12 Tweets for Using Digital Media for Internal Communication

Using Digital Media in the House

The Twelve Tweet versionMike Spear

Genome Alberta

• Former journalist and Program Manager with CBC locally, regionally, and nationally

• CBC President's Award, Farm Writers' Award, CBC Peer awards and RTNDA awards for my programs or newsrooms

• SysOp with CompuServe of Columbus, Ohio in the 90’s • Published in peer-reviewed journals

• I've owned a Newton, Palm, and an iPAQ, iPad, B’Berry

• Part of our National genetics and society team

• Member of the BIO working communications group

I share my genome

"The premise of many quality management programs seems to be that there is a "best" way of doing things...but unless you are a robot stamping out widgets, I'm not sure there is a best way." 

David Tallan, a Canadian writing on his U.S. Gov 2.0 post "Quality and Consistency" 

1st Tweet:

Technology has changed the speed & reach of how we communicate. It hasn’t really changed why or what we want to talk about. #internalcomm

• Technology accounts for the exponential growth in speed and reach of communication

• Technology has changed how we communicate

• The basics of what, why, and even when have not changed

• Digital media and online activities and tools are a reflection of us - not a 'new us'

Team

meetingse-mail, intranet

VIDEO,

AUDIO

Print

Site visits

Even

ts &

For

ums

Webcasts, Skype

P.O.T.S.

Robots !

Wikis, bulletin boards

newsletters

2nd Tweet

Let the business need drive the why, when, what, and how for social media as an internal tool. #intcomms

“I’m sorry it’s really not that hard. Common sense, creativity and an understanding of your business and your audience will get you up and running quickly. Insights are important but you don’t need a PhD.”

Tom Murphy, Director of Corporate Communications for Citizenship at Microsoft. http://tpemurphy.com/blog/?p=910

• Internal recruiting• Crisis communications • Internal polling or consultations• Creating brand ambassadors• Generating ideas / skunkworks• Sharing information• Collaboration• Shortens the hierarchy• Improve engagement• Break the rumour mill• Reaching remote employees

3rd Tweet

You WILL be compared to Facebook, Google, LinkedIn or the company across the street so stick with some digital basics. #intcomms

You need to break through the daily noise and engage staff

Do workers have more or less equal access ?• In the office, field or home with generally available

hardware

Does it comply with contractual obligations?• Issues of access, confidentiality, record retention

Are there elements of fun to it ?• Remember what users have outside work

Is it consistent with your corporate tone of voice?• You can’t be a new company online

4th Tweet:

Who’s in charge, what & when are we doing things, how can I be involved, and what does it mean to me are internal & external. #intcomms

Who is in charge or is in the knowWhat are we doing / what am I doingWhen are we doing it or getting better at itWhere are we headedHow are we doing things / how can I help

Leverage, reuse, and recycle all those elements of your other internal channels and your external communications.

Getting to know the brand

5th Tweet:

Digital is about philosophy or guiding principles, not tools. You can’t leverage what you don’t have. http://huff.to/x4dXmq #intcomms

• Internal use of digital tools or social media is not the place to layout corporate policies or practices, employee guidelines, codes of conduct, etc. (though it can point to links)

• Nick Cowling in the Huffington Post pointed out that there is an over supply of tools and an under supply of employee - employer dialogue http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/nick-cowling/communication-in-a-company_b_1291684.html

6th Tweet:

Networked companies are more likely to be market leaders with best practices leading to higher margins. http://bit.ly/g7FWHn #internalcomm

7th Tweet:

The best brand ambassador in your organization is the average employee. Internal communications need to keep them onside. #intcomms

8th Tweet:

The knowledge your people bring to an organization is greater than what they were hired to do. Use digital to leverage that. #intcomms

Imagine: How Creativity Works Jonah Lehrer

( despite some of his troubles and strife )

• Self control inhibits the activity of the part of the brain important to creative expression

• Arguably you want a creative workforce• Is your internal social media use or your Intranet

forcing employees into a rigid structure full of rules• High ‘Q’ and Low ‘Q’ scores in Broadway Musicals

found the ideal hit show lay somewhere in between the scores

9th Tweet:

67% of consumers use a smartphone to check their email and 30% of consumers now read their email exclusively on mobile devices #intcomms

• The number of e-mails actually read will scare you

• Tools such as Snapcomms http://www.snapcomms.com/ will help create desktop alerts as well as a suite of other internal digital tools to enhance e-mails.

• Office 365 ‘clutter’, CRM, OneNote, document sharing

10th Tweet:

SoMe can provide direct link between companies & unions and unions & members. Has practical & legal upside & downside. #intcomms

• Can provide a direct link between companies & unions, unions & members, unions & companies which can have a downside and upside

• Social Media becomes at the very least a transparent tool

• http://nysbar.com/blogs/LENY/2012/03/the_nlrbs_evolving_guidelines_.html

• http://www.back2ourfuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Social_Media_For_Unions.pdf

• http://www.bna.com/social-media-new-b17179923064/

• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/students-injecting-themselves-into-ontario-teachers-contract-dispute/article4552795/

11th Tweet:

The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred - George Bernard Shaw. What did you set out to do. #intcomms

• “engagement is sustaining a positive and fulfilling work environment where employees feel motivated, dedicated and part of something bigger” – Raaj Chandran

• Engaged employees work more passionately and creatively and are contagious

• Benchmark

• Set targets

• Key messages, images, and tech specs

12th Tweet:

There can be unintended consequences to using internal SoMe. #intcomms

Unintended Consequences

• More participation may bring untimely decisions

• Discussion tools may move faster than decisions leaving participants frustrated and the brand message muddled

• Unrealistic expectations

• Once you enter the digital world for internal use it will beg all sorts of questions for external use

• Clearly document your social media policy

• Know the tone you are trying to create

• Integrate as much as you can

• Who has access ? Gender, socio-economic, remote, etc.

The Checklist

Make sure it works and that it is less work

Include brand guidelines

Users have to understand how it works

The boss uses it

Co-workers use it & have access

It has a fun factor

It is part of your overall strategy

[email protected]

@mikesgene

http://genomicsnews.ca

http://www.genomealberta.ca/

or

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