LIfe is full of symmetry -- for every thing, there seems to be an anti-thing to balance it out.
It's true in particle physics, politics and pop culture. And also in social media discussions in large companies.
So, if your experience is like mine, at some point you'll encounter the "anti-thing" -- maybe in several flavors -- and knowing what you're dealing with will help.
My Starting Point
Yes, I tend to visionary statements and entrepeneurial behavior, but I'm also a business guy. I always try and look at things in business terms.
My introduction to social media is no different. One part of my brain sees what's possible, the other part of my brain thinks in terms of logical journeys with clear business benefits.
It's kind of like talking about global warming ...
"Yeah, it's a really big problem. What if we lived in a world with zero-impact energy? Wouldn't that be cool?"
Yes, no argument from me, it would be great.
It's getting there that's the interesting part. Maybe people watched too much Star Trek as a kid.
Or, another take ...
"There's no clear evidence of global warming -- it could be all natural causes, and nothing we're doing as a society. Besides, there are scientists that say that things will get back to normal soon".
A very different way of reacting to a mega-trend -- denial. I wonder how many of these people are thinking of vacationing farther north this year?
Back To Social Media
We have some people here who are very intoxicated with this stuff. I can understand, it's pretty heady stuff.
But so are lots of big things and big ideas -- get used to it, folks -- we live in exciting times.
They're frustrated that people don't "get it". Rather than finding a way to communicate their enthusiasm and passion in a way that engages people, they end up turning people off due to their extreme view.
The challenge is to get people engaged, not to alienate them.
They're frustrated that certain parts of the organization seem to be blockers in their quest. IT doesn't get it. Marketing doesn't get it. Our senior management doesn't get it. Nobody gets it but them.
No, folks, it's you who don't get it. These people are who they are. It's your job to work with them, not to excoriate them for doing their job to the best of their abilities.
I occasionally get emails from these people. They are long, theraputic flights of fantasy. I know they mean well, but if they could tone it down a bit, and work within the system, we'd make more progress.
Interesting note: one of them who is the most passionate was invited to join our social media forum and share thoughts, discuss, influence, etc. This person showed up, looked around, and left. I wonder what was going on there?
The Risk Adverse Crowd
Doing anything new entails risk -- by definition. And there are certain people that self-identify as risk-identifiers and risk-mitigators. They can be annoying, but they play a valuable role.
It's very easy to get all worked up into a lather of passion and motion, and forget a few obvious things. Not that I have ever succumbed to this effect (at least, not recently!) but it happens all the time.
I learned early on to include risk identification and risk mitigation into my discussions. Make it part of the overall thinking. Encourage participation and discussion of the pros and cons of various risks.
Yes, it takes more time. But I think it's easier to get this sort of thing out of the way early on, rather than have someone crashing into the party at the very end with a long list of concerns, some of which might be very valid.
A risk adverse person wants to know that you understand their perspective and concerns, nothing more. And I do.
That Positioning Thing
We maybe have 5-10 groups that are poking on various aspects of social media. Our HR guys are passionate. Our CTO function cares a lot. The guys who build the Documentum product have a vested interest. A few marketing thingies. A customer support forum. A developer forum.
And, of course, a whole bunch of bootleg projects that are either up, or want to be up.
Taking a look at this landscape, you could conclude one of two things: that there's either a lot of competition for ownership/leadership on this topic at our company, or that it's a greenfield opportunity.
The difference is positioning.
My positioning is simple: I'm looking at this as a business strategy for EMC -- what investments can we make to ensure we can use this proficiently as a business tool?
Against that positioning, all the other efforts fall into line. HR is a user of social media, not a definer of strategy and capabilities. CTO guys care about social media from a technology perspective. Marketing and customer support are consumers of platforms. Our Documentum group looks at it as a target market, not a business enablement strategy.
And the bootleggers just want a place to do their thing, which we can provide.
It's a greenfield opportunity.
Anything Worthwhile Is Difficult
I'm getting way too old here. I've developed the sixth sense that tells me that when something is challenging, difficult, complex, emotional, etc. -- we're on to something big and important.
So you can look at all the discussion and dissent in one of two ways: as a pain in the patootie, or as a signpost that you're on to something big.
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