Remember that game? You would connect the dots on a paper and eventually you revealed a picture of some sort but until most of the dots were connected, it was difficult to see the picture. This is true of social business where we want to make the right connections between people, social networks, and technology. The AIIM White Paper titled “The Social Business System – connecting people and content” cites that the SBS (Social Business System) is designed to complement not replace existing collaboration tools like email, IM, and others. As you also know, there are many approached to social business and the focus can be internal, external, or a combination of both. The question is how do you connect these dots to ensure the picture you get, is the picture you have in mind?
In my view this all gets back to planning with the beginning being one of establishing the goal and outcome you desire. Before even considering the technology, what is it that you are trying to accomplish? Do you want better information sharing across departments and between applications? Do you want increased engagement with your customers and prospects? Once you can identify and articulate this, you can now start to look at the technologies and assess how they fit into your picture. As the White Paper points out, you might find your requirements include mobile support, multiple touch points, and integration with multiple communications, productivity and operational systems.
Let us not forget the human element in all of this. Once you have made these assessments you will need to inform and engage the users for if they do not buy into it all, they will not use it. Change management should begin at the beginning of your project so as you assess the needs of the organization, include the user community. Get their point of view and perspectives in relation to how they do their work, want to do their work, and tools they are likely already using. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and any other social tools are not locked down and in many cases, being used without you knowing it. Leverage what they know and do as this will help in the transition to what you want to do. So go ahead, draw the picture you want and connect the dots to make it clearer.
What say you? Do you have a story to tell? What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you have a topic of interest you would like discussed in this forum? Let me know. If you are looking for some great research information from our industry, feel free to visit our research site and download some of our Industry Watch Reports today at www.aiim.org/research
Bob Larrivee, Director of Custom Research – AIIM
Email me: blarrivee@aiim.org
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