Collaboration Implementation

I am working on a team that is implementing Social Media tools inhouse.  It has made me consider some best practice tips.

• Take advantage of what you’ve got!  So many corps now have collaboration tools in place or purchased.  Take inventory of what you have and leverage the functionality you already have rather than buying another tool.
• Don’t think the tool is going to make it happen!  Find your evangelists and let them help you kick this thing off the ground!
• So many initiatives in corporations are from the “top down.”  Use a grassroots approach.  Bring users in early to get their needs heard and fullfilled.  Ask what needs to happen to make their job easier rather than telling them later how some tool is going to make it easier.  See the difference in those approaches??
• Do pieces at a time.  This is the time to be agile and iterative.  If your company has not collaborated and communicated with these tools before take it a step at a time.  Have a long range plan and implement piece by piece.
• Let the users play with the tools before they are live.  Get them over the “wiki pause” by setting up areas where they can blog and wiki BUT it is not published.  Just get them to do it in what they see as “safe”.
• Get HR on board.  Make sure you know HR’s take– are they going to MAKE people use it and if they don’t knock them down on performance appraisal time? are they going to police it and get people fearful of  sharing anything? Make sure HR is behind the move in this direction and supportive.  A conversation about open and transparent tools is a good one to have BEFORE implementing.
• Some people are using social media tools at home when they are on the internet and do not even know they are using them.  I run into people like this daily.  Survey the employees to see what their social media saavyness is.  At the end of the survey ask for volunteers for your team–you will find your evangelists here!
• Understand how the tools are going to be used.  What is the goal for the business?  Communicate that well and over and over again.
• Figure out your measurements of success.  What are the metrics that you will be using if any.
• Talk about ground rules and governance.   I am not a proponent on a lot of rules around this space, but If you have to have some make them more general.  For example–posts should be clear and concise, posts should not simply repeat someone
• Are their business units within your organization that are using the tools really well?  Get them involved.
• People first! Tools second!

Happy collaborating.