How would you counsel a business that says this about social media:
"Social media makes listening easier. But listening is scary because we might not like what we hear."
That comment was made by a company we work with. They're interested in social media -- at least they're seeing other companies doing it and are now thinking they should probably go down that path too. But they're afraid of it.
It's true that social media is a tool for listening and when you open yourself up to what people say, there's the possibility that they're going to say negative things about you -- customers say negative things about brands, employees say negative things about the companies they work for. But is that potential negativity a reason not to have the conversation? Aren't people going to say these things anyway and, therefore, aren't you better off inviting them to say it to you and in a place where you can do something about it than to say it where you can't hear it and can't address it?
And I would also ask this: why do you assume that comments will be negative? These people are not running their operation like a pre-visitation Ebenezer Scrooge, so couldn't it be that their fears are unfounded?
In truth, I think this person's hesitation around introducing social media is more a concern over retaining centralized control. Less a fear that people will say negative things and more a fear that people will ask for things the company isn't willing or able to deliver. This isn't a concern over the tools of Enterprise 2.0 it's a concern over the culture of Enterprise 2.0.
And so, what do you tell them?
Lead Software Developer: 1386-A
3 months ago
4 comments:
I think you tell them: people are already talking about you, don't you want to be engaged in that conversation so that you have input and can gain from their ideas & desires with regard to your products?
Earlier tonight I was browsing Slideshare.net and ran across a great (and relevant) presentation by Seth Goldstein, the CEO of SocialMedia.com, titled The Collected Stories of Social Media. In the presentation he said, “Most companies are scared to use social media because they fear losing control of their brand. And yet, consumers become more invested in brands that reward their participation.” I think this applies to employees within a company too. So I would tell them… Social media allows leaders the great opportunity to listen, learn, and change and while it might feel risky, the reward of having loyal and trusting consumers or employees, who have a voice that should be heard, far outweighs the discomfort of negative comments.
Richard --
I think you're right on with your thoughts. Like it or not, the conversations are happening. Better for you to be there than not. And I particularly like you pointing out that the company could "gain from their ideas" -- useful ideas from your constituents are not always wrapped in smiles, but they're still worthwhile.
Rochelle --
Great to have your voice here! I think you picked up on a critical point in the consideration of adding social media to your operation: the idea that relaxing the iron grip actually brings about more positivity from the constituents (employees or consumers) not less. Showing that you're open to all ideas even if they are negative engenders positive feelings. The slide presentation you reference is a great example of what companies like the one I mentioned in this post need to see -- some reports back from companies that have gone to the fronteir before them. Or like when you're at the beach and you think the water will be cold, then someone goes in before you and turns back to yell "come on in, the water's fine!" Finally, I love the fact that Seth included cave drawings and Twitter on the same slide about communication tools. I find it entertaining to imagine our cave-dwelling ancestors debating the value of the cave drawings that the young weirdos were putting up everywhere...
...follow-up: I meant to post this link to the Seth Goldstein slides:
http://www.slideshare.net/sethgoldstein/social-media-stories-1311049
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