Change 3.0: using social media to engage your …

1 This article is an extract from Performance, Volume 6, Issue 1, February 2014. The full journal is available at Change : using social media to engage your workforce In a business world of increased expectations, globalization and the growing influence of social media and networking, companies must find new ways to engage their workforce to solve their most pressing issues. using social media for business provides multiple outlets not only to attract attention to your key messages, but also to create an environment of collaboration focused on improving business. 46 Volume 6 Issue 1. This article is an extract from Performance, Volume 6, Issue 1, February 2014. The full journal is available at Authors Charlie Goldwasser Principal Advisory Services, People & Organizational Change EY, United States Melissa L.

2 Edwards Senior Manager Advisory Services, People & Organizational Change EY, United States 47. This article is an extract from Performance, Volume 6, Issue 1, February 2014. The full journal is available at Change : using social media to engage your workforce As the working population becomes ever more engaged with social media , companies must keep pace or lose a valuable opportunity to gain insight, innovation and feedback. M. any studies have been conducted into the most effective ways of using social media to engage an external audience be that consumers or clients . but little time has been spent on how this interactive platform can be used to engage a workforce internally, for the collaboration and benefit of a business.

3 Most major organizations undergo organization-wide transformation initiatives on a frequent basis. Whether related to strategy, finance, supply chain, human resources, or a combination of these, major programs that impact business processes, work activities and workplace practices are the new normal. The old adage the only constant is Change 1 is alive and well. EY research has found that 80% of enterprise Change transformation programs fail. A common characteristic of this failure is the lack of effective engagement of businesses with their employees. social media and collaboration technologies are essential tools to shape effective strategies and are currently being underutilized.

4 In many cases, this may mean exploring technologies and platforms already available within the business, but perhaps not yet applied broadly to teams and departments such that they could use them as part of their work activities. To help achieve business Change , organizations must actively interact with their workforce using similar social technologies to accelerate design and development and 1. Heraclitus of Ephesus, Greek philosopher. increase adoption of new ideas driving 2. Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change , business performance improvement. available at millennials-confident-connected-open-to- Change /, accessed While programs such as enterprise 4 February 2014.

5 Resource planning (ERP), talent 48 Volume 6 Issue 1. This article is an extract from Performance, Volume 6, Issue 1, February 2014. The full journal is available at management and supply chain re- any before them. According to the Pew engineering focus on the use of modern Research Center, they are confident, self- technology, often their success relies on expressive, liberal, upbeat and receptive employee adoption and participation. The to new ideas and new ways of latter too often relies on large email blasts They are history's first always connected . often buried in the 200-plus average emails generation and, to engage them, employers professionals receive each day. But the will need to rethink communication greatest limitation from this approach is strategies accordingly.

6 The failure to involve the employee. Most This new generation is not the organizations limit the reply all email only driver for social media -powered feature and with good reason. But today, transformation strategy. The rapid newer technologies allow organizations advancement of technology and changing to engage their employees in a two-way modes of communication affect all dialogue that email missiles could never businesses regardless of workforce achieve. Without that two-way dialogue and demographic, preparing it for the future. a commitment to encourage participation When social media emerged in the and listen with intent, risks to a successful mid-1990s, many corporate organizations adoption are missed or, more importantly, shunned its use, seeing the risks it posed ideas from your most treasured assets, your to brand reputation, information security employees, go unheard.

7 And communication management. Today, A workforce of multigenerations is a most are recognizing the increasing number multichannel crowd. Texting, Yamming, of benefits derived from the use of social tweeting, blogging, tagging, posting media in marketing, advertising, internal videos and uploading photos are the and external corporate communications and mainstream methods for communication overall brand awareness. The belief is the in today's society. If these elements aren't benefits outweigh the potential risks. social included in your Change management and media and networking can open channels communications plan, you've likely limited for dialogue, rapidly integrate employees the reach of your efforts and the impact of into the company culture and quickly create your desired business Change .

8 A sense of community. By 2025, Millennials, or Generation Y, For those early adopters who took will make up the majority of the workforce . the social media plunge in their internal This generation is expected to have communications, the benefits speak for different behaviors, values and attitudes themselves. A global energy company used as a response to the technological and social tool Poll Everywhere to help form economic implications of the internet. and engage a new advisory council for an While experts differ on the precise date enterprise-wide project. This tool provided range of Millennial births, the general an essential vehicle for specific and candid consensus is that this generation of workers feedback from key virtual stakeholders that will be more technologically minded than could then be put into action.

9 49. This article is an extract from Performance, Volume 6, Issue 1, February 2014. The full journal is available at Change : using social media to engage your workforce If left to their own devices, savvy employees will figure out creative ways to share knowledge. The use of Poll Everywhere helped 1. Know your audience An example of this is the use of a identify key stakeholders' needs and made Understanding who your Change messages collaborative decision-making tool, them visible so they could be proactively are intended for, and their preferred Group Systems' ThinkTank platform, by addressed. This led to creation of a formal communications style, is often overlooked. a US-based multinational corporation advisory council that played a significant While it is easy to resort to email, in today's provider of IT and professional services.

10 Role in project implementation and workforce , the primary communications This integrator used ThinkTank to make user readiness. channels are smart phones, micro blogs collaborative decisions and accelerate their Most enterprise technologies that and videos. Millennials will account for finance transformation implementation. businesses already deploy, such as SAP, more than one-third of the workforce in using this platform, finance leaders were Oracle, Microsoft, learning systems and 2014 and nearly 50% by 2020, according able to brainstorm, poll and prioritize online HR systems already have integrated to the Young Entrepreneur activities, discuss key finance metrics, social media components but too often, Understanding the audience and how determine responsibilities in the form of the components that allow for dialogue they prefer to receive information is a an online Responsible Accountable Consult are underused.