Out of curiosity, when you hear the words "Facebook," "Twitter," "YouTube," or "Blog" what comes to mind? These applications which have become synonymous with the overarching term of "social media" have become so pervasive they can be found in nearly every aspect of life. I have heard of these applications talked about everywhere from the news, talk shows, and magazines, to everyday conversations between friends and even in church. No matter where you go, it is hard to find a situation in which these terms don't emerge in some way, shape, or form. In fact, many speculate that social media will become the preferred method of communication and marketing in the coming years dethroning conventional methods of advertising such as TV and commercials. Is this a surprise? Maybe, but when you think about it, its entirely plausible and this shift is arguably already taking place.
So why is this happening, and why do some still resist joining in on this movement? As with most any significant change, there are always multiple camps of people. The early adopters (who are always trying to stay on the forefront of where the world is going and figuring out how they can be part in shaping it), the naysayers (who will find a way to criticize, discredit, or dispel any change that threatens their own status quo), and the fence-sitters (who are waiting to see which of the two previous groups will prevail). So it is not a surprise that while social media has invaded most every aspect of our lives and so many are participating, there are still those who are "holding-out" and refusing to buy in to where the world is going.
This poses an interesting a challenging dynamic to manage in the workplace. While there is a clear new direction in which the world is moving, not everyone has gotten on board yet and we have to find meaningful ways of remaining connected with everyone regardless of where they fall on the social media adoption curve. Seeing that our hospital is on the leading edge of healthcare organizations that are trying to utilize social media tools in the workplace, my professional association, the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), has asked me to participate in a educational panel discussion next week on how to best utilize social media in healthcare.
In preparing for my presentation, I have done a lot of research on the topic, but more importantly I wanted to solicit your opinions on this topic and see if your thoughts and ideas match up to what my perceptions have been thus far. Since my first blog post in January of this year, I have considered this to be an "experiment" for both myself and our hospital. From my perspective it has been a very worthwhile endeavor, but I would like to know what you think.
While I always appreciate your comments (which can be left by clicking on the "comment" link at the bottom of each post), I would also greatly appreciate a few minutes of your time to complete a quick survey. One of our marketing team members is finishing her Master's degree and has developed this survey (click here) as part of her graduate thesis to better understand how people are using social media to communicate in their everyday lives and at work. It only takes a few minutes to complete and your feedback will help us to be more effective in connecting with our team. Clear and effective communication is key to how successful we can be as an organization. Please help us get it right! (And don't forget to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter!) Thank you!
