Internal communication at a huge corporation like Verizon has its problems. For example, when it comes to collaboration on big issues, some employees might have questions like, “Who do I talk to about this?” or, “Has anyone else had this experience?” These are the questions that communication like email can’t answer productively.
According to Laurie Shook, Verizon’s Portfolio Leader, this communication barrier is where internal social programs can step in to help. Using Salesforce Chatter, a social intranet application, Shook’s team was able to get Verizon employees engaged and working together better.
Some key points from her presentation at SocialMedia.org’s BlogWell conference in New York:
- On enterprise-wide social program training: Not every employee is social media savvy — if your system involves complex training, you may need to rethink your strategy. Shook says Verizon simply tacked its Salesforce Chatter instruction onto an existing customer relationship management training.
- On making it mobile: The mobile component of their internal social program made it easier for employees to be connected from anywhere. Shook says that immediacy made executive feedback more meaningful and got sales questions answered much more quickly than traditional email.
- On leadership involvement: Shook says that the right leadership plays a large role in getting other people on board with internal social programs. Shook shares how you can keep those leaders engaged in the long run.