10 Things you can do to Make Social Collaboration Work

My colleague Angela Ashenden has spent seven solid years running an industry research program focused on social collaboration: looking in detail at the evolving technology and marketplace, but most importantly learning how organisations can drive real benefits from social collaboration initiatives, and what separates those who succeed from those who fail.

Angela’s recently worked with Pearson, the multinational education and media giant; UnLtd, a small social enterprise in the UK; and one of the Directorates of the European Commission. Here’s a list of key insights from her work with those organisations:

1. Make it clear to leaders how your new approach brings value to the business. Rather than focusing on general advantages of improved collaboration and knowledge sharing, focus on specific use cases or processes where the new platform can make a tangible difference.
2. Early communication is as important as good communication. Even if you decide against a “big bang” launch, there is only a limited window where your new platform will be “news”, and it’s important to take advantage of that.
3. Just because it’s better than what they have, it doesn’t mean that people will accept it. People often have workarounds that they are comfortable with, and change requires effort. Share more of your reasoning upfront: what is the cost of people having to use these workarounds? What is the advantage of doing it differently?
4. Don’t assume that people know how to use interactive, social tools. It’s easy to underestimate the support people will need to get to grips with using a social collaboration tool; invest the time in becoming an expert yourself to pre-empt some issues that people will have.
5. Don’t stretch yourself too thinly in your adoption strategy. An evangelist network can be very valuable in extending your reach, and can also tailor training more effectively for local teams and cultures.
6. Be prepared for an adoption rollercoaster ride. Getting people using a social collaboration platform requires a lot of persistence; your adoption team needs to be enthusiastic and persuasive, but they also need a thick skin to ensure you can maintain the momentum for long enough to tip the balance towards enterprise-wide adoption.
7. It’s neither about technology nor about people; social and digital can’t be separate entities. The success of your social collaboration initiative depends on your ability to demonstrate the power of these two aspects joined together, so your strategy must not be one-sided.
8. Be passionate and look for ambassadors who can speak passionately about your brand and recruit them to motivate others. Enthusiasts will always emerge by themselves, but it’s vital to embrace them and nurture them to make the most of their enthusiasm and help drive adoption.
9. Don’t assume that executive resistance is deliberate objection, it’s more likely that they don’t fully understand what you are trying to achieve, and are not familiar with social tools. Don’t push them to move beyond their comfort zone too quickly; instead start small with simple steps that help to build their confidence.

So that’s nine things you can do… but this article is a "10 things..." article. What’s the tenth thing you can do?

The answer: dig into all these insights and more face-to-face with your peers at Making Social Collaboration Work! It’s an intense one-day event in London, UK on October 15th – and representatives from Pearson, UnLtd and others will be speaking at the event about their stories. The agenda is 100% focused on peer insight-sharing, with in-depth case studies and round-table discussions central to the day.

In parallel with the live event, we've also kicked off a dedicated LinkedIn Group focused on the same topic. It's an open group and we'd love to see you there. There's already been a wealth of useful research and discussion posted.

If you want to arm yourself with the knowledge you need to succeed, and do it quickly, the best way is to go somewhere you can talk to those who’ve walked the road already, and ask your own questions...