“I, Management, take thee, Social Media, for the Betterment of my Future Workplace!”

For 50-60 years, “the way businesses are managed has hardly changed at all”, according to Gary Hamel (Gary Hamel on the Future of Management, 2011).  The principles, tools and methods that currently exist were created for a different time in history, a socio-economic structure of the past, which doesn’t work well in today’s world. This needs to change.

Gary Hamel goes on to state that -

• We’re encountering new status quo where the “internet connections, data storage, mobile devices… are changing at an exponential rate”.
• Companies have to be innovative and creative all the time, every day to manage “hyper-competition” so they can stay in the game as barriers of entry come down. They have to defend their margins and position in the market place.
• Gaining knowledge advantage in a world where differentiation is getting harder, by focusing on people with the gifts of initiative, creativity and passion.

Companies that make progress in these 3 areas - be more adaptable, more innovative and more engaging place to work, will survive the next ten years and beyond.

So how can this process be accelerated to gain a competitive advantage?

• Put “employees first, customers second”, and implement “reverse accountability” where employees create internal tickets about their boss or about a project, when finding difficulties in getting answers.
• ”Challenge management dogma” which does not apply to today’s work style.
• ”Learn from the fringe” because the future happens on the fringe, i.e. web! The web is not feudalistic like management is. “It’s a global operating system for innovation.”  

There’s a need to incorporate the values of the web into management value – “openness, meritocracy, flexibility, collaboration”, in order to be adaptable, innovative and engaging, like the web.

Management models were built to serve a century old purpose, far removed from what today’s business world is about. Companies need to be built for human being, and to be fit for tackling the ever changing future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3-_IY66tpI

So while management works out the ‘kinks’ in their overall model, and while the millennial’s future is really already here, what are they to do if management autocracies, stemming from the late 1800’s, are yet to change to an “egalitarian form of management and governance” to accommodate the new world of “ubiquitous communications capability” (Changing Face Of Management, 2012)? Enter Entrepreneurship!

“Why Millennials Should Become Entrepreneurs Now”

Mike Pugh’s article (Why Millennials Should Become Entrepreneurs Now, 2014) with the same title, points out that the Working 9-to-5 status quo is not appealing to the millennials (as it did for Dolly Parton and her generation!). They would rather work flexible hours or build their own companies. In fact 54% of this generation is either wanting to or has started their own business. 

Here’s the rationale for this career path.

• “Mobile Technology, cloud computing, online tools for communication and collaboration” including WiFi and building a customer base using social media, are accessible to this “hyper-connected, hyper-informed” group, and allows for businesses to be conducted anywhere and at any time, to keep up with global demands.  This infrastructure eliminates the need for physical space, making virtual office a reality.
• Marketing a product or service can be implemented effectively using a search engine optimized (SEO) website, social media services like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and advertising through existing off-line streams (budget permitting) and online services like banner ads and Google AdWords (budget friendly).
• Current job market isn’t as robust as before based on double digit unemployment among the youth and due to phasing out of traditional jobs.

One such example is journalism which has seen a “digital resurrection” into online media (Digital Resurrection, 2014). This is mainly because 1/3^rd of Americans mainly watch news online, half of whom are aged 18 to 29 years. The focus is on original articles which need seasoned journalists, yet keeping the participatory essence. Nevertheless, newsrooms continue to see job cuts, and the big 3 US cable news channels lost 11% of their prime-time combined audience in 2013.

Another example of working flexible hours is Kate Bruce’s blog – Kate On-Air (Kate On-Air, 2014), where this 25 year old works out on her lunch hour, then checks email on her iPad and responds to them, to then spend time reading radio and marketing articles, in addition to prep-ing for her radio show. She indicates that her boss trusts her to permit this working schedule, where she would stay late or work from home to make up the time, without abusing the trusted relationship. This is indicative of work-life balance that millennials seek as part of their career at any organization.

If you’re interested to know if the shoe fits, check out the 12 signs you could be an entrepreneur (12 Surprising Signs You Could Be an Entrepreneur, 2012), and do go over the comments too; they’re priceless!

Just remember MarkCuban’s pointers (Mark Cuban: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know Before Starting a Business, 2012) before starting a business -

• “Everyone has ideas.” You need to do the work to get the job done.
• “No sales, no company.”
• “Hard work and smart work has a greater impact on results than being passionate about something.”

In conclusion, “the Millennial generation represents the future of economic, political, and social life as well as the future of business….our future leaders, consumers, agents of change and hold the key to global prosperity”, according to Deloitte (Deloitte's Millennial Innovation Survey, 2013). Management & leaders need to improve issues surrounding “trust in business” and “realize the opportunities” involving technology and social media, “set by the Millennial generation.”

References:

Gary Hamel on the Future of Management. (2011, May 20). Retrieved from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3-_IY66tpI

12 Surprising Signs You Could Be an Entrepreneur. (2012, October 28). Retrieved from Entrepreneur: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224791

Changing Face Of Management. (2012, October 25). Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS832rJSxN4

Mark Cuban: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know Before Starting a Business. (2012, December 26). Retrieved from Entrepreneur: http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/225357

Deloitte's Millennial Innovation Survey. (2013, January). Retrieved from Canadian Millennials - An Abacus Data Practice: http://canadianmillennials.ca/2013/10/28/deloittes-millennial-innovation-survey/

Digital Resurrection. (2014, March 29). Retrieved from The Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21599784-some-moderately-good-news-news-industry-digital-resurrection?fsrc=rss|ust&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Kate On-Air. (2014, March 28). Retrieved from Blogger.com: http://kateonairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/03/amanda-langs-power-of-why.html?m=1

Why Millennials Should Become Entrepreneurs Now. (2014, January 16). Retrieved from Entrepreneur: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230886

Accommodating Millennials in the Workplace

The three forces shaping the future of work are (The 2020 Workplace - Dr. Karie Willyerd, 2012) (slide 4)–

1. Globalization
2.  Demographics
3.  Social Media

http://ceo.usc.edu/pdf/Web_Workplace_of-the_Future_USC1.pdf

In today’s world, 30+ years since the dawn of globalization, no matter where people come from, demographics plays a key role in designing the workplace blueprint.  Dr. Karie Willyerd (20-20 Workplace - Karie Willyerd, 2012) stated that she, as a baby boomer, is more similar to a baby boomer in India, than to a millennial (or Generation C) in North America. Their communication channels are on different frequencies, and rarely “the ‘twain shall meet”!  To compound the saga, enter smartphone, device of all devices, taker of the human element, and distractor to a fault. This video satirizes this scenario (Sh!t Millennials Say...In the Workplace (@JBTSMillennials), 2012).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQC7YM4CFVU

Unique technology & social media traits of Generation C (connected)

Cisco (Gen Y: New Dawn for work, play, identity, 2012) conducted worldwide surveys in August 2012 across 18 countries (Canada inclusive), involving 1,800 college students and workers ages 18 to 30, and uncovered these interesting behavioural patterns around technology and social media –

• The smartphone is the preferred device over desktop PC, laptops and tablets (slide 5).
• 60% use it to check emails, texts and social media updates (slide 4).
• It is a part of a morning routine before getting ready for work for 90% of them (slide 6).
•  85% of women are compulsive checkers while only 63% men fall in this category (slide 8). 
• While 70% said that smartphone apps are important to them, only 27% use them mainly for work. Also, 60% use 1 to 9 apps regularly (slide 10).
•  Almost 90% upload photos to share or store; 62% upload videos to share or store both on internet sites (slide 14).
• 87% have a Facebook account and 41% update FB at least once a day (slide 11). 56% have a Twitter account and 21% tweet at least once a day (slide 14).
• 90% shop online, 57% will share email addresses to get discounts and sale notices. 3 out of 5 rely on customer reviews for online shopping (slide 15).

While company policy forbids use of company-owned devices for personal use, according to 40% of Millennials, 71% don’t obey the policies (Gen Y: New Dawn for work, play, identity, 2012) (slide 16). This could very well be a nightmare for organization’s IT departments, the guardians of company networks systems and security of data.

http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/solutions/enterprise/connected-world-technology-report/2012-CCWTR-Chapter1-Global-Results.pdf

More findings from Cisco (The Threat Landscape and The Next-Gen Workforce, 2012) uncovered a fascinating perspective that 66% of Millennials did not agree with employers tracking employee internet activities if using company device (slide 13). While 91% feel that the age of privacy is over (slide 12), 2 in 5 Gen Y believed that internet browsing should be strictly private (slide 14), i.e. websites should not track and share their online browsing information. Also, only 1/3^rd are not worried about the data that is stored and captured about them (slide 12). Here’s where companies have to create code of ethics surrounding social media and technology proliferation, in order to avoid adverse outcome that could cost the organization millions of dollars.

When it comes to convenience and security, the Millennials are conflicted about their online privacy, according to Cisco (Infographic: Convenience vs. Security: The Gen-Y Conflict, 2012). 75% don’t trust websites to protect personal information. However, they have no intentions of changing their online behaviour, which raises alarm bells for IT departments in companies where employees put networks at risk using corporate devices. 

http://www.cisco.com/assets/sol/ent/business_trend/borderless/ccwtr/Security_Fingerprint.jpeg

Does your organization have an employee code of technology & social media ethics?

References:

The 2020 Workplace - Dr. Karie Willyerd. (2012). Retrieved from Center for Effective Organization: http://ceo.usc.edu/pdf/Web_Workplace_of-the_Future_USC1.pdf

20-20 Workplace - Karie Willyerd. (2012, June 22). Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCsvP8Klxzs

Gen Y: New Dawn for work, play, identity. (2012, August). Retrieved from Cisco Solutions: http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/solutions/enterprise/connected-world-technology-report/2012-CCWTR-Chapter1-Global-Results.pdf

The Threat Landscape and The Next-Gen Workforce. (2012, August). Retrieved from Cisco Security Intelligence: http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/solutions/enterprise/connected-world-technology-report/ASR_CCWTR_Summary.pdf

Infographic: Convenience vs. Security: The Gen-Y Conflict. (2012, August). Retrieved from Cisco Connected: http://www.cisco.com/assets/sol/ent/business_trend/borderless/ccwtr/Security_Fingerprint.jpeg

Sh!t Millennials Say...In the Workplace (@JBTSMillennials). (2012, June 15). Retrieved from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQC7YM4CFVU

Here Comes The Millennials! Is Human Resources ready?

When we look at the age groups in the workforce in 2014, here are the main generations with whom we interact with at work, according to a YouTube presentation by Dr. Willyerd (20-20 Workplace - Karie Willyerd, 2012). The video is available to view at the end of this post.

Baby Boomers => 51-68 years

Generation X => 39-50 year olds

Millennials => 18-38 year olds

Back in 2005, the Baby Boomers comprised of 45% of the workforce, while the Millennials were at 25%.

In 2010, with the onset of retiring Baby Boomers, their workforce dropped 7% to 38%, while the Millennials’ workforce rose by 11% to 36%.

By next year, the Baby Boomers # will drop a further 7% to 31% of the workforce, and the Millennials will gain ground by an additional 11% to 45%.

It is in 2020 that the Millennials will comprise of 50% of the workforce, while the Baby Boomers absence will be felt with their presence at 22%, a tad above the Generation X workforce strength, which dipped slightly from 23% to 20% during these 15 years.

So what does this mean for organizations? 

Just that there’s a huge demographic shift in the horizon and management needs to be prepared for the Millennial mindset and their expectations when it comes to the companies they want to work for, the managers they’re expecting to report to, their access to technology, and use of social media in the workplace and on the go.

However, Human Resources needs to first attract this growing demographic group and recruit the most talented stars from the pool. 

Dr. Karie Willyerd (LinkedIn, 2014) and Jeanne Meister (LinkedIn, 2014) together wrote The 2020 Workplace: How Innovative Companies Attract, Develop, and Keep Tomorrow's Employees Today (Amazon.com, 2010), after conducting three years of research into what Human Resources is going to look like in the future, by interviewing people and surveying HR professionals around the world.  

Here’s what organization recruiters can expect from Millennial job applicants (slide 14) (The 2020 Workplace - Dr. Karie Willyerd, 2012).

• 2/3rd will ask about social media during the interview.
• 56% will decline a job with a firm that does not permit social media.
• While a small number, it’s still raises eyebrows when 1/3rd prioritize social media access and use of mobility device over salary.
• 41% of companies leveraged their relaxed social media policy and use of device for social media 
• 68% of Millennials expect to use corporate devices for social media and personal use.
• 70% prefer to work remotely instead of in an office. 
• They spend less and less time using web-based email, year-over-year (slide 16)
• Their news source is Twitter (slide 17)
• Their search tool is YouTube and not Google (slide 21) 

What can organizations do to get ahead? (slide 43)

• Fluency in the new business language.
• Access recruiting channels online to extend reach to potential employees.
• Ready existing employees for future workplace.
• Develop a clear learning & development strategy for the new Millennial employee.
• Work towards a mobile friendly HR system
• Internal social media technology tools with video conferencing for communication, learning and project collaboration.
• Train existing leaders for the 2020 workforce.

20-20 Workplace - Dr. Karie Willyerd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCsvP8Klxzs

So what has your organization and HR department done to vie for Millennial talent?

References:

Amazon.com. (2010, May 11). Retrieved from The 2020 Workplace book: http://www.amazon.com/2020-Workplace-Innovative-Companies-Tomorrows/dp/0061763276/ref=la_B003297IT2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395509964&sr=1-1

20-20 Workplace - Karie Willyerd. (2012, June 22). Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCsvP8Klxzs

The 2020 Workplace - Dr. Karie Willyerd. (2012). Retrieved from Center for Effective Organization: http://ceo.usc.edu/pdf/Web_Workplace_of-the_Future_USC1.pdf

LinkedIn. (2014, March 22). Retrieved from Jeanne Meister: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannemeister

LinkedIn. (2014, March 22). Retrieved from Karie Willyerd: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kariewillyerd
 

Social Media and Education System

AS we know social media is dominating our communication mode. It is not only important in connecting and interacting with friends and family, but it is also very beneficial in academic and education system. Teachers from primary and middle schools to high schools and colleges and universities all make a good use of social media in teaching.

Conventional education system was very different. In past if we needed to do some research and gather some data for a project, we needed to go to the libraries and refer to books. But now everything is very easily and conveniently available anywhere we are. In past teaching techniques required more work from the teacher and more listening from students’ side. However, now it is more interactive and hybrid. Teaching and learning have changed into a two sided conversation.  Students can publish their own blogs, prezies or they can use other channels of social media for their projects. Everyone in the class can see and comment on each other’s projects. This creates a big connection and motivation in young generations or we can say the “digital generation”.

Learn Dash is showing some infographics of social media and blended learning which is intersting to look at.

According to an article by Learn Dash on growing use of social media in education, “roughly 59% of educators agree that the interactive nature of e learning and other mobile technologies create a better learning environment for students”. (Ferriman, 2013)

Some studies show that the use of social media has created more motivation in students and kids who are shy and do not normally participate in class discussions. There is no doubt that social media has brought facilities in different aspects of our lives. Social media has many advantages for us being students or teachers only if we incorporate it positively in to our system.

Teachers should always try to be good role models by using social media platforms effectively and efficiently. They should regularly educate students and young kids on the safe use of social media and the outcomes that inappropriate use of social media would have.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQI4V3b2wRtmvR6JgGI3DnGw5BQPmupThC7xTYIobgI8HK3kUQ5iQ (gstatic.com)

Teachers no only use social media in their teaching, but also in staying connected with the parents and guardians.

Compass Learning recently did a survey and interviewed 30 educators including teachers, principals and superintendents and prepared a you tube video that I want to share with you here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRDeTlya9K0 (compass learing)

In past kids brought home letters from teachers and there were times that the letter was either misplaced before getting to the parents or it was forgotten in the backpacks for many days.  But now parents get phone calls, text messages, emails from teachers directly and also parents can be aware of their child progress through the school websites and can communicate with teachers if needed.

Some points for teachers to consider in using social media;

·       

• Social media should always be used appropriately and within the teaching scope.
• No inappropriate comments, engagement or interactions between teachers and students using social media
• Do not  use school tools and electronics for personal connections and interactions
• Avoid exchange of texts, photos , videos and personal messages outside the classroom  
• Only use the established education platform such as school website or school texting platform to stay connected with students and their parents
• No connections and invitations to or from students out of teaching environment
• Use the social media platform in a professional manner
• Respect the confidentiality of students’ information

http://5.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/teacher-students-laptop-640.jpg (mshcdn.com)

Social media is growing to be useful at present and even more in future. It will bring even better facilities to future education system as new social media channels and new technologies are introduced to users.

As the right use of social media can help teachers with their jobs, the inappropriate use of social media can create issues and even unemployment for teachers as well.

Here is the interview of a teacher who was fired over face book comments (teacher fired over facebook post, 2011)

In summary, social media is a useful tool only if it is used wisely and appropriately. The use of social media is not limited to only few professions. Today social media is used widely in any organization at any size and by any profession.  And with this blog my series of  5 blogs come to an end. I hope you enjoyed reading my blogs.

 

Bibliography

teacher fired over facebook post. (2011, May 27). Retrieved from you tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCsrx54dt08

compass learing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRDeTlya9K0

Ferriman, J. (2013, November 11). learn Dash. Retrieved from http://www.learndash.com/growing-use-of-social-media-in-education/

gstatic.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQI4V3b2wRtmvR6JgGI3DnGw5BQPmupThC7xTYIobgI8HK3kUQ5iQ

mshcdn.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://5.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/teacher-students-laptop-640.jpg

The Looming Black Hole in Canada’s Aging Workforce. Are We Ready?

Let’s take a look at some projections made by Statistics Canada in 2008 (Some facts about the demographic and ethnocultural composition of the population-Aging-Figure 24 & 25, 2008) -

• There are potentially more people aged 55 to 64 years, who are leaving the workforce than people aged 15 to 24 years entering it.

• By the mid-2010s, people aged 45 to 64 years will comprise approximately more than 42% of the working-age population.

Proportion of persons aged 45 to 64 years in the working-age population (15 to 64 years) in Canada, 1956 to 2056

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/91-003-x/2007001/4129904-eng.htm

It’s apparent that the millennials need to build up on the work experience front, having acquired the education in their chosen fields, in order to take over from the baby boomer work force.

So how are they doing so far? These YouTube videos tell the story of some graduates’ plight with getting a foot in the door and how they've used social media to better their situation. 

Video 1: "Millennials plug away in their chosen field and look for that ideal job online using email, Facebook and job search websites." A networking event requiring face-to-face interaction, the old school way, helped with building a network that kept this struggling graduate connected digitally leading up to an interview and a full time job in Public Relations. While a college degree is a best defence against a recession, President Barak Obama urged graduates to keep gaining new skills and new degrees, and to be prepared to adapt and take risks. 

Another Architecture graduate lost his job due to the recession. His version of 'thinking outside the box' involved signing up for the military. While serving in Iraq, he took online courses towards a Masters in Exercise Science, to be a trainer, once his tour of duty was up. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLlrn3_G1ZQ

(NEED TO KNOW | Generation jobless: 'Millennials' struggle with unemployment | PBS, 2010)

Videos 2 & 3:
A 25 year old Master’s Degree in Environmental Science created a vblog expressing what she has been facing in finding the job that in her field. She has since found employment the following year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIVAj5LW7QA

(I Am Over-Educated and Unemployed, 2011) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DI6sd9Ahzk

(I Am No Longer Over-educated and Unemployed, 2012)

Videos 4, 5 & 6:

• Straddled with student debt for expensive university tuition 

• Low credit scores

• Moving back home to manage poor cash flow

• Lower standard of living than their parents

• Less career satisfaction than that of their parents

These are the ingredients that make up the millennials recipe for a future that sets them back economically, thanks mainly due to high debt and a poor job market, as explained in the next three videos. 

Video 4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ealPpxAV9zA

(Student fears in 'jobless America', 2010)

Video 5: This graduate, in addition to being straddled with student loan debt, spends hours everyday filling applications and browsing the internet (job websites) for a job.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDqboEt1tx0

(American college grads can't buy a job, 2010)

Video 6: When credit scores fall, getting a job becomes harder. Companies looking to hire Millennials check their credit scores online. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAQBMRhVedI 

(Student debt bubble about to explode, 2010)

It is evident that the plight of the youth unemployment is escalating and something needs to be done to keep their degrees effective while they are seeking employment, and skill set (those that have it) current.

Here, the Government of Ontario, along with the Ontario Public Service (OPS) has, as recent as January 2014, re-launched their 2013 campaign to help people under 30 with employment opportunities, building skills or starting their own business. It’s called “Ready.Set.Work.” (Ready.Set.Work, 2014). 

The service specifically offers paid internships with the government, to gain hands-on experience in the field, gain mentorships and networking connections that would bode well in their future, career development and coaching.

The program also includes partnering with industries, institutions and not-for-profits with an impactful strategic plan (Making an Impact: Youths Job Strategy, 2013).

They can be followed via their Facebook page, Twitter account and YouTube channel.

So, circling back, it is a known fact that our aging workforce will be retiring within the next 2-3 decades. In this economic turmoil and uncertainty, the millennials' employment scene is bleak, but will improve with time as jobs become available with retiring Baby Boomers. Not expecting them to while away the time waiting, the unemployed Generation Y can avail OPS plans to successfully connect them with their aspiring career jobs.

Updated March 24, 2014

References:

Some facts about the demographic and ethnocultural composition of the population-Aging-Figure 24 & 25. (2008, January 25). Retrieved from Statistics Canada: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/91-003-x/2007001/4129904-eng.htm

American college grads can't buy a job. (2010, January 15). Retrieved from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDqboEt1tx0

NEED TO KNOW | Generation jobless: 'Millennials' struggle with unemployment | PBS. (2010, October 12). Retrieved from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLlrn3_G1ZQ

Student debt bubble about to explode. (2010, September 3). Retrieved from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAQBMRhVedI

Student fears in 'jobless America'. (2010, April 2). Retrieved from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ealPpxAV9zA

I Am Over-Educated and Unemployed. (2011, October 1). Retrieved from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIVAj5LW7QA

I Am No Longer Over-educated and Unemployed. (2012, May 16). Retrieved from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DI6sd9Ahzk

Making an Impact: Youths Job Strategy. (2013, October). Retrieved from Government of Ontario: https://www.ontario.ca/jobs-and-employment/making-impact-youth-jobs-strategy

Ready.Set.Work. (2014, January 13). Retrieved from Government of Ontario: http://www.ontario.ca/jobs-and-employment/employment-programs-people-under-30

Social Media and the World Leaders/ Presidents

http://images.socialnewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/TopCom-and-World-Leaders.jpg

http://d.fastcompany.net/multisite_files/fastcompany/imagecache/620x350/fc_files

/2011/1753640-how-world-leaders-use-social-media-why-whitehouse-doesnt-follow-barackobama-and-other-idiosyncrasies-thumb.jpg

When we talk about social media and work place, we are not talking only about a pacific size company or enerprize. But  workers in any work place any size such as a small home office a  medium size office  or a big organization with channels all over the world, they  all have policies and they all experience changes in the way work is conducted from past to present. Most of the changes are here as a result of the emergence of new technology and new social media.

In my previous blogs I already talked about the use of social media and the changes it has brought to organizations and what employers and employees should consider when they use social media at work place. Here I want to think big and talk about the importance of social medial in a much bigger and crucial workplace which is the presidency and leadership or conducting a whole country and working for the people of the whole country.

If running an organization can benefit the use of social media, for sure running a country also needs use of social media and can benefit from it in different aspects and different ways.

 Traditional media has lost its popularity and use it once had in terms of campaigns and public relations. The new  outlets of social  media have  created a two way active connection between the two sides of senders  and receivers  and it is no longer a one way media as it was in past when people had TV or radio to listen to and to be connected to the world. It is now a two way conversation tool. People get the chance to read and comment and send their message and their voice to the other side.

 Using social media is beneficial for any job in any field. Leading a country is not an easy job and that is why I thought if I am talking about organizations and CEOs and managers using social media at work place, it is good to talk about the use of social media in presidential elections

In traditional campaigns TV, radio, newspapers, advertisement and mail had big role in presidential elections. The presidents and leaders advertised their positions, gave speeches, and went to different towns to talk to people and the reports for all these were sent to people through the basic social media outlets that we mentioned. But today things are very different. Today candidates are expected to know the use of social media outlets such as face book, twitter, blog, text messaging and many others to reach targeted audience and to be connected to public and to increase the rate of participation among different age groups from different distances. Use of social media for presidential campaigns is a very effective and efficient way saving time and money for both sides for voters and for the parties. Making advertisements and to pay for TV or radio air time for broadcasting the campaigns have been very costly. However, today even though these advertisements are still part of a campaign and awareness programs. There are so many other types of social media that facilitates the process and saves money.

People of different age can take part in the elections and be updated about the news anytime and anywhere they are.

TheNew York Times on its Media and Advertisement page published an article about the power of social networks in presidential campaigns. I found the following paragraph interesting to share here in my blog. 

“Thomas Jefferson used newspapers to win the presidency, F.D.R. used radio to change the way he governed, J.F.K. was the first president to understand television, and Howard Dean saw the value of the Web for raising money.  But Barack Obama understood that you could use the Web to lower the cost of building a political brand, create a sense of connection and engagement, and dispense with the command and control method of governing to allow people to self-organize to do the work.” (The New York Times)

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS7ZUo7ev-AkJNw9sPJszendgugIkl31xRNy3YABFKR3Ig9Tl4t

Looking at all these changes social media has brought to different aspects of work and life, we can predict how things are going to be in future with the way social media is growing.

 According  to MATTHIAS LÜFKENS from the Atlantic “In the near future, no one will be able to become a leader without digital followers, and no diplomat will be well-positioned to represent his or her country if he or she does not personally engage on social networks. And it is not the size of the followership that matters, but the quality of the conversations.  (MATTHIAS LÜFKENS, 2012)

Here is a you tube video from Good Day New York talking about Social media's impact on the presidential election.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iqsthA2Jbg

How can social media help leaders of a country

·         Build awareness
·         Build a personal brand
·         Helps with presidency campaigns
·         Create a sense of engagement and connection with public
·         Get connected to public  in different parts of the country in real time
·         Lower the cost of campaigns
·         An opportunity for citizen feedback and deliberation
·         Gather a big pool of ideas on candidates and policies that would otherwise have been hard to get
·         Efficiently  and effectively gather ideas, get advice, convince and persuade people

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Do presidents of the different countries use social media?

As I mentioned earlier, today the leaders and presidents of different countries use social media not only for their presidential campaigns but also for different other purposes on daily basis.

Here are some interesting facts about a few presidents out of the many presidents that use social media. 

1    1- Barak Obama and social media- Based on some data gathered from (twitaholic .com and twitter counter.com) “as of June 12, 2012, Obama's account had 16,505,044 followers, followed with 677,188 accounts and had posted 4,239 tweets. Well into 2011, it was following the most people of any account on the network and was the third to achieve ten million followers. It is one of only two accounts in the world to be in the top ten in both followers and followees. As of June 12, 2012, the White House account is also among the two-hundred most followed with nearly three million followers. (Wikipedia)

2- Latin American presidents have taken to tweeting with gusto. Seven of the 25 most-followed world leaders hail from the region, according to Twiplomacy, a website. Among the most active is Argentina’s Cristina Fernández. She frequently tweets out verbose diatribes split across dozens of messages; she once tweeted 34 times in 32 minutes. Although she has over 2m followers, she herself follows only 54, with not a single non-Latin American leader among them” (The Economist, 2013).

      3- “Hugo Chávez was second only to Mr Obama as the most-followed leader before his death earlier this year. He has been replaced as the Twitteratus maximus of Latin America by the Argentine Pope Francis, who has 4m followers of his Spanish- and Portuguese-language account”. (Follow the leader, 2013)

       4-   Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez used Twitter to rally his 3.6 million followers and secure re-election on October 7, 2012.

5     5- “Twiplomacy study found that;

•          E.U. President Herman van Rompuy (@euHvR) is the best-connected world leader, mutually following 11 peer
•            Australia's prime minister (@JuliaGillard) is the second-best-connected leader, with 10 mutual connections, followed by the Korean presidency (@BlueHouseKorea), the U.K. government ( @Number10gov), and the Russian prime minister (@MedvedevRussia), all of whom follow (and are followed by) nine other world leaders”. (Twiplomacy study , 2012)

Bibliography

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21583263-how-presidents-tweet-follow-leader

(MATTHIAS LÜFKENS, 2012). Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/10/tweet-me-to-your-leader-how-the-worlds-big-shots-use-social-media/263752/

(n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama_on_social_media

 (Follow the leader) (2013, Aug 10). Retrieved from Follow the leader: http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21583263-how-presidents-tweet-follow-leader

The New York Times. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10carr.html?_r=0

Twiplomacy study 2012. (2012). Retrieved from Twiplomacy: http://twiplomacy.com/twiplomacy-study-2012/