(Warning – this is a longer post – but it is worth it.  I promise.  It makes the case as to why we should use social networking sites not only inside of organizations, but also why we should not block employees from accessing outside sites like Facebook and LinkedIn.)

Before we get to the topic of using Facebook and LinkedIn at work, I want to tell a story which was prompted by the comment yesterday from @LisaMeece108.  Hopefully this will give you one example of the many benefits of these social networking sites.

When I first joined Facebook I also joined my high school’s graduating class Group that one of my old classmates created.  From that point on, I felt I was inundated with friend requests.  Some were old friends I had lost contact with and I was excited I knew where they were.  Others, to be honest, I barely remember or had not even thought about since the “good ol’ days.” If I accepted their friend requests, their updates started showing up in my “stream.”  I started learning a lot about people I really didn’t know any more and I was skeptical about the value of these updates.

Fast forward to my beautiful cousin’s wedding.  We were living in Portland at the time and she was living in the area of our home town, a couple hours south.  At her wedding there were a number of people she worked with who came that I had graduated with – AND, I was ‘friends’ with on Facebook.

One particular person was Janice.  In high school we didn’t hang out together.  We knew each other and would talk every now and then, but we didn’t know each other very well at all.  She was a great person, we just hung around in different social circles.

When we met again for the first time in 20 years, we started off as if we were great friends.  We immediately launched into our families and the activities we are in – all because we saw each others’ updates and had a background – in reality, we were just picking up where we left off on Facebook.  Our visit skipped past the awkward “Hi, remember me from 20 years ago?” stage where we would have even less to talk about than we did in high school.  Instead, it was a very pleasant experience.  For me, it was very eye opening as to the potential power of  social networking.

Now, on to FB/LinkedIn at work…

It is my plight, but one that I willingly accept.  Most of my professional career has been spent alone.  I was hired by companies to do something that no one else in the company could do.  It was me and me alone who performed these functions as I evangelicize (is that word?), educate, try to get others to help me and take up the cause for which I have been hired.  There were not any peers to work with and bounce ideas off of. My learning and growth was limited to my personal education.  Although I feel I was good at what I did and knew more about it than anyone in the company, it was as if they were held hostage by my limited knowledge and skills.  Honestly, I felt badly, but could only give them what I knew, products of learning and experience, knowing that if I only knew more I could take them further.  “If only I had a team” I would cry to myself, “then we could learn from one another, bounce ideas back and forth and go beyond my limited nature.”

For this reason I became very active in different local associations of similar people.  From them I was able to learn new techniques, perspectives and skills.  Yet, this was still very limiting.  At most we only met once a month for about an hour.

Then came online social networking…

No longer did I need to wait until our monthly meeting.  NAY! I could throw away the shackles of time and geographic location!  Now, if I need to ask a question, I can now do it immediately, when I am in the moment working on that specific task.

For example, I am joined to a great group of peers through social networking – the E2.0 Adoption Council. None of them work at NASA.  They all work at different companies, yet we all do the same thing – we help large organizations (10K people +) implement what is termed “Enterprise 2.0.”  We are connected by a social networking site and by Yammer (which we will talk about next week).  If I have a question, I can post it to one of these places and get several answers and join in on great dialogue.  Their perspectives are unique and invaluable. And when they ask questions, I am there to share my experiences and thoughts, helping them. We don’t share confidential or proprietary information – they are all professionals.  If this network were blocked it would be to the detriment of the organization I am working for.

Even if I did have a team*, just think: I could be connected to tens, hundreds, even thousands of ‘peers’ with an infinite amount of experience is a FREE benefit to me and the organization.  I would have to be CRAZY to not allow my team to tap these resources.  Then why do some organizations?

Fear.  Fear that it will be abused.  Fear that employees will 1) waste time and 2) post inappropriate or confidential information in an open space.

You only have to go as far as the back of the cover jacket of the book Enterprise 2.0 by Andrew McAfee, the originator of the term and a leading expert and researcher of organizational use of these tools.  It says that the book will “reveal where the real risks and roadblocks are with Enterprise 2.0, and why most concerns are unfounded.”  Inside the book he states, “I have noticed an interesting pattern: before an organization begins an  Enterprise 2.0 effort, its leaders typically have a consistent set of concerns about the negative things that could happen.  But most of these issues are not real or serious risks… After an organization begins to deploy (E2.0), its leaders’ concerns often shift to one simple issue: How can we go faster” (p.145)?  Later he writes how he tries to collect horror stories of these fears incarnate, but  “…my collection is almost empty. I have yet to come across any true horror stories – scenarios that make me question whether the risks associated with deploying (E2.0) actually do outweigh the benefits” (p.146).  (BTW – go buy the book. Now.)

Is your organization not networking from within?  Why not?  If it is not, it is limiting the ability for employees to be more effective through networking.

To be fair, Facebook is not an E2.0 application.  E2.0 refers to using these tools inside organizations.  Yet we have to ask: Have employees put out information on Facebook that they should not have? Yes.  Does it happen often.  No.  Does the risk outweigh the potential benefit? Not even close. What is the stepping stone?  Simply: TRUST.  If you have it, you are on your way.  If you don’t, you won’t see these tools any time soon.

I could never be as effective as I am without this E2.0 group.  Period and without question.  There are a ton of professional Groups on Facebook and LinkedIn which bring together people who do what you do, who support each other.  Join one or two or three or more. Do more than join – get engaged in them.

If you are blessed enough to work for an organization which does not block Facebook or LinkedIn, take advantage of it to connect to peers – learn from them, share with them and become a more valuable employee.

* In reality, I do have a great team. But this team is not dedicated to my field of work.  They have their own responsibilities and E2.0 is only a part of what they do.  They have not done this before, and so they are learning and doing at the same time – and doing very well, I might add!

STATUS UPDATES

A couple days ago I was in a meeting where a person said, ” I just don’t see the value of Facebook.  I mean, seriously.  I don’t care that someone ‘is waking up with a cup of coffee’ or is ‘slowly recovering from yesterday’s surgery.’  What a waste of time.”  He then grabbed someone’s iPhone with the Facebook app running and started reading off the updates.  I must admit, some of them did sound silly.  But let me give you a simple example of how something so mundane and initially inconsequential can help.

Photo by paulcole on Flickr

Every year our church likes to book a camping area for everyone to go camping together.  It just so happened that I was flying in that Friday night and was going to make it just in time to leave with the family.  But the last leg of my flight was delayed.  I called my wife and let her know, then I jumped on Facebook and updated my status: “Flight is delayed.  Can’t wait to see the fam after two weeks away and go camping. Hopefully I will be there in time to meet them.”

When my wife arrived at the campsite she suddenly had a number of people helping her out to set up the tent and get everything ready for her and the seven kids.  Why?  They saw the update, knew I would not be there with them and pitched in to help.  She kept hearing, “I heard Kevin will be late.” How was that, my non-Facebook using wife thought?  Did he call everyone?  No, it was the Facebook status.

The other day I found out that my friend’ wife was coming home from the hospital after delivering a baby.  Since we now live 2500 apart , I had not heard about the birth, and probably would not have until his wife was somewhat back to normal.  But I found out early, thankfully!

Then, last week, I had an business acquaintance message me through LinkedIn.  We have talked numerous times and had lunch together once.  He is a great guy and I have been impressed with his work.  Unfortunately, work is something he didn’t have any more and he let me know through LinkedIn.  Now, I can have my eyes open for him.

Can the updates be abused?  Sure, and some people are better at doing that than others.  But other times, those small, seemingly insignificant updates can make a big difference.

GROUPS

Facebook and LinkedIn both have GROUPS which you can join (without giving away private information about yourself).  Once in, there is usually a discussion on that topic.  The Groups can be organized around causes, ideas, conspiracy theories, music artists, professional initiatives or goofy topics.  Just about whatever you can think of, personal or professional, there will be a group for you to join.  Some groups are VERY useful – sharing information and asking/answering questions.  It becomes another set of people who have common passions to collaborate and connect with.

TO DO – Join some groups (Difficulty Level: EASY – Time: 15- minutes total)

• Go to both Facebook and LinkedIn and search groups for your favorite causes and professional interests.
• Join them and jump in on the conversations!

Now that you are on, let’s get you connected.

Photo by dan taylor on Flickr

FRIENDS in ‘real life’ are not the same as friends online.  In face-to-face relationships there is a certain etiquette with friends. Online, there is a totally different etiquette with friends. We won’t go over all the nuances, just know that it is OK to have thousands of friends on an online network and never really ‘speak’ to any of them.

Then why have them?

When you need them, they will be there.  For example, let’s say you find a past coworker from 10 years ago on LinkedIn and connect to them.  Next month, suddenly, you are laid off.  What is the best way to find a job? Through networking.  Suddenly, you have a MUCH larger network to contact and that past coworker is no longer a distant memory, but a valuable resource.

Or, let’s say that you were involved with a volunteer music production group.  In time you quit, moved across the country and life moved on – but you were friends with this group on Facebook.  Five years later you get the itch and want to start up a similar production group in your new town.  Even though you did not stay in touch via mail or even email very well, not only do you know where to find this group, but you can instantly contact them to get advice.

TO DO – Get thee some Friends! (Difficulty Level: EASY – Time: 20- minutes total)

According to your initial strategy,

1. Spend at least 10 minutes on each of the social networks and connect to, or friend current or past friends, family members or co-workers.
2. Take a look at who they are following. This may give you some ideas of who to connect with who you may have forgotten.

“You’re kidding, right?  You mean you need a strategy for signing up for these social networking sites like Facebook or LinkedIn?”

The answer is “No, you don’t.  But if you don’t, you will.”

Many people jump into social networking without thinking about what they are doing.  They go for the cool factor and forget the common sense factor.  Many people sign up, fill out their profile and start connecting (or ‘Friending’) to as many people as they can, just because they can.  They also accept friend requests from anyone.  Then, this happens…

The intent here is NOT to scare you.  It would be like saying “Beware of knives!  You may not want to use them!” But forgetting all of the great uses for knives in cooking, cutting rope or trying to open child (and adult)proof Christmas boxes.  If used wisely they are great.

According to the assignment from yesterday, you were to put in profile information.  As you did, you might have realized (hopefully!) that the information could be made private or public.  There are two basic levels:

1. Information anyone can see before they connect to you (for Friend you).
2. Information only those who are connected to you can see that unconnected people cannot.

So, which information do you whom to see?  Think about it carefully and be appropriate.

But this is the second question you should ask (I am working backwards, I guess!)  The first is, “Who should connect to me where?”  For example, Facebook is my personal network.  There, I am more willing to give out my personal information to this group because I only “friend” people I know, or used to know & trust (key factor).  These are the people that I want to keep in contact with back in Oregon, whom I have become friends with in past companies or other organizations.  Here, I can be a little more loose in what I say and how I act.  I am not crazy and wild (although my kids may say differently) but I am among friends.  But not everyone gets in here.

LinkedIn is my professional network.  Less personal information is put in here, but more professional information is open.  I connect to past peers, colleagues in my field, and even some of the people I have in Facebook.  Here is where I act more professionally.  I would not put updates on the Oregon vs. Oregon State Civil War game on LinkedIn, but I did on Facebook (which, BTW, Oregon won!).

But that is just my strategy.  Some people combine the professional and personal both on Facebook. Some don’t use one or the other.  Still others use other networks for either of these purposes.

In the end, if you go in without one, you will certainly create one over time.  So, start with a strategy.  True, it may change down the line, but that is OK.  Evolution is a necessary part of social computing.  But whatever you do, do it on purpose.

TO DO – Profiles (Difficulty Level: EASY – Time: 10- minutes total)

1. Create a quick strategy which would make you most comfortable but at the same time allow you to connect with as many people as possible.
2. Go back through your profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn and modify your information.  On one you may find that you allow more information than you originally thought you would.  On another you may scale back.

Tomorrow: “Friending, Connecting and Groups”

Week 5: Facebook/LinkedIn: Day 1

Photo by Tim in Sydney on Flickr

As physical entities, we can only be in one place at one time.  We only have 24 hours in a day. Because of these two facts, our “reach” is limited.  “Reach” can be defined as our potential sphere of influence.  If we have three meetings, back to back, we have to remember the travel time between each one, the customary introduction and exit rituals will each take time, and that switching from one group to another is not always easy.  (And remember, each of these meetings must fit everyone’s schedule, so even the availability for these meetings is diminished.) Because of this limited reach we are not able to be in contact with those people whom we might value the most – family, friends and colleagues – as often as we might like.  We often also have to whittle out some groups altogether – even though they may be valuable – because of this limited reach.

Yet, what if we were not bound by our physical bodies, nor time?  What would happen to this reach – this potential sphere of influence?  What kind of influence could we have if we were able to stay in contact with thousands of people?  What could we accomplish if we could join meetings or groups when it was convenient for us?

Social Computing allows us to do this.  There are many services on the internet that help us extend our reach.  This week we will only talk about Facebook and LinkedIn.  Previously considered by many to be time wasters for college students, these two services are powerful networking mediums.

Many have totally stayed away from these two (and other similar) services because of either their preconceived ideas or ‘horror stories’ they have heard.  Yet the question most people want to know is, “Is Facebook / LinkedIn a waste of my time or are they actually good for something?”  To know the answer, we must ask, “What do you want to do?”  Unfortunately, this is most often a chicken & egg situation.  We don’t know what is possible until we try it.

Before we move any further, we should understand, at least on a basic level, the value of ‘Social Networking.’  And who better to help us out than our friends at Common Craft.

Suddenly, our network (or ‘reach’ or ‘sphere of influence’) becomes much larger and can be managed at our convenience.

Social Networking Advantages:

• Infinitely more resources
• Easily contact
• 1000’s of loose connections yet…
• Very small maintenance time
• Searchable
• Learning increases

TO DO – Sign up for Facebook & LinkedIn (Difficulty Level: EASY – Time: 15- minutes total)

If you are hesitent at all, trust me on this one.  If, in the end after you have signed up and still don’t want to do it, you can cancel your accounts and be free and clear.  But I don’t think that will happen – just a guess

1. Go to Facebook and sign up (found on the front page).
2. Go to LinkedIn and sign up (also found on the front page).
3. For each of these, fill out your profiles – information about yourself.  Upload a picture.
4. Stop – don’t go further at this point.  Resist the temptation to sign up for groups or look for people.  Tomorrow we will talk about what to do next and how.  Because, yes, there is a strategy.

As Dave and I talk about in the latest podcast “Be a Designer, not just a Trainer” (iTunes link) “Performance Improvement” or HPT (Human Performance Technology) should be at the top of the food chain.  The following should be understood by us all:

HPT is (should be) in direct coorelation with goals

Learning is a subset of HPT

Training is a subset of Learning

eLearning is a subset of Training

Yet so many times we skip the HPT & Learning parts and go straight for Training or eLearning.  Why is that?

The point was driven home just now as I went to my LinkedIn page.  It asked for my Industry. I tried to find anything about HPT or Performance Improvement or anything like it.  Not there.  But there is eLearning, Education Management, Higher Education, Human Resources, Primary/Secondary Education and Professional Training / Coaching.  But nothing to do with performance improvement.

Too general?  Maybe.  But I don’t think so.  LinkedIn takes what are the most popular categories.  How many of you would consider yourself an HPT professional?  Exactly.  That is why it is not an option.  That is why ISPI has a lower membership (10K) than either ASTD (70K) or the eLearning Guild (35K).  This is backwards.  We should all be ISPI members and THEN ASTD or eLearning Guild members.

Unfortunately, too often too many people jump from goals to training and skip the inbetween.  Why can’t many break free of this rut?  My opinion is that this is what those in executive management expect.  They expect training.  Come to them with some other solution besides training that will work better and their reaction often is, “Why are you doing that?  Aren’t you supposed be doing training?  This isn’t your department.”  I know – I have had it happen to me in the past.

But if we are going to be effective, we have to think of ourselves as Designers of human performance, not Trainers of content.

“Trialability is the degree to which an innovation may be experimented with on a limited basis.” (Diffusion of Innovations, p. 16)

Isn’t this down economy great?  Don’t get me wrong, just like the next guy I wish it wasn’t happening.  We are all feeling the effects of it, some more than others.  But it is making us step out of our comfort zone and try some new things.  The easier it is to try these new things out, the better adoption we will have.

With each Twitter follower, I look at their profile and latest tweets.  There was one person today, in particular, that followed me.  Phil was just laid off of his work.  He created a twitter account last April, updated it three times in the first two hours and then didn’t touch it.  Until now.

Now he has a reason. Phil might be saying, “Hey, it can’t hurt.  I might as well try it out – give it a shot.”  Not only is the relative advantage higher than it was before, but he can try it out as an experiment.  Pretty soon he sees that making a connection gets his name and situation on a blog read my millions of people (OK – WAY overstated), but now he has some loose connections that might help with the job search.

The first time you at sushi did you stuff the whole thing in your mouth?  Not likely.  You probably nibbled at it, like I did, and got a general taste of what this raw fish was going to bring to you.  Then, if you liked it, you tried more and more until – possibly – you scarfed down the whole plate.

Why do you think razors are cheap but the blades cost a fortune?  If the razors themselves are cheap enough, people can give it a trial run without losing much.  Then the razor company hopes you love it and buy the blades once you are hooked.

Or the numerous “30 days free!” offers.

To gain adoption, try making social learning useful on a trial basis. Let people get their feet wet.  Give them a reason to try and then make it easy, painless and costless.  When they try it out they will understand – there is less uncertainty.

This is one of my main tasks for any critics and those who don’t know where to start: Try it out.  Nibble a little.  Learn about what you are afraid and uncertain of by doing it.  Then it isn’t a mystery and you can decide if it works for you.

(BTW, Phil looks like he has some great experience.  If you are looking for someone with good HR, learning and leadership experience, check out his LinkedIn profile.)

While reading Will Thalheimer’s blog on multitasking, I started playing out situations in my mind.

• Twitter, email and IM popping up new messages
• Going through my RSS feed
• Checking LinkedIn & Facebook
• Answering the phone
• Attending to visitors

Yet as we do this we are all learning.  So if it actually is a disturbance to multi-task, where is the line?  What is considered multi-tasking and what is considered fruitful learning & performance?  This is what I have come up with initially…

I see myself in a constant state of learning.  But those non-formal times of learning which are best for me are when they are targeted.  It doesn’t matter if I use 100 different resources or 1.  But if I am focused then I can use all my tools to accomplish a task.

For example, yesterday I was trying to find a way to create a movie in Camtasia, send it to Adobe Premiere and produce the final with a clear picture.  The ones I was doing were decent, but I needed more clarity.  To do this I integrated a google search, help search, Twitter shout-out and email.  I wasn’t multi-tasking.  Instead I was focused on one task even though I was using multiple avenues.

Recognizing this some time ago, I have turned off email popups and check my RSS feeds, LinkedIn, Facebook and NING sites on purpose (as apposed to haphazardly).  (Twitter I still have on, but often I let those go until I can check a bunch at a time.)  If I am heavy into the moment I let my phone go to voicemail.  And in desparate times I “pull out the plant.”  This large plant blocks anyone from visiting me.  All these things keep my learning and production focused, avoiding the multi-tasking.

One last thought – I have found there is some benefit to procrastination.  Interruptions don’t always receive immediate brain share.  They are put on the backburner unless they are an emergency (Covey’s “Important vs. Urgent”).  Sometimes they disappear before I get to them.  Often my brain will, in the background, deal with the situation so when I do allow it to occupy my time I can speedily take care of it.  The brain is a beautiful thing.