1) The document discusses using digital media and social media for internal communications within organizations. 2) It provides 12 tweets that each highlight a key consideration or best practice for using these tools effectively, such as letting business needs drive the strategy, sticking to basic digital principles, and managing potential unintended consequences. 3) The overall message is that internal digital media can be a useful tool if implemented with the right philosophy, principles, and awareness of its opportunities and challenges.

1. Using Digital Media in
the House
The Twelve Tweet
version
Mike Spear
Genome Alberta

2. • Former journalist and Program Manager with CBC locally,
regionally, and nationally
• CBC President's Award, Farm Writers' Award, CBC Peer
awards and RTNDA awards for my programs or newsrooms
• SysOp with CompuServe of Columbus, Ohio in the 90’s
• Published in peer-reviewed journals
• I've owned a Newton, Palm, and an iPAQ, iPad, B’Berry
• Part of our National genetics and society team
• Member of the BIO working communications group

3. I share my genome

4. "The premise of many quality management programs seems to
be that there is a "best" way of doing things...but unless you
are a robot stamping out widgets, I'm not sure there is a best
way."
David Tallan, a Canadian writing on his U.S. Gov 2.0 post
"Quality and Consistency"

5. 1st Tweet:
Technology has changed the speed
& reach of how we communicate. It
hasn’t really changed why or what
we want to talk about.
#internalcomm

6. • Technology accounts for the exponential growth in
speed and reach of communication
• Technology has changed how we communicate
• The basics of what, why, and even when have not
changed
• Digital media and online activities and tools are a
reflection of us - not a 'new us'

7. Site visits
Webcasts, Skype
Robots !
Wikis, bulletin
boards

8. 2nd Tweet
Let the business need drive the
why, when, what, and how for
social media as an internal tool.
#intcomms

9. “I’m sorry it’s really not that hard. Common
sense, creativity and an understanding of your
business and your audience will get you up and
running quickly. Insights are important but you
don’t need a PhD.”
Tom Murphy, Director of Corporate Communications for
Citizenship at Microsoft. http://tpemurphy.com/blog/?p=910

10. • Internal recruiting
• Crisis communications
• Internal polling or consultations
• Creating brand ambassadors
• Generating ideas / skunkworks
• Sharing information
• Collaboration
• Shortens the hierarchy
• Improve engagement
• Break the rumour mill
• Reaching remote employees

11. 3rd Tweet
You WILL be compared to
Facebook, Google, LinkedIn or the
company across the street so stick
with some digital basics.
#intcomms

12.  You need to break through the daily noise and engage staff
 Do workers have more or less equal access ?
• In the office, field or home with generally available
hardware
 Does it comply with contractual obligations?
• Issues of access, confidentiality, record retention
 Are there elements of fun to it ?
• Remember what users have outside work
 Is it consistent with your corporate tone of voice?
• You can’t be a new company online

13. 4th Tweet:
Who’s in charge, what & when are
we doing things, how can I be
involved, and what does it mean to
me are internal & external.
#intcomms

14. Who is in charge or is in the know
What are we doing / what am I doing
When are we doing it or getting better at it
Where are we headed
How are we doing things / how can I help
Leverage, reuse, and recycle all those elements of
your other internal channels and your external
communications.
Getting to know the brand

15. 5th Tweet:
Digital is about philosophy or guiding
principles, not tools. You can’t leverage
what you don’t have.
http://huff.to/x4dXmq #intcomms

17. • Internal use of digital tools or social media is not the
place to layout corporate policies or practices,
employee guidelines, codes of conduct, etc. (though
it can point to links)
• Nick Cowling in the Huffington Post pointed out
that there is an over supply of tools and an under
supply of employee - employer dialogue
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/nick-
cowling/communication-in-a-
company_b_1291684.html

18. 6th Tweet:
Networked companies are more
likely to be market leaders with best
practices leading to higher margins.
http://bit.ly/g7FWHn
#internalcomm

19. 7th Tweet:
The best brand ambassador in your
organization is the average employee.
Internal communications need to keep
them onside. #intcomms

20. 8th Tweet:
The knowledge your people bring to an
organization is greater than what they
were hired to do. Use digital to
leverage that. #intcomms

21. Imagine: How Creativity Works
Jonah Lehrer
( despite some of his troubles and strife )
• Self control inhibits the activity of the part of the brain
important to creative expression
• Arguably you want a creative workforce
• Is your internal social media use or your Intranet
forcing employees into a rigid structure full of rules
• High ‘Q’ and Low ‘Q’ scores in Broadway Musicals
found the ideal hit show lay somewhere in between the
scores

22. 9th Tweet:
67% of consumers use a smartphone
to check their email and 30% of
consumers now read their email
exclusively on mobile devices
#intcomms

23. • The number of e-mails actually read
will scare you
• Tools such as Snapcomms
http://www.snapcomms.com/ will help
create desktop alerts as well as a suite
of other internal digital tools to
enhance e-mails.
• Office 365 ‘clutter’, CRM, OneNote,
document sharing

24. 10th Tweet:
SoMe can provide direct link
between companies & unions and
unions & members. Has practical &
legal upside & downside.
#intcomms

25. • Can provide a direct link between companies & unions, unions
& members, unions & companies which can have a downside
and upside
• Social Media becomes at the very least a transparent tool
• http://nysbar.com/blogs/LENY/2012/03/the_nlrbs_evolving_guide
lines_.html
• http://www.back2ourfuture.org/wp-
content/uploads/2014/06/Social_Media_For_Unions.pdf
• http://www.bna.com/social-media-new-b17179923064/
• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/students-
injecting-themselves-into-ontario-teachers-contract-
dispute/article4552795/

26. 11th Tweet:
The problem with communication is
the illusion that it has occurred -
George Bernard Shaw. What did you
set out to do. #intcomms

28. • “engagement is sustaining a positive and
fulfilling work environment where employees
feel motivated, dedicated and part of
something bigger” – Raaj Chandran
• Engaged employees work more passionately
and creatively and are contagious
• Benchmark
• Set targets
• Key messages, images, and tech specs

29. 12th Tweet:
There can be unintended
consequences to using internal
SoMe. #intcomms

30. Unintended Consequences
• More participation may bring untimely
decisions
• Discussion tools may move faster than
decisions leaving participants frustrated and
the brand message muddled
• Unrealistic expectations

31. • Once you enter the digital world for internal use it
will beg all sorts of questions for external use
• Clearly document your social media policy
• Know the tone you are trying to create
• Integrate as much as you can
• Who has access ? Gender, socio-economic, remote,
etc.

32. The Checklist
 Make sure it works and that it is less work
 Include brand guidelines
 Users have to understand how it works
 The boss uses it
 Co-workers use it & have access
 It has a fun factor
 It is part of your overall strategy

33. mspear@genomealberta.ca
@mikesgene
http://genomicsnews.ca
http://www.genomealberta.ca/
or
radioranch@watervalleyonline.com