Scribbling on the sky

Let’s do a quick recap: In Part 1 CPA Australia fell in love with Yammer (our chosen enterprise microblogging platform). Part 2 saw us identifying benefits we’ve experienced and in this final instalment, almost 18 months after implementation I share some of our lessons learned – lessons that can be applied to implementing an initiative like enterprise microblogging but which are also transferable to other enterprise 2.0 or social media initiatives within your workplace.

Lesson 1: Who owns it? (now and later)
It’s great to have the initiative and passion to start a project, but if it’s to have any longevity it’s important to identify who will own the initiative past the project end. In our case, we implemented and continue to maintain ownership of the platform (the technology bit), however there is no ongoing owner of Yammer as a whole. This means its viral success is not enough – it still requires high level support for it to move forward and be adopted as a business system. Only then when its used to its greatest capacity will we see the greatest benefits.

Lesson 2: Meaure from the start (you’ll thank me later)
At some point you will have to justify the project, regardless of cost. Quantitative measures can be considerably easy to determine; however, the true value in Enterprise 2.0 initiatives is in the qualitative value. This may be as simple as capturing success stories, or as complex as determining sentiment, influence and the like. It’s critical to build in measurements right from the beginning of the project, even if they are a wild guess or broad estimation of use. It gives you something to benchmark on which can then be adjusted and evolved over time as the real measurements become apparent.

Lesson 3: Be ready for what may (or may not) happen
It’s more than acceptable to start small, but have some flexibility in your plan to allow it sufficient room to grow – think through the consequences of your strategy. We didn’t expect nor plan for the success of Yammer, which has in some ways curbed its potential for the time being as we work to iron out issues of ownership, resourcing and integration. Planning should not hamper project energy; however, it’s important all elements are considered to ensure ongoing longevity.

Lesson 4: Integrate (rinse, wash, repeat)
Adoption and success is greated when initiatives like Yammer are integrated into everyday work practices. Currently, Yammer isn’t integrated with any of CPA Australia’s other systems – not even a hyperlink from our intranet. As a result, it requires staff to remember to visit the site rather than be prompted. Ideally, it would be at least visible in some form amongst other organisational systems, or adopted for project communications. Even greater role modelling from senior managers would be great to aid adoption as it gives implied permission for all to participate.

Lesson 5: Make it easy
Adoption will be aided if the process for participation is easy – especially if it’s not integrated anywhere else.

• It must be simple to join, simple to get started and simple to work out what it’s all about.
• Before inviting the masses it’s worth piloting it amongst a few, even if for a short amount of time. It provides an example for others in how people are using it and assists them in getting started.
• Establish users with guidelines for what constitutes appropriate posting. This provides clear boundaries and counter intuitively increases the chance of participation as people are immediately clear and comfortable with what’s acceptable within the space.
• Create reasons for people to use these new systems, for example team communication or project updates. Once they have the opportunity to experience the value, there is more likelihood for ongoing adoption.

Our story is one of starting an initiative, observing what happens and then determining the next action. As a stealth project, it is solely sustained and maintained by those users who find the value in it for their own work practices and champion its use with others. So as you can see, our lessons really focus around determining practices for purposing, creating and maintaining a flourishing and self sustaining initiative with organisational support.

So now you have my full story – I would like to hear yours!

PS: I was also privileged enough to share this at VALA2010 last week and where ‘stealth project’ became a popular term! If you want more more details, stats and the theory behind our experience it’s here.

Quick recap: CPA Australia has approximately 450 employees in 16 offices across 11 countries serving upwards of 130 000 members. In part 1 we focused on my workplace love story of introducing the enterprise microblogging platform Yammer.

This middle child post is to share some stories of the benefits we have experienced from introducing enterprise microblogging. A 2009 McKinsey survey reported on the business benefits gained as a result of using Web 2.0 technologies, including greater ability to share ideas; improved access to knowledge experts; and reduced costs of communications, travel, and operations. CPA Australia’s experience was no different…

Enterprise microblogging furthers organisational learning – staff achieve ambient awareness of what’s going on around the organisation, increased access to and collaboration with other workers, and a forum for listening and observing peers within an informal environment. This has led to greater workplace engagement for some and added to organisational efficiencies and performance. Today, we focus on three benefits all of which further organisational learning.

1. Knowledge sharing AKA the lunch review
Information posted on Yammer is available to the entire network and thus all benefit from the message rather than a limited audience as would occur with an email or water cooler conversation.

One guy eats out for lunch every day, its his treat to himself. He started using Yammer to give (almost) daily lunch reviews. In my favourite review he gave a comparison of two places that sold baked potatoes almost next door to one another. He gave a detailed account of his experience based on quality, taste, price and customer service…he had obviously thought long and hard about it! This built up its own following – people rated reviews by ‘liking it’ – the thumbs up and many commented and debated his opinion. A small social interaction which built relationships – and allowed later face to face interactions to be familiar.

2. Flattened communication AKA the first 90 days
McKinsey’s survey results also showed more than half of respondents reporting

Web 2.0 technologies have fostered in-company interactions across geographic borders; 45 percent cite interactions across functions, and 39 percent across business units.

It can be challenging to make connections and sense of the complexities of an organisation particularly in your first 3 months. To assist with this, late last year we introduced Yammer into our new staff induction program. Just last week, immediately after learning about Yammer and whilst still participating in an induction session, a new senior staff member joined Yammer and introduced himself. Within a few minutes he had been welcomed by a number of others and a conversation followed regarding introductions, roles and projects – based in a small office interstate this staff member had connected with a group of people in several Australian offices, across diverse business functions he would be unlikely to meet or make connection with otherwise within his first year!

This flattened communication has in some instances led to employees being less reliant on supervisors and managers to establish communications, and in turn collaboration, between business units. Staff also have a broader reach to communicate with and learn from others whom they previously would not even think of or know to connect with.

3. Simplifying the complex AKA the Japanese website incident
The ability for simplifying the complex through the opportunity to quickly crowdsource answers to questions improves workplace efficiencies. A senior staff member found an international website that mentioned our brand and wanted to know what it was about – he posted the question on Yammer…’found this Japanese website can anyone translate it for me?’ Within just a couple of hours he hadvrecrived responses from staff across three countries and several referrals to people in the organisation who could speak Japanese, others who identified the site as being not Japanese but Chinese instead and lastly one who translated it for him as some kind of strange search engine!

This speed in which the problem was solved as well as the utilising of knowledge and skills across the organisation truly shows the benefit of having enterprise microblogging in place – much more efficient than a flurry of emails and phonecalls particularly when it’s difficult to pinpoint a starting point. In this case Yammer serves as a way of calling on the expertise of employees.

Really the most important thing is…
But the most important point is that all of these things are beneficial for both the individual and the organisation because of the relationship building that comes along with it. Not all sharing, conversation or interaction needs to be work related in order to benefit the workplace, it is the relationship building that occurs that ultimately leads to increased organisational performance.

In the final part of this series, stay tuned for our lessons learned for you who may wish to implement a similar initiative – whether it be an enterprise 2.0, web 2.0 or social media initiative – within your own organisation.

Motivated by presenting our story at VALA2010 on Thursday (so this is a preview teaser!) – this post forms Part 1 in a 3 part series on the implementation of enterprise microblogging within my workplace. Part 2 and 3 will (be a little more serious) and focus on the benefits of enterprise microblogging and lessons learned 12 months on. For now though…sit back, relax and enjoy this love story…

Warning: basic knowledge of Toy Story is required.

It was a day like any other when it started although it could be argued there was a certain nervous tension in the air. Set up in just a few minutes, on not much more than a whim, the Yammer ‘trial’ (formal word for whim) came into effect amongst a small team, Knowledge Networks, within CPA Australia. This team knew it was onto a good thing, the possibility for reducing ‘silo mentality’ amongst the myriad of business units and assisting with knowledge sharing and problem solving across a growing global organisation of approximately 450 employees across 17 offices.

But when you’re onto a good thing – you’re onto a good thing and god forbid you’re actually ready for the tsunami when it hits. It started as a secret love affair with just 3 users and grew to a manageable 38 in a few weeks. But the secrecy was unsustainable and people started shouting about it from the rooftops which lead to an explosion of 268 excited people in just 4 months. The ‘whim’ was over. Yammer became our favourite toy, our very own Woody. It was time to formally declare our love and through our intranet we invited all staff to participate, provided some basic ‘be nice’ guidelines and education. The love affair continued to soar as did the temperature over the summer of 2009.

But with all love stories there is a time when the honeymoon is over, as Winter closed in the temperature outside and in dropped and it began to feel like Woody in Toy Story after Buzz Lightyear came on the scene. Although in this case it wasn’t something shiny and new with pretend lasers and cool catch phrases…it was just normal work life that took over and Yammer was put back on the shelf (except for a few passionate players).

Then something happened…another cool kid came on the scene, and instead of Woody going to the garage sale he again became Andy’s toy of choice. Oddly enough (or perhaps not) the shiny new toy was the launch of our CPA Australia Twitter account. The spark was rekindled, Yammer taken off the shelves of many, dusted off and played with again. It was also introduced into our new employee induction program inspiring staff of new and old to wonder what all the fuss was about and play for the first time. People were asking questions (and getting answers!) and sharing everything from industry news to team wins to lunch reviews. And so our Twitter account and Yammer have become somewhat akin to Woody and Jessie – riding off in the sunset hand in hand.

So now 12 months on (or to be exact more like 15) everyone is still atwitter about Yammer. Apart from backroom gossip there has been no more formal declarations of Yammer love. Yammer has not moved in, we still have to visit and then go home again…it is somewhat of an open relationship. But the romance continues…