From “Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust” by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
In researching how we wanted to talk about trust agents and how we would impart the information to you, we’ve defined six overarching but interrelated behaviors that describe what a trust agent is. We realized that if we were to build the book this way, you could understand each of these actions as a separate entity and grasp the concepts better. These actions form a linked system. We believe that trust agents use all six of them, though each manifests these traits in differing degrees. As you read about them, you may notice that you can place people you know into some categories, but don’t forget to consider your own strengths and work from those, too. That’s likely how you’ll have the most impact.
- Make Your Own Game: Perhaps the first defining skill set that trust agents seem to share is their recognition of the fact that there’s the established way to do things. This new method, which usually involves skill, experimentation, and comfort level with trial, error, and early failures, is how most trust agents break out of the mold and appear on our collective radar. In popular entertainment, Oprah Winfrey went from being the local TV weather reporter to a multimillion-dollar media enterprise. Though she used traditional media tools to accomplish this, when you look back on the circumstances of Winfrey’s rise, you’ll recognize all the various points in her career where she made her own game (against some fairly daunting odds). Put another way, making your own game is about standing out.
- One of Us: One thing that distinguishes certain people as trust agents is the simple defining question of whether a specific community sees them as “one of us.” In his early career at Microsoft, Robert Scoble blogged about the good – but, more important, the bad – Microsoft products at the time. When he shared his take on why Internet Explorer wasn’t as good as Firefox, we (his audience of readers) felt tat Scoble represented One of Us. We could believe what he said, because he was a member of our community, talked like us, spent time where we spent time, and seemed to be genuine and honest with us. This characteristic extends to every trust agent we identify throughout the book. In other words, being One of Us is about belonging.
- The Archimedes Effect: You can do any and all of these six things well, but when you use your unique abilities to enhance them (using knowledge, people, technology, or time), then what you do becomes immensely powerful. We consider the Web to be one of the best tools for increasing the power of what you do, so we discuss this with you to get you started on bringing it all together and achieving your goals. It’s probably already clear, but the Archimedes Effect is about leverage.
- Agent Zero: Trust agents are at the center of wide, powerful networks. They make building relationships a priority because it’s a human thing to do – long before any actual business requires transacting. They are people who jump at the chance to meet others online, at events, or in mixed social settings, and who then often connect these new acquaintances with other people in their personal networks. They realize the value of our networks isn’t in their ability to ask for things, but in their ability to complete projects faster, find resources more easily, and reach the right people at the right time. Because having a wide network is very powerful and opens doors, Agent Zero is about developing access.
- Human Artists: Learning how to work well with people, empower people, recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and know when to improve relationships and when to step away are all part of what a trust agent does. In business terms, these are often called soft skills. From our perspective, companies that aren’t valuing the power of peak performers in the arena of human interpersonal skills and social interaction are companies doomed to a painful future. This is an art consisting of sciences. It’s the hardest part to teach, but one of the most necessary ingredients. Being a Human Artist, in a way, is about developing understanding.
- Build an Army: No matter how great you think you are, you can’t do it alone. When you can get a large group to collaborate, you can achieve monumental tasks that may have been previously impossible. As more people gather on social networks and elsewhere, asking each to push a little can help it become an avalanche in a way no set of tools was ever able to do before. Because the Web is so vast, and we are so small, building an army is about developing mass.