Why are corporations and large organizations so apprehensive about making the social media leap? Fear. For some decision-makers it's atelophobia, the fear of making a mistake. For others it's xenophobia, the fear of the unknown.

There is no doubt that much is at stake in jumping into social media, but there is as much or more at stake if the organization becomes paralyzed by fear while competitors are not.

Today the new media tools are still relatively new, but by the nature of the tools they are changing weekly and even daily along with the increasing number of users. As your organization is deciding to sit back and watch to see what others in your industry are doing and learn from their mistakes, the competition is learning through application. By the time your organization decides to make the leap the competition will have received a great headstart in using the tools effectively. The longer you wait the more effectively the competition will be utilizing the tools to capture market share.

It's time to decide, are you going to spend most of the game on the field or be the one on the sidelines with your helmet at your feet wringing your hands with fear over what if the coach actually puts you in? Or are you going to overcome the phobias and play? If it helps, it's much more fun to play!