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What We Talk About When We Talk About “Social”

Sometimes it helps to see distinctions side by side:

Term	Origin	Implication
Social Media	Chris Shipley and ClueTrain Manifesto	Moving marketing from a monologue to a dialogue.
Enterprise 2.0	Andrew McAfee	Tools can speed information flow and tear down siloes.
Social Business (1.0)	Mohammed Yunus	Make profits and meaning (at the same time). (Also referred to as Social Innovation or Social Entrepreneurship.)
CrowdSourcing / Open Innovation	Jeff Howe / Henry Chesborough	Leverage others to create value for you.
Social Business (2.0)	Peter Kim (and Dachis organization)	By being more connected, (i.e. using social tools), a company can generate greater value to all its constituents.
Social Era	Nilofer Merchant	Connected individuals can now do what once only large centralized organizations could do, which changes organizational structures and individual power.

In some cases, we’re talking about tools. In others, we’re talking about how the marketplace economy changes. And, in some ways we’re talking how the organization changes. When we use the terms interchangeably, confusion is prevalent and meaning is lost. Unless you’re talking about marketing specifically, don’t use the term “Social Media.” The electric light bulb wasn’t a new kind of candle. Not to mention, CEOs and boards think of “social media” as the stuff their marketing team drives. If you are discussing ways social tools can be applied to all parts of a value chain, “social business” is probably the term you are looking for, although there’s still plenty of confusion with social enterprise. If you are describing a reconstitution of work and institutions, then use Social Era. No term is ever complete. Each of us are building on each others’ ideas as we collectively grapple with understanding and decoding what is happening, and what we think it means. We are all seeking clarity but are limited by our own understanding, our vantage, and by, of course, the examples we witness. But this is not about semantics. When we focus on tools alone, I think we’re making a mistake. It’s geek chic, it’s even interesting, but it’s not talking about what is possible. The bigger point is that major changes are afoot that change value creation, the meaning of work, and the structures for our institutions. When we conflate the tools with the outcomes, I think we risk meaning and impact. When we all use more precise language, each of us will find that people understand our meaning, and more clearly see the light.

Photo Credit: swisscan via cc

Social Tools Don’t Make You A Social Business

We found there are a number of specific markers that accompany and validate the social transformation progress. Business leaders should keep in mind that the purpose of collaboration is to improve execution velocity and delight customers. It is important to demonstrate to all constituents the ability to drive sustainable growth and bolster customer loyalty and commitment, as a result of collaboration. — Pragmatic optimism: A social business defaults to “yes” and then rationalizes to the desired disposition. A bias for action with a positive mindset leads to an agile and change-embracing culture. There is no safety in the status quo. Optimism is often fueled by teamwork and collaboration. — Minimal layers: A social business is flat, versus the traditional hierarchical business structure. The distance between an individual contributor and the CEO is but a few layers. In a social business, there is a direct line of communication between entry-level employees and senior management. — Leadership by example: In a social business, all leaders and executives are socially engaged. If your CXOs are not social, your business is not social. Ask a social business executive, “Who is the smartest person in the room?” and she will answer: the room. Social executives are accessible, active listeners and connectors of the business, always seeking the best and fastest path toward progress and growth. — The best ideas win, independent of titles: In a social business, ideas and information flow horizontally, vertically, from the bottom and from the top; throughout the business. Ideas are like sounds, and they should be heard through the seams of the social fabric. In the absence of sound, ideas die. The most damaging syndrome is the HIPPO (highest paid person’s opinion) syndrome, whereby all the decisions are ultimately dictated by the biggest title. The best ideas must win. That’s the biggest benefit of being social. — Social and business process integration: Social businesses have integrated social channels into their business processes and workflows. This means integrating social media networks into CRM solutions. Social CRM is often the first sign of social business adoption, aimed at increased visibility and execution velocity. Adoption of social media is a great first step but a truly social business is one that integrates social networks and all of its contact channels into a single relationship management framework. — Adoption of gaming techniques: In a social business, internal competition is welcomed. This means social businesses embrace gamification to drive employee, customer and business partner engagements. Gaming concepts, packaged into an overall CRM strategy, can unlock the full potential of the organization. — Safe environment: In a social business, an idea or red flag from anyone can reach the CEO directly, without a middle man and without repercussion. The environment is safe and collaborative, where failures are viewed as part of the learning experience. That said, the agile business adopts a “try it, fix it, try it again” iterative improvement philosophy. — Shared accountability: Social businesses share complete interdepartmental performance metrics as a means to foster collaboration. Social businesses extend performance metrics to customers and partners with connection to both people and products. — Reflective and iterative: A social business continually challenges existing assumptions and communicates a desire for mid-course corrections or pivots in advance of execution. In a highly collaborative business, experiments are welcomed; innovation is not about better sameness. — Social people and social products: Every information source in the ecosystem should be used to help employees make better, more-informed decisions. Information sources include people and products/machines. The network social graph of an advanced social business includes both people and products. In the near future, wearable products, sensor technology and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication will include social channels. In summary, a social business is much more than a business that uses social media. Social collaboration success is more a cultural and philosophical achievement than technology adoption. Collaboration is hard work but it doesn’t have to be complex work. In fact, collaboration can simply start with four words: What do you think?

Photo Credit: aquopshilton via cc

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