7 Principles of Social Businesses and Adaptive Organizational Cultures

© SideraWorks LLC 2013sideraworks.com

Change almost never fails because it’s too early. It almost always fails because it’s too late.

- Seth Godin

Progressive companies have a great deal of self-awareness. !They’ll tell you what they care about. What they won’t compromise. And they’re very in tune with not just who they wish they were, but who they really are. !They’ve made the effort to understand the profile of their culture today, create a collective vision for where they’d like to end up tomorrow, and create a roadmap to bridge the gap between the two. !These organizations understand that culture is a mission-critical element of their business. Without having people’s hearts and minds aligned and moving in the same direction together, they know that no strategy or plan will have the strong foundation it needs to succeed.

1. Cultural Insight

Social media is commonly understood in the context of communication, mostly external and largely in marketing. !Today’s most successful organizations embrace not just the marketing opportunity, but the breadth and depth of the impact from the social web. !They know that communicating socially means setting new expectations and making new promises. It raises the bar for everything from customer service to hiring and engaging employees. And once you’ve made a commitment to being more open and connected, it’s very hard to go back. !Social businesses aren’t just concerned about what they’re promoting today. They care very much about how social will and does change their business, from the inside, out. And they’re committed to making the organizational changes that are necessary to adapt to a new era. !

2. Social Awareness

Social businesses are deeply invested in the idea that better work can be achieved through collective effort as well as mutual outcomes. !They know that means that people need to be empowered to collaborate, both intellectually and with appropriate resources. !To many organizations, that can mean rethinking everything from how teams are structured to how compensation, rewards, and performance criteria are designed. !Ultimately, the outcome is worth it to them. The investment is meaningful when the return is better business results, happier teams, and more innovative solutions to problems new and old. !

3. Emphasis on Collaboration

What worked yesterday is likely not going to work tomorrow, and certainly isn’t likely to work forever. !Adaptive organizations and cultures believe that continuous innovation of business models as well as products is not just critical to achieving goals, but to inspiring and creating an environment that people want to be part of. !These companies understand that innovation isn’t just for the technology junkies or the bright, shiny startups. It’s pivotal for the engineering firm or the pharma company, the law office or the university. !They know that innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum, either, so they actively seek out ways to enable it, to capture it when it happens, and to embrace new thinking and new ideas (even when they’re a little scary). !

4. Commitment to Innovation

The “do more with less” theme in business ensures that any new social platform or collaboration technology won’t automatically succeed. !Teams and resources already leveraged to the hilt, and businesses are striving for the leanest possible operation for the greatest possible return. !So in order for new technology to take hold, the platform itself actually has to come last. !What comes first? Communicating to people how learning and integrating a new platform will help them do their jobs better, give them more satisfaction, or bring them more effective solutions, whether now or in the long run. !Social businesses look to technology as an enabler, not a stand-alone solution. And they deliberately and carefully design adoption initiatives that put people first. !

5. Investment in Adoption

Communication has changed. !The media are new and they’re driving new behaviors, new activities, even language evolution. !Modern, nimble companies seek to reduce friction in internal communication, value the liberal sharing of knowledge and information, and believe in emotionally intelligent dialogue with and among employees. !Social businesses know that the way they talk and interact within their own walls is every bit as important as brilliant marketing and customer communication. And that values like compassion, openness and empathy still have a place in the business world.

6. Responsive Communication

An entire generation of professionals is stepping into key leadership positions for the first time. Millennials are emerging hungry and ready to make an impact on the world through their work. !For the first time in history, employees are reporting that the values and culture of the company they work for are more important than salaries and benefits. Remote work is becoming the new normal even in the most traditional organizations. And trust, collaboration, and contribution are paramount no matter the individual role. !Thriving organizations are committed to empowering and engaging a workforce that looks and acts very differently than it did just a few years ago, and cares about very different things. !!

7. Workforce Engagement

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© SideraWorks LLC 2013sideraworks.com