Social media revolution

13/3/2013

I was skim reading a book today, ‘Organisations Don’t Tweet, People Do – A Manager’s Guide to the Social Web’ by Euan Semple (2012). It sparked my curiosity about how people and organisations could better engage with and draw on the benefits of social media culture and tools.

Most organisations I’ve seen up close are still feeling their way forward, sometimes trying to use social media such as Facebook or Twitter to spread corporate messages. It’s an old PR/marketing paradigm that needs a radical shift to unleash and realise this new media’s real potential.

So I’m intrigued. What have been your experiences of using social media in organisations? What media have you used? How has it influenced your leadership and culture? What have been the upsides and downsides? How have you handled them? I look forward to hearing from you!

34 Comments

Eugene Fernandez

13/3/2013 01:12:21 pm

I have used sites such as Ning with action research teams. They set up their own communities and communicate both Inter and intra community or action research set.

Dabbled with Google circles though yet to explore its full potential. Involved with working with specific corporate intranets that use aspects of social media and other links to enhance learning.

There is so much more that I will no doubt become a part of. I look forward to learning more about this.

Eugene Fernandez

13/3/2013 01:14:07 pm

You might want to look at Guido Stevens blog and website. He is a member of Action Research and Learning in Organisations group on LinkedIn and at the cutting edge of using social media and technology- http://cosent.nl/en/blog.

Read his blog item on Is social networking ready for disruption?
http://cosent.nl/en/blog/social-networking-disruption.

Nick Wright

13/3/2013 01:24:12 pm

Hi Eugene and thanks for the helpful notes. I've heard of Ning and Google circles but haven't used them. I will check them out. I tried using webex to run an international action learning set last year but found it quite difficult. We had lots of technological problems with connectivity which disrupted the relational aspects too.

I would be interested to hear more about the corporate intranets you've encountered that use aspects of social media to enhance learning. Would you be happy to say something more about what it focused on and how it worked in practice? It's a reasonably new area for me and I'm keen to learn more. With best wishes. Nick

Eugene Fernandez

14/3/2013 06:05:09 pm

I have had mixed experiences with company specific intranets around technology and Learning Sets. Being an external consultant I am reticent to initiate the conversation as it involves a lot of discretionary time on your part to make it work. for eg Facilitating learning sets for a 2 year graduate program for a large mining company- where the graduates where spread by geography in remote locations across three continents. using a combination of white boarding, forum, video, chat and telephone- Issues with drop outs, phasing, time zones, different protocols around security, lack of resourcing to deal with the issues in real time etc. My simpler Ning site worked better, however, understandably many companies are not willing to let their sensitive issues aired on a public site. Though with the advent of more secure cloud based platforms emerging and their whole system now part of the package, there might be additional scope- However I doubt it.

Last week, I had an Intra set meeting between two teams from Australia and New Zealand using video conferencing for a Rural bank. This is mature technology and it worked sporadically. We had to work our way around it.

Nick Wright

15/3/2013 01:52:39 am

Hi Eugene and thanks for such an honest account of working with sets across geographically dispersed locations. The set I facilitated involved leaders based in Armenia, India, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea and Australia (plus me in the UK). We experienced many of the same challenges you listed with the mining company. We tried webex and skype conferencing but found both problematic technology and connectivity wise. We also had challenges such as different levels of English language, different professional backgrounds, different cultural ways of thinking, approaching issues and relating etc. It was an interesting, stimulating and valuable learning experience at all kinds of levels but very difficult to make work in practice! With best wishes. Nick

Nick Wright

13/3/2013 01:27:47 pm

...I've had a quick glance at Guido Steven's blog too - thanks for the link!

Lolo Mofolo

13/3/2013 01:23:23 pm

I would like to hear more about this discussion, especially regarding the upsides and downsides of social media for those who have used it. I've just completed an 8-week on-line programme on Social Media and like you Nick Wright, am equally intrigued.

Nick Wright

13/3/2013 01:26:36 pm

Hi Lolo and thanks for the note. It sounds like we have a shared interest! I would love to hear more about what you learned from the social media programme. Any specific insights or ideas you would be happy to share from it? With thanks and best wishes. Nick

Daniel Bassill

14/3/2013 03:36:28 am

I read this article about "the cyclical process of action research" last year. It led me to th is forum. http://gfbertini.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/the-cyclical-process-of-action-research-the-contribution-of-gilles-deleuze/ The article shows how a group gathering to solve one problem created new problems once the first is solved, with new people involved to help solve it. It would require some documentation to show this process in action over a period of time. With that in mind, I wonder if anyone has a documentation system that might follow the actions that will take place over the next five years, leading from the problem Guido writes about on his blog, and whatever solutions to this emerge in the future.

Are any of you thinking of what the process of action research might look like in this case?

Nick Wright

14/3/2013 03:48:52 pm

Hi Daniel and many thanks for sharing the link. Looks interesting. Your comment that, 'to solve one problem created new problems' reminded me of a short article I once wrote on intervention paradox:
http://www.nick-wright.com/blue-rabbits.html. Would be interested to hear what you think!

I haven't come across a documentation system of the type your describe. However, Semple in the book I referred to has some interesting ideas about blogging reflections on a project over time, that is, personal reflections, joys, frustrations etc, the story of the journey. It could be interesting alongside a more formal account.

With best wishes. Nick

Sirlene Costa

14/3/2013 06:42:03 am

Nick, aqui no Brasil apesar da cultura das mídias digitais ser forte, muitas empresas ainda proibem o uso destas mídias nas organizações. Intranets corporativas, Linkedin e Facebook são as mais usadas, com objetivo de divulgação de recrutamento de pessoas. Acredito na troca de opiniões, conhecimento de outras práticas e serviços. Gosto muito e acredito nos resultados que demonstram as midias sociais.

Nick Wright

14/3/2013 04:02:07 pm

Hi Sirlene. Olá e obrigado. :) I think it's a similar situation in the UK where, in spite of people using social media extensively in their personal lives, many organisations are reluctant to allow their staff to use such media at work, usually because they see it as a distraction from work rather than something that could enhance it.

It appears to me that UK organisations, similarly, are increasingly using media such as LinkedIn to recruit people, mainly because it can reach such a wide pool of people at low financial cost. I've also noticed some organisations seeking to promote their work using media such as Facebook and Twitter. With best wishes. Nick

Funmi Johnson link

14/3/2013 01:33:55 pm

Hi Nick,

I don't have any experience of using social media in terms of action learning/ research, but I do use it as part of a marketing strategy for my own business. I think Twitter and LinkedIn (particularly the groups) have been great for widening my sphere of influence. I also recently joined Pinterest and that's been quite good too.

Nick Wright

14/3/2013 04:12:19 pm

Hi Funmi and thanks for the note. I would be interested to hear more about how you have used social media as part of your marketing strategy and how you have used Twitter and LinkedIn to widen your sphere of influence. I guess that's one of the main features and benefits of social media...the possibility to express one's own voice in a wide social arena or range of arenas. I haven't heard of Pinterest so will check that out! With thanks and best wishes. Nick

Yellow Shed Girl

14/3/2013 02:44:28 pm

So, I felt compelled to try to answer or talk into to just some of your question Nick...
Almost everything it is at our finger tips nowadays but that doesn't mean what is quick is easy.
Indeed it is easy to create content that others could consume should they want to. If it is interseting, beneficial, honest, has integrity etc.
The trouble is it needs to be all of those things and more and why even if we each sought the infromation out and agree with it...would we want to share it? For what purpose??

So while social media or media generally appears easy to do the, audiences are more fragemented than ever..how do we consume media and why? And does any of that cross over into what we want to endorse and share?
Social media needs to be and feel real.
We need to feel we have found sources that imitate our whole being..who we are and what we believe in. We need to want to share because it adds value to us, our lives and the lives of those that are important to us. If not, why bother. In fact if we did it would potentially be powerful enough to damage friendships, alliances and belief of others in us.
So, social...friendly, within society...completely incongrouous with the natural meaning when thinking about this within the context of the professional.
Maybe this is where the incongruity lies...trying to make the professional sound personal...cross that boundary?
We believe and trust in all that is personal..friends who recommend must have our best interests at heart opposed to organisations who perhaps don't. Therefore social media aims to do the same...doesn't it?
But which bits of the digital world are genuine and which are constructed from data generated from what websites we visit, what we like, where we buy, who we endorse..the list is endless.

So, I actually love this debate.
However the questions at the start are all important...Who? What? Why?..get those right and like any other channels or ways of just talking to others...you can get it right.
The social media channel is just another route to market.

Nick Wright

14/3/2013 04:29:50 pm

Hi Yellow Shed Girl and thanks for posting such a thought-provoking response. I liked the way you expressed, 'social media needs to be and feel real'. It has a democratic feel to it and it's something about speaking in an authentic voice.

Semple talks about sharing through e.g. blogging as an act of generosity which resonates with your comments about sharing for the benefit of others. He also comments on the benefits to the blogger, e.g. crystallising ideas into something inspiring.

That certainly rings true for me when I write blogs. It's a kind of thinking out loud, a sharing of my best thoughts on a topic, crafted as well as I can manage it, with an invitation to others to share their own ideas, insights and experiences too. It feels enriching.

I was struck by your comment about incongruity, 'trying to make the professional sound personal'. I've sometimes seen this where people share enthusiastic stories about their own organisation in such a way that feels forced, manufactured, unreal.

I think that speaks to the central issue of 'trust' you mention. It's why we tend to trust peers rather than organisations, fellow customers on, say, Amazon, rather than product sellers. We don't trust organisations' motives but we hope-trust peers to be authentic.

Thanks again for such interesting comments. With best wishes. Nick

Helena Moore

14/3/2013 03:35:08 pm

Here at Bromford Group we are prolific users of social media … we use Yammer for the big internal water cooler conversation with our CEO being the biggest yammerer! (I hope for the sake of my career that doesn’t sound offensive!). It’s a brilliant way of connecting our 1250 colleagues who are based all over the place.
Other channels we use to a great extent are Twitter, Linkedin, Wordpress, You Tube and Facebook … We do have ‘official’ feeds but we love colleagues to get involved on a personal level and based on a culture of trust, we support people to get involved rather than embargo and terrify people not to have a go… We provide some basic guidelines but honestly what it really boils down to is…..if you wouldn’t say it in the café area don’t tweet, yammer blog etc etc it!... We remind colleagues that what happens in Vegas doesn’t necessarily stay in Vegas these days… but also that we’d love them to add their personal touch to helping us promote our brand. One of our service action calls to action is “do a bit more and add a bit of you”, social media channels provide the perfect canvass for this.
If people want to put links to their own Twitter, Linkedin, blog or Pinterest feeds as part of their mail signature that’s fine with us as long as they are largely linked to what we are all about as a business and uphold our ‘DNA’. People make their own decisions on this, if the content of their personal feeds is mainly about other stuff we ask them to link to our official ones. If colleagues use “Bromford” in their name or handle we expect this to be a predominately business feed but we still don’t want them to be a clone or robot … that would be dull.

Nick Wright

14/3/2013 04:41:02 pm

Hi Helena and thanks for sharing such an inspiring example. I would dearly love to visit your organisation to see and hear more about what this looks and feels like in practice (hint, hint!). ;)

I've heard of Yammer but haven't used it. I really like your emphasis on a culture of trust - that sounds like a critical condition for this kind of culture to work. The idea of trying to 'police' social media conversations would feel stifling and counterproductive to me.

I like your encouragement to 'add their personal touch' and the call to action, 'do a bit more and add a bit of you'. I also like the way you blur boundaries between personal and organisational by permissions to place personal links on mail signatures etc.

So...awaiting that invitation. :) With thanks and best wishes. Nick

Helena Moore

15/3/2013 06:16:58 am

Hi Nick ... hint taken... Sue Guest will be in touch to sort us something out she is waver of the magic diary wand!

Nick Wright

15/3/2013 06:24:55 am

Hi Helena and thanks for responding so quickly. The hint was very subtle, right? ;) The thing that most inspired and intrigued me about the environment and approach you described is the radical approach to social media as an exciting cultural phenomenon, not simply a technological one. Interesting too that we are using social media as a means by which to establish this connection and opportunity for sharing. My email address is [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from Sue the magic wand waver and to meeting you. :) With best wishes. Nick

Helena Moore

15/3/2013 06:54:56 am

No problem Nick ... yep linkedin is a great place to network .... and fortunately no ones got an injunction against me yet! Sue is back in next week so will arrange for us to meet soon... Happy red nose day!

Elissa Perry

14/3/2013 03:35:49 pm

Hi, Nick. I've experimented with using wikis in action learning initiatives with some success.

Nick Wright

14/3/2013 04:47:23 pm

Hi Elissa and thanks for the note. I've heard of wikis but haven't used them. Would you be happy to say something more about how you used them in action learning and what made them successful for this purpose? I would be very interested to hear more. With thanks and best wishes. Nick

Andrew Stott

15/3/2013 01:38:56 pm

At World Vision we've had our best success when supporters are posting about their experiences and feelings when visiting sponsored children in some of the most remote places on earth. When they share this with other sponsors of children in the same community, it's like others are able to join in the experience vicariously. When we try to talk about the same things, it's boring. Because unfortunately it's hard for an organisation to write about feelings and emotions, but that is what people most want to hear.

In my academic life, I'm in the middle of an assignment on GiffGaff, a mobile virtual network provider spinoff of O2. What I'm impressed with there, is that their entire proposition to consumers, and the way they deliver it, was created with social media in mind. Their first customers designed the packages that the company was to offer, they continue to be involved in business decisions like pricing, they are rewarded for sharing GiffGaff with others, but most radically, they are also rewarded for offering customer service to other customers. For most businesses, social media is a little add-on to their existing promotional activity, and has little value. But for GiffGaff, it is the way they were established, operate, and grow.

Nick Wright

16/3/2013 01:12:21 am

Hi Andrew and thanks for sharing such profound insights from World Vision and GiffGaff. I found your comments very helpful about the impact of supporters expressing their own experiences and how that is and feels so different to an organisation trying to express the same. I wonder if a supporter voice sounds more authentic and trustworthy too, speaking on the same issues and experiences but without a perceived vested interest.

I hadn't heard of GiffGaff before but it sounds fascinating as a case study. It sounds to me as if the organisation has started with clear principles and values in mind about how it perceives itself and the customer and the relationship between them, and used social media as an integral relational medium by which to build and conduct the business. It's a great example of social media as a cultural rather than simple technological phenomenon.

With thanks again for sharing such inspiring examples and insights. I would love to hear more about your research into GiffGaff when you've finished your assignment! :) With best wishes. Nick

Funmi Johnson link

15/3/2013 11:11:31 pm

Hi Nick,

This is turning into a very interesting conversation. I particularly like Yellow Shed Girl's contribution. What I took away from that is the need to remain authentic whilst using social media.

I never write anything that isn't congruent for me. For better for worse, my blog and my tweets all express those things that are important to me. Social media is important for me, because it's a great way to get information about me and the services I provide out to people beyond my immediate circle. I've made 2 new friends and got one training gig through LinkedIn.

I'm not frantic about trying to increase the number of my followers on Twitter or Facebook or Pinterest. I prefer that the people who follow me, do so because they are interested in what I say and what I do.

Nick Wright

16/3/2013 01:38:06 am

Hi Funmi and thanks for the inspiring comments. I like your emphasis on being congruent, 'for better or for worse', and I like the way you write your own blogs in such a natural, open style. So many corporate communications come across to me as too stage-managed, too edited, too polished so it's refreshing to see your communications expressed in such an honest, personal way.

I too have found social media very valuable, especially LinkedIn as a place to connect and share ideas with people with interests and passions in similar fields. I've learnt so much from people online whom I've never met face-to-face and continually feel humbled and amazed by people's willingness to share insights, ideas and experiences in such an open and honest way. I love it! :)

I really liked your closing comment: 'I'm not frantic about trying to increase the number of my followers...I prefer that the people who follow me do so because they are interested in what I say and what I do.' It speaks to me of a mature attitude and authentic spirit. With best wishes. Nick

Olga Kiss

18/3/2013 02:55:06 am

Very interesting discussion. Thank you!

Nick Wright

19/3/2013 12:31:31 pm

Thanks Olga. I would be interested to hear of any insights or experiences you have on the social media front too? With best wishes. Nick

Ian Gray

19/3/2013 11:19:24 am

Hi all,

there are 2 things that are worth thinking through when using social media.

1. People are sceptical of institutions and organisations, so anything that looks like it is from a corporate entity and not an individual on platforms such as twitter is often treated with a certain amount of distrust (particularly if it is advertising).

2. THe most important thing to realise is that things in the digital world work on power law distributions and not normal distributions, so you have a lot of activity by a few and then a long tail of people with little activity. This holds true on company and intra-comapny platforms like Yammer, and on platforms like facebook. In fact, the replies on this blog's readership should follow the same trend e.g. Eugena and Helena at the top, through to a long-tail of people who are reading but not commenting (Nick - you could confirm/disconfirm this). So if you are trying to build "community" on the web, be prepared for a lot of "free riding," and embrace it:)

Nick Wright

19/3/2013 12:41:06 pm

Hi Ian and thanks for the helpful comments. I agree with your first point and it made me wonder how far this is primarily a European phenomenon, particularly in light of prevailing postmodern influences. What do you think? It's interesting too how we tend how to trust individuals more than institutions. Why do you think that is?

I found your second comment interesting too. Could you say more about what power law distribution and normal distribution mean? I wonder if the phenomenon you describe is common to group dynamics in general, that is, the different roles and contributions or levels and types of engagement that tend to emerge in groups.

With thanks again for such thought provoking insights. Nick

Bridget

21/3/2013 05:06:17 am

Hi Nick
I came across this blog about social media which you might find interesting. It's Part 1 of a two part blog.
Blessings B

http://www.womencentric.net/how-to-make-social-media-count/

Nick Wright

21/3/2013 06:56:27 am

Hi Bridget and thanks for posting the link. I see it also includes useful links to social media platforms, i.e. Pagemodo and Hootsuite. With best wishes. Nick

Robyn Taylor

11/4/2013 03:47:39 am

From what I've read, It seems that there are a few issues and challenges associated with running action learning (AL) sets on existing social media platforms. However, I'm interested in what can be learnt from this - for instance, if you had to create an alternative online engagement platform for AL - what do you think that would look like? How would it run?