consider the idea of sharing common space and resources, living without hierarchy, and committing to consensus decision-making with all of your facebook friends. Does that sound like a recipe for harmony?

”Human Scale” friendship tops at 1,000 or 150?
Ecovillages are not completely bound by an absolute bible of standards, but they do typically abide by the definition set forth by Robert Gilman, an astrophysicist turned environmental anthropologist who, along with his wife, was integral in the ecovillage movement of the nineties. According to his definition, an ecovillage is of “human scale” with a “full-featured settlement in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is supportive of healthy human development and can be successfully continued into the indefinite future.”

The “human scale” part of the definition is particularly demonstrative of the parallel between ecovillages and facebook communities. According to Gilman, an ecovillage can only be so large as to ensure that all participants feel they know each other. This number typically taps out at one thousand, but, according to Dunbar’s number, one of the most popular theories of social cognitive limits, one hundred and fifty may be the approximate magical number. This same rule applies to the psychology of facebook clans: they only work if you can recognize and feel some form of comraderie with all of your friends.

Ecovillages vs. facebook communities
The “full-featured settlement” can apply as equally to an ecovillage as it can to a facebook community, as well. In the world of facebook, one can farm some local food, work alongside fellow friends as a Mafioso, and even trade in close-by commerce. You’ve got it all right at your fingertips. No need to venture away from home to participate in the daily rites of modern living.

The rest of Gilman’s definition is not so literally transferable in comparing ecovillages to facebook communities, but the allegory still exists in explaining how an ecovillage can be successfully constructed. According to Gilman, the goal should be to harmlessly integrate our human living into nature in such a way as to do so forever and in support of a healthful humanity. So, maybe it’d be hard to imagine getting along with all of your facebook friends day in and day out in close proximity, but there could definitely be a compromise there. Like, say, starting out as a simple co-housing unit. Working together to treat the earth more kindly. Sharing in goals like recycling more and wasting less.

Environmentally greater good choices
Some hardcore ecovillages may be able to completely self-sustain off the land on which their community sits through such measures as solar heated shower water and full-fledged farming. Others may rely on some outside help from, say, the electric company to keep things moving. There are those communities which were crafted from the bottom up to incorporate every environmentally sound choice available and others which stemmed from retrofitted neighborhoods that were recreated to mold to ecovillage principles.

However they got their start, ecovillages across the globe share the overriding goal of creating community in quest for a greater good. This principle is totally achievable for any one of us. So, maybe the average facebook user will never enlist their online extended families to seek environmental salvation, but perhaps the subtle suggestion of occasional small steps toward better living could extend to the strata of overlapping communities. One group brings up the value in composting. Another extends a garden share to friends who live nearby in the real world. It’s not exactly an ecovillage, but it’s a start.

Social media is your world, ladies. Women make up the majority of Internet users. Over 100 million women are on-line, where they search blogs for information on everything from business to fashion to car repairs. Women cultivate personal relationships and professional networks as the majority Facebook and Twitter users. More and more big brands spend increased time and money courting women on-line. Women have the strongest presence on-line, yet we still don’t have the strongest influence and voice.

It’s (Still) A Man’s World
Check out lists of the most influential people on the Web and they are almost all men. Yet, social media is intimate, conversational, and built on relationships—all characteristics that are traditionally gendered female.
There are innumerable opportunities for women to increase their power and influence using social media, from entrepreneurial ventures to thought leadership to celebrity. Here are three such opportunities you don’t want to miss.

Personal Branding
As men and women increasingly turn to the Internet for research and information, it is time to think of yourself as a business. Whether it is for personal or professional life, the first thing people do before or after they meet you is Google you. Don’t miss this opportunity to show your best through a strong personal brand.

Your on-line brand is 100% controllable by you through LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs, and more. In a way, having a strong on-line brand levels the playing field for young women by taking more superficial judgments out of the equation. Content is the most valued and sought after currency in social media. It is what you have say that is scrutinized, not your clothes, tone of voice, or work experience. Invest a lot of time and energy strengthening your on-line brand because first impressions still count, virtually and face to face.

Think you can get away without an online brand? Not anymore. People expect you to have one. Think of it like this. In the past, people didn’t care if a business had a fax machine. Shortly after, people didn’t care whether or not a business had a website. Now they care. A lot. If you’re not on-line, you’re not in the game.

Networking
Yes, jobs and opportunities are still found the old-fashioned way—through networks. Access to information and networks is one of the key reasons women tend not to rise as high as men in organizations (see my blog post Why Men Tend to Rise Higher Than Women). The good news here is that technology has made networking a whole lot easier. Find the first conversation the hardest? Now you can do it over email. And, if you’ve got your strong on-line brand in place, all the better.

Key tools for building your network are LinkedIn, BrazenCareerist, Facebook, and KODA. LinkedIn is certainly the place to be and if you aren’t there or haven’t taken the time to complete your profile, it is time. LinkedIn can be used to target companies, secure informational interviews, and develop a strong image of your professional experience, capabilities, and trajectory. You can also use LinkedIn to form your own professional interest groups, another opportunity to show your leadership abilities.

Visibility
Remember that stellar task force report you wrote for your boss? You know, the one he got all the praise for at the board meeting? Oh, and remember all that time you spent patching up relationships between task force committee members? Social media can help make this kind of “invisible work” visible.

“Invisible work” has been a complicated problem for women in work and leadership. Relational practice—associated with listening, mutuality, and reciprocity—underlies Web 2.0 and social media cultural values. What’s more, the work is now measurable by community size, page views, connections, links and other easily tracked metrics. Community building, in fact, is highly visible and valued by big brands now as they seek to connect and engage with consumers (especially women). Demonstrating your ability to build and lead communities on-line is a great way to increase your value to employers and build influence and power.

You can also share examples of your work on highly networked platforms like SlideShare, Webinars, blogs, and other on-line commentary.

Remember, content is the key currency in social media. Sharing your work adds value to everyone in the immediate term. In the long term, sharing work on-line provides women the opportunity to establish themselves as thought leaders in their field.

Social Media Builds Power and Influence
Social media is a welcoming and fun world, but it should also be used to build women’s influence and power through personal branding, networking, and visibility. Read more here at the Think Big project.

Fortunately, if you’re in the healthcare field, customer service or the food industry, things are looking “up”. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, these are projected to be the largest growing jobs from 2008-2018: Registered nurses are estimated to spike 22.2 %. Home health aides will increase by 50%. Customer Service representatives—17.7% and food preparations and service—14.6%. Between 2008 and 2018, personal and home care aides will increase 46%.

But maybe you don’t fit into any of these categories, have any of these expertise, or plan on learning these trades.

Maybe the time to chose your path is behind you. You’ve got a liberal arts degree, or some business degree . . . anything at all. Think two words: Social Media.

Businesses of all kinds, big and small, are surfacing in social mediums. Websites, such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WordPress, and LinkedIn are helping businesses become multi-platform and building their online presence. That’s where you come in.

“It works in all industries and verticals,” Steve Goldner, or Social Steve says. Goldner is the founder, principal, and social media visionary at Opt-In.

It’s obvious why businesses today are turning to these sites. Tweet about the latest product, blog about the inspiration for it, post insider videos, invite anyone to become a fan—hook your consumers on all levels.

According to Twitter, users can quickly share information and get feedback. It is also a useful tool for market research.

LinkedIn, a site where professionals post a profile and connect to other professionals, gives companies the opportunity to connect with potential clients.

These are just two of the many examples. Each site has a slightly different function that businesses thrive from.

So you want the job?
It seems like all you need is an interest in technology and social media and an understanding of HTML. According to an article on MediaBistro.com, author Chris Nerney describes important attributes of a social media manager. He or she must be a people person, be curious, both intellectually and emotionally, be thoughtful, work strategically, and be a team player within the company.

Tammy Tibbetts of Hearst Digital Media explains the role as a “jack-of-all-trades,” She emphasizes an understanding of social media, blogging, video production, and scripting.

Although at Hearst, the social media falls into the laps of the current employees, other companies are hiring specifically for this position. In a job listing for a Yahoo Social Media Editor, the post read, “The editor is expected to flag trends and be aware of new social media sites on the horizon. Relationships in the social media community are a plus.”

Websites like USAintern.com and Ed2010.com, list internships in social media within a variety of fields across the country. Public relations firms, non-profit organizations, agricultural or software companies, and print and online magazine—just to name a few—have recently sought social media interns.

Telecommute?
Even though social media updating can be done from anywhere, both Tibbetts and Goldner agree that these tasks are best carried out in the office setting. “There is a lot of value having face-to-face interaction with staff,” Tibbetts says.

Goldner says social media has to work in conjunction with other business functions and departments.

“Conversations are happening within the industries of every business,” Goldner says, “Isn’t it better to ‘influence’ the conversation than to just leave it to luck?”

A: There is no escaping social media for the simple reason that we’re addicted to the reality of sharing our daily adventures whether we’re twittering our thoughts or catching glimpses of our friends’ weekend through facebook photo albums. Before you upload another photo or write a little something on a wall, remember that social media is personal branding at its finest. That’s you in the picture, that’s your grammar and communication skills in that tweet or poke. If your facebook page represents the ambitious, passionate and professional person you are at work, then there is no reason why you cannot be-friend your boss. If your facebook page shows you and your friends drinking, dancing on the bars, making out with people and wearing “clubbing” clothes, I highly suggest you clean that up. Not only because your boss or co-workers might see that but also what if your clients have access to facebook. My rule of thumb with facebook and other social media outlets is if I meet you in person and then find you on the Internet, you need to reflect the same person. Conversely, if I find you on the Internet first and then meet you in person, your onscreen image should be the same reflection as when we meet in person—in sync!

This question was part of a panel discussion on Workchic.com. To view entire article and the other responses please visit Workchic.

Take an example that many of us have experienced. How many times in a work day does an email pop up from a social networking site? You stop working to see who is communicating with you. Someone “commented” something really funny about your status on Facebook. You stop the project you are working on to quickly comment back. After all it only takes a minute! But then you log on, and OH, my friend posted new pictures from the weekend, I HAVE to look at them quickly. Twenty minutes later you finally get back to that project. These little breaks add up quickly and cost you more productivity than you realize.

The Good
However, there are some professional advantages to having access to social networking sites. There have been studies in Europe that actually show an increase in efficiency when using social networking. There are professions that use these sites to connect faster with other professionals. Recruiters and sales people can make the argument that they use social networking sites as an innovative, efficient way to connect with prospects.

Business owners can use social networking sites to get their name into the market place. An example would be a “friend” on Facebook that posts his bar’s specials daily. This is an efficient, cost free marketing strategy that reaches a large network. Twitter is another popular site. A connection may update their status that they are looking to connect with a local architect. This reaches everyone in their network, who then leverages their network and within minutes they send back a recommendation for an Architect.

The Bad
Business leaders in Milwaukee have mixed opinions on this subject. Small business owners see this as a vital tool. However, they are not sure how much their employees are using it for professional versus personal use. What a business owner will monitor is overall productivity. If your work is suffering or is not at the level it could be because you are spending too much time on these sites, they will notice. Although they may not be able to tie it back to social networking, it could be detrimental to your career.

The Ugly
Larger organizations have the ability to track your internet usage and see exactly how much time you spend on each website. A large, well known Milwaukee organization recently had to give out written warning in regards to overuse of Facebook. Another violation would lead to termination. Imagine having to explain that in an interview for your next job!

The first step to overcoming the threat of wasting away valuable work time to social networking is to not connect these sites to your work email. It is difficult for many professionals to concentrate on a report they are working on, or sales calls they need to make when they see the email pop up that someone, most likely in their personal life, is looking to connect about something that could quite possibly be more entertaining than the job they are doing.

Even if you take it off your work email, and make the switch to your personal email, there is still your cell phone. It is relatively easy to connect your social networking sites to your cell phone. This makes it even more difficult to stray away from social networking distractions. Unless you absolutely need to be connected because of your job, find a way to disconnect during the day. If this presents a problem that you could miss important calls, I would suggest taking the applications off completely. You have your personal time to get caught up. Again, this is only if you do not need these sites to be efficient in your role.

Social networking sites are powerful and can have a very positive impact on business. Everyone has to take responsibility for how they use these tools. If you know what your network of friends and acquaintances are doing on an hourly basis, you are abusing your ability to use these sites at work and it is time to cut the cord to social networking during work hours. Your performance is constantly being measured and that is arguably more important than knowing the exact minute your best friend from grade school joined a new fan group. Use these sites to your advantage to make yourself more efficient and do not become reliant on these sites as entertainment to get you through your day. And, by the way, if your job isn’t holding your interest enough to stay away from social networking, it may be time for a career change.