Back in the '80s, management guru Tom Peters developed the leadership principal of Management by Wandering Around, or MBWA. I don't remember which book of his it was in, but I do remember the principles. It occurred to me the other day that it provides a good blueprint for this new age of Social Media we all now need to embrace.

Do it to everyone.
Don't just pay attention to what your friends are saying on Facebook. This social media world is a gold mine of information and new customers for the chef who branches out.

Do it as often as you can.
Stop rolling your eyes. We're all busy. Saying you don't have time for social media is like saying you don't have time for success. It's the world we live in now, embrace it. Or be left behind.

Go by yourself.
Sure, someone can manage your main restaurant Twitter and Facebook page, but you are going to be a heck of a lot more successful if you augment that with your own efforts.

Don’t circumvent subordinate managers.
It used to be that you could befriend the media and diners in your restaurant and not deal with the madding crowd. No more. There's a new class of influencers in town and they've got the power to sway the crowd. Find them, friend them, watch what they can do. Are they doing it for you?

Ask questions.
There are a few people who have been doing social media since before the rest of us had even heard of it. That rest of us group, we just heard the term for the first time last year. So, it's okay not to know what you are supposed to be doing. It is not okay to pretend you do when you don't. Find a few people who know what they are doing and take them out for a beer. Ask them a lot of questions. It's important.

Watch and listen.
First rule of Twitter Club is you do not talk before listening. The second rule of Twitter Club is that you do not talk before listening.

Share your dreams.
Don't be afraid to be human. You'll make mistakes, you'll look like an ass every so often. But you'll be human. (I reserve the right to translate this principle as such because to be human is to dream.)

Try out their work.
I may be stretching a bit here, but I will interpret this as: Comment on other people's blogs. Comments are important to bloggers (me too, you can comment below, please!) because it reassures them that they are not writing to no one. Trust me, if you comment on a blog, you have a friend for life.

Bring good news.
Shock and awe brings visitors, not fans. You want fans, not gawkers looking at the blood-bath of a driveby. So, stay positive.

Have fun.
Seriously.

Catch them in the act of doing something right.
Set up a strong set of Google Alerts and be sure to say thanks to anyone who Tweets, Facebooks, Blogs or Yelps positively about your restaurant. Be sure to have a program in place for the Mayors of your restaurant as well. If you don't know what that last statement means, welcome to 2010. Stay tuned.

Don’t be critical.  
Don't respond to the haters. They will surely have more time than you to keep the fires stoked.