social networking tips for leaders

Lean reflections social media networking posts:

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• YouTube shares knowledge and draws customers
• Andrea Kozek on social media at Brady North America, part 1
• Andrea Kozek on social media, part 2
• LinkedIn marketing secrets and strategies
• Don't discount email as a social media tool
• Getting social at the AME conference
• Social collaboration tools for teams 
• Social media: Can we make it add value to lean?
• Good questions
• Social media experience changes thinking
• Four levels of "selling" on LinkedIn
• Web-based career development tools -- discussion sites
• New networking skills to help you restart your career

Top five reasons why leaders don't do social networking:

1. They don't have time (or so they say)
2. They don't feel safe (what are they going to do with my information?)
3. They don't know where to start
4. They don't believe social networking adds value
5. They think it's complicated

Top five reasons why leaders need to do more social networking:

1. It's a fact of life -- get used to it.
2. Young people are using it -- we need to get them involved in what we do. (And let's include "young" middle-aged and older people too.)
3. Every form of communication is important. There's no best way to connect with employees, customers, team members, suppliers.
4. Value comes from you. Social networks by themselves are only scaffolds.
5. Collaboration is essential for sustaining a dynamic innovative organization.

Who should drive social networking in your organization? You!

1. Trick question. Social networking is one more thing that can't be driven, it can only be led.
2. You can and should have one or more people sending and responding to messages every day, but you have to be in the game at least once a week, issuing a message or responding to someone else's.
3. Everyone should get in on the action. You may have to push some colleagues into the habit, and help them get used to the quirks of the tools. It won't go viral if no one transmits the infection.
4. Listen more than you talk. We're discovering that communication can get turned on its head when social networking takes hold. Pay attention.
5. Have reasonable expectations. The jury's still out, but don't be surprised to find the 90-9-1 rule in effect for a while. For any 90 people in a network, 9 will be lurking, and 1 will be active. Social networking won't eliminate your advertising, e-mails, or press releases, but it can intensify their effects.


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