Successful organizations today share several key traits that go far beyond social media marketing. Learn the 7 principles of social businesses and the organizational cultures that are thriving in a new business era.

1. 7 Principles of Social Businesses
and Adaptive Organizational Cultures
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© SideraWorks LLC 2013

2. Change almost never fails because it’s too early.
It almost always fails because it’s too late.
- Seth Godin

3. 1. Cultural Insight
Progressive companies have a great deal of self-awareness.
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They’ll tell you what they care about. What they won’t compromise. And they’re
very in tune with not just who they wish they were, but who they really are.
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They’ve made the effort to understand the profile of their culture today, create a
collective vision for where they’d like to end up tomorrow, and create a roadmap
to bridge the gap between the two.
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These organizations understand that culture is a mission-critical element of their
business. Without having people’s hearts and minds aligned and moving in the
same direction together, they know that no strategy or plan will have the strong
foundation it needs to succeed.

4. 2. Social Awareness
Social media is commonly understood in the context of communication, mostly
external and largely in marketing.
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Today’s most successful organizations embrace not just the marketing
opportunity, but the breadth and depth of the impact from the social web.
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They know that communicating socially means setting new expectations and
making new promises. It raises the bar for everything from customer service to
hiring and engaging employees. And once you’ve made a commitment to being
more open and connected, it’s very hard to go back.
!
Social businesses aren’t just concerned about what they’re promoting today. They
care very much about how social will and does change their business, from the
inside, out. And they’re committed to making the organizational changes that are
necessary to adapt to a new era.
!

5. 3. Emphasis on Collaboration
Social businesses are deeply invested in the idea that better work can be achieved
through collective effort as well as mutual outcomes.
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They know that means that people need to be empowered to collaborate, both
intellectually and with appropriate resources.
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To many organizations, that can mean rethinking everything from how teams are
structured to how compensation, rewards, and performance criteria are designed.
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Ultimately, the outcome is worth it to them. The investment is meaningful when
the return is better business results, happier teams, and more innovative solutions
to problems new and old.
!

6. 4. Commitment to Innovation
What worked yesterday is likely not going to work tomorrow, and certainly isn’t
likely to work forever.
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Adaptive organizations and cultures believe that continuous innovation of
business models as well as products is not just critical to achieving goals, but to
inspiring and creating an environment that people want to be part of.
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These companies understand that innovation isn’t just for the technology junkies
or the bright, shiny startups. It’s pivotal for the engineering firm or the pharma
company, the law office or the university.
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They know that innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum, either, so they actively
seek out ways to enable it, to capture it when it happens, and to embrace new
thinking and new ideas (even when they’re a little scary).
!

7. 5. Investment in Adoption
The “do more with less” theme in business ensures that any new social platform
or collaboration technology won’t automatically succeed.
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Teams and resources already leveraged to the hilt, and businesses are striving for
the leanest possible operation for the greatest possible return.
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So in order for new technology to take hold, the platform itself actually has to
come last.
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What comes first? Communicating to people how learning and integrating a new
platform will help them do their jobs better, give them more satisfaction, or bring
them more effective solutions, whether now or in the long run.
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Social businesses look to technology as an enabler, not a stand-alone solution.
And they deliberately and carefully design adoption initiatives that put people first.
!

8. 6. Responsive Communication
Communication has changed.
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The media are new and they’re driving new behaviors, new activities, even
language evolution.
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Modern, nimble companies seek to reduce friction in internal communication,
value the liberal sharing of knowledge and information, and believe in emotionally
intelligent dialogue with and among employees.
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Social businesses know that the way they talk and interact within their own walls
is every bit as important as brilliant marketing and customer communication. And
that values like compassion, openness and empathy still have a place in the
business world.

9. 7. Workforce Engagement
An entire generation of professionals is stepping into key leadership positions for
the first time. Millennials are emerging hungry and ready to make an impact on
the world through their work.
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For the first time in history, employees are reporting that the values and culture of
the company they work for are more important than salaries and benefits. Remote
work is becoming the new normal even in the most traditional organizations. And
trust, collaboration, and contribution are paramount no matter the individual role.
!
Thriving organizations are committed to empowering and engaging a workforce
that looks and acts very differently than it did just a few years ago, and cares about
very different things.
!
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10. Need help navigating a new era of business?
SideraWorks sparks organizational change.
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We offer workshops, programs and consulting to improve technology adoption,
embrace social business best practices, and engage your employees.
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Contact us today for a no-obligation chat to explore your challenges and
opportunities, or visit us at sideraworks.com.

11. info@sideraworks.com
sideraworks.com
© SideraWorks LLC 2013