"Overcoming the Fear: What C-Level Execs are Afraid of When it Comes to Social Intranets" - Social Intranet Summit 2011

Overcoming the FearWhat C-Level execs are afraid ofwhen it comes to social intranets

“Hey, we’re going to let all theemployees publish content to the intranet.”

What is everyone so afraid of?

Planned Trigger PointsNon-Work Related InformationPersonal OpinionsInformation Critical to Employer

OrganizationsInsurance Company, West Coast (800)Government Agency, Ontario (480)Financial Institution, Midwest (240)Financial Institution, Midwest (2,000)Product Company, Midwest, (2,700)Health Services Company, U.S. (3,500)Etc.

IntervieweesDirector of CommunicationsDirector for Internal CommunicationsChief of StaffCorporate CounselDirecting Officer, Business CommunicationsEtc.

Does this bother you? Why?

The “Reach for the Phone” Moment

Disclaimer:Identification is NOT Endorsement!

1. Lack of Social FiltersThere are people who haven’t beenindoctrinated into the social norms of theorganizationNew hiresNew professionals

2. ProductivityLess concerned with actual productivity lossMore concern with the perception ofproductivity lossImplied message: it’s okay to do other stuffduring company time

3. ConfidentialityInformation in an organization operates atgraduated levels of securityIf the default mode is “share,” too much endsup getting shared“Forward-looking statements”

4. Diffusion of Official CommunicationHow can an employee evaluate the“officialness” of multiple communicationchannels?How can employees determine what theyshould be accountable for?

5. Trails of DiscoverabilitySarbanes–OxleyEvery communication is inherently taxed bya “burden of discoverability”

6. “Concerted Activities”National Labor Relations Act protects unionorganizing activitiesEmployees are protected whenever theycollaborate to improve the terms of theiremploymentEfforts to censor this may be illegal

7. Mob MentalityIf one person complains, everyone willcomplainUnspoken critiques of the organizationshould stay unspoken, lest they multiply

Broken Window Theory Image by Flickr user “GloomyCorp”

Organizational Surface Tension Image by Andre Roberto Doreto Santos

8. Asymmetrical UsageSome people will communicate a lotSome people won’t communicate much…orwell.What value judgments will people draw fromthis?

Solutions?

The Benefit Must Be SoldAll organizational communication carriesriskAny attempt to broaden communication hasto have a larger benefit than the inherent risk

LocalizeDecision makers were much more receptiveto inter-team/unit communication thanorganization-wide communicationCommunication needs contextLocalization breeds context

Promote Respect for NormsTie the ability to contribute to time in theorganizationAccess and privileges expand with timeelapsed from DOH

Leverage Your Vendor’s Experience There’s a tendency to pretend irrational reasons don’t exist Be honest with your vendor, even if it’s embarrassing Ask what other customers have done to overcome these issues

WEBhttp://gadgetopia.comTWITTER@gadgetopiaEMAILdeane@blendinteractive.com

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"Overcoming the Fear: What C-Level Execs are Afraid of When it Comes to Social Intranets" - Social Intranet Summit 2011

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