Can’t keep up with the latest social media? Looking at Twitter, YouTube and blogs and wonder how it could help your project? This presentation will explain how social media can solve communication problems specific for today’s and future projects, and how these tools help PMs improve their own skills.
13. Filling blanks. When communicating with someone you don’t know… You fill in the blanks with what you do know.
14. Groups. We draw conclusions if we associate someone with a certain group.
15. Digital Groups. Is a Project Manager. Must be organized. Associated with social media. Must be young, fast, modern, hip. Likes Seth Godin. Must be out of his mind.
16. Group Affiliation. Group affiliation creates strong bonds. This creates trust. Trust improves communication.
17. Digital Affiliation. We are on Twitter. We are hip. We are today’s, modern Project Leaders. We communicate with a secret handshake: #PMOT
24. Roadmap. Use Social Media (skills)… First personal and professional level before using in projects.
25. Personal. It’s not about the tool. It’s about you, being able to use it.
26. Get comfortable with digital communication. Get over your fears. Start blogging or commenting. Get comfortable.
27. Who am I? What are you about? What is your passion? Start talking about it to get feedback.
28. Professional. It’s not about the tool. It’s about you, connecting to your professional community.
29. Get knowledge. Start reading and participating in online communities/blogs/networks. Get into the conversation. Get knowledge.
30. Get noticed. Get into the conversation. Promote yourself. Brand yourself. Don’t try to sell yourself.
31. Role company. Employer can facilitate personal development and thought leadership. Case: Coaches Corner @ Lean Project Consulting.
32. Project. It’s not about the tool. It’s about you, enabling your team to work as if they are in the same room.
33. Project = Virtual Teams Research about successful virtual teams showed us how to use social media in projects before social media was invented.
34. Project. Three rules to boost your success: #1: Exploit diversity #2: Use tech to simulate reality #3: Hold the team together Source: “Can absence make a team grow stronger?”, Majchrzak, Malhotra, Stamps and Lipnack, Harvard Business review, 2004
35. #1 Exploit diversity. Diversity creates different viewpoints. Produces creative solutions. To be constructive, share peoples background, expertise and reputation. Based upon: “Can absence make a team grow stronger?”, Majchrzak, Malhotra, Stamps and Lipnack, Harvard Business review, 2004
36. #1 Lesson. Make sure profiles are used and filled. Make sure people express their expertise and experience. Make sure team members know the reputations of the other members.
37. #2 Simulate reality. Mimic real life group processes Provide transparent group discussions. Stimulate feedback. To make it work, agree upon how and when to communicate. Based upon: “Can absence make a team grow stronger?”, Majchrzak, Malhotra, Stamps and Lipnack, Harvard Business review, 2004
38. #2 Lesson. Use discussion boards, blogs and other feedback mechanisms. Start conversation: sponsor blogging, PM explaining decisions. Agree on how to communicate.
39. #3 Hold together. Make sure no team member dominates or falls behind. Make sure everyone sticks to the agreed communication protocol. Based upon: “Can absence make a team grow stronger?”, Majchrzak, Malhotra, Stamps and Lipnack, Harvard Business review, 2004
40. #3 Lesson. Lead by example. Create can’t miss events (meetings). Virtually walk around.
41. #4 Nurture Identity. Yeah yeah. I know. Identify commonalities between the group members that strengthen the group. Use this to emphasize a group identity. Adopt common language. Create “team only” discussions.
42. Tools. For private exchange of information, have a look at Yammer.com and SocialCast.com.
44. So. Social media is about human interaction. Tools will change. The underlying mechanisms are timeless. Get into it. Learn and evolve with the tools. Develop the skills needed.
45. Thank you. Bas de Baar Bas@ProjectShrink.com http://ProjectShrink.com