Employee Engagement and Social Media Pecha Kucha - Caroline Kealey

Welcome to this Pecha Kucha presentation on employee Welcome to this Pecha Kucha presentation on employeeengagement, version 2.0.The focus is on exploring the connection between employee engagement and social media. My objective with this engagement and social media My objective with thismaterial is to provide some ideas on how to leverage social media as part of internal communications – among organizations with or without web 2.0 activities. 1

The challenge of effective employee communication and The challenge of effective employee communication andengagement is significant.Consider that your employees are operating in the most information and media saturated environment in the history information and media saturated environment in the historyof humanity. Your challenge is to somehow pierce through that noise with messages that not only inform, but that inspire and engage employees to contribute meaningfully to your vision and employees to contribute meaningfully to your vision andobjectives. 2

So, why should you care? So, why should you care?Because ultimately, communications and engagement fuels organizational performance. Thoughtful, effective and efficient internal communications will propel your efficient internal communications will propel yourorganization further in achieving its mandate. As we’ll see, no other communication tactic can compare with the sheer power of social media in achieving these goals.goals 3

Now let’s take a look at how social media fits in with employee engagement.The essential point is this: While your organization may not yet have jumped on the social media bandwagon your yet have jumped on the social media bandwagon – youremployees have. They are posting on Facebook walls, Tweeting and looking for their next job on LinkedIn. 4

And that means that if you re serious about engaging with And that means that if you’re serious about engaging withemployees, at minimum, you have to be aware of how web 2.0 is shaping their experience and their expectation in terms of accessing and sharing information.At a practical level, social media has put an end to what we have long known as the command and control approach to communications. Despite the valiant efforts of many to hold on– particularly in the risk‐averse culture of the public sector p y p‐ it’s dead. 5

While many find this alarming social media actually holds While many find this alarming – social media actually holdsamazing promise in terms of engaging with employees at a whole new level.Social media is not a threat. It’s probably the single most powerful, cost‐effective opportunity your organization has in terms of connecting and communicating with staff. 6

Nature abhors a vacuum and this is vividly illustrated in the Nature abhors a vacuum and this is vividly illustrated in thefield of communication. Not communicating is sending a message in and of itself – and it creates a fertile ground for employees to fill the void. While this has always been true, it’s exacerbated by the rise of social media in which there is a heightened expectation for instant communication, regardless of barriers of time, space or organizational status. 7

This has a material impact on your organization, and here s This has a material impact on your organization, and here’swhy.This chart produced by the International Association of Communicators gives a snapshot of the usage and credibility of various communications channels. Notice that where it’s at is the grapevine – and social media is basically the grapevine on hyperdrive. 8

Social media channels exponentially increase the velocity Social media channels exponentially increase the velocityand reach of grapevine conversations which can now take place across traditional boundaries of time, space and hierarchy. This is a very powerful dynamic for high performance organizations, because we know that best practices in employee communications focus on trust and authentic 2 way communication – precisely the nature of engagement that s mediated through web 2.0.that’s mediated through web 2 0 9

Regardless of your title or role, you know from experience Regardless of your title or role, you know from experiencethat communication happens up, down and across your organization.The unparalleled power of social media tools leads us to The unparalleled power of social media tools leads us toconsider – which of these types of communication patterns might be enhanced by social media? A CEO blog? Facebook application on your Intranet or a collaborative wiki? 10

A significant concept in the field of employee A significant concept in the field of employeecommunication and engagement is “Line of Sight”. What is meant by the expression is the effort it takes to connect an employee’s individual experience to the bigger picture of the organization. Social media channels such as blogs, internal Twitter forums like Yammer and wikis can be powerful tools to help this line of sight come alive for employees. g p y 11

Despite all of these benefits to social media, to be sure, Despite all of these benefits to social media, to be sure,many will resist. The naysayers will fret about inappropriate messages and risk. But if you take a step back I think you’ll see that if you have employees writing inappropriate content on a blog or on Twitter, you have an HR problem, not a social media problem. 12

Let s take a look at some of the ways that social media is Let’s take a look at some of the ways that social media isbeing used successfully right here, right now among Canadian public sector organizations.One of the most significant ways that social media One of the most significant ways that social mediatechnology is being used to drive organizational performance is among wikis used to share ideas and foster co‐creation among teams, such as scientists at Natural Resources Canada or Industry Canada’s intellectual property y p p yexaminers. 13

Many public sector organizations even some with very Many public sector organizations – even some with veryconservative work cultures such as the Canadian Security Establishment, have instituted leader blogs as a way for executives to connect and share ideas with their teams. Blogs are simple tools that facilitate sharing ideas and setting up a dialogue that more easily cuts across the hierarchical structures that often limit exchange. 14

Because social media channels are organic and user driven, Because social media channels are organic and user‐driven,they naturally flow to what is useful, relevant, interesting or entertaining for employees. That shift is tremendously healthy in fostering more That shift is tremendously healthy in fostering moremeaningful communication and engagement – but let’s face it, it can also be very scary for organizations that are used to carefully controlling and packaging the message. 15

But even if it s at times uncomfortable, effective and But even if it’s at times uncomfortable, effective andmeaningful employee engagement is important. This stuff matters because ultimately your internal performance is directly tied to your external performance. performance is directly tied to your external performanceGiven the efficiency and effectiveness of social media for driving performance through employee engagement, organizations ignore or resist it at their peril. i i i i i h i il 16

Here are some things to think about when designing Here are some things to think about when designingeffective employee communication programs, including launching social media activities.The first is to demonstrate leadership and a sustained commitment over time. Authenticity is critical – it’s about building trust through credible and timely communication. Ultimately, the focus should be on engagement based on listening and connecting with employees. 17

A shift toward social media triggers a shift in the nature of A shift toward social media triggers a shift in the nature ofthe conversation about employee engagement.It’s no longer about the organization and what it wants to communicate to staff in a one‐way, parochial setting.communicate to staff in a one way parochial settingRather, to embrace social media is de facto about really focusing on employees and what is valuable to them. 18

The number one mistake organizations make in adopting The number one mistake organizations make in adoptingsocial media techniques in employee engagement is failing to really consider what success looks like.Before jumping on the bandwagon, it s critical to really take Before jumping on the bandwagon it’s critical to really takea step back and consider what kinds of outcomes are being targeted. Having a careful, realistic plan is vital to ensuring that you i f l li i l i i l i hget the most out of these tools. It’s also the key to managing expectations and risk exposure. 19

Some final comments on where do we go from here? Some final comments on ‐‐ where do we go from here?The first step is what we’ve done together today – to think about how social media affects employee communication and engagement, even when it’s conducted off‐line.Next is to experiment – to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Social media is here to stay. The question is not if, but rather when, and how can you tap into its power to effectively fuel your organization s employee engagement to effectively fuel your organization’s employee engagement– and ultimately, its organizational performance. 20

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Employee Engagement and Social Media Pecha Kucha - Caroline Kealey

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