Headed off to #e2conf  in the morning. Thrilled to get back to the Bay Area as it's one of my favorite places in the world. Also thrilled to reconnect with everyone, and finally get to meet a few folks I've not yet met in the flesh.

I'm looking forward to participating the 2.0 Adoption Council's Black Belt Workshop on Monday. Hope you'll join us if you're there. When we began creating the workshop for June's Boston #e2conf I asked that we created the session I wish I could have attended as a new practitioner in 2007. I think we did that. This time, as I put together my material, I marveled at how much clearer the story is for practitioners. Community Management is maturing inside the enterprise and clarity around different types of community is solidifying. Governance, education and change management are all clearer stories with trucks full of case study and best practice. The fact that HR will have such a prominent voice this year is telling. We're getting it. Slowly, because we're human, but we're getting it.

The tools are still evolving and I believe we're chipping away at how they reflect and respect the depth of human business interaction. I've seen and heard about some fantastic things to come. Many point to a stronger focus on social psychology, user experience and measurable enterprise impact.

We're evolving slowly (it's how it's done after all) and it's exciting to see eyes continue to open. Regardless of where you see yourself across the spectrum, we're further than we were even six months ago. I'm eager to get a fresh pulse check next week.

If you'd like to connect you can find me at my sessions either in the Workshop, or as part of the Community Management track session: Community Managers: Why Do You Need Them and What Do They Do?  with my friend, "Madam Director", Claire Flanagan, and my newest Community Management cohort, Erica Kuhl. You can always hit me up on Twitter @meganmurray if you want to say hello.

There are some great pre-conference write ups out there that will help you plan your experience, be sure to take a look:

Strong Customer Showing at Enterprise 2.0 Conference - Sameer Patel

US Enterprise 2.0 Conference West Coast Edition Next Week - Oliver Marks

A Packed Agenda on HR Collaborative Technologies and SocialCRM at Enterprise 2.0 Conference Santa Clara - Rawn Shah

 

Finally, welcome to the new blog. If you see anything buggy please let me know!

I finally got to catch Sameer Patel’s talk from the E20 Summit in Milan (only mostly jealous). I thought he did a fantastic job of wrapping up the story of organizational social competency (he usually does). It’s that story I wish I could simply plug into the C-Suites of the world… “I know kung fu” style. Were it only that easy. Listening to Sameer’s talk I had a moment of alignment. I’ve been telling the competency story to a different audience from a different perspective for a while now. I’ve been teaching employees and community managers how to answer very real questions about true operational change on the inside. About how tools should work to support the needs of the users before the needs of those supporting/delivering them, and how leaders and teams can truly work in open spaces. These are evolving organizational social competencies. The how-to story is becoming clearer. As social competencies evolve, transparency shows us that not everyone has command of a set that works for them.  We’re all still trying to figure out how much of ourselves we give to the open spaces and in what context, especially considering the shifting nature of our relationships with services and the privacy controls they offer (cough: Facebook). The need to mature the organizational competency is no different. Sameer spoke of honestly looking at processes and operations, each little detail, to discover which  elements should be embraced and which should evolve. I completely agree that this investigation is vital to making sense of all things social. It’s how we must evolve as self aware organizations. A pragmatic assessment is vital  yet can be so easily overlooked or paid lip service to. A willingness to lift up the rocks and see what’s crawling around beneath is needed if there is any hope of sustained success. I see a focus on competencies as a major step in bringing understanding to the uninitiated and the resistant. A way to peel away the misnomers and assumptions that have bubbled up with each negative Facebook story or joke about blogging hipsters. There are many layers of detail that could, and should be added based on individual organizations and cultures. I’m beginning with a 50k ft view to keep things clear.  Internal to an organization I see it broken out by role and focus:

• Organizational Competencies, or the identified proficiencies the organization agrees to demonstrate to employees, customers, community and market
• CXO Competencies, or the identified proficiencies executive leaders agree to demonstrate to employees, customers, community and market
• Employee Competencies, or the identified proficiencies employees agree to demonstrate to colleagues, leaders, customers, community and market

Identified competencies are usually reflective of the business model or mission, and include a basic set of core values; the prescriptive description of a company culture (not to be confused with the actual network of cultures that exist in large orgs). In many environments those values are used as the baseline measure for employee review. They usually include subjective elements such as collaboration, communication, or respect. Employees may be lucky enough to get a few specific examples of what these elements really mean as they plan career path within an organization. The thing is, these measures in their current states almost perfectly support a transition to an open social space. Social basically already exists there. It’s correlation and clarity that seem to be missing in the haze of social buzz. The confusion seems similar to that of the behavioral norms of participation. “How do I get people to contribute?”, “What if someone posts bad/non-compliant information?”, “What should my answer look like if a junior employee challenges me?”, “ What if I/they/we do something wrong?” My first answer to any of these questions is usually: How would you handle it in the hallway? We have the answers we need to sort it out. We simply have to unearth the rocks, draw lines, and make sense of it in a way that honors culture while educating and stewarding forward motion. We have to intervene when the reaction becomes emotional and help our orgs build specific competency sets we can use to identify a way forward in education, in tool evolution, and in our innovative use of the medium. So if we have all of this information in front of us what does it look like? Here’s a starter stab at it.

Social use competencies from the tool perspective

Linking - are links proliferated? are conversations linked to relevant documents and resources? Leveraging the connections the tools afford – are connections (friending/colleaguing(?), linking conversations to documents, participating and contributing to communities, etc. Tagging – are contributions tagged? will the contributor add tags to content that “does not belong to” them? Ranking/feedback – does contributor offer input regarding the content or tools? Generally, understanding how contribution and use impact discovery. Using the best tools for the job – does contributor understand the different strengths of social tools? (we know the difference between a phone call and an email, why would understanding the difference between a discussion forum and a blog be different if the org has provided the education?) Protecting content that actually needs protection – does the contributor understand and abide by the security needs of the organization as their education and orientation offered? Do contributors understand basic copyright, attribution, technology export, worker union, or other applicable compliance laws? Finding information using the tools available – does a data gatherer spam email groups with questions before searching or crowd sourcing an answer through a social mechanism, or by leveraging search for answers?

Social interaction competencies from the behavioral perspective

Participant or Lurker – are valuable contributions being made (value can be defined in spectrum: as simple as a complete profile to proficient tagger or bookmarker, or prolific documenter) Lurkers do have and get value from social systems, however due to volume differences from www to org, you really should educate and encourage as few lurkers as possible. You cannot force, but you can educate to get the best contribution possible. Communication – are responses made in a way that leaves space for conversation, is the contributor welcoming of other opinions, do they know well enough to not be a troll, or how to ask for information needed, do they know when to shut up and stop talking about themselves? Are they able to respect colleagues online as they would in the hallways? Can they demonstrate respect in their use of the medium? ( btw, any of these items should have been taught with the telephone, meeting room, water cooler, parking lot… I think you get my drift.. in short, if it’s being measured as an interaction skill now, online application should be used as example.. think of how many represent themselves with a very different voice online.) If an organization is willing to define a set of measurable values, social should be a clearly represented and therefore easily measured. The measure can offer insights into the social make up and maturity of the culture. Let’s go a little deeper and revisit competencies from a role perspective.

From the organization layer, it’s time to understand what’s really working and what’s really not. Sameer’s point about the work we’ve done to deflect our customers through automation, and generally supporting the org vs. the customers, and perhaps employees, struck a chord with me. Not because I’m toiling in a quarry somewhere…  I know corporate dwellers across many organizations who feel that they don't have a trusted relationship with their employer (I am not one of them). I don’t think I’m unearthing any new concepts there. Shouldn’t trust be something we aspire to, or better yet, expect to participate in? Mutual respect and a general sense that we have each other’s best interests in mind, even if we do reside within a large org? I get that the idea is a big one. I also try to shoot for the right thing regardless if it’s the norm or not. A large organization willing to take an honest look inside is a special one. This work won’t be easy and it won’t be for every organization.

At the CXO layer a specific set of operational social competencies should be clarified. The prevailing notion that social proficiency = leader blogging is damaging at best. Non-participating CXO’s are missing out on volumes of vital business and organizational intelligence, as well as meaningful affinity with a workforce embroiled in their own work/life perspective shift (millennials, remote work, the rise of a worker-as-entrepreneur culture). The basic lack of operational knowledge is an expensive operating cost that too many organizations gladly assume.  Some clarity around the notion that growth doesn’t = more demand on an executive’s (or employee’s) time is needed. The reality is that growth demands greater efficiency, proficiency and social competency. It will be required to lead amidst evolution. Isn’t that what leaders have been doing since the dawn of time? In my view, participation at the CXO level should at least include some base level of engagement in the social channels. Involvement in conversation beyond organized appearances creates opportunity for employees and customers to build trust, align to/comprehend where the business is going, and allows leaders the vital feedback they need to avoid simply believing their own press releases. It takes guts to be an enterprise leader. We get that. It takes real bravery to be a leader in the open. We’ve got work to do there.

The Employee layer requires a solid set of social competencies to deliver on the promise of E20. Increased efficiency, emergence, trust, discovery, engagement…  Education and reasonable accountability for actions that can place the organization at risk are the ying to the yang of more open spaces and trust. It’s a two way street. Employees  also have to understand how to represent themselves in public social spaces as they would in a meeting with a client or a new colleague. Stories such as “nice wand” (my personal fav) have crossed many an executive desk and create an emotional reaction fast. If you want to carry a wand you’d better understand how limited profile works.  Employees also carry the added responsibility of self advocacy. This can be demonstrated in their choice to engage with leaders, the organization and colleagues in the open spaces. Think about what we used to call networking as engagement. It's a whole new story. Remember, this is a 50k ft view.

Every organization will have their own cultural norms, policies to abide by and conclusions to arrive at. The idea here is that it will require some honest organizational analysis to get to the right spot, and that right spot will move over time. If you were tasked to create a competency model that included social business tomorrow morning, what would you include? What resistance might you meet? How would you sell it? Eager to hear your ideas.

This afternoon I had a brief Twitter exchange about the state of the US Intel communities highly publicized efforts in information sharing and their current state of adoption plateau. It brought to mind a position I hold regarding how change works within densly siloed organizations. I thought I'd spell it out and see what you have to say about it. Here goes. Think about the path of a skunkworks implementation, or even a sanctioned pilot. Many start with some small identified group of enthusiasts or early adopters then slowly work their way out to the larger community where a more representative view of the cultural spectrum emerges. Enthusiasts> the willing> the concerned> the resistors> the combatants. Think of a level meter. You start in the green (path of least resistance) and move to the red (welcome to the wall). While measuring a linear path, it's a path that's in constant flux. There is no 'finished'. Adoption changes, the needle keeps moving. The thing is, humans are involved. We have to go through a change cycles for each point on the meter. There are a number of change management approaches you could apply toward this. For example, ADKAR or PCI. You have to remember that the methodology chosen doesn't simply apply to a one time application for the entire platform or an overarching user-culture, it applies to each point on the meter, as well as the organizational sub-points beneath (strategic users, teams, geographies, etc.). Business cultures aren't check boxes that live in a finished state. They have to be lead strongly, cared for, supported, guided, nurtured, and tapped for direction in a long-term, real-time way. Despite our need to see climbing adoption numbers (an assumed indicator of success), cultures, as living entities, operate in phases of construction and deconstruction. Lasting change comes in waves and sometimes those waves recede. I'm not surprised to hear of difficulty in coaxing siloed and deeply rooted cultures to share openly among one another. I don't believe the situation represents a death knell for information sharing in the most protected industry around. I believe it represents the difficulty of the task. I'm hopeful for them. Thanks for reading. Would love to hear your ideas.

 

• Be a real live human being. Authenticity and accountability apply whether you are taking heat or praise
• Users over pundits & vendors (love you guys, but you have to know where you are to know where you're going)
• Teach open. Fight for open. Be gentle but firm with those who don't understand it
• Be patient with the aggressive for they know not what they do
• Remember that innovation is never a comfortable or predictable experience. Be open and expect the unusual
• Breathe when you don't have control
• Give your control away and see what happens

Here's to positive change in the year to come.

There are a lot of burgeoning E2.0 implementations out there. Some may not remain in the months and years to come. Without the right amount of horse power (read: leadership support) any E20 idea, regardless of its merit or 'legitimacy', can be easily struck down with a tiny amount of misunderstanding and fear. This is where the evolution vs. revolution argument meets the road in many E20 environments. In each environment there exists a spectrum of adoption perspective. This spectrum ranges from the egalitarian enthusiast with gas can and matches in hand, to the go-slow negotiators who'll wait, and wait, and wait, to the fiercest resistor ready to protect their fiefdom to the bitter end. There's continued debate about whose perspective is right. IMHO they all are. These polarized perspectives are precisely what we need to get the right answer for the organization. We're interdependent. We need each other. We need to go through the hard work of this process together to be sure we have what we need. As the steward of an E20 implementation you must reach out to the core services of your organization to build their adoption and to engage them as stakeholders. If they aren't aware that they are stakeholders, it's your job  to make them aware. Not only aware, but engaged and participating. Who are these people? HR, IT, Legal, Existing KM, Learning/Training , the existing social network of off-line communities, Information Security, Marketing and Communications, and Corporate (I'm sure others are popping into your head right now). You need their guidance, their wisdom, and their support.

In more traditional hierarchical environments this can be a tough sell. In many cases you will be dealing with an audience who have never commented on a blog much less posted to one. You'll be facing months of discussions where you'll need to define the difference between a wiki and a forum, and in some cases, you'll need to debate it, or simply let a group take their own course of strategic action despite your best council. You can take some solace in the fact that it's getting easier as the months go by and E2.0 awareness is raised across the globe. While it's still tough, there are some best bet approaches:

• Honor the culture and represent your expertise. Most importantly, be a human being at the same time. Don't dive into lingo they don't understand. Listen more than you talk. Speak their language. More importantly, know their language and why they have it. Don't know?

• Research their work and their history. What are their challenges in communicating, engaging, discovering information with enough context to do something with it? Find and help with a goal they have using your project's solutions.

• Interview. Speak to each stakeholder and honestly hear their fears and hopes. Don't worry about answering their questions right there on the spot, just hear them and let them know they are being heard. Think about what they've told you and formulate a plan. Bring it back to them when you can give them a win. Even a little one. Trust takes time. Professional trust can take even longer.

• Be ready to hear no. It may not happen the first time. You have to do your homework and feel confident that the solution you're offering is solid. With that confidence comes the trust that it will happen in time. It's your job to make sure that you are offering the best solution for the broader culture. In many cases that will mean a culture shift will have to coincide with a roll out of tools. Have the widest picture in mind.

• Never in a million years think that the tool will do the adoption work. You'd think by now that we'd get this cliched concept. I see the idea crop up frequently enough that I find it too important not to mention. You are asking humans to change their daily habits for you. Don't underestimate their ability to deny that request.

• Conversely, never assume that your solution couldn't benefit from their suggestions. Be sure to offer solutions that will live and breathe with your needs.

I'll expand on many of these these ideas in posts to come. In the interim, thanks for reading and let me know what you think. Your comments and ideas will help me point my posts in the right direction. Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/clagnut/252185030/– Meeting Room Stencil Grafitti - Clagnut

For years I've been hounded to blog. I've always avoided it.  I was either concerned about the time, blurring the line between my corporate and personal views, or that I'd simply offer just another set of opinions to a space filled with noise. After much prodding from industry colleagues and friends I've come to the conclusion that I need to offer up my ideas here as a way to make them concrete, and to represent myself in the social and business circles I've navigated for so many years. A disclaimer: the opinions you see posted here are mine and in no way represent my employer, my employers positions or offerings.

Since 2006 I've been deeply involved in the work of Enterprise 2.0, both from the strategy, development, and deployment of technology, and around my passion;  adoption, and teaching the shift that comes with it.

In the years that preceded that I'd been involved in internal corporate efforts to push emerging technology information to a global enterprise through a number of media and demonstration vehicles. I was focused on research, acquisition, integration, marketing and demonstrations. My speaking and juggling skills brought me to the support of fifty-plus communities, which in time morphed into my responsibilities around implementing the internal E2.0 effort that quickly turned those fifty communities into four hundred and fifty.  I've been an intimate resident of the structured corporate world for well longer than I ever imagined.

In that time I've developed my own understanding of what works and what doesn't across myriad, and sometimes competing cultures. I've had success in changing minds and teaching the staunchest resistor to embrace ideas and practices they vowed to never take on. I plan to use this space to talk about my ideas, and to wax poetic about relevant news  and discussion. I'll talk about my perspectives on Enterprise 2.0 and all it encompasses. From community management, to governance, strategy and adoption; I've got a lot of opinions, and I'm guessing you do to, so let's get to it.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonhurd/2268637161/ - A cold day in hell. Laertes