Scrolling through Twitter yesterday, I saw the umpteenth list of “5 Ways to Do X” and “Three Rules that Every…”  So as a joke, I tweeted “2,356 reasons why I’m tired of lists http://bit.ly/makeYourNextBlogPostaPoemOrSomething.iamAhypocrite4doingLists2.

To be sure, I’ve done a few of these lists myself and I do it because they work.  I can tell by the click-throughs. But sometimes you need a break, even from your own writing style. So although it started out as a joke, I decided to write today’s post as a poem.

No, I don’t plan on this being a regular thing :)

An Ode to Living Corporate Values Through Social Media

There once was a flack from Nantucket,
who decided one day to chuck it.

Reporters wanted stories, and he was happy to pitch,
but there were opportunities online for the Inc. to get rich.

On Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook they came,
and always, each moment, they cried out the same:

“Join our group!  It’s about your stuff.”
“We discuss great ideas and there are never enough.”

Back at HQ, it was rough Q&A.
“Should we talk back?” “Is there something to say?”

“Do we want to engage? Are all of them sane?”
(Many had read ’99′s Clutrain.)

“Let’s check our values and if they align!”
Honest and transparency, those checked out fine.

Great service and growth, social media would help,
on blogs, on forums…perhaps even Yelp.

Stewardship made sense, as did innovation.
All would be furthered through participation.

In embracing their values, they had little to fear,
and suddenly 2011 became crystal clear.

“To live our values, we MUST engage!”
And so to their plans, they added a page.