Scoble’s Link Blog

http://ringblog.typepad.com/corporatepr/2005/04/collaboration_r.html

Weblog: CorporatePR
Source: Collaboration Requires Contribution
Link: http://ringblog.typepad.com/corporatepr/2005/04/collaboration_r.html

Over at Blogging Planet, I have begun to explain in more detail the Ten Tools for Network Building.  My latest post focused on participation/collaboration.  I have cross-posted it here for easy reference.

I like to think about participation/collaboration in terms of community and the building of social capital.Both the development of communities and social capital requiresreciprocity - the willingness to both take AND give — to contribute.

Before your organization decides to enter the blogosphere in order toenhance its network building efforts, it has to answer this importantquestion: What do we have to offer to the communities we want tojoin/build?

If your answer is only "information about our company and products" then you need to head back to the drawing board.

What are the attributes of community? There are four generally accepted psychological attributes of community source:   

McMillanand Chavis (1986) have the most well-regarded and well-researchedconceptualization of SOC [Sense of Community]. They define SOC asconsisting of the following four characteristics:

• Feelings of membership: Feelings of belonging to, and identifying with, the community;
• Feelings of influence: Feelings of having influence on, and being influenced by, the community;
• Integration and fulfillment of needs: Feelings of being supported by others in the community while also supporting them; and
• Shared emotional connection: Feelings of relationships, shared history, and a “spirit” of community.

The article goes on to state: 

Researchon SOC in virtual communities has not been as prolific. However, someresearchers have reported findings similar to what has been reported inFtF [Face to Face] SOC. They report the existence of:

• Membership,boundaries, belonging, and group symbols (Baym, 1995, 1997; Curtis,1997; Greer, 2000; Herring, 1999; Kollock & Smith, 1996; Markus,Manville, & Agres, 2000; Phillips, 1996);
• Influence, interms of enforcing and challenging norms (Baym, 1997; Kollock &Smith, 1996; Markus, 1994a, 1994b; McLaughlin, 1995; Pliskin, 1997);
• Exchange of support among members (Baym, 1995, 1997; Greer, 2000; Preece, 1999; Rheingold, 1993);
• Shared emotional connections among members (Greer, 2000; Preece, 1999; Rheingold, 1993).

"Generalized reciprocity" is one of the keys for building social capitalas well. For our purposes in thinking about contribution, it is clearthat we are not simply talking about contributing information. Humanemotional connections are also important. This is a difficult hurdlefor many corporations, as their representatives are so used to thinkingin terms of formal, third-person voice when communicating to theiraudiences. Be it the website, brochures, press releases, cannedelevator speeches, etc., all of these formal tools are not tremendouslyhelpful when it comes to participating in a community. So, let’srevisit the original question: What do we have to offer to thecommunities we want to join/build? Here are some general ideas, whichclearly will have to be tailored to fit:

   

• Recognition:  Oneof the most powerful attributes of blogs that enable comments, forexample, is that it is very easy to acknowledge that someone hasoffered an idea. By responding with a follow-on comment or post, youhave recognized that person publicly for making a contribution to yourspace. Even if you only follow up by email, you are still recognizingthat they are a person, who has an opinion, which you have respondedto. This type of action is so incredibly rare in corporatecommunications, that it often comes as a total shock. But the simpleaction of recognition brings you more tightly into the community youwant to belong to, and ultimately, to influence.
• Ideas on How to Solve Problems: From tips on how to fine-tune your products to answering questionspeople might have about using them effectively, contributing ideas andhelping to solve problems can generate respect among community members.If your customer service department doesn’t have someone dedicated tomonitoring blogs and answering questions, you might want to think aboutasking someone to volunteer to do so. If you don’t have a real customerservice department, one of your developers or product managers might bethe appropriate person to take on this role. By actively contributingto people who are interested in and using your products, you not onlyseed goodwill, but you may be able to recognize and solve problemsbefore they become big news (i.e., use the community as anearly-warning system).
• Support: This ties in closelywith Recognition and Solving Problems. But it moves beyond it, in thatyou should think about Support, not just in terms of helping solveproblems, but also in terms of congratulations and emotional support.One of the most powerful attributes of blogs is human connection, thatwe are communicating with people, not an "audience." Expressing supportfor someone’s endeavor, acknowledging a particularly interesting ideaor post, helping by pointing someone to other resources — all of thesethings help build connection, and solidify your place in a community ofpeople. Very few blogs are completely exempt from the author’s personalenthusiasms and desires, which, even in tightly focused thematic blogs,still leak through. That is what makes a blog such an interesting andpowerful tool. As a contributor to a community, you should acknowledgeand support these enthusiasms (when appropriate).
• Gratitude: Don’t forget to thank people for the contributions they make to you. Ifsomeone has spent the time to thoughtfully comment on your blog, ifthey have shared something particularly valuable, let them know! It isstrange how difficult it is for corporations to actually thank peopleor to produce a positive communication within traditionalcommunications vehicles. For example, you issue a release about aproduct recall, but not about how your developers with help of the usergroup, solved a thorny issue. You might have your chairman’s letterthank employees in a general way, but it is impossible in suchcommunications to thank a multitude of individuals. With blogs, you canthank people as individuals, right when they do something great. It ismuch more genuine, and can help break down walls built by cynicism.
• Thoughtful Recommendations/Referrals:Don’t hoard information. To gain respect in the blogosphere, one has toshare information. One can quickly build a good reputation by providingthoughtful recommendations and referrals to sources of information.Some of this information may even reside on your competitor’s websites.By acknowledging that your corporation doesn’t have all the answers,you open up the possibility that others can contribute as well, andpeople love to contribute! Robert Scoble of Microsoft is a perfect example of this practice. 
• Honesty: Don’t lie. Someone always figures it out and you will lose allcredibility, and credibility is the currency of the blogosphere. Err onthe side of transparency. That means acknowledge in an easy-to-find wayyour affiliations, your opinions, your biases. Clearly, you shouldfollow company policy as regards trade secrets, and so on. By givingthe community you are trying to belong to the gift of your honesty, youwill receive respect in return. Be clear, avoid spin. Treat others withrespect, and you will receive respect in return.
• Clarification:Written communications is always susceptible to misunderstandings,particularly informal communications. One of the reasons wecommunicators spend so much time writing press releases, brochures,datasheets, annual reports and so on, is so that the language is asclear as possible to all readers. This is a rather difficult task! Asbloggers, most of us write without editors, and even the best writersamong us still make errors. The great thing about blogs is that ifsomeone is confused, either by your blog posts or more formal companydocuments or communications, they will likely let you know one way oranother, and you can quickly move to clarify.

If you wantto be considered a thought leader, to help drive an industry forward,it is becoming increasingly important that you become an active playerin online communities, probably via the blogosphere. You cannot expect,however, to proclaim yourself "thought leader" and expect others tobelieve you. It will take time, effort, and contribution. And, as Ihope you now understand, by contribution, I mean more than just issuingproclamations or generating content. You have to augment your contentwith active participation. I hope I have given you some ideas aboutwhat form that participation can take.

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