Today's C-Suite and the organizations they lead are falling into a self-inflicted trap: a theory I've come to refer to as the "Technology Paradox". At the core of the theory are two opposing forces affecting organizations, embedded in the market trends I shared with the CEOs and in their inherent response (1) the external market force of social technologies disrupting industries and the structure of the workforce, and (2) the internal force of organizations reacting with tactical, technology solutions vs. responding with strategic, human solutions.

1. The CEO’s Social Business Agenda
CEO Connection Boot Camp
11/13/12

2. How do you…
tell your story?

3. Trends & the CEO’s Social Business Agenda
Change-or-Lose
Marketplace
Technology Driving Change
Disruptive market forces, big data, new channels, multiple devices,
maturing Millennials - outpacing firms’ ability to adapt
CEOs expect technology to drive the most change in their organizations
over the next 3-5 years – more change than the economy
Building Collaborative
Cultures
Collaboration is the number-one trait CEOs are seeking in their
employees, with 75% of CEOs calling it critical
Voice of Customer
at the Center
>70% of CEOs are seeking a better understanding of individual
customer needs and improved responsiveness.
Insights Provide
Strategic Edge
Traditional Models
Being Rewritten
73% of CEOs are making significant investments in their organizations’
ability to draw meaningful customer insights from available data
“’Knowing the customer’ is no longer confined to segmentation,
statistical averages and historical inferences.”

4. “Today’s connected economy is full of
ambiguity, and the characteristics required to
navigate that ambiguity are collaboration,
creativity and communication.”
-- Healthcare CEO from Australia
Leading Through Connections: Insights from the Global IBM CEO Study 2012

5. “To connect with the new generation of
employees, we will need to change
communication methods. We are the e-mail
generation; they are the social network
generation.”
-- Banking CEO from Argentina
Leading Through Connections: Insights from the Global IBM CEO Study 2012

6. “In a rapidly changing environment, we must
foster free communication and eliminate
layers to maintain speed.”
-- CEO of a Japanese professional
services company
Leading Through Connections: Insights from the Global IBM CEO Study 2012

7. “We use social media less as a marketing or
distribution channel and more as a
knowledge platform to obtain information
about customers.”
-- Insurance CEO from Switzerland
Leading Through Connections: Insights from the Global IBM CEO Study 2012

8. How are these market forces affecting…
your business
and
how you communicate with stakeholders?

9. Are You Falling into the Technology Paradox?
History tells us that… Technology can accelerate
a transformation, but technology cannot cause a
transformation.
But… CEOs expect technology to drive the most
change in their organizations over the next 3-5
years – more change than the economy

10. So, how do you…
tell your story?

11. Multi-Level Communications
For Multi-Level Stakeholders
-- Influencers --
Board
Management
Investors
Employees
Customers

12. Connected by a Master Narrative
Strategy + Purpose
Purpose = Sum of Intrinsic
Motivations
Analytics
Content
Engagement
• 65% people visual learners
• Avg attention span for video
~ 60s
• Engagement w/ video drops
below 50% after 30s
A
• External Communities
• Internal Communities
• Face-to-face
C
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