Lack Of Social Media Awareness
An interesting article in one of the main newspapers in Norway said Norwegian businesses don’t “get” Twitter. While the focus was on twitter (which is hot stuff these days), the article went on to include social media in general as well. Now there are plenty of reasons for this to be alarming.
The major focus on social media besides getting connected with friends, colleagues etc, has been, and still is on social media marketing. If your business is online, as in having a website, having an interest in social media ought to be part of your focus already, but apparently this isn’t the case. The other side where organizations are lacking in social media marketing is in terms of “marketing” towards its people, meaning employees, managers, departments and so on.
Why it Matters
Consider the impact of e-mail today. Imagine being without it for a week, or even just a day. Or what about cell phones. How would that work for you? The focus should be on how we can use it, as well as on which ones are appropriate for your organization because:
- Social Media is here to stay, and it develops faster and faster. Get onboard now and start learning (you’ll probably never finish this learning process).
- Your employees, especially your future employees, are already there. You’ll find them connecting on twitter, facebook, linkedin, and through blogs, among others.
Though we may not know exactly what the next big thing on the social web is, getting into the game will allow innovative processes in organizations and companies to evolve with social media and be better prepared for what comes next.
Benefits of Social Media in Organizational Development
I see social media as possibilities born in the minds of people that had an idea and thought “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” and then went ahead and paved the road for the rest of us. Why not take full advantage of it!
Like I said, I see “inward social media marketing” as a logical step in organizational improvement processes. Some of the ideas that come to mind are:
- Get opinions fast (ex. “Here are some ideas for the new company logos. What are your thoughts”)
- Understand what people in the organization are concerned with.
- Know your organization and your people (whether you’re wherever you are in the hierarchy)
- Reduce hierarchy. Become more accessible (a virtual “open door” policy)
- Use polls during before, during, and after change processes.
- Use Social Media to keep change initiatives alive. Ask questions; how are people doing, what are you doing yourself to work with the new culture, values, etc. Be an example (mandatory for company leaders).
- Figure out what doesn’t work. Ask for ideas and input. Propose and provide new ideas based on that feedback.
- Be visible. As a leader you can strengthen your leadership with social media. Show the rest of the organization that you’re involved. That you care.
- Grow your organizational awareness.
- New recruiting approaches (Norwegian company Sermo Consulting, using their blog, is an example. Check out David Wilson’s post recruiting through social media as well).
I’ll be taking a deeper look into the idea of using social media for organizational development purposes in later posts here. I truly believe there are some amazing opportunities available, especially related to communication ahead of implementing projects. Also, the actual implementation of social media doesn’t have to be that expensive. Most companies can (and should have) afford a website with a blog, and platforms like twitter and facebook are free.
What are your thoughts and experiences on this topic? What other areas would be relevant in the social media – organizational development crossroad? How would you implement social media in your organization?