Welcome the Brave New World with open arms

In today's digital age, many companies cling to outdated notions of secrecy and control, yet with millions of people actively engaging on social media platforms daily, maintaining a robust social media presence isn't just about marketing; it's about trust and connection with customers, making it essential for businesses to adapt to this new reality to succeed in the modern marketplace.

In this changing environment, leadership calls for adaptability and openness, challenging the traditional "command and control" approach. Strategic planning is essential, as simply being open without clear goals can lead to costly outcomes. The focus is on establishing an environment that adopts criticism, rethinks hierarchies, and encourages personal sharing. This transformation requires departing from old norms, empowering leaders to seize the advantages of a more open style.

Understand Digital Power Dynamics

In the current digital landscape, consumers wield significant influence, empowered to create and circulate content widely. Companies must address potential issues promptly while also capitalizing on technological advancements for productivity. Success hinges on maintaining a delicate balance between retaining control and leveraging the input of diverse stakeholders. By understanding and adapting to this new reality, businesses can effectively direct the digital sphere to achieve their objectives.

œNew Rules of Involvement

In business, your success hinges on your relationships with customers, partners, and employees. Being an open leader means recognizing the power each of these stakeholders holds. Share information regularly to build trust. By authentically communicating your organization's values, you'll shape a workforce that reflects those principles. Be genuinely curious and transparent with your customers. Take into account the viewpoints of all stakeholders. Communication works both ways: Always expect respect in return.

The USS Nimitz, an aircraft carrier, demonstrates an intriguing balance of openness and closure within its organization. Its captain allowed a group of bloggers to roam freely, granting them access to almost every corner and conversation. Despite this openness, the crew members understood their roles well enough to maintain discretion, sharing information within implicit boundaries. The US Navy embodies this paradox, openly sharing information while upholding a strict hierarchy for decision-making. Openness includes four ways of making decisions: centralized, democratic, self-managing, or distributed. Additionally, there are six categories for sharing information.

1. œExplaining: Make sure everyone understands by explaining clearly.
2. œUpdating: Keep customers informed about what's happening. 
3. œConversing: Talk to everyone involved, inside and out. 
4. œOpen mic: Give everyone a chance to share their thoughts. Premier Farnell has "OurTube" for this purpose. 
5. œCrowdsourcing: Tap into the collective wisdom of many. 
6. œPlatforms: Set up your social media to be open and accessible. 

œOpen Architecture

Apple has created a platform that's open for developers to make millions of iPhone apps. Some developers aren't happy because they think Apple's rules aren't open enough. But it's Apple's call to make it open or not. With "open data access" sharing, companies let developers use existing data in their apps. For example, people on Craigslist can use Google Maps to show where real estate is being sold.

How much openness do you prefer?

Understanding your company's aims whether it's about œlearning, dialogue, support, or innovation lays the groundwork for your plan. Engage with both your team and customers to grasp their needs. By staying tuned to social media chatter, you can tap into direct feedback from your client base. This feedback loop gives you the upper hand with immediate insights into how your products and services are perceived. With this information, your team can work more efficiently, armed with real-time knowledge to enhance customer service and sales tactics.

Nowadays, online communities are more than just forums for solving problems”they've evolved into virtual hubs where people share stories, exchange ideas, and test out new concepts. With the overwhelming amount of information on social media, it's crucial to sift through the noise and find what matters. Fortunately, there are constantly improving tools to help make sense of all this data. Simply engaging in these online conversations sends a positive message about your company to your customers. Toronto General Hospital leaders wanted employee input without disrupting the hierarchy. They decided to ask one anonymous question each week and display the responses and resulting changes on bulletin boards for everyone to see.

Balance benefits and risks for clarity and simplicity

Establishing relationships lies at the heart of any "open-driven" strategy. While online platforms like Facebook and Twitter may lack extensive managerial experience and data due to their relatively recent emergence, a Google analysis of the top 100 global brands reveals a significant correlation between open engagement and revenue. While this doesn't prove a direct link between social media presence and increased earnings, these top brands consistently prioritize transparent leadership. Dell Computers has hit the jackpot by promoting sales through its @DellOutlet Twitter feed. Meanwhile, Ford has mastered the art of gauging online excitement. They turned the œbuzz surrounding their Fiesta model into a full-blown phenomenon called the "Fiesta Movement." Ford handed out a hundred Fiestas to online influencers, who then shared their experiences through blog posts, tweets, photos, and videos. By the time the Fiesta was officially launched, over six million people had watched Fiesta-related videos on YouTube, and 3.7 million had read tweets about it.

œMaintain Control in Openness

When a company becomes more open, there's a risk of losing control. To minimize this risk, set clear rules for employees and customers to follow company values. Use social media guidelines as guardrails, involve the legal team early, and establish a review process for rule violations. By doing so, you can adopt openness while staying in control.

Facilitate organizational transparency and accessibility.

Analyzing "social-graphic" profiles helps identify where customers and employees engage online. Conducting an "influence" audit maps out information flow within the company while gaining stakeholder commitment to an openness strategy anticipates challenges proactively. This shift towards openness empowers decision-making closer to problem areas, promoting a collaborative environment for business success. Humana, a big insurance company in the US, lets each department come up with its way to be more open, calling it the "organic model." They meet monthly to share good ideas, without needing extra money. This approach is great for companies new to social media, as it allows for flexibility and teamwork without extra costs.

Simplify Social Media Handling

When managing social media, you can take a œcentralized or coordinated approach. In a centralized setup, a small group of executives makes decisions for all platforms to ensure consistency. In a œcoordinated structure, a central team creates policies, but different departments and employees adapt them based on their needs. To encourage openness, provide relevant training, and offer incentives to support your initiatives. By understanding these methods and giving appropriate support, you can effectively manage your organization's social media presence.

œThe Open Leader

Leaders with a "pessimistic mindset" who fear relinquishing control may find it challenging to transition to a more open leadership style. However, œoptimistic leaders, who trust in the good intentions of others and believe in their employees' commitment to the organization, are better suited for this shift. Open leaders must also be prepared to handle criticism, whether it's justified or not. They should recognize the importance of collaboration both within and outside the organization, promoting teamwork that transcends departmental and job boundaries. Open leadership comes in different flavors: 

• œRealist optimists see collaboration's benefits and challenges.
• œWorried skeptics fret over pitfalls and favor control.
• œCautious testers, though pessimistic, value openness with clear guidelines; œtransparent evangelists believe in technology's power but struggle to coordinate open policies.

These leaders, with their unique perspectives and challenges, contribute to the spectrum of approaches to openness within organizations.

Shape Your Authentic Leadership

Being an œauthentic leader is like having your stage to control. People look for classic traits in their leaders like being honest, reliable, and fair. But it's up to you to decide when and how much you share about yourself and your choices. As you share over time, trust starts to grow. Leaders who are open and responsive are the ones who teach us the most about being open. 

Boost transparency by letting your team see how decisions are made and keeping them updated. When you can't share everything, just let them know. Building more social connections within your organization helps everyone gain better management skills, which come in handy when promoting employees. Some might find this kind of connection unsettling because it challenges traditional hierarchies. However, involving tech enthusiasts can help spread excitement and engagement.

Welcome mistakes for growth

In Google's open environment, mistakes are viewed as opportunities for innovation rather than failures, guided by the principle of "fail fast, fail smart." It's emphasized that failed projects shouldn't reflect on the individuals involved, highlighting the importance of separating the idea from the person. To prepare for potential disasters, Google anticipates worst-case scenarios and devises emergency response strategies, ensuring swift and effective action when needed. With a forgiving attitude and a focus on learning from mistakes, trust gradually builds over time, creating an environment where innovation flourishes.

Transformation through openness

Conduct an assessment to see if openness fits your stakeholders™ mindset. If they don™t have the right tools or attitudes, think about hiring strategic support or guidance from outside your firm. Different companies roll out openness strategies differently. Cisco, a very command-and-control corporation, focused first on its executives and built outward. Companies like Cisco that have had great transformative success let open policies evolve organically and learn through trial and error.

While the US State Department might not seem like the most open-minded place, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is championing new social technology initiatives to bolster diplomatic ties. For example, the US Embassy in Jakarta has amassed over 20,000 "fans" on its own Facebook page. Change, though sometimes challenging, is crucial as the world evolves rapidly, ensuring your company doesn't fall behind in the process.