The Simple Shift

DECEMBER 21, 2021

Transparency and openness are simply invitations. Transparency is an invitation to see how the sausage is made so to speak and Openness is an invitation to help make the sausage. Today, to “see how the sausage is made” is a metaphor regarding business practices. There was a time however in the US where this phrasing […].

Open 130

Open Business Help Community 130

The Simple Shift

DECEMBER 15, 2021

Rich Millington of FeverBee (an online community management consultancy) recently wrote a great post titled Gathering Great UX Feedback. I found it great not because of the UX piece but because he listed a few relatable observations made when users engage with community platforms. He noted: We usually discover: Members don’t navigate through the site […].

Community 147

Community Consulting Site Platform 147

The Simple Shift

JULY 9, 2021

Years ago I read and loved Henry Mintzberg’s article Companies as Communities. It was warm and humanistic, the utopia for an organization. The problem was/is that it’s not happening. One of the biggest reasons isn’t because companies don’t care about people, it’s that companies care more about profitability and growth, and today, mere survival.

Community 162

Community Companies Design Problem 162

The Simple Shift

JUNE 24, 2021

…and by we, I mean me and my consultancy – Social By Design Solutions, helping companies stay small to grow successfully. I’m delighted to announce the hiring of Sobo! Sobo is the Social By Design Chabot powered by Mobile Coach. I’m developing Sobo to engage with clients to learn more about employee interaction types, interaction frequency, and […].

Coaching 147

Coaching Consulting Social Mobile 147

The Simple Shift

MAY 1, 2021

Words are powerful and problematic. They can inform and educate but can also misinform (as we’ve all seen in recent years!). Misinformation aside, words paint a picture in our minds based on our preconceived ideas. Simply, they give a connotation. Today, I find words like community, trust, and collaboration as most problematic in my space. […].

Collaboration 217

Collaboration Problem Trust Picture 217

The Simple Shift

MARCH 15, 2021

One thing research has revealed is that weak ties (connection outside your core circle) are powerful in developing professional opportunities. Those fringe touch points with people around, maybe not in, your work can open more doors for you professionally. Social Media certainly can expand our networks, however many of us “chase the dragon” as I’d […].

Social Media 264

Social Media Network Media Research 264

The Simple Shift

MARCH 3, 2021

I’ve always appreciated Social Network Analysis (SNA). I’ve even started taking a UC Berkley course on the topic in what I guess is a reverse learning path as I’ve known more of it practically through the work of Valdis Krebs and OrgNet and Jeppe Hansgaaard and Innovisor for example but decided I wanted to get […].

Social Networks 191

Social Networks Social Social Network Analysis Social Network 191

The Simple Shift

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

Yesterday I gave a presentation on Building a More Collaborative Organization. Afterward, I reflected a bit on the message and methods I shared and came to another realization. When leaders are flippant towards organizational social technology, they’re dismissing social activity; things like sharing, conversation, community, and collaboration.

Ideas 145

Ideas Collaboration Community Conversation 145

The Simple Shift

DECEMBER 28, 2020

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and later “Zuck” are legendary founders and leaders. And it’s true, the founder can be an intangible value if they are good at it, which these folks were. The idea was soon planted by numerous consultants and authors that the next Gates and Jobs is within everyone and has led to […].

Leadership 173

Leadership Consulting Authoring Job 173

The Simple Shift

DECEMBER 7, 2020

Gary Vaynerchuk once riffed about how today we need to just try something, something small perhaps, and from trying we can better plan. As he put it, Action today leads to strategy. And nothing could be more true when it comes to successful org social efforts. Social is dynamic, fluid, a state of ever-change because […].

Strategy 100

Strategy Social Change 100

The Simple Shift

OCTOBER 17, 2020

The goal of an organization SHOULDN’T be to become a learning organization, agile, or responsive. those are in process, they are reactions to change. The real goal should be to become an “unsurprisable” organization. An unsurprisable organization sees disruption before it hits and moves quickly to prepare… by learning and learning fast of course.

Organization 189

Organization Agile Design Change 189

The Simple Shift

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

One of the most impactful actions a leader can take in their organization is to ask a question. It’s an invitation, it’s humble and humility is a magnet. However many leaders fear the open to all conversations that enterprise social platforms can provide. And yet when diversity and unique perspectives contribute, problems get solved in […].

Conversation 113

Conversation Enterprise Open Problem 113

The Simple Shift

AUGUST 3, 2020

?Defeating fake news and misinformation campaigns is not about calling out some nameless faceless “them” behind it all. The name and face is yours. Fixing this mess starts with knowing yourself and questioning your own motives, actions, and inactions. It’s asking yourself: why do I only read the headlines? what will I gain by sharing the […].

News 113

News Problem Solution Community 113

The Simple Shift

JULY 28, 2020

Research shows that Psychological Safety is a difference-maker for high performing teams and organizations. A common definition of Psychological Safety is “a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.” Yet this is missing a very important piece, especially today. What if an employee speaks […].

Research 113

Research Ideas Performance Teams 113

The Simple Shift

JULY 10, 2020

A leader changing her/his behavior to a model of for more openness & transparency is just an invitation to others, a suggestion, it only creates an option for people to follow: “Do or don’t either way, life goes on.” However, changing the systems (management, recognition, KM, decision-making, etc) that people operate within creates a new requirement […].

KM 113

KM System Social Leadership 113

The Simple Shift

JULY 8, 2020

It was unquestioned compliance systems that led to the birth of the LMS. And rather than challenge this system, companies took the easy road and bought in and bought technology to address it (sound familiar?). From there, with lots of features & functions and space, they looked to move ALL types of training and even non-training […].

System 147

System Change Compliance Training Compliance 147

The Simple Shift

JUNE 26, 2020

Over 20 years ago Jim Collins penned the idea of Catalytic Mechanisms to transform organizations. He defined them as “devices that translate lofty aspirations into concrete realities.” Lofty aspirations today hover around buzz words like “innovation”, “responsiveness”, “collaboration”, “customer intimacy”, “employee engagement“, and today’s term de jour “digital transformation”.

PENS 100

PENS Social Innovation Collaboration 100

The Simple Shift

JUNE 8, 2020

No question businesses and organizations are hurting from the COVID crisis and the economic fallout. Some far worse than others. But hurting should be expected and rightfully blamed on the current situation but hurting is temporary like all pain. Failing altogether is not. The blame for failure falls squarely on an inability to innovate, to […].

Innovation 100

Innovation Organization Business Collaboration 100

The Simple Shift

JUNE 5, 2020

I was listening to a Recode Media podcast episode with guest Paddy Cosgrove, the co-founder of the very large Web Summit conference. In it, he talked about the shift to a 100% virtual event due to COVID, something large event producers everywhere are contending with. He made an interesting point early on that we all […].

Conference 211

Conference Social Podcasts Podcaster 211

The Simple Shift

JUNE 2, 2020

There are still concerns by leadership that internal social networking tools are used exclusively or mostly for casual exchanges about pets, humor, and vacations – the frivolous. The cry is that it’s a waste of time. I’ve argued it’s not. These are actually healthy signs of relationships between people that can foster good working relationships or […].

Social Networks 113

Social Networks Social Network Leadership Network 113

The Simple Shift

MAY 27, 2020

Context is critical for social activity. When at work (remote or physical) the vast majority of social activity is around and about the work people do. Knowing this, the work and work process are the ideal starting place for more strategic advancement of a social organization. Take organizational policies and protocols, written and unwritten. They […].

Social 100

Social Design Policies Activities 100

The Simple Shift

MAY 22, 2020

The Manager question of “If I can’t see them how do I know they’re really working…?” is typically met by most with anger and frustrated eye rolls. It appears an old school, industrial-era mindset type question reeking of control and distrust. But is this just surface level? Is what was asked, what was meant? Sure […].

Management 113

Management Industry Conversation Communication 113

The Simple Shift

MAY 4, 2020

Culture change won’t happen without system change. Organizational norms of behavior are all grounded in the systems an organization has subscribed to – systems of decision-making, management, development, recognition, etc. When hiring, the hire is for system fit, followed by training to ensure the system is supported and then maintained by a rewards system for […].

Change 133

Change Culture System Behavior 133

The Simple Shift

MAY 1, 2020

For many now, remotely working, the only shared experiences are in the work we do together. No office to go to, no commute, no hallways, or break rooms with cold coffee. No physical building with iconic brand images, unifying colors, and no parking lot. No serendipitous observations of new shirts, haircuts, and glasses to marvel […].

Images 113

Images Community 113

The Simple Shift

APRIL 6, 2020

For over a decade we’ve watched as Social connection and collaboration in organizations has sputtered along. The goal of greater innovation and resiliency was first thought to come through social technology. Yet as the marketplace got flooded with all too similar platforms sold with great promises, the result has been less than stellar with a […].

Social 130

Social Design Innovation Collaboration 130

The Simple Shift

APRIL 6, 2020

Today, to save lives, we’re being asked to practice physical distancing to the extreme. Shelter in place and self-quarantine are not normal activities and are challenging our personal needs, beliefs and behaviors by placing us in very uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations. And it’s this same uncomfortableness and unfamiliarity in organizational beliefs and practices that just […].

Companies 100

Companies Behavior Activities Social Networks 100

The Simple Shift

MARCH 30, 2020

At the end of each day, ask employees to simply share their answers to 3 questions where others can see. For example, if in a shared document or a wiki or even better, an enterprise-wide social tool – where people can easily respond in short-form text and others can peruse their response and comment/ ask questions. […].

Wiki 124

Wiki Conversation Support Enterprise 124

The Simple Shift

MARCH 25, 2020

All small businesses care about 3 things. Finding customers Keeping customers Keeping costs low Finding customers is generally considered a marketing activity but today, your greatest marketers are your employees. If you have passionate people behind your product and services, who better to promote than them?? If they’re not, they don’t believe in you, what […].

Social 154

Social Market Cost Services 154

The Simple Shift

MARCH 24, 2020

With all the attention on using Zoom these days I figured I’d share how we used it at my local ATD chapter to provide a semi-formal online learning event with the video meeting tool. Last October we executed a 1/2 day conference using Zoom Video Conferencing platform (for meetings). It went really, really well. And […].

Conference 166

Conference Internationalization Attention Video 166

The Simple Shift

MARCH 23, 2020

Working remotely en masse is bringing anxiety to traditional management. They used to walk by, see people at their desks, see them attending meetings, and see them having discussions. They felt confident people were working because they believed they could “see” it. Now they can’t. And now is the time we can change Work and […].

Change 100

Change Management Discussion Open 100

The Simple Shift

MARCH 20, 2020

Today, with so many people physically (I won’t call it Social) distancing there is a mad scramble by organizations to support their employee learning needs. However, much appears to be in the form of formal efforts like online learning and virtual training. These each have value of course but there are some easier, more natural ways to […].

Social 138

Social Social Learning Guide Performance Support 138

The Simple Shift

JANUARY 29, 2020

I often speak of org design and the intra systems that influence company behaviors. Things like company policy, procedures, recognition and rewards. But there are also greater inter or macrosystems at play which speak to a larger Culture of Work as opposed to the culture IN a workplace. For example take the adage of one […].

Change 100

Change Policies Behavior Culture 100

The Simple Shift

JANUARY 24, 2020

I talk a lot about a social organization and James Tyer and I will elaborate in our book, Social By Design, but I thought it would be helpful to share what we mean. A social organization is a conversational organization. And yes, all types exist and are encouraged as knowing people on a deeper level […].

Conversation 140

Conversation Social Organization Design 140

The Simple Shift

NOVEMBER 25, 2019

I’ve always felt L&D as a department was kind of forced into that space since that’s how traditional organizational design works; skills, tasks, departments, etc. But unlike Accounting or Marketing, “learning” doesn’t play nice with ROI. We have also come to accept that “learning” doesn’t come in one flavor, i.e. training.

ROI 147

ROI Learning Work Skills Market 147

The Simple Shift

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

Three ways leadership can advance social in their organization are through encouragement, support, or modeling. Let’s say if you have to have leadership pick only one, which would it be? I’d argue it’s modeling. Here’s why. By the very connotation of the word, Leader, Leaders lead the way. They go first. They don’t direct, they […].

Leadership 150

Leadership Social Support Social Networks 150

The Simple Shift

NOVEMBER 11, 2019

Let’s be honest, when people say “leader” they really mean manager or someone in the c-suite. Next, people think if these folks could become better listeners, build trust, reveal their failures, do the thing and everyone will follow, etc. then the trickle-down cultural effect will be amazing. Well, it’s not. Like you, I’ve been reading […].

Trust 165

Trust Suite Culture Management 165

The Simple Shift

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Corporations are psychotic, was a general sentiment I shared in a Twitter exchange with Paul Joycelyn the other day. However upon examination it’s far more accurate to say companies of all sizes can be hypocrites. Just look at what they say and do on the outside? Are they applying the same on the inside? Is […].

Organization 100

Organization Twitter Companies Open 100