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Connecting Executives and Employees Through Town Halls
April 22, 2014
Today we will cover:
1 Introduction to the Business Problem
2 Socialcast Solution: Town Hall Overview
3 Customer Highlight: Humana’s Case Studies and Tips
4 Q&A
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#SCTownHall
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Speakers
Jeff Ross, Humana Community Manager
@jeffkross Jeff Ross is a community manager for Humana’s Enterprise Social Media Team and has served as the community manager for Humana’s enterprise social network (Buzz) since its launch in May 2010.
He is the founder and host of the weekly Twitter chat #ESNchat for those interested in enterprise social networks.
He is an active blogger at JeffRossBlog.com and elsewhere on various professional and personal topics.
Badi Azad, Socialcast Sr. Product Manager
@badiazad Badi Azad is senior product manager at VMware and is responsible for the core Socialcast product.
Prior to Socialcast, Badi was an integral part of presentation software startup, SlideRocket, which was acquired by VMware in 2011.
He is a technology intellectual and holds an MBA in Entrepreneurial Management from the University of San Francisco.
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Business Problem Traditional organizational hierarchies and cultures with top-down management philosophies make it difficult for employees to connect with executives or leadership.
Frontline employees have valuable insights, feedback, and ideas from working with the product and customers.
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Executives require employee involvement and company-wide alignment to meet strategic goals.
Benefits of Working Together
The ESN Solution Enterprise Social Networks (ESN) drive business value by:
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• Transcending organizational silos and hierarchical barriers by allowing employees to quickly mobilize, connect and collaborate.
• Creating a culture of openness and honesty -- building and strengthening relationships through trust and transparency.
• Providing front-line employees with a voice and a platform to share feedback.
Socialcast Town Halls Product History and Overview
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The Reality of Business Today
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Strong corporate leadership is about creating a collaborative culture
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Leadership and Communication Redefined
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Changing from one-way transfer of static information, to one of active knowledge sharing.
Notions of Communication are Challenged
Town Halls
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• Moderated • Scheduled • Archived
Connecting Executives and Employees
Town Hall Demo
Customer Spotlight:
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Case Studies
Town Halls for Executive Communications TOPIC
CEO Quarterly Leader Meetings
OBJECTIVE
Align executives and employees in a shared vision
STRATEGY
• CEO hosts a Quarterly Leadership Meeting for the organization’s 2,000+ leaders
• Town Hall held in conjunction to capture presentation materials and engage audience members in conversation
• CEO answers questions directly in the Town Hall and the discussion continues even after it ends
RESULTS
Quarterly Leadership Town Halls are accessible to more than 50,000 people, helping get everyone on the same page and moving in the same direction
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Town Halls for Managing Change TOPIC
Humana Pharmacy Solutions Executive Presentation
OBJECTIVE
Communicate new strategic directions to employees around the country in an efficient, inclusive way
STRATEGY
• Exec presented plans for a new business model in a large convention center
• Town Hall was used simultaneously and reached 300+ participants around the country
• Powerful graphics, probing questions, and interactive elements used to enhance Town Hall
RESULTS
The HPS Town Hall was viewed by 523 people. Humana was able to roll out a new pharmacy initiative in a transparent and engaging way
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Town Halls for Open Dialogue TOPIC
Open Office Hours with a Vice President
OBJECTIVE
Be available for associates to stop by and discuss whatever is on their minds.
STRATEGY
• Schedule and announce periodic Town Halls where VP John Brown is available for questions
• Discussion topics are entirely up to associates – no planned presentation
• Use only the Socialcast Town Hall – no conference call, webcast or in-person gathering
RESULTS
Extremely popular Town Halls that give any associate an opportunity to discuss whatever they wish with the VP. Great example of inspiring leadership and open, transparent communication.
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John Brown Humana Service Vice President
“I want people to know that not everyone in a position of authority is heartless or disconnected from the real world. I want people to know and see that I cry like everyone else, bleed when I'm cut and have a compassion for them that is real. I want what is best for every associate and our members. If I can make that happen, for even a few, I will have been a success.” - John Brown
Town Halls for Capturing Feedback TOPIC
Humana.com Employee Focus Groups
OBJECTIVE
Capture Humana.com website requirements and feedback on proposed changes.
STRATEGY
• Re-design the Humana.com company website
• Used a series of Town Halls to present screenshots of proposed changes, where associates posted questions, concerns, or suggestions
RESULTS
By involving associates early and often in the website re-design process, the Humana web team streamlined the production process and reduced development costs. With early input from end-users, Humana.com better reflects what customers need and makes information easier to find.
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Town Halls for Brainstorming Ideas TOPIC
Power Users: Buzz Brokers
OBJECTIVE
Improve Humana’s internal social network.
STRATEGY
• Special Town Hall meetings for Humana’s most active community users, aka “Buzz Brokers”
• Town Halls Provide Buzz Brokers a chance to provide feedback, suggestions, or ask questions. This helps the Community Manager understand what’s going well or what could be going better
RESULTS
Input from key stakeholders has helped improve the Buzz experience for more than 31,000 members.
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Town Halls for Inspiration TOPIC
Humana Gives Back Campaign
OBJECTIVE
Recognize the contributions made by Humana employees to local charities.
STRATEGY
• Capture personal stories about Humana employees giving back to their communities
• $5,000 award to be directed to the employee’s charity of choice
• Campaign organizers introduced the contest through Town Halls, presented details on how to participate, documented Q&A and made available for future reference
RESULTS
A surprising number of Humana employees shared personal stories. Local charities received more than $10,000 as a result of this campaign.
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Town Halls for Taking Action TOPIC
Humana Hope Campaign
OBJECTIVE
Motivate employees to make a personal commitment to better health.
STRATEGY
• Launch campaign on Facebook
• Asked employees to share personal goal for improving emotional, spiritual, financial, or physical health as New Year’s resolution
• Town Hall engaged employees which increased employee participation in Facebook campaign
RESULTS
Humana’s commitment to enhancing health extends to customers and employees. Town Halls provided a way for Humana to inspire employees to take concrete steps toward improved health/wellness.
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Best Practices and Tips
10 Tips for a Successful Town Hall
1. Plan in Advance
2. Prepare Moderators to Spark Conversations
3. Work as a Team
4. Invite Participants
5. Frontload Questions
6. Publish Content
7. Plan Interaction Details Ahead
8. Design for Engagement
9. Add Teleconferencing
10. Follow Up
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