This may sound like belaboring the obvious.  Of course the network is not a person; yet how many of us have heard people say things like, "The community is passionate about XYZ," or "our network needs to be in closer communication," or "we can mobilize the network/community to overturn Proposition XYZ."

We speak of the network as if it had a single mind and a unified purpose; as if it were a single entity that could be steered and persuaded.  Perhaps this reductionism happens because, in truth, a network is highly complex and fluid and not at all easy to understand, much less maneuver.  It is easier to conceptualize and respond to a "one" rather than a "many."

The risk in doing so, however, is that one begins to absorb the language and to operate as if "network as person" were true.  How many emails have you received from organizations that want your support and money that you know are identical to the emails the organization sent to five thousand other people?  The organization assumes that if it is articulate enough, broad enough in its message, and offends no one in "the community," it will earn enough of the desired support.

This may be true.  But how much more effective could the organization be if it first understood that while the network or community has some properties (e.g. purpose, boundaries, members, etc.), it is an aggregate of individuals, each with her own unique order of interests and priorities, time availability, talent, and other sets of networks of which she is part.  One person may be swayed by personal interest stories, while another may hit the delete key immediately.  One person may be able to volunteer time right now, while another is booked solid for the next three months.  One person may have leadership abilities, while another prefers to be a good follower.

If the organization approaches this diverse, mutable, fluid, complex network with a one-size-fits-all approach, opportunities will be lost, and potential supporters will turn their attention elsewhere.  To work with a network, you have to pay attention to both the whole and the parts.  You need to be able to see overarching patterns, especially ones that relate to the health and vitality of the network,  while also keeping in close contact with individuals and understanding their preferences and challenges.

 

Social media is simple, like water, right?  Simple interfaces, low barrier to entry?  Kids in elementary schools are using them – so why all the confusion?   

Because at the end of the day you still need to have some strategic conversations around your vision, mission and market segment.

I propose that you do absolutely stick your toes into the water with social media – just do so with ‘byte sized portions’ – try 140 characters on for size.  Spend time thinking about your current channels, your audiences and how you would like to micro target messaging to fostering increased engagement.

I sit on a board of directors for NPO that is still bonding, building trust and forming.  There are some cases where you need to spend time together on joint projects to build trust and a common language together so that you can move with velocity into the uncharted waters of social media.

 Janet Fouts blog post inspired this idea of starting small.  It’s really about baby steps and trying out different techniques until you find what works for you donors, your board, your employees or your customers.

 Ask for consistent feedback, make sure that you are spending time connecting people to people and have fun!

One of the most enjoyable and gratifying moments of being a community manager is when members of the community start to step up, create content, proactively initiate something, build relationships with people they’ve discovered, and feel comfortable enough to show more of their personalities.  This is all emergent behavior that as a community manager you want desperately to encourage but which is almost impossible to directly induce. In new communities it is wonderful to watch the new shoots of activity happen.  But… it goes in fits and starts. Some days it feels like everyone chimes in and some days, it feels like no one is paying attention.  One of the hardest things do to – especially if you are getting pressure from other stakeholders – is to wait for it.community-roundtable.com, Wait for It… Emergence Happens, Feb 2010

You should read the whole article.

A February 2 article on WSJ.com positions nonprofits as a severe casualty of the economic downturn.  The article, Once-Robust Charity Sector Hit With Mergers, Closings, describes the impact of  severely reduced funding/donations from both the private and government sector on nonprofits.

The article’s authors, Shelly Banjo and S. Mitra Kalita, describe “painful restructuring, including mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, cutbacks and closings” as a major way nonprofits are coping with reduced funding.  Combining forces may make some providers stronger, but the ones that disappear will leave big holes in the communities they serve.  The resulting pain does not trickle down to the beneficiaries of these organizations – it hits them full on.

So what can be done about it?

Major disasters elicit action.  Haiti is a tragic but perfect example -- big and small money poured in from all angles.   But why, in the same weakened economy, is the response to Haiti so vigorous?  I won’t even pretend to know all the reasons; however two major ones are: public awareness and the ability to act. 

Credit to non-profits which were able to respond quickly and provide endless amounts of information, in all forms of media.  Additionally, these same organizations made it quick and easy for everyone (including the youngest generation) to engage and take action.  Two of my daughters, who are in their early teens, made monetary contributions (via the Red Cross texting effort) and will be holding a community bake sale this weekend to further their support.  The amazing part is that they did this without any adult guidance!

Can the Haiti experience have any useful application to the on-going efforts of non-profits that work steadily and perhaps too quietly?   Are there ideas to be gleaned that can help nonprofits generate the ongoing support and attention they so desperately need?

Consolidation of the non-profit sector may be inevitable and as stated in the article may, in the long run, be beneficial.  But the question still remains:  how can private philanthropy be reignited to address the ongoing needs of society? 

If we are indeed to learn from the Haiti crisis, innovative ways of increasing awareness and connection are required.  We need to find ways to make sure the public is not only aware of the vast and ongoing social needs, but that people also have an abundance of easy options for taking actions that make a difference.  My deep suspicion is that there are supporters out there (and plenty of them) waiting to be shown how and where to connect.

Here’s the Key

Nonprofits need to find out where potential supporters are already connected digitally and meet them there.  Nonprofits need to understand supporter communication habits and join them on ground that is already familiar to them.  Nonprofits can’t afford to inundate these waiting supporters with new channels (like unfamiliar websites and unwanted newsletters) and expect them to follow.  Nonprofits must find these potential supporters, connect to them on their terms, understand their specific passions, and then give them easy ways to engage in the social cause.  Potential supporters already have digital footprints.  Nonprofits need to track them and build streamlined digital pathways to lead these supporters to their front door.

 
 

This past Saturday, my daughter and I participated in a local run to raise money for an open space preservation group.  The morning started dark and gray and by the time the first wave of runners took off through the redwoods it was pouring rain.  No matter!  This was a determined group, full of fun, energy and commitment.

Along the trail, runners of all ages sloshed along – a few sporting plastic garbage bags.  Some ran solo and were clearly focused on performance while others ran or walked on groups.   T-shirts and hats from other races generated camaraderie and fun conversation about this or that event.  Despite a wide-range in ages and abilities there was a definite connection as the racers snaked and slipped up and down the trails. 

After the race, muddy runners were huddled around covered tables downing carbohydrates and sharing stories.  Some conversations focused on the run, some on open space preservation, some on other fun local events and so on.   What was most remarkable was the amount of energy right there, right then.  But of course after a while everyone got a bit chilled, grabbed his or her souvenir race t-shirts and headed for their cars.

How could the open space preservation organization have kept that good energy focused and alive? 

Face-to-face events generate a high level of excitement and engagement that does not need to die out when the event is over.  Given the opportunity, many supporters would like to continue contributing but simply don’t know how.  the groupery has been developing ways for organizations not only to “listen” to what their supporters care about; but also, to then provide those supporters direct communication channels and opportunities to stay connected and active throughout the year—not just at the annual event.

 

Today we are being pulled into swarms of new styles of communications and sometimes it feels like we are in the eye of a twister.  I propose that we live not in the culture of dread, but take the time to allow the winds to gust, but keep ourselves ‘focused’ and allow our philosophy, mission, vision and goals in mind that will guide all of our actions.  So ask yourself – does learning about new communication technologies or approaches allow us to support the overall mission?  If it does in some way – you are able to then take a step back and think about how to stay focused on the mission, while allowing yourself to spend incremental amounts of time on the future – thinking about new forms of approaching the same old problems.

Often non profits are scared to get started as they are afraid of the swarming, they are afraid to make mistakes, be pulled into the madness without strategies and all of those things are well founded.    They need not feel paranoid, but rather seek out help – there are many free resources on the internet to help non profits ‘focus’. Yes, many people are interested to sell ideas, products and themselves, but in your research and pursuit of knowledge, you may find along the way techniques in joining communities of practioners that are thinking about the same issues that you are regarding ‘how to get started’ – what to use and how to approach it.  What I propose you do is to join a community of like minded individuals that are also in this stage  - this will allow you to focus on just understanding the landscape and asking for insights in a safe way.   

If you have a strategic plan in place, that will help you during these difficult times to stay focused and make sure all the staff working with you are working toward those goals.  Do you have quarterly business objectives setup for everyone including yourself that includes the key business initiatives that you want the team to stay focused on for the next 3 months?  Do you review these with the team every three months?  It’s about communication really and yes it takes what some people perceive as extra time away from client facing activities – but if you are able to that focus – it becomes a catalyst.   

We need to stay aware of new social media and communication techniques so that we can continue to learn from others, through observation and/or periphery involvement in another community that is practicing and eating their own dog food.  So what are you waiting for … jump in …… but stay focused..

Last night Jeremiah Owyang and panelists: Rob Fuggetta (Zuberance), Ed Terpening, (Wells Fargo), Maria Poveromo (Adobe) and Jeanette Gibson (Cisco) held a great discussion on “Social Media Trends for 2010.”  Owyang cited that one of the major challenges companies and organizations face is speed: the market is running much faster than companies can move.  So what does this mean for anyone devising social media strategy? 

Owyang and the crew focused on four themes

1. Don’t fondle the hammer – In terms of culture, process and technology, remember that technology is the easy part.  Don’t get caught up in the tools.

Forget the “facebook strategy” focus on a clear customer strategy.

A clear understanding of socialgraphics should be an ongoing effort: 

o   Where are your customers online (have a list of urls)?

o   What are their social behaviors?

o   Where do they get trusted information?

o   What is your customer social influence?  Who trusts them?

o   How do your customers use social technologies in the context of your products?

Focus on building the house not fondling the hammer!

Action: understand your customers & focus on objectives

     2.     Live the 80% rule & make sure your organization is ready for the shift.

Social media implementation is 80% process and labor, and only 20% technology.

Typical roles you’ll need in your organization to make it happen: 

Social Strategist – responsible for the overall program, including ROI

Community Manager – customer facing role; trusted by customers

Action: Prepare your organization to scale and support the 80%

3.     Customers don’t care about what department you’re in, they just want their problem fixed!

Every customer touch point matters – so your organization (the front line at a minimum) needs to have the information and permission to support and respond to the public.

Action:  Distribute the support network; enable people across the organization to be a part; central strategy but decentralized action is a good first step (some organizations start with a central model but move to distributed/coordinated model over time).  Empower folks on the front line.

 4.     Real time is “not” fast enough.

You will never be able to scale fast enough to keep up with your customers.  Creating and maintaining a solid customer advocacy program is crucial.  Let your customers come to bat for you because you cannot go at it alone.

Action: Identify and nurture advocates in your community.

Bottom line sentiment was that the direction of social media in 2010 is “getting back to basics”  --  it’s all about customers and relationships, technology is the enabler.

 At Grand View Elementary in Manhattan Beach, CA eNewsletters are nothing new --  Grand View’s weekly “Gator Gazette” has been distributed electronically for years.  But as any leader/publisher will attest, traditional newsletters (whether electronic or hard copy) are one-way broadcasts that have little or no ability to take a “community pulse.” It’s virtually impossible for the publisher to know whether the communication is read and if it’s compelling to the community. 

Grand View hosts one major fundraiser annually:  the PTA Membership Drive.  Proceeds from the drive fund key programs such as field trips, dance classes, music lessons, new equipment, etc.  Generally, the drive is a great success but questions always remain: 

·   Could we have publicized the event more effectively?

·   Did we reach our entire constituency?

·   What resources/extended networks are we not reaching?

·   Are there specific programs our parents feel strongly about?

·   Basically, What’s working and where could we improve?

According to leader Pam Damarillo, via the groupery, the Grand View PTA is able to deliver email communications more efficiently by utilizing “micro-channels" or groups. Grand View members belong to groups or channels based on their interest or family involvement, so they know that emails that arrive in their inbox is pertinent to them rather than having to wade through large messages with content that is not relevant.

In addition to ensuring content is relevant, groups can “survey” their community on an ongoing basis to determine what ideas/programs/events are most meaningful (and who cares about what).  Every group email Grand View sends is customized with the school’s logo – ensuring immediate recognition by recipients.  Banners feature one-line bulletins (announcements, reminders, queries, etc.) that can be updated in minutes.  Furthermore, bulletin click-throughs are tracked so “attention grabbers” receive immediate follow-up and “duds” are discontinued or modified.

Through effective leadership and online tools, Grand View Elementary is not only asking parent community to embrace the following New Year’s Resolution, they’re making it easy!

I resolve to be more educated about my child(ren)'s education and make an impact!  :-)

Every presenter knows the value of popping a few quick questions prior to deliverying the message to see which “direction” will best engage their particular audience.   This ability to tailor the content and ensure relevance is lost in traditional communications such as newsletters and email blasts which are essentially “one-way broadcasts” into the atmosphere.  Not only is the communicator left wondering what part of the communication was most compelling (and to whom), but also, she/he wonders if any of it mattered to anyone.

Bonafide community engagement is a struggle!

the groupery is helping leaders transform passive, silent audiences into engaged, sustainable communities that add real value to the organization.  Through the groupery’s online tools, platform and “next practices” (developed in conjunction with hundred of volunteer leaders) volunteer leaders like Anne Siple of Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park (VHELP) School and Kimberly Cook of Liberty Park Middle School (LPMS) have transformed their parent communities.  By providing a range of options through which parents in the community can connect and contribute to the goals and by making it easy and appealing for all parents to “jump in,” these two leaders have created high-value, sustainable communities.

At VHELP, 99% of the school’s parents participate in their online community via the groupery.  This community receives communications from the principal, parent leaders and the other parents via group emails and online newsletters.  Importantly, parents can control their involvement (what they want to “hear” about), ensuring that the communications they receive are relevant.   Group emails allow for dialogue and easy-participation so everyone “has a voice.”

According to Anne, “Quite simply, online communication and dialogue via the groupery is making people really happy.”  “People who don’t feel invited, don’t step up.  Everyone needs to feel like they’re needed, they’re invited and their participation and support will make a difference.”  VHELP’s online community directly and consistently supports the needs of the school.

At LPMS, 94% of the parent community has jumped into the online community.  According to parent leader Kimberly Cook, “As the parent community at LPMS began to receive consistent, reliable, relevant communication from the school, they became hooked.”  With Kimberly’s leadership and the groupery, parents know what’s going on, who to direct questions to and where resources are most needed. Kimberly no longer worries about adequate resources.  Whether it’s donations, volunteer time commitments or an unexpected volunteer need, the parent community is informed, engaged and willing to step up and contribute.   “the groupery has been phenomenal,” Kimberly says.  From volunteer recruitment to event planning to email lists designed to deliver global messages to the whole community or specific messages to the parents in a particular classroom,  the groupery has significantly increased parent participation by allowing visibility and reliable two-way communication throughout the community.  Not only has Kimberly noticed a significant increase in the diversity of volunteers – “not the same 10% who always show up” but also the increased percentage of parents who are active, engaged members.

Via the groupery, these volunteer leaders have created engaged, sustainable communities that provide valuable resources and directly contribute to the overall mission.

 

This week during a webinar with NTEN, I had the honor of learning from Dahna Goldstein and Victoria M. Grady, PhD during their webinar titled, “Technology Meets Psychology in Your Organization”.  In the consulting field, we talk about this as change management – like a new snowfall, it continues to be problematic – despite all the strides we have made in technology, which never ceases to amaze me.  So – I suppose what I continue to be reminded of is that it’s human nature that people are human – we all have different speeds in which we can accept change.  We are resistant, fearful and cautious with anything new, especially if we have unrealistic expectations.

Nowadays, not only does the IT person need to be asking everyday customers how their experience has been with the technology, but what could make the process easier to adopt as we start to embrace more social media.  Through an open communication approach, anything we as an organization ask our customers to change in terms of behavior may be not always perceived as a ‘gain in time or energy’ – so we need to talk with our customers and think through areas that are lost in terms of their time to re-learn process, log in, navigation or process.  We always need to keep in mind as IT advocates our customers’ perspectives as they are the ones that are out there advocating for the cause and/or committed to making change in the world.

Important Change Management Approach:
Rather than going directly to making a change relating to technology without our customers input – make sure that we include them in the process along the way.  Ask them for their input in a focus group, invite them into a design or testing process, invite them to review any critical user documents or communications.  Work with key active members to give you the feedback that you need to your communication of technology changes effective and useful to the end users.

Consider spending more time to get to know your customers through their patterns of behavior, through their preferred interaction methods and customize, customize, customize.  Because while we live in a technology rich environment today – we need to be conscious of the rate of change that our targeted audience can accept and make sure to involve them along the way.