'Digital natives' and 'digital immigrants'
What differentiates the 'digital native' generation, who grew up with the Internet from those who didn't?
Free Permit Practice Test
Typically, many older workers, or 'digital immigrants', talk about their ease zone. They find ease in a hierarchical, command and operate administration structure. They are good communicators, who like to think, plan and do - in that order. They favour a top-down arrival and commonly like to play safe. Many of our senior managers fit into the digital immigrant generation.
Digital natives, on the other hand, prefer a guiding and nurturing environment. They do not want instructions handed down from on-high. They are great communicators and great networkers. But they do it differently. Digital tools and collective media are like extensions of themselves. This emerging generation thinks acts and communicates quickly. They like engagement and like to try things out. They harness their team's collective feel and skills in order to find solutions. It's all about communicating. Many of the citizen now joining the workforce are digital natives.
The old way and the new?
The old way uses intranets or websites as static sites. Staff can search and find, but have miniature quality to contribute. The new way is interactive and collaborative and uses collective media such as collective networks (e.g. Facebook), Blogs, argument Forums and Wikis. collective media tools right on add value to laborer communications. They can help build relationships, increase collaboration, improve productivity, reduce silos, and build engagement. They also offer an excellent means to share ideas and obtain qualitative feedback. So why is collective media sometimes so hard to implement as an internal communications tool? Communicators understand the power of collective media but their senior managers, who are often digital immigrants, remain wary and unconvinced. Are these the arguments that you are hearing?
'It's not a priority"
A Cio magazine's study,Top Technology Priorities found that even It professionals don't reconsider Web 2.0 a priority. They're focused on network consolidation, outsourcing, Crm, and security. This would seem to back up management's assertion that Intranet 2.0 needs to take a back seat.
The response
Point out that Web 2.0 tools are already commonplace. Innovative associates are already leveraging the power of these tools. Many collective media tools are easy and relatively cheap to implement. They don't need to compete with major It plans.
Don't make sweeping claims when you are proposing collective media tools. Managers don't want to hear about collective media democratizing the organization. They want to know how firm goals will be supported. So use language the Ceo will understand and focus on concrete goals where possible.
Spot opportunities and start with small uncomplicated projects. Supply evidence of success before proposing a wider implementation.
Do your homework. Retain your proposal for a wider implementation with case studies. Ibm, Sun Microsystems and the hundreds of other Fortune 500 associates are already successfully wielding these tools.
Tips
Choose web 2.0 channels that have been specifically designed for laborer communication. Use low cost communications channels that are quick and easy to implement and manage. Use a platform that is easy for It to implement and has miniature need for ongoing It support. Choose a platform that allows entrance possession to be targeted to specific staff groups. Ensure centralised reporting allows you to assuredly quantify the value of the web 2.0 channels and demonstrate their strategic communications value to senior managers.
Try a free trial or low cost pilot to test concepts out prior to a more ample commitment to collective media as an internal communications channel.
"We don't have the time, money or resources"
Management quite rightly recognizes that communicators are already overworked. They might also voice concerns about the cost of the tools and the lack of Retain resources.
The response
Explain tools that aid internal communications aid you. As for the tools being hungry on money and resources, justify that commonly these tools are relatively reasonable and need miniature time to set up. Rather then worrying about the return on investment in financial terms the focus should be on what can be gained from making them available. To keep costs down, lease a Web 2.0 solution. This allows you to leverage developments based on learning from other organisations. Study less and do more:
Start the dialogue and keep listening to the comments Spot opportunities in the firm where collective media could Supply a good fit Start small and uncomplicated and use an iterative process Predict concerns and solve problems early Create an army of evangelists
Tips
Choose web 2.0 channels that have been built only for laborer communications purposes, they are not a 'one size fits all' clarification with a confusing array of set-up options.
Use a clarification that is authenticated back to employees computers which means it is very obtain but staff also do not need to remember a user name and password. Just one click and staff are able to participate.
Select a user friendly, intuitive clarification that allows staff to participate with miniature or no training. Use a low cost clarification that can fit within existing laborer communications budgets. Utilise free trials to test out small deployments and evolve the use of staff collective media channels based on staff feedback and learning. Increases in productivity facilitated by improved data flow can assuredly cost justify the use of collective media for laborer communications. For example, an interactive Helpdesk channel provides sufficient real time Retain channels for staff by allowing them to ask questions in interactive online helpdesks. This means that answers can be made available approximately immediately and become part of an evolving searchable repository of knowledge. It doesn't suit our culture
"These tools aren't a fit with our culture. It's not the way we do business..."
The response
Do you have a young, tech-savvy workforce in an organisation with a flat structure, or is the buildings hierarchical with predominantly older workers who may feel uncomfortable with new technology.
It is leading to recognise your culture, and to work out what will work and what won't. It is true collective media fits best where the culture is democratic and open, rather than hierarchical and paternal. However, even conservative associates are seeing addition numbers of digital natives joining their ranks. Collaboration and team work are here to stay. Knowledge-sharing enables the whole firm to advantage from an individual's expertise, and ensures that this knowledge doesn't exit the organisation when the private leaves.
Explain that providing added channels for sharing data does not equate to loss of operate or a decline in standards. It should lead to increased productivity and innovation. It may be helpful to encourage knowledge-sharing and collaboration by assisting executives to lead by example. You could also workout a law of rewards for champion bloggers and networkers.
Tips
Select a platform with a range of moderation options. Simply agree the setting required for a specific laborer blog, staff argument forum or online helpdesk. Even the most risk adverse managers should feel comfortable with a communications channel that requires every post and annotation moderated.
If possible set up moderators to receive desktop alerts notifying them of the need to approve article so that approval (or not) can be fast and seamless.
In time, as managers become more comfortable with the collective media as an laborer communications tool, it may be approved to reset the moderation level to only anonymous posts and comments or even to switch moderation off altogether.
For organizations that are assuredly adverse to collective media, why not reconsider an electronic magazine fomat that permits 'user generated' content.
This will enable you to distribute 'safe discussion' directly to the employee's computer screen.
"It will open a can of worms"
"Employees will say inappropriate things. citizen will complain, or insult management. Bad language will appear on comments..."
Management may express concerns that the 'rumour mill' will take over, or that staff will spend all day complaining. administration may also be concerned that knowledge-sharing via staff forums or blogs sets a perilous precedent. This informant is 'unofficial' as no-one has authorised it.
The response
Gossip and staff complaints were colse to long before Web 2.0 came on the scene. If collective media channels do throw up unpleasant surprises, you have at least identified that there are issues which you can address, rather than having a seething undercurrent. Where engagement is low and/or guidelines and procedure are not stated, staff may not know how else to present worries or causes of dissatisfaction.
Define what collective media tools can be used for as part of your strategy and present the policy. For example, some associates allow comments to go live without being filtered, whereas others insist that comments go through the editor. Some organizations allow anonymous posts while others don't. Some even have a forum entitled 'Rumour Mill' to flush concerns and gossip out into the open to be addressed.
Not all data needs to be official. Tacit knowledge is still shared colse to the water cooler, or sent via a memo or email. It may never be captured in a form that can be shared. administration agree that this is a huge disadvantage when knowledgeable staff leave, taking their 'unofficial' knowledge with them. Online tools, on the other hand, capture this know-how. Your staff will assuredly identify the contrast between notion and authoritative content.
Tips
Specify a 'Code of Conduct' clearly at the top of each page view. Implement a range of moderation levels which allow you to monitor and approve posts if required. For example, moderators could be set to receive a desktop alert when an anonymous post or annotation is made.
Use multiple interactive channels. Setting up a specific, moderated helpdesk, for example, colse to an organisational change, can help keep inappropriate article out of other staff argument forums. 'Risky' discussions, where sentiment might be negative, can be targeted securely to only those affected. This means that negativity does not need to 'infect' the rest of the organisation.
"It's too risky, too uncontrolled"
Management may equate loss of formality with a decline in standards. The idea that staff can write what they want runs counter to the command-and-control buildings of many organisations. Principal time, effort, and money go into crafting a strong brand image. Ceos may fear that the company's image will suffer if they make it easy for staff to say anything they want about the organization or their colleagues and managers. They may also worry about leaks to exterior world.
The response
Just because transportation is taking place online doesn't mean that professionalism and respect will be forgotten. Most staff already know that inappropriate use of email is not acceptable, and will replacement this knowledge automatically to collective media tools.
Don't forget that administration have legitimate concerns about the need to keep some data confidential. You can offset Management's fear of losing operate by implementing approved protection measures and guidelines for these channels, just as you do with email and Internet use. There is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to setting the policy. You know your organisation and anything works best for your organisation is the best way to go. Ibm's clarification was to generate a wiki and to get its staff to generate the procedure themselves.
The fact that blogs and online argument are visible is more likely to deter inappropriate comments.
Tips
Choose collective media channels that have been built specifically for obtain laborer communication. Use a clarification with a Client applet that resides on staff computers. Only staff who have the applet and have been targeted with entrance possession can view these channels. This means that the risk of leaks to the exterior world is dramatically reduced.
Code of guide and moderation options mean that if it possible to keep a close eye on conversations that are determined high risk.
Desktop alerts can notify moderators when new article is added to blogs, forums, Q&A spots and staff helpdesks. This can allow moderators to check that data is correct and amend posts if necessary.
laborer communication Via collective Media - Overcoming Internal Resistance
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