the missing link in your network - empower your people through open interaction collaboration

THE MISSING LINK IN YOUR NETWORKEmpower Your People through Open Interaction Collaboration

OPEN INTERACTIONS | SLALOM CONSULTING

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Companies of all sizes have realized the power of their people network — and many continually introduce new technological tools and processes to further connect their people and cultivate this network.

Unfortunately, many companies have inaccurately emphasized the technology network over their people network which has turned employees away from engaging with and through these collaborative tools.

Therefore, it is critical to focus not only on how the network can tap into each employee, but how each of them can tap into the network to realize its value.


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Employee networks are typically comprised of two types of interactions: one-way interactions where each person consumes information that is pushed to them from individuals or groups and bi-directional interactions in which individuals exchange communications with other individuals or groups.

In recent years, employees have realized that while these types of interactions meet many of their communication needs, they are not a comprehensive solution. These closed circuit interactions share knowledge only within isolated conversations — detached email chains, locked down groups or siloed streams without a feedback loop. This makes sharing information difficult, managing content complex, and retaining information nearly impossible.

To address this gap, individuals have adopted personal social networks that rely on a third communication type; open interaction.

Open Interactions: One-to-many or many-to-many communications that enable interaction from a broader network audience.

One-way Interactions: Intranet content, email newsletters, physical message boards for informative purposes.

Bi-directional Interactions: Face to face, phone, email, instant messaging and content exchanges with formalized connections.

of companies lack a clear or formal strategy for enhancing communication and collaboration for their employees1

60%

INTERACTION DRIVES YOUR NETWORK

1 – http://web.esna.com/blog/60-percent-of-companies-lack-a-collaboration-strategy-introducing-esna-ilinkpart-1-


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Open interaction is one of the most underutilized and under invested network channels available to connect and strengthen your organization’s network. While open interaction channels are prevalent in personal networks, they are just making their way into the enterprise.

Most of the information and knowledge shared through organizations today is in closed circuit interactions, and therefore lost to rest of the organization. Open interaction exists in the enterprise today in a few forms such as message boards, town halls and more increasingly through enterprise social networks.

Creating an enterprise social network, an open interaction platform, unlocks the knowledge and information within and for your organization by increasing the volume of information readily accessible to individuals.

As employees learn, grow, share, and teach each other, that information is captured and provides value not only for immediate benefit to those involved, but to the network and company as a whole, immediately and indefinitely.

OPEN COLLABORATION CHANNELS


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It is critical to focus on the value your network provides to the employee and the enterprise and not just the technology gap that may exist.

It must feel natural to your workforce to integrate with their business processes, routine, and their network. Identify the methods of communication, processes, and business cases that the new channel can supplement and enhance. It is critical that the channel not only align to goals but integrate with tactical business processes so that users are driven to utilize it.

START WITH WHY

Next, prioritize your people — ensure that your workforce is ready for a new communication channel and that your culture is supportive. Make sure they understand why, what and how to share through the new channel. Enact the appropriate training and coaching methods to support and encourage your employees to be comfortable sharing and communicating in the new environment.

As you enact an open interaction channel such as an enterprise social network, clearly define your goals and objectives. Identifying critical business scenarios that can be enhanced and ideally quantifiably tracked will lead to user adoption and long term traction. This is not an “if you build it, they will come” scenario – align your value propositions to business goals:

• Reduce redundant processes through shared best practices• Reduce sales cycle time by getting leads in the right hands• Increase employee retention through personal engagement• Acclimate new hires through readily available information and personal

connections• Retain and leverage IP as your experts share openly, not in private


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Purpose

People

Process

Technology

Start with Purpose: • What are the goals and

objectives of the channel?• What information sharing gaps

exist in your network?• What are your value

propositions?

Focus on the People:• Are other channels exhausted? • Have new channels been

requested?• Does the workforce

understand the benefits of the new channels?

• Are your users ready or capable of change?

Align to Process:• Which methods of

communications does the new channel support?

• Which processes are more efficient with the new channel?

• Which projects could you have used the new channel for?

Integrate with Technology:• Does the technology enhance

or inhibit connections?• Does the technology provide

quality content?• Does the technology improve

efficiencies?

As your organization’s network evolves and open interaction increases, it is critical to understand that communication channels will be used for different purposes and leveraged in varying capacities by different people – not all people and processes will align successfully to this channel.

For that reason, it’s crucial to continuously analyze your collaborative solutions and invest and support new, growing and proven areas of your collaboration network to accommodate the ever-changing needs of the individuals that comprise your network.

ADAPT AND GROW

Once the people and process components are clear, integrate technology that provides visible value and does not distract from the goals of the network. The technology must enhance connections, provide quality and quantity of content, increase speed without barriers and be user-friendly.


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Slalom Consulting brings together business and technology expertise to help companies drive enterprise performance, accelerate innovation, enhance the customer experience, and increase employee productivity.

The firm delivers award-winning solutions in areas such as information management and analytics, sales and marketing, organizational effectiveness, CFO advisory, mobility, and cloud through a national network of local offices and major alliance partners, including Microsoft, Salesforce.com, and Amazon Web Services.

Founded in 2001 and based in Seattle, WA, Slalom has organically grown to more than 2,200 consultants. The company has been ranked as a Top 10 Best Firms to Work For by Consulting magazine four times, and earned recognition from Microsoft as a Partner of the Year five times.

For more information, visit slalom.com.

ABOUT SLALOM CONSULTING

Mike [email protected]