Valuing the Church’s Chatterati
A recent business report recommended that a company’s “chatterati” are as valuable as top management and should be compensated accordingly.
Chatterati are the most effective social media employees. They chat. They personally engage the customers. They trouble shoot problems before they become crises. They know who is in charge, but they also know the people who will solve the problems — in charge or not. They are social managers. They’ve got the gifts of gab and initiative…and they are a treasure.
How this applies to congregational social media endeavors remains to be seen, but it is an interesting development. 2×2 believes the Church is experiencing a social crisis. Its historic top-down management style is now attempting to manage people who have no familiarity with religious authority, question the need for it, and are prepared to comfortably opt out of religions that stress it.
Chatterati have been around forever. In the past, chatterati had no real value to the church because the only valued communicators were those with theological training. They had sole access to the pulpit and to publishing. If you wanted a voice in the Church, you had to be part of the system.
The challenge to the Church today is to create a channel to put the skills of natural communicators to work.
Even as the mainline Church gasps for breath, it will try to control its message, checking for doctrinal compliance and making sure no one steps on current leadership toes. This will become a futile exercise. The ability of the Church to control its message is gone. The better tactic would be to foster, nurture and take part in resulting dialog. Strong Church leaders will be influencers, not dictators.
The Pope’s recent criticism of women religious is an example. There was a day when scathing criticism from the Vatican would have the religious orders shivering in their habits. The recent reaction from female religious leaders was more on the order of a bemused shrug.
What’s happening is not a plot or disrespectful defiance. It is a result of technology’s influence on the world. The barriers between leaders and followers have crumbled. Governments are dealing with it. Business is embracing it. The many benefits far outweigh any need for caution. It’s here to stay.
Church, get your chatterati on board. You are going to need them!