In the October issue of T+D Magazine, enterprise strategist and social media expert Marcia Conner wrote a great article titled "Twitter: Inside the Enterprise, Up the Next Hill." People in the corporate world, including those in L&D roles, are increasingly becoming familiar with Twitter as a useful tool. The next step is to understand how to use something "Twitter-like" inside the organization for increased communication, idea sharing, expertise location, and other benefits. After all, Twitter is simply the most popular, brand dominant version of a technology that it almost single-handedly invented, namely the technology variously referred to as "micro-messaging," "social-messaging," or "micro-blogging." In an organizational context, an important use is to have a closed "social-messaging" platform (aka, "Enterprise Twitter") for sharing messages just between members of the group, with most or all of the now established conventions and benefits of the public Twitter platform applied internally for just members of the company, division, or department.
Conner walks us through the use of such a technology at Humana, where introducing micro-messaging led one user to note "I use it because it makes a 28,000-person company feel like a 280-person company. It makes [our organization] smarter, more nimble, more personal." She reports several other great anecdotes from users at Humana, including this powerful analogy: "Celebrities have discovered Twitter and are using it to reach fans in an unprecedented, interactive way. Company executives can do the same thing." One key use of the technology at Humana is to replace "big bulky presentations" at meetings with "uncommittees" that share information in short bursts rather than seeking answers to questions through inefficient meetings. Like anything new, it's not that the old approaches (meetings, email, etc.) will be eliminated, it's rather to note how these approaches have been used in contexts where they are not ideal, and where the new technology—in this case, a social-messaging platform—can bring great value as a partial replacement.
Conner also shares the following absolutely critical insight for those in the Learning and Development profession:
With widespread adoption of mobile devices worldwide, organizations that believe blocking social media access is their best defense, sidestep considering how the tools already help their employees succeed. Rather than banning social media tools, companies ought to consider educating their employees on how to use the tools responsibly and to begin learning how these tools can benefit more people. Workplace learning professionals who understand these tools and who can make a case for their use are in a strong position to help their organizations navigate and climb new terrain.
I couldn't have said it better myself!
Note: On Twitter you can follow me at @ThomasStone, and follow Element K at @Element_K.
— Thomas Stone (Tom_Stone@elementk.com)
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