I never thought I could read several contemporary articles about social networks and never come across the word "Facebook."
I have been proven wrong once again.
Social networks, otherwise refereed to as informal networks, are complex, integrated organizations. When thinking about social networks, often the thoughts that come to mind are far from academic. Rather, we think about dueling our long lost friends in a game of Mophia Wars, or showing off our personalities by posting our favorite musical artists.
Despite our casual perception of these networks, social networks are structured, measurable, and can be manipulated and rated from effective to destructive. Facebook, Twitter, and all of the other social networking sites we are so familiar with today are simply tools that enable our informal networks to thrive. They do not define social networking, but rather facilitate it.
According to authors like Rob Cross, Laurence Prusak, and Andrew Parker, businesses who are committed to improving their inherent social networks are much more successful than those who ignor them, or think they already have a good understanding of those networks without formally studying them. Ironically, many companies are now banning various social networking tools for fear that they are being used to spread negative information, or at best, are distractions from the real work that needs to be done.
Although these authors do not reference these tools specifically, they do claim that trying to snuff out social networking would be a terrible mistake. After all, two heads are better than one. And when those two heads come together in an organic way, where each one is utilized for what it does best, business runs better.
So how do managers and business owners make sure that their employees' are utilizing and strengthening their social networks for the overall good of the company? It is not easy, but like anything that matters, it takes a lot of consideration and work. Networks must be nourished, but not forced. Pivotal, influential people at the center of social networks often need to take on less responsibility, contrary to what seems intuitive. Team building efforts need to be a priority, and despite high levels of productivity amongst teams that work well together, long-term growth will require those teams to be shaken up from time to time.
It is fascinating how something like a social network, that seems so informal and fluid, actually has a very strong structure, and can be analyzed and improved upon. We seem to focus on the surface of social networking, but it seems that with a more in depth understanding, we can benefit much more from the phenomenon, especially in the business world.
For more information on how to improve social networks in your business, check out these articles:
"The People Who Make Organizations Go- or Stop"
"Six Myths About Informal Networks and How to Overcome Them"
Real money, virtual product
14 years ago
I think the authors really hit the nail on the head when they say that businesses who use social networking are more successful. The classic example is the Obama campaign. While McCain was out fundraising in front of the camera, Obama's team was creating and implementing a social media strategy to raise awareness, spread the message, and raise money all at the same time. Companies who miss the boat on this new way of doing business will lose out to the competition.
ReplyDeleteI think you are correct and we are just scratching the surface on how social networks can help businesses thrive. The businesses that use them and pick social networks that will compliment their companies goals are the ones that are going to be the most successful.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I worked on a project for a company, where every employee manged their own worksheet. They did not understand the advantages of collaboration and that they were each keeping track of the same information, but in a different way. My goal was to show them a professional platform, that had all the project management tools plus a news feeds and status updates for team/company collaboration. The tool reminded me of a combination of Twitter and Facebook. They were intrigued and very hesitant at first.
I think taking that first leap is the hardest part about bringing social networks into the business world. It might be different and new, but the advantages are astounding.
There's so many good points you make I'd love social media skeptics to observe. I agree with BOTR above that social media tools can help businesses/organizations succeed. Stifling your employees by limiting their communications would not only prevent positive communications and collaboration, but imagine the negative consequences as well. You’re missing an excellent opportunity to realize what issues concern your employees as they gripe to each other offline. Younger employees may expect to be able to use such tools, and depriving them may spark resentment. Also, I can’t imagine less internal communications helping your business, especially in this environment of increased transparency.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your point about the usage of applications being “nourished” but not “forced” may aid skeptics in understanding the advantages of social media. In a seminar I attended last week about social media, some of the obvious skeptics viewed these new communication tools as cumbersome (in terms of bandwidth) and inefficient (drawing their employees away from their tasks). While some had good points, your idea may help in showing such individuals that these communities exist already, and harnessing these networks could strengthen them further.