The Evolution of Enterprise Social Networking: Fusing Business, Talent and Learning March 18, 2009 Michael Gotta Principal Analyst [email_address] www.burtongroup.com mikeg.typepad.com

Irrational Exuberance Or Tipping Point? Widespread belief that organizations can… Improve Productivity Collaboration Knowledge Sharing Talent Management With Communities Social Networks But…

Widespread belief that organizations can…

Improve

Productivity

Collaboration

Knowledge Sharing

Talent Management

With

Communities

Social Networks

But…

Irrational Exuberance Or Tipping Point? Has interest in social networking reached an unsustainable speculative fervor and set unrealistic expectations? Or has social networking achieved unstoppable momentum because we now see them everywhere?

Has interest in social networking reached an unsustainable speculative fervor and set unrealistic expectations?

Or has social networking achieved unstoppable momentum because we now see them everywhere?

Starting With The End In Mind Why is this topic important – how does it all relate? People to activities (work models) People to organization (human capital) People to people (relationships)

Why is this topic important – how does it all relate?

Evolution: The Network Is In The e-Mail Lack of visibility and fragmented context Original Message Forwarded Message Parallel Message Reply Message New person copied on reply

Lack of visibility and fragmented context

Evolution: Connecting In Real-Time Lack of visibility and fragmented context Group Chat Private Instant Message Backchannel Instant Messaging Presence/Buddy List (Private per person)

Lack of visibility and fragmented context

Evolution: Linking People & Communities Relationships span beyond community boundaries Community of Practice (“Improve Customer Service”) Community of Interest (“Go Green”)

Relationships span beyond community boundaries

Evolution: Learning About Learning Sharing informally and socially – while working Formal Training e-Learning Social Learning 1990’s 2000 Now

Sharing informally and socially – while working

Evolution: Connecting At Work Process and management structures can conceal connections Other Business Teams Engineering Team Participation Boundary “ Formal Channels” Account Mgr. Marketing Lead Service Rep Field Tech Lead Engineer Design Engineer Program Manager Engineering Manager

Process and management structures can conceal connections

Evolution: Connecting At Work Lack of visibility and fragmented context can still prevail Relationships still difficult to leverage Borderless Participation Tags/Bookmarks Blogs & Wikis Contributes To Wiki Contributes To Wiki Subscribes To Blog Subscribes To Blog Subscribes To Tags Account Mgr. Marketing Lead Service Rep Field Tech Lead Engineer Design Engineer Program Manager Engineering Manager

Lack of visibility and fragmented context can still prevail

Evolution: Social Network Site Fusing business collaboration, talent, and learning Borderless Participation Social Network Site Profiles “ Social Graph” “ Activity Feed” Communication, Information Sharing & Collaboration Tools Social Network Controls Visualize connections and relationship context Account Mgr. Marketing Lead Service Rep Field Tech Lead Engineer Design Engineer Program Manager Engineering Manager

Fusing business collaboration, talent, and learning

Social Network Site

Profiles

“ Social Graph”

“ Activity Feed”

Communication, Information Sharing & Collaboration Tools

Social Network Controls

Fusing Business, Talent & Learning Many business drivers reflect long-standing issues From the recycle bin Connect with people globally Break down barriers Share what we know Collaborate better Innovate from the bottom-up Relatively new Address generational shifts Support talent initiatives Learn differently

Many business drivers reflect long-standing issues

From the recycle bin

Connect with people globally

Break down barriers

Share what we know

Collaborate better

Innovate from the bottom-up

Relatively new

Address generational shifts

Support talent initiatives

Learn differently

Don’t Pretend This Is A Quick-Fix Approval of a discretionary business case is not impossible Campaign for support Encourage active champions Build an solution portfolio Tell real-life stories Find and endorse a “new guard” Be pragmatic on ROI and metrics Take a long-view position

Approval of a discretionary business case is not impossible

Campaign for support

Encourage active champions

Build an solution portfolio

Tell real-life stories

Find and endorse a “new guard”

Be pragmatic on ROI and metrics

Take a long-view position

Enable Networks To Network Policy issues can derail community and social network projects Organizations have valid reasons to set policies Confidential information Intellectual property e-Discovery and risk exposure “ Hourly employees” Performance evaluations Social impersonation Inappropriate behavior Involve legal, HR, compliance and security teams up-front

Policy issues can derail community and social network projects

Organizations have valid reasons to set policies

Confidential information

Intellectual property

e-Discovery and risk exposure

“ Hourly employees”

Performance evaluations

Social impersonation

Inappropriate behavior

Involve legal, HR, compliance and security teams up-front

HR Must Rise About The “Admin Rut” Human resource teams have a strategic role Human capital priorities Generational shifts Global “talent wars” Learning and performance Recruit Gen Y “ Relationship on-boarding” Connect with former employees Retirees (experts, mentors) and alumni (referrals) Encourage “new ways of working” More social, collaborative and networked workers

Human resource teams have a strategic role

Human capital priorities

Generational shifts

Global “talent wars”

Learning and performance

Recruit Gen Y

“ Relationship on-boarding”

Connect with former employees

Retirees (experts, mentors) and alumni (referrals)

Encourage “new ways of working”

More social, collaborative and networked workers

Culture Is The Trump Card Leadership teams help set (or reset) the tone Culture influences perception Employee participation is a daily decision Common inhibitors High degree of control Conservative institution Invisible social etiquette Governance is not an after-thought Feedback loop to policy formation groups Establish “Terms of Service” Determine local decision-rights and self-regulation

Leadership teams help set (or reset) the tone

Culture influences perception

Employee participation is a daily decision

Common inhibitors

High degree of control

Conservative institution

Invisible social etiquette

Governance is not an after-thought

Feedback loop to policy formation groups

Establish “Terms of Service”

Determine local decision-rights and self-regulation

Think Adoption Not Deployment Technology is easy, connecting people is the hard part Personal barriers Confidence, work relevance, “what’s in it for me”… User experience Affinity to the site, personal value from interacting Community-building Relationships may not transfer over “ Network value” take time to reach critical mass

Technology is easy, connecting people is the hard part

Personal barriers

Confidence, work relevance, “what’s in it for me”…

User experience

Affinity to the site, personal value from interacting

Community-building

Relationships may not transfer over

“ Network value” take time to reach critical mass

Corporate versions of Facebook, Wikipedia, and YouTube Consumer sites become templates Leverages a familiar model A destination site affords certain options Informal networking, connecting with co-workers Sharing experiences, community-building Local outreach activities Approach has its caveats Blurs lines between work, social aspects of work, and employee’s personal lives Sets expectations on access to consumer sites Common Starting Points

Corporate versions of Facebook, Wikipedia, and YouTube

Consumer sites become templates

Leverages a familiar model

A destination site affords certain options

Informal networking, connecting with co-workers

Sharing experiences, community-building

Local outreach activities

Approach has its caveats

Blurs lines between work, social aspects of work, and employee’s personal lives

Sets expectations on access to consumer sites

Common Starting Points Expertise location based on employee profiles Profiles help humanize people Institutional information Employee “About Me” Co-worker commentary Many assumptions: Creation and ownership Sharing and visibility Maintenance Proliferation Application use Associated risks

Expertise location based on employee profiles

Profiles help humanize people

Institutional information

Employee “About Me”

Co-worker commentary

Many assumptions:

Creation and ownership

Sharing and visibility

Maintenance

Proliferation

Application use

Associated risks

Common Starting Points Communities are a type of social network Encourage groups to form their own water-coolers “ Communities of practice” “ Communities of interest” Ad-hoc groups Project teams

Communities are a type of social network

Encourage groups to form their own water-coolers

“ Communities of practice”

“ Communities of interest”

Ad-hoc groups

Project teams

Conclusion Not quite a tipping point – yet – but there is hope…

Not quite a tipping point – yet – but there is hope…

Q&A About Us Burton Group provides in-depth, vendor-independent research and advisory services focused on enterprise IT infrastructure technologies. Known for our principle-based architectural approach and technical depth, our highly-focused research services provide practical insights and direction for enterprise technologists and executives. http://www.burtongroup.com/ http://mikeg.typepad.com/ http://ccsblog.burtongroup.com/

About Us

Burton Group provides in-depth, vendor-independent research and advisory services focused on enterprise IT infrastructure technologies. Known for our principle-based architectural approach and technical depth, our highly-focused research services provide practical insights and direction for enterprise technologists and executives.

http://www.burtongroup.com/

http://mikeg.typepad.com/

http://ccsblog.burtongroup.com/