Regard people as your partner

After finished the book, <<Groundswell>>, all of us clearly know that the power of groundswell belongs to people, not companies or any other social groups. Under this common sense, we need to confirm one more question: who are the people we moentioned? In my point of view, the "people" includes two groups: your customers and your employees. If you regard both of two groups of people as your parter, I believe you can thrive in the groundswell and the market much better.

First, let's talk about how to embrace your customers. We call this embracing—making customers an integral part of the way you innovate, with both pruducts and process improvement, to increase the chances of developing something your customers want.(Page183). I like the example of "dog are people, too." If you want to get the trust from your customers, you need to respect what they love. I checked the official website of Del Monte Food, and I can find the deep concern about customers' and their pets' health on it. They provide people with different choices of recipes with healthy meals and suggestion to their nutrition. Meanwhile, people can express their opinion about what they want and what they like. The "people focus" brings the company a big chance to approach their customers and embrace them as an important part of innovation.
                      
Companies always struggle with deciding what products to sell. What sellers afraid of is that the products they produce cannot be able to carter to customers' tastes. Why not let your customers help you with it?(Page181). Just like what Del Monte Foods dose.
                     
In addition to Del Monte Foods, Loblaw, the Canadian supermarket, is also a perfect example of embracing customers.  After checking the exquisite website of Loblaw, I am so impressed by their transparency and sincerity. They highly concentrate on customers' health and care about what customers' want. There is a kind of atmosphere expressed from the website that Loblaw stands behind you and gets ready for listening to you.
                       

The writers of the book tell us we can see reviews everywhere when we shop at Loblaw. What's more, the announcements on the webpage help customers find out their stuff whether in the form. If in it, Loblaw will recall it and take responsibility for it; if not, they can released and enjoy those food. Everyone who shops knows products have problems, but it's the rare retailer or manufacturer that actually fixs them. Loblaw has that reputation now, which means a lot to its customers.(Page191). This reputation let people trust in Loblaw. The key is, you need to more than just ask for feedback. You need to show that feedback online, good and bad, where people can see that you are ready to act on it.(Page194). At the same time, those reviews from customers are perfect suggestions to help you with improving things better. Regarding your customers as your partner, instead of regarding them just as the people who give you money, will  increases the possibility that makes you much better and more reliable.

                                         
Second, let's talk about the groundswell inside your company, which is I called the second group, your employees. Your employees are another essential part of your partners who can be benefit to you to stimulate your business. What about your employees? They're a natural consituency for social connection. They obviously have something in common: they work for you. And they ought to have a common goal: your company's success.(Page216).

Best Buy's Blue Shirt Nation(BSN) is the best practice in social networking, which allows employees of Best Buy to share knowledge, best practices, frustrations, aspirations and a few jokes. "BSN members form groups, make friends, stay in touch and prop each other up; they swap ideas and problem-solve together,'' explains Bendt, one of the creator of BSN. Each member of Best Buy is able to create his account on BSN, join the group he likes, post a blog about his feelings during a whole day work, upload a piece of video or music he interested in, and share everything with his colleagues. The online forum on Blue Shirt Nation is a natural extension of that mentoring culture, where employees can find the support they need from around the company, not just from within their store or district.(Page220)
                            
                           
                           
That's the Best Buy's culture shared by all the members of this company, no matter a senior managment in a department, or a primary seller in the store. This culture links all the stores in whole United States and leads the company, also the brand to achieve the same goal, the company's success. No matter what you're after, in the internal groundswell, the secret to thriving is culture. This is not about technology implementation but about managing and changing the way oganizations work, a change that needs the blessing—or, even better, the active participation.(Page230).

When I surfed the official website of Loblaw, the Canadian supermarket I just mentioned, I found that they also paid much attention to their employees' skills and passion toward their work. Listening first, then supporting your employees as your partners. The biggest benefit is being able to listen in on what people are working on, what they are concerned about, and where they ar focused. It's the virtual equivalent to management by walking around.(Page222). I believe that it is a necessary and important way to build up company's culture and accumulate company's energy. You need to respect your employees and help them enjoy their work in your company.
                  
In the future of groundswell, it is about to get embedded within every activity, not just on computers, but on mobile devices and in the real world. This is the ubiquitous groundswell. What dose that mean? It means social networks will connect people with the groups they care about.(Page235). From my perspective, groundswell will penetrate into every corner of social market, which links all the people in the market, no matter consumers, producers, sellers and management. The conversation  between buyers and sellers in groundswell is playing a more and more important role of deciding what products and services are going to be produced and provided. By getting information from the feedbacks of people, companies can realize what is right and what is wrong in this face-to-face game. Whey they make the wrong moves, they'll lean quickly and correct those mistakes just as quickly. They will be so secure in their relationship with customers that they know they can make a mistake—and not only survive, but thrive.(Page238).