Tag: Social business

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7 Answers To 7 Questions You Will Face As you Modernize Your Company

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The always excellent John Stepper has captured the questions we have all (been) asked as we journey the social highway. In my simple, naïve way, here are my answers to them 1. “Can we do that?” Yes we can! Let us coopt the fervor and self-belief of Obama ’08. No hiding, no long verbose explanations. Self-declare a new reality. 2. “What if people say something they shouldn’t?” They won’t. Ever. Of course there is miscommunication and confusion wherever we look (and lawyers, especially, look quite hard). We all make mistakes. But no-one with a name and photo attached to their … Continue reading 7 Answers To 7 Questions You Will Face As you Modernize Your Company

Social Business, The Future of Work4 Comments

The ONE Thing You Need To Prosper In #SocBiz? Relentless Humanity

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This is an article you must read, if you want to understand social business. No, not understand it, I mean “get it”; feel the quality; live and breathe the future of work. Work is human; and it is humane. Technology may be the backbone of organizational change, it may be a driver, but technology is not the THING. People are the THING. How we commune, orchestrate, succeed – these are human endeavours. Stowe Boyd and Megan Murray both understand this; they live it and breathe. Theirs is a quite lovely and human exchange. I like to think of myself as being relentlessly … Continue reading The ONE Thing You Need To Prosper In #SocBiz? Relentless Humanity

Social Business, The Future of Work11 Comments

Hello. I’m Jonathan. How Can I Help?

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I asked someone recently a question that seemed quite natural to ask. It felt good. I didn’t over think it. It just made sense at the time. I asked her: How can I help? I was reminded of this brief exchange recently when I read this article on the networking power of asking the same question (I think, via @Nilofer) I think it might be the most important question we can ask each other in the next 10 years, and not just because it will help us network (always a useful skill). Now, there is nothing other-worldly about what I … Continue reading Hello. I’m Jonathan. How Can I Help?

Social Business, The Curious Will Inherit The World1 Comment

Public Dreams; Social Business…

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There are two local festivals I enjoy the most of Vancouver’s myriad cultural offerings: Public Dream’s Illuminares and the Powell St. Festival. After last night’s Illuminares I was reflecting on what exactly I find so satisfying about a simple lantern festival in a local park. It is not the thing / topic itself – lanterns last night, Japanese culture in two weeks on Powell Street – but the fact that they are social in nature. They are put on for us – both events are organized and curated by wonderful organizations – but they are enhanced by us. For every … Continue reading Public Dreams; Social Business…

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Can IT Be The Department of Yes?

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Discussing technology that powers the social enterprise, as I do, one clear distinction I have experienced is how it is MarComms / HR-types that “get it”; and IT-types that fold their arms and harumph about it. I spoke at a couple of Microsoft ‘social’ events this year about adopting social technology in the enterprise – using my company as a case study. Within the enterprise social community there is this natural conversation happening about ‘what if..’ and ‘Yes! And…‘ Conversely, in the MSoft audience were mainly IT-types, and there was a collective head scratching about the meaning of social. Instead, … Continue reading Can IT Be The Department of Yes?

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“Access trumps possession. Access is better than ownership.” #SocBiz Aha!

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“Access trumps possession. Access is better than ownership.” – Kevin Kelly, Founder, Wired This is the incredibly prescient KK from 2009 on the power of access. Of course, this message speaks powerfully for the opportunity of social/open business; and what tools like ESNs (Enterprise Social Networks) offer: giving others access to shared knowledge trumps possession/ownership of the same. Gosh, I hope there are “Aha!s” all round. ←This Much We Know.→     Continue reading “Access trumps possession. Access is better than ownership.” #SocBiz Aha!

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Social = Relationships = Trust

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Social = Relationships = Trust “… when we embed this new social language — words such as collaboration and purpose and community — into our discussions, value creation will flow. Relationships are to the social era, what efficiency was to the industrial era. And we all remember what relationships are built on, don’t we? Trust. After decades of building business on capital, oil, land and silicon, trust will be our foundation for what we create next.” – Nilofer Merchant via Wired ←This Much We Know.→ Continue reading Social = Relationships = Trust

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“Adapt” Is The New “Adopt.”

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One final A –> B vernacular twist, again via Luis Suarez… Whenever we drive “social” adoption, we are trying to get others to learn something new. Learning, for adults, is complex. Many adults really don’t like learning new things. It is asking a lot. However, when we ask people to adapt, it is different. Still not easy per se, adaptation implies people have the wherewithal to get ‘er done. It is effort that is required, not learning from scratch. I like that. Ain’t Anti-Social Asking others to adopt social implies they might be anti-social. But we can all adapt social, … Continue reading “Adapt” Is The New “Adopt.”

Social Business, The Future of Work3 Comments

“Open” Is The New “Social.”

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As we drive change in our organizations and embrace the future of work – one that is hyperconnected, iterative, conversational, Cluetrained – we butt heads with those who think differently. Where we desire hyperconnection, they prefer walled gardens. Where we embrace iteration, they follow linearity. Where we converse, they broadcast. Where we jump on the back of the Cluetrain as it rumbles through town, they line up at the airport for the F W Taylor Scientific Management jumbo jet. Among many points of contention with the others, “Social” is often where we come to blows. For while social implies to … Continue reading “Open” Is The New “Social.”

Social Business, The Future of Work2 Comments

“Social Business” Is The New “Social Media”

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Media may be the new Brand, but it doesn’t mean everyone gets it. Maybe times have changed, but here is a 6-7 word sentence that has failed more often than it has succeeded: “I need budget / resources for social media.” For some corporate executives it is hard to imagine two more frivolous words / concepts. Social + media = fail. One way to build muscle and confidence, and circumvent denigration of the MarComms work at hand, in conversation with executives is to reframe it more centrally to the business mandate. One small, meaningful move is to stop talking about social media … Continue reading “Social Business” Is The New “Social Media”

Social Business, The Future of Work4 Comments

Diary of a Reflective Employer…

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I was hiring recently for a social business intern. This is what I shared with the co-op faculty and student base after the fact… *********************** Where I work, we have a rolling intern position for a smart, dynamic, activated student to help us with MarComms projects covering social business (social media metrics, channel management and maintenance, research), design (websites, infographics, branding), creative work (video editing, writing), small-scale communications project management. The reason we turn to an intern is the hope / expectation that their ongoing experience in the social domain as a digital native can stimulate our approach to work. … Continue reading Diary of a Reflective Employer…