It has been a year since we began our pilot and will be a year in September since our official "soft" launch. And I think that means it's time for a communications effort to help us get to the next level, and we'll use our logo and tagline to get the message(s) across.I wish I had a great metaphorical reason for choosing the logo, but really we just liked it best of all the entries submitted by our community members. I expect over time we'll endow it with all sorts of meaning and so retroactively explain the imagery. Wouldn't be the first time that happened.
The tagline (Connect. Communicate. Collaborate.) sums up what our social media software is for, and what we expect our community to do with it. Let's look at each point in turn.
Connect
We're seeing people connect in our community across geographical borders and divisional boundaries. Suddenly it doesn't matter so much where your desk is or which part of the company you work in. It has become simple to reach out to people you've never met (and perhaps never will).
You find them in all sorts of ways, too. Some are prolific or profound or funny bloggers. Some ask provocative questions that set off dynamic discussion threads, and others offer insightful and informed responses. Some publish documents that you find valuable. Others are members of groups that you have joined, whether on work topics (e.g., SEO) or not (e.g., Gardeners).
Still more are there to be found with a bit of effort through searching or filtering on topics that interest you, locations you're interested in, or offices you're visiting. Finding peers who perform the same role you do in other parts of the company has become practically effortless.
One's network of connections within the company is an important part of any knowledge worker's effectiveness. Knowing who to turn to can be just as valuable in solving problems as your own accumulated topical knowledge. The better connected our employees are, the more effective our organization becomes.
Connecting: it's the first fundamental factor in our online community's success.
Communicate
Can we all agree with the truisms about communication in organizations? Communication is important, there is rarely enough of it and getting people to pay attention to it is a challenge. Our social media software is just one communication tool for our organization to use, but it offers some powerful channels for improving the way we communicate.
The fundamental difference we're seeing is a change from one-way communication (top-down) to not only two-way (people responding to the writer), but to open discussions among many people, including follow up by the writer. Our managers have always communicated, but never before have their written communications invited response as they do now. People comment on the CEO's blog, triggering further comments and entire discussions about the topic of the blog (or the comment itself).
In order to engage like this, you have to pay attention, and when you see that others are engaged there's more incentive for you to engage, or at least pay attention, too. Communications become less about silently reading an email from the boss and deciding where to file it (or whether to delete it), and more about an invitation to think and join a lively conversation. Human beings are all about conversation, and it's making our communications more effective.
Of course, there are many other ways people are communicating within our community, and I am sure new ways will continue to evolve. We have people blogging about what interests them, and people who read and follow them based on the merit of their ideas and writing, not the author's job title. People are speaking up and sharing what they are thinking. It's satisfying to have a voice and be heard, and it's good policy for the organization to hear so many more of the ideas and opinions that otherwise might not have been shared. We are all the smarter for listening to each other.
Collaborate
Collaboration is the one-word answer I give when asked what our social media software is for and why we have rolled it out across the enterprise. Trying to quantify all the positive effects from "collaboration" is like trying to do the same for "learning." The possibilities are endless. The sheer multiplicity of potential from thousands of employees interacting one-on-one, in small groups and one-to-many can't easily be assessed by any tools or predictions.
But the value is real. We're seeing it already, and I believe far more collaboration is taking place than I can see. After all, who thinks to comment upon the fact that they just had a productive conversation with someone they met through the online community? Who bothers to point out that they just found the answer to an important question by searching and finding a document posted by someone in another part of the world?
In fact, I'll posit the Collaboration Iceberg Rule (as in, the tip of the iceberg): For every example of collaboration that comes to the community manager's attention, nine other examples go unreported. Of course, it's not exactly nine (really it's 9.27, but I know you won't believe I have calculated it that precisely) -- but you get the point.
Collaboration saves the company money. Collaboration leads to more revenue. Collaboration leads to new business opportunities, innovation and competitive advantage. When you think about it, collaboration is the reason that companies exist: companies are designed as ways for individuals to work together to accomplish the organization's objectives. Our online community is helping us work together better.
The Sunflower
I'll close by suggesting some associations we can make from the sunflower image on the logo. It's alive. It's growing. It's healthy, as indicated by the bright colors of the flower. It's vibrant. It contains the seeds of further growth. It responds to light, an image of openness. It requires nurturing, as well as weeding and occasional pruning. It develops strong roots that hold it steady in the face of adverse weather.
All of this applies metaphorically to our online community. And we've only just begun to plant the seeds. But we're already blooming and reaching higher. And just like a magnificent sunflower does, that brings a smile to my face.
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