Third Monday – Jon Husband

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Ian Ketcheson and Jon Husband Jon Husband, Vancouver-based blogger and co-founder of Qumana, was the guest speaker at the second Third Monday in Ottawa last night. He was joined in a question and answer session by Ian Ketcheson.

John led off with a discussion of Wirearchy. Jon’s self proclaimed passion is organizations as social systems. In ’96, Jon read Peter Drucker’s article, Beyond the Information Revolution. Drucker concluded that from here on knowledge workers own the future. Whether it takes five years, 10 years or 20 years, eventually knowledge workers will want to share in the benefits of their work. And in fact, if we look at the options boom of the late 90s, this actually arrived much sooner.

 Inspired by Drucker’s observations, Husband coined the term “wirearchy” to capture the essence of the new relationships in the connected world in which knowledge really is power and knowledge can be freely shared.

Wirearchy is not about replacing hierarchy. It’s a both/and situation.  We will always have hierarchies because most people do not want to work that hard. The issue, however, will be that it sharpens the game for those who do step forward. People can fact check. People can know almost as much as an executive about the conditions in which the organization operates.

Blogging and wikis have accelerated these trends.

Given that Jon was making his presentation in Canada’s capital, it was a sure bet that the question would be asked: How will government cope with the challenge of social media and self publishing? Husband noted that the Public Service Commission has stated that it wants the Government of Canada to become an employer of choice. Can it ever become this if it attempts to restrict the use of social media and maintain the traditional command and control organization? The answer is obvious. The government will be at a disadvantage in attempting to renew its workforce if it attempts to restrict the use of social media within the organization.

John Sobol and Peter Childs In approaching  blogging by government, Jon suggests that the discussion should begin with a review of objectives and alternative means to achieve them, including blogs and social media. The discussion must embrace the question of how much control the government wishes to maintain. Early efforts should then proceed as a pilot project with clear guidelines. Without doubt, it will be like introducing a foreign body into the government and there will be some reaction to it.

Jon brought great perspective from outside of the Ottawa government bubble. Thanks for spending an autumn evening in Ottawa far away from Vancouver.

UPDATE: John Sobol has captured the essence of Jon’s presentation much better than I did. John’s post is well worth reading.

Mathew Ingram and Jon Husband to speak at Third Monday and Third Tuesday

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We have two great speakers at this month’s Third Monday and Third Tuesday social media meetups in Ottawa and Toronto.

Third MondayOn October 16, at Third Monday in Ottawa, Jon Husband will take us on an exploration of “the mashup culture of social media, and talk about how it is changing how messages are communicated. How do these innovations apply to the workplace? How are they changing collaboration? How do they change our relationship with the public and constituents?” Interesting questions.

Third TuesdayThe next night, October 17, Third Tuesday Toronto attendees will spend the evening in discussion with Globe and Mail technology writer Mathew Ingram. “A typical day for Mathew still includes researching and writing copy for tomorrow’s paper, but also populating the Globe’s “geekwatch” blog as well as his own, extremely popular, personal blog. With these added demands on his already limited time, how should PRs approach him? What stories are good blog fodder, and what will make it through to the dead tree version? Mathew IngramAnd why should you care where it goes? Mathew will also share his thoughts on why he started blogging, the difference between his personal blog and Geekwatch, the current crop of Web 2.0 technologies and his predictions on the evolution of social media.”

Sign up to attend Third Monday with Jon Husband or Third Tuesday with Mathew Ingram. I hope to see you there!

CaseCamp is coming to Ottawa

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CaseCampHot on the heels of successful CaseCamps in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, the first CaseCamp in Ottawa has been scheduled for November 6.

CaseCamp brings the marketing community together to explore best practices and exchange tips with one another.

The formal program centers on the presentation of case studies.A case is presented in a maximum of 8 slides over 15 minutes. Following presentation of the case, the floor is open to the other participants to ask questions and offer comments and suggestions regarding the approach taken in the project under discussion.

CaseCamp Toronoto3 CaseCamp is the brainchild of Eli Singer. The driving force behind the Ottawa CaseCamp is Peter Childs.

The rules of CaseCamp are based on those of BarCamp. The spirit is one of generous sharing. I attended CaseCamp3 in Toronto and found it to be a great experience. I’m very much looking forward to the first Ottawa session.

Go to the CaseCamp Wiki to sign up for CaseCamp Ottawa. I hope to see you there.

Toronto communication executives talk social media with Shel Israel

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Shel Israel wrapped up his Canadian social media tour with a breakfast session with Toronto communication executives.

‘You gain credibility for your organization by being honest about your company even when it has made a mistake.”

“Dell computer has demonstrated that a company can learn. That a company which is under attack can enter into conversation with its critics. And if it listens and is willing to respond to the feedback it receives, it will find that those people who care, those people with passion, will become engaged with the company. And the company can develop a stronger bond with those who are most passionate.”

“The power of the blogosphere is that we’re all influential.”

 How about the lawyers? “Lawyers are paid to assess risk and warn clients that this could happen. A blogger could say something to embarrass the company, reveal IP, reveal trade secrets. Yes, this might happen. But to date, with over 55 million blogs existing, there has been no lawsuit relating to leakage of IP. There has been no groundswell of consumers in arms because of something they learned about a company on an employee blog. This may happen. But it hasn’t happened yet. So, the response to the lawyers is found in a realistic assessment of the real risk.”

How does a company get above the noise level? “Write something relevant to me. You don’t need to reach everyone. You need to reach the people who care about you. So write something useful and of interest to them.”

“And understand that blogging requires patience. You must  listen over time. Understand the community. Then you must develop your own voice by posting, listening to feedback, learning and adjusting. But if you are prepared to do this over time, you will succeed.”

“One of the great benefits to a company when it allows employees to blog is that it is sending a signal that ‘We trust you.'”

Toronto social media community gathers at inaugural Third Tuesday

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Over 50 Toronto area social media types gathered at The Pour House for the first Third Tuesday meetup. The room was full of bloggers and podcasters, including: Ed Lee, Michael Seaton, Chris Clarke, Josceln Smith, Mary Ellen Armstrong, Donna Papacosta, Lisa Walker, Douglas Walker, Tamera Kremer, David Jones, Julie Rusciolelli, Michael O’Connor Clarke, Jeremy Wright, Leona Hobbs and Terry Fallis.

The attendees were treated to a great interactive session with Shel Israel and Canadian blogger/business journalist, Mark Evans.

Mark kicked off the session by telling the story about Shel’s previous trip to Toronto. Apparently Shel didn’t bring his passport on the trip. A problem when he reached Canadian Immigration. Undeterred, Shel produced a copy of Naked Conversations and pointed to his picture on the cover and said, “See, this is me.” Happily, the Canadina immigration officer conformed to the polite and obliging Canadian stereotype and admitted Shel on the basis of his book cover credentials!

Shel brought his passport on this trip.

Then Mark and Shel kicked into a full Monty Naked Conversation.

Mark: “So what about the next book, Global Neighbourhoods?”

Shel: “As I was sitting in Silicon Valley, which had once been seen as the centre of everything, doing interviews for Naked Conversations, I realized that a lot of what was most important was occurring on the edges. No longer was it necessary to move to Silicon Valley to be close to the action.”

Shel Israel, Terry Fallis, Donna Papacosta, Tamera Kremer Mark: “How about virtual worlds? Where does that fit into your vision of social networking?”

Shel: “There’s a line from Virginia Woolf about Truth or Illusion – how do you tell the difference? Many people are fascinated by Second World. Some people express themselves better in this kind of environment. And people should do what they feel comfortable doing.”

Mark: “I took three weeks off work this summer and read your book. 😉  I look around me in Canada and I don’t see much corporate blogging. Is it happening in the way you expected?”

Shel: “No, the adoption is going more slowly than we thought it would. But it is accelerating. Since January of this year, it’s gone from three of the Fortune 500 companies to about 30. Corporations are doing what they do. They are being cautious and risk avoidant. They are meeting and talking about whether they should be doing it. And then they are dipping their toes into the water. Then their ankles.”

“For years, corporations have been going the other way. It takes them time to reverse course. And that’s what many of them need to do. I worked with Wells Fargo. At first, they sucked. But they got better. It took them three months. But they improved.”

Dave Forde: “Now that Robert Scoble has left Microsoft, has the tone of his blog changed?”

Shel: “Robert’s a lot happier since he left Microsoft. He’s now doing what he loves. And the passion is coming out in his blog.”

Mark: “When Scoble left Microsoft, I thought his profile might decline.”

Shel: “That didn’t happen. And the other thing that didn’t happen is that Microsoft didn’t go back to being the Borg.”

Audience Question: “Whose blogs tend to be shining examples of good corporate blogs?”

Shel: “What is really wonderful about the blogosphere is that you can go out and find the blogs that YOU like. For me, the number one issue for most corporate blogs is that they are boring as hell. If you learn anything, listen closely, because the people who talk back to you are the people who can really teach you something.”

Michael O’Connor Clarke: “Is there such a thing as a corporate blog? Companies don’t blog. People blog. “

Shel: “Microsoft broke ground by hiring Scoble knowing that he would blog when he got there. Robert was hired by people who knew that he would shake things up, that he would speak out. Maybe they didn’t know that he would speak out against Ballmer’s position on gay rights. But they didn’t do anything to him when he did speak out.”

Audience question: “How about companies that start to blog when they are in crisis cycle, such as Dell and Ford?”

Shel: “While Dell started out poorly and made some mistakes. But since they launched the blog, they’ve committed an extra $100 million to improve customer service. They handled the battery situation well. Unlike Sony, who have been quiet about the fact that it was their batteries. And who have yet to engage with consumers on the problems with their product.”

“Looking at Ford, they are a company that has done a lot of
things wrong for a long time. And a hundred blogs won’t help them.”

Mark: What’s your take on podcasts and video casts?”

Shel: “When we wrote Naked Conversations a year ago, podcasting was very small. Social media is now getting bigger than blogging itself. Some people are comfortable with text. Many corporations are more comfortable with audio and video because they have a greater sense of control. That’s great, because this will soon become much more interactive.”

Audience question: “One of the things that companies are spending money on is monitoring the conversation and identifying influencers. What do you think makes one person more influential?”

 Shel: “Four years ago, a blogger named E.A. Spouse posted about her husband’s working conditions at Electronic Arts. One of the readers was Scoble. He picked it up. It was amplified quickly and appeared in mainstream media.

“At the time of the London subway bombing, the BBC learned of the bombing from a person who captured images on his cell phone.

“Metcalfe’s law states that the network becomes more powerful the greater the number of nodes in the network. In blogging, we are the nodes.

“So, anyone who is blogging can become very influential.”

“The tipping point has been reached. Blogging is.”

Much conversing. Much networking. A GREAT way to launch Third Tuesday.

Shel Israel speaks to OCRI Zone5ive

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Shel Israel was the featured speaker today at OCRI Zone5ive’s first session of the year for technology marketers.

PowerPoint has a lot to do with a traditional way of thinking. I talk at you. My slides establish that I am the authority.

That was then. This is now.

Effective communication involves conversation. And blogging enables conversation. One to one conversations that scale to one to many and many to many.

The conversation is fundamental to marketing. But it has become divorced from the marketing that has been happening for the last 50 years.

Marketing at its base was word of mouth. The local butcher. The local shoemaker. Talking to the local resident.

However, word of mouth was unable to scale with the development of mass production, mass media and ultimately, mass marketing.

Now, we are in a period in which audiences for mass media audiences are splintering and shrinking. And mass marketing is not as effective as it once was.

We are entering a time in which people can speak directly to one another about what they believe, what they like, about their passions. And others read and listen to this.

Smart companies are recognizing that their blogging employees can put a human face on the company and its products. And they can engage in conversations with people who care the most.

The Edelman Trust Barometer this year indicated that the most trusted source of information is “People like me.” Not the traditional institutions.

Sidenote: In a room full of marketers, only two people raised their hands when Shel asked whether anyone knows who Richard Edelman is. 

When you understand what people are thinking, then you can decide what the wise course of action may be. If you want to hear what people think, start a blog. They’ll tell you what they want and need.

Blogging allows the conversation of two people who know and trust one another to scale around the globe.

Good marketing will take the customer out from the edge of the company and bring them into the center. Blogging can achieve this.

Dell is coming to terms with the need for and the potential of blogging. They have moved from their position of unresponsiveness at the time that Jeff Jarvis proclaimed he was in “Dell Hell” to launch their own blog. And while that blog was widely criticized in its early stages, they have learned and responded. Dell has changed. They have become part of the conversation. And their perspective is being shared.

The adoption of blogging by corporations has been slow to develop. But as they become more familiar with its potential, the pace of adoption will accelerate.

HR is the first place that should blog. New recruits will judge a company by its bloggers. The company that wants to attract the MySpace generation will supply new employees with an employee blog at the same time that they receive their telephone, their computer and their security pass. And they won’t be told they have to blog. Nor will they be told what to blog. This will send a signal to them that their employee understands the evolving world and trusts them to behave responsibly.

Something very fundamental has changed. One way communications to two way communications. The traditional advertising vehicles are becoming more expensive at the same rate they are becoming less effective. As a new generation comes into the mainstream, they will expect marketing to be conversational.

Third Monday Launches with Shel Israel

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The Third Monday meet up of the Ottawa social media community kicked off with inaugural speaker Shel Israel, co-author with Robert Scoble of Naked Conversations.

 Over 35 people showed up at the event. From Ottawa and from as far away as Montreal.

Shel mixed and mingled with the participants. The room was well-seeded with bloggers and podcasters. Among them, Colin McKay,  Brendan Hodgson, Ian Ketcheson, Bob LeDrew, Terry Fallis, Jill Pyle and John Wiseman, John Sobol, and Jeff Parks.

Shel pointed out that the growth of blogging, MySpace and other social media provides a signpost to the future. And as the younger generation engages with social media, they will demand it of the organizations they join and the places they work.

Public relations should be about relationships with people. Social media will enable public relations practitioners to become facilitators rather than “pushers.”

Question: Should PR practitioners reach out to bloggers or should we counsel our clients to do it directly. Shel’s response: Join the conversation. If you want me to write about you, comment on my blog. Write on your own. Then I will have a relationship with you. I will be able to form judgments about you. I will know whether to trust you. And I will accord attention to you.

The key message to companies. The conversation is already going on. You are really dumb if you stay out of it.

The number one problem that people have with large organizations is that “they don’t listen.” 

The biggest mistake that companies make is that they get involved because they feel they need to. But there is no conviction. No passion. They will be seen through for this lack of authenicity.

Does blogging work for Government. Shel suggested that the purpose of govenrment is to serve a population. And the population cannot be heard over the well-financed lobbyist. Blogging and social media provides all citizens with the opportunity to have a voice. to engage in the building of community. To find other people who share common interest. To initiate the online town meeting.

The Mayor of Washington blogs. At the outset, it was programmed and sounding like a suit running for office. People reacted negatively. And he listened. And he changed his blogging style. And as he has blogged, his blog has improved. It has become more genuine. More sincerely representative of the man, not just the candidate or the politician. This is an example of a politician who “gets it.”

We want government to show that it is made up of real people who care. Not some faceless, abstract bureaucracy.

How about Lonelygirl15? Will communicators lose credibility through this type of marketing stunt? Shel: Wherever there is action, the camp followers tend to come. There are some bad people out there. Lonelygirl is a terrible story. But the weight of terrible stories vs. the everyday reality of 50 million blogs is a relatively small portion.

What feeling do you get from your audiences as you go from place to place? Are they optimistic? Pessimistic? Does it vary widely from place to place? Shel: What I find .. Estonia, Singapore, Ireland, Belgium  – I see a convergence. We are creating a culture that does not care about borders. It is connected by people who have a passsion for is something that is changing the world.

What will be interesting is what happens as culture crosses over with this technology. It gives Shel great hope. To learn that people are saying similar things, recalibrating themselves through this new media. That is inspiring.  

Can we make a living by blogging? Very few people make a good living through blogging. blogging is a conversational tool that will be used by normal people doing everyday things.

The blog is a tool. You can use hammers to build a house or bludgeon someone. The excitement is that people are going to adapt this tool to their needs. Some of them won’t be very nice. Some will try to make a quick buck. But our experience so far is showing that people will see through this and that it will not be successful in the long run.

So far, what we are seeing is mostly real people who want to talk to real people. And they are looking for authenticity and transparency.

Shel Israel in Canada to discuss social media

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Shel IsraelIf you live in Toronto or Ottawa, you will have a chance this week to meet Shel Israel, co-author with Robert Scoble of Naked Conversations.

Shel will be speaking twice in Ottawa. On Monday evening, he will be kicking off the Third Monday series of Meet Ups for public relations types interested in social meda. On Tuesday at lunch, he will be the first speaker at this season’s series of OCRI Zone5ive gatherings of the Ottawa technology marketing community.Naked Conversations

On Tuesday evening, Toronto bloggers and podcasters will have a chance to meet and talk with Shel at the inaugural Third Tuesday gathering.

Register directly online to attend OCRI Zone5ive, Third Monday and Third Tuesday.

Join the conversation!

Ragan Conference – Steve Crescenzo

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 Executive Blogging: Is it worth it?

Many executives ask, “Should I blog?” In Steve Crescenzo’s experience, the right question for many of them is “Can I blog?” In fact, says Steve, many executives lack the writing skills necessary to blog.

For those who can write, the blog can be an incredibly effective tool.

In assessing whether an executive should blog, you must match the tool to the executive’s skills. If they don’t match, stay away.

Why do blogs work?

  • The technology is easy and simple. Anyone can use the software without any technical knowledge.
  • The conversational nature of the writing draws people in.
  • The two-way conversation that springs up around the blog makes it powerful.

Having said this, many senior executives are not inclined to learn even the basic software. They are also rarely conversational in their communication. Many executives have been trained to see written communications as formal and stiff. They may be great communicators in a one to one conversation. But they stiffen up and become formal and “official” in their writing. Steve calls this the “Homicide Detective Syndrome” – the tendency to clam up and speak in “officialese” the second the cameras turn on. This doesn’t match the conversational nature of blog writing.

Executives are also prone to spin. They are reluctant to acknowledge bad news. When was the last time you read an executive statement that said, “We have a problem.” No, you’ll read, “We have a challenge.” In corporate spin, “challenge” is used as a euphemism for “problem.”

Written executive statements also relentlessly use clichés. “The only constant is change.” “Employees are our greatest asset.” “We’re uniquely positioned in our global marketplace.”

None of this works on blogs.

So, why do executives want to blog?

  • To be seen as cutting edge
  • Someone else in the organization wants to be seen as cutting edge.
  • They feel it’s a great way to sell the company.

Why SHOULD execs want to blog?

  • They genuinely have something to say. If they don’t have something to say, they shouldn’t blog.
  • They want unfiltered feedback. This is the big issue. Many execs may say they want this. But do they REALLY want unfiltered feedback or are they just saying they do?
  • They are comfortable speaking in a candid, conversational fashion.
  • They are passionate about the company and not afraid to show it.
  • They are comfortable with the audience owning the conversation. Many executives are reluctant to give up control to the extent necessary to be a successful blogger.

Five mistakes to avoid:

  • Don’t try to fake a blog – a “flog”. Don’t put forward a ghost written “executive” blog. You can help the executive develop posting ideas. You can edit it. But the exec must be responsible to write it himself.
  • Don’t start it if you can’t feed it. If you start a blog, you have to generate enough material and find the time to post regularly.
  • Don’t use it as a sales tool. People resent being “sold to” on a blog. You can be positive and proud of your products. But don’t use the blog as a hard sales tool.
  • Don’t try to “own” the conversation. You can initiate. But then you become part of the conversation.
  • Don’t underestimate the visibility you might get. Blogs transcend borders and geography.

When do you know an executive blog is working? When your executive blogger is able to say that the feedback on the blog has influenced his decision-making. And when your community becomes actively engaged with you.

Bob Lutz’s GM Fastlane blog has both of these qualities. Why does it work?

  • He actually writes it.
  • He pays attention to the comments.
  • He doesn’t try to own it.
  • He’s comfortable with the comments.
  • He sees the value in interacting with the customers directly.

So, how to get started? An executive who wants to blog could start with an internal blog. This will allow her to find her voice and become comfortable with blogging before launching an external blog.

Internal blogs do not need to be open ended. Temporary blogs can be established around specific events, such as an industry conference, marketing expos, stakeholder consultations, etc. Such a “hit and run” blog enables the executive to blog for a finite period of time about a subject that she has something to talk about. When the event is over, the blog posts end.

Ragan Conference – Friday morning

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Ragan 2006OK. The last gasp. The home stretch. Man, are my fingers tired!

Today, I hope to take in and report on:

Journalists who blog: Are there new pitching ground rules?: The program did not tell me who will be on the panel. But with a title like this, how could I resist?

So your boss wants to be a blogger? Better talk to Steve first with Steve Crescenzo. 

And finally:

What’s killing PR and how can we fix it? Boy, the answer to this alone will be worth the price of admission!