Effective organisational comms Blending traditional and Web 2.0 techniques

Effective organisational comms Blending traditional and Web 2.0 techniques

Keith De La RueFriday, 24 Oct 2008

Keith De La RueFriday, 24 Oct 2008

Outline A toolkit approach to organisational comms

Available tools Understanding the social media revolution

Where are we, and where are we going? Engaging and collaborating

Harnessing Web 2.0 for results Segmenting the audience

Catering to different styles and needs Putting it all together

My turn first… Keith De La Rue AcKnowledge Consulting, Melbourne

Knowledge Management, communications, learning

Primary focus on sales force efficiency Knowledge Management role, Telstra

Knowledge transfer on changing business initiatives

Eight years’ experience Successful, widely-recognised KM model

Quick poll How many of you read blogs? … write a blog?

Personal, Intranet, Corporate web How many use Wikipedia?

Contribute … write a wiki?

Intranet, Corporate web How many on Facebook or LinkedIn? Other sites/tools?

The toolkitThe toolkitSomething old, something new…Something old, something new…

What is communication? Many traditional tools are one-way

“Push” – eg, newsletters “Pull” – eg, document libraries

Intranets have made richer media available

Some still one-way Newer technologies provide richer

interaction Social Media - blogs, wikis

AllAll have a place…

The toolkit approach Build a managed program Use a mixture of styles and tools Ensure a common message Coordinate activities Focus on the needs of the target

audience Different media for different targets

Physical media Bulletin Boards Posters… Newsletters Libraries Audio, CDs… Video, DVDs

iRadio Feature-style radio program on CD Short segments Interviews with experts, customers Professional production Can be costly

Face-to-face Meetings Presentations Roadshows Briefing Training

What’s the difference?

Two Hours of Power Focussed face-to-face Sales Training First hour – presentation

Delivered by SME Focus on key messages

Second hour - activity to reinforce key message

Role play presentation, Quiz, Q&A Minimal time-out requirement

Electronic tools Email

Brief, focussed! Summarise, use links

Audio conferencing… Voicemail… SMS…

Sales Management Briefing Brief line managers directly on key

messages Audio conference; on-line slide pack Fit into normal team meeting schedule

Maximise attendance

Voice mail A recorded marketing update message,

broadcast to multiple mailboxes Used in 1994!

A recorded message, with a dial-in number

Needs to be short

Short Message Service (SMS) Text message with latest update

System outage messages Annual results announcement

Number to call for more detail Load message from a PC, distribute to

list

Online tools Intranet and portals… Newsletters… Content databases… Audio, Video and multimedia Web conferencing Online Quiz… Combination media…

The Intranet Organisation-Wide Web Like the WWW, may just be online

brochures A platform to support multiple media Needs to be managed to be successful

Development standards, templates Distributed publishing Ownership Usability

Portals A way to bring together multiple sites Provides structure and focus Links, pull-downs, buttons, tabs Can include feature articles, newsletters May allow personal customisation

Role-based defaults

Sales KnowHow Bulletin Weekly web-based newsletter Notice emailed to target audience

One-line summary; click through to site front page

Front page has 50-word summary Maximum 300 words per article

Link to document library or other site for more…

Suits time-poor audience Low-volume content – easy remote access Only read items of interest

Document library – the iStore Content management Accessed by multiple indexes Uses document templates Easy submission by document authors Provides currency management Allows audience feedback Provides a subscription service

ProductStream Streaming media and slide-show

Both video and audio-only versions Features a Product Manager or expert Scripted content Video – 8 slides, 1,000 words = 7 minutes Audio – 5 slides, 650 words = 5 minutes Format similar to Quick Hit

Includes “How will it help me?” Suits time-poor staff – but need to be at

desk

Knowledge Bites Weekly half-hour briefing on product

initiatives Voice conference & slide pack on web

conference Two 10-minute sessions, 5 minutes of Q&A Presented by SME Audio recording made, edited down Slides and audio available on the iStore Plus iStore subscriptioniStore subscription

= Podcasting…

iKnowItAll Quiz Monthly, Intranet-based quiz Five-page Quiz Hit - source document Three-part Quiz

Multiple choice True or False Perfect Match

Score based on correctness and time to answer

Prizes - fun learning Suits desk-based staff; lower take-up with

mobile staff

Understanding the social media revolutionUnderstanding the social media revolution

Where are we, and where are we going?Where are we, and where are we going?

Be afraid, be very afraid…“…with the advent of …social software, suddenly highly savvy networks of people are springing up in their millions. They’re talking to each other. With or without With or without your permissionyour permission”

Hugh McLeod – http://www.gapingvoid.com/http://www.gapingvoid.com/

Discontinuous change Many technology improvements have

been gradual There have also been times of dramatic

change The transistor Integrated circuits Internet WWW Social media…

How much change?

A change in perspective Is the future just an

extension of the past?

How much are we like Holland?

Do you remember South Wales?

No longer part of the “old country”

A new territory

What is the economy? An economy of scarcity

IP must be protected at all costs Win-lose

An economy of abundance Knowledge must be shared at all costs Win-win

Discontinuous change Your view of all this determines how you

see today’s world and Intranet 2.0… “Did you know?”

http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/06/did-you-know-20.html

Social computing“Social computing requires a mind-shift from previous ways of doing business and requires high levels of trust and confidence from those engaging in it. How you communicate your intentions and encourage take up is crucial”

Euan Semple, http://www.euansemple.com/

Engaging and CollaboratingEngaging and Collaborating

Harnessing Web 2.0 for resultsHarnessing Web 2.0 for results

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0

Web 2.0 Move from 1:many to many:many Definitive products:

Web 1.0 – Netscape, system-dependent Web 2.0 – Google, ubiquitous

Move from hierarchies to networks Move from online brochures to

interaction The rise of prosumers

Intranet 2.0 – Enterprise 2.0 “SMIF” – Social Media Inside the Firewall

(Andrew Mitchell)Tim O’Reilly - http://tim.oreilly.com/http://tim.oreilly.com/

The new world Blogs, wikis, RSS and more… Push and pull boundaries blurred Opens up the organisation Complex media for a complex

environment Requires a new way of thinking Most software low-cost or free

But challenging for corporate IT!

Your challenge Which of these would be useful in

your organisation? What would the benefit be? Who would see the benefit? If you are already using them, how can

they be improved?

Every blog has its day WeWeb logb log = a diary on steroids

Can include text, images, multimedia Originally a single author, personal diary

Can be shared authorship; dialogue through comments

Chronological organisation; more permanent Edited anywhere, online Cheap – open source or commercial

WordPress, Movable Type, Typepad “Blogs are useless drivel”?

Might as well say “Paper is useless”

http://delarue.net/

http://www.melbournekmlf.org/

http://www.nowwearetalking.com.au/http://www.nowwearetalking.com.au/

Blogs in internal comms Use to build a community or dialogue

Is blogging the new water-cooler? Knowledge sharing - and opinions!

Need something to say, time to update Needs trust, not control CEO “chat” Disney cable – “Shiftlog”

Global technical operators US University library

News, event management, facility use End of the “typing pool” paradigm?

Tags Simple categories or key words User-defined - “Folksonomy” Each item can have multiple tags Commonly used in blogs Introduced to email by Gmail Used by Flickr to tag images Can use to generate a “tag cloud” Del.icio.us – social book-marking

Tags and taxonomy A taxonomy is like a concrete footpath

Not frequently changed Tags are more like tracks in the grass

More worn the more they are used What is the best thing to do with grass

tracks?

RSS – ‘Real Simple Syndication’ Web feed of blog or other content

News feeds User-defined subscription

Can reduce email network load Users establish their own priorities!Users establish their own priorities! Needs a “feed-reader” or aggregator

Built in to IE 7, Firefox, Office 2007 Tools available to convert to email No user software installation

http://http://www.google.com/www.google.com/ig/ig/

Podcasting A pre-recorded audio program or

message Allows portability, time-shifting Caters to different learning styles So what’s new?

Simple software and devices Anyone can produce RSS feeds

“Knowledge Bites”

http://www.youtube.com/user/plambehttp://www.youtube.com/user/plambe

Videocasting YouTube and the “home video”

revolution

Online forums Allows all users to post articles Content pushed by email or browsed All users are equal

(But some are more equal than others!) May be moderated

Otherwise, may get out of control – flames, storms

Excellent medium for sharing Serves a Community of Practice Broader range of input and views than

blogs

http://www.actkm.org/http://www.actkm.org/

Wikis An online reference source, edited by users "Wiki-wiki" = "hurry quick" (Hawaiian)

Quick to set-up, and supports rapid development

Easy online editing Includes author comments and discussion Lowers barriers to participation

Readily-available software Vulnerability?

“iStore” experience Reliability?

Wikipedia…

Wikipedia Encyclopaedia Britannica vs Wikipedia

December 2005 Nature magazine’s nature.com comparison

“Can multiple, unpaid editors match paid professionals for accuracy?”

50 parallel reviews of articles from each Eight serious errors, four from each Other errors: Wikipedia 162, Britannica 123

Disputed by Britannica; defended by Nature

Wikis in organisations Good for experts to build a body of

knowledge Needs encouragement for input

Or critical mass? Jimmy Wales – “5 to 10 dedicated people”

NAB – Training group collaboration On an externalexternal site…

US Government Enterprise Architecture Conference management - end-to-end Telstra – Project Management for Online

team Email replacement – “Socialtext”

Our Intranet, the Wiki Janssen-Cilag 300 employees, Australia & NZ Launch budget $11,000 Uses Confluence by Atlassian

Directory integration, attachments Started with pilot on office relocation After 12 months, 184 contributors Content ownership key!

•Nathan Wallace - http://www.e-gineer.com/v2/blog/2007/08/our-intranet-wiki-case-study-of-wiki.htm

Instant Messaging Managing “presence” across

geographically-separated teams Collaboration Group messages Faster than a speeding email? Mobility applications

SMS

http://twitter.com/kdelaruehttp://twitter.com/kdelarue

Twitter 140-character messages

“What are you doing?” “Microblogging” “Group proprioception”

“The ability to sense the position, location, orientation and movement of the body and its parts”

“If only most companies realised the treasure trove of expertise and information that their employees would be able to access if they encouraged the use of such services”

Shane Goldberg, Telstra

Benefits Networking and collaboration Breaking news Personal development Virtual “water cooler” Mentoring Openness and sharing Shared note-taking Connected when remote

Returning to work

http://www.yammer.com/http://www.yammer.com/

Yammer Microblogging for organisations

“What are you working on?” Uses organisation domain for security Opt-in model

Allows control Pro-active support on Twitter!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=625634789http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=625634789

Online communities Value

MySpace; $580 million LinkedIn: $1 billion Facebook: $15 billion

Some organisations were blockingblocking Facebook

Some organisations are usingusing Facebook Deloitte has over 17,000 members Directory, expertise location Promoting events Use to build or share apps

http://secondlife.com/http://secondlife.com/

Virtual Worlds 3D representations of real or imagined

landscapes Members use “avatars”

Second Life Public spaces and private spaces available ABC and BigPond use externally

Supports use for organisational training IBM Tertiary institutions Mixed results

http://www.telstraenterprise.com/http://www.telstraenterprise.com/

Implementation and availability Software readily available

Free or low-cost – RoI with low “I” “Failure” not a financial loss

Hosted or DIY sites readily available May be IT issues

Compatibility with existing systems Firewall issues “Skunkworks”

Content can be edited anywhere, with no software install

Segmenting the AudienceSegmenting the Audience

Understanding needsUnderstanding needs

What’s missing from this picture?What’s missing from this picture?

It’s all about people!

Know your audience Identify and understand target audiences

Know the culture Natural tendency to share Role and functions Geographical diversity Access to technology Affinity for technology

Know how to cater to needs of each audience

Build tools to meet the needs and learning styles

Target audience needs Management, Executives

Time-poor, need headline items only Desk-bound sales representatives

Simpler products, quick online access Mobile account executives

On the road, time-poor; have remote access Specialists

Detailed content, more technical – specific fields

More likely to share with one another

Target audience needs City – country

Different priorities Geographical Dispersion

Local considerations Global organisation

Language, culture Age

Cater to different world view and practices What are your segments?What are your segments?

Know your message Set communications objectives

What results do you need from each audience?

Make sure they know exactly what you are asking for

Understand issues to be addressed Define key messages Use specific slogan or branding Measure success of communications Review and refresh

Putting it all togetherPutting it all together

Using the toolboxUsing the toolbox

Choosing from the toolbox Stakeholders define priorities, set objectives For each initiative, determine target audience Determine tools to be used, based on needs:

Audience Company strategy

Deliver a program of activity, eg: Sales KnowHow Bulletin, Briefing, ProductStream iStore Content Training – 2HP

Including the new tools Set the agenda with blog articles Improve engagement through online

discussion Real change starts from the inside

Use podcasts for key announcements Allows time-shifted access

Leverage expertise sharing with wikis

Principles for social media TrustTrust - you don’t need to control everything Understand your communities Anticipate audience needs not yet fully

articulated Don’t let the security police put you off Don’t get stuck with the conventional

wisdom Experiment! Outcomes may not be direct or

obvious in advance

Why social media? Enhances face-to-face networks Increases personal connections between

staff Encourages sharing and connection

Producer/Consumer boundaries blurred RSS allows consumers to establish own

priorities Push and Pull concepts less clear

Supports rapid changes in priorities Relevant info is distributed more quickly Creates an information base over time

The benefits of social media Engaged staff - people feel “heard” Better, quicker staff access to needed

information More benefits from knowledge sharing Organisational access to staff knowledge

and ideas Easier to find right people quickly Innovation much more rapid Personal ties lead to staff retention Improve connections across geography

So who does it? Intranet Dashboard survey, May 07

50% of Australian companiesinterested in social networking, but not yet using

26% had begun a trial or using Forester, June 08

“Social Networks will Augment HR Strategies” Recruiting, alumni programs, mentoring,

learning, collaboration, and connecting people “Professional networks are the backbone of

business”

http://blog.connectbeam.com/blog/2008/06/forrester-repor.htmlhttp://blog.connectbeam.com/blog/2008/06/forrester-repor.html

Royal Bank of Canada Intranet 70,000 staff - only 1% reading printed

comms Largest share of costs 91% preferred online

Developed INsite – online newsletter Driven by regular feedback from staff Debates, suggestions, content rating, polls Virtual editorial board of 300 staff

Saved over A$340k pa in 18 months Increased staff engagement significantly

http://www.melcrum.com/http://www.melcrum.com/

Social Media Manager, BT Decentralised Intranet, 100% accessible “Encouraging every employee to believe

they can make a difference” Social networks included in Business Drivers BTpedia, blogging, collaboration, podcasting Social networking – do, create, innovate,

change Focus on value, not risk Start early, start small, build slowly

Richard Dennisonhttp://www.slideshare.net/InsideOut/international-employee-communications-summit-2008http://www.slideshare.net/InsideOut/international-employee-communications-summit-2008

The home-baked approach IBM building in-house versions

Blue Twit – twitter Beehive - Facebook Dogear - Del.icio.us (favourite sharing)

Beehive has 30,000 users (May 2008) Including top executives

Assist with geographically dispersed teams Strengthen staff ties Aid with knowledge sharing and innovation

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_22/b4086056643442.htmhttp://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_22/b4086056643442.htm

Stepping outside… Training group collaborating on an

external wiki Facebook as a corporate expertise

directory Private network – for free

What is the cost of people working What is the cost of people working in isolation?in isolation?

The inductee How do connected Gen Y round pegs

fit into the organisational square hole? … they probably feel that their

arms and legs are being cut off! Imagine if you were not “allowed” to use

email! “People want to use their favourite

technologies at work. They're satisfying themselves and not waiting for IT”

Dennis Moore, SAPYahoo! News – 19 June 2007

http://delarue.net/blog/2008/03/found-car/http://delarue.net/blog/2008/03/found-car/

Overcoming the challenges What are your challenges? How will you address them?

Thank You!Thank You!

keith@delarue.netkeith@delarue.net 0418 51 76760418 51 7676

Blog: Blog: http://acknowledgeconsulting.com/http://acknowledgeconsulting.com/keith@delarue.netkeith@delarue.net 0418 51 76760418 51 7676

Blog: Blog: http://acknowledgeconsulting.com/http://acknowledgeconsulting.com/