Για να δούμε τί λεν στο Harvard σήμερα για κάποια απλά πράγματα που εμείς τα δυσκολεύουμε και θέλουμε να τα κάνουμε περίπλοκα - προφανώς γιατί δεν τα καταλαβαίνουμε!
Alexandra Samuel is CEO of Social Signal, a social media agency. She helps companies and organizations increase revenue, build brand and strengthen team relationships by creating compelling online communities and social web presences. She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Online community and social media are hot areas for business these days, as companies recognize the Internet's potential to deepen customer relationships, share knowledge and strengthen teams. In the nonprofit sector, relationships have always been the key currency: the relationships with the members, donors and supporters that NGOs depend on for volunteer labor, financial support and advocacy muscle.
Because nonprofits are so deeply invested in the relationship business, and because they often have not just a notional but a structural accountability to their members, many NGOs were early adopters of online community tools. NGO-run online communities and social media presences offered nonprofits a new way of stoking and harnessing their members' loyalty and passion; and in their many successes, businesses can find key lessons for using social media to enhance customer relationships, too:
1. Engage your audience by speaking to their core concerns.
Social media marketing campaigns often rely on humor, gimmicks or sex appeal to hook participants. But the best way to your audience's heart is to speak to what they care about most. In the case of the March of Dimes, members care about their kids: specifically, the premature or disabled babies that the organization aims to assist. Social media offered a new way to do just that: Share Your Story launched in 2004 as a site for parents to blog about their infants' daily struggles. Those blogs not only offered a way for parents to connect and support one another, but also told the story of the March of Dimes' mission in a personal and compelling way. What do your customers care about most, and how can you speak to those concerns?
2. Put your audience in the driver's seat.
In 2008, the Brooklyn Museum turned the idea of an art exhibit on its head. Instead of telling audiences what to look at, they asked: the Click! exhibit invited artists to submit photos of the "Changing Faces of Brooklyn" and used an online system to let the community curate the exhibit by choosing what to include. More than 3,000 community members submitted a total of over 400,000 evaluations. The result was an exhibit with greater levels of public interest, and one that was arguably more reflective of the community's self-perception. How can you engage your customers' interest by letting them drive decision-making online?
3. Offer a mix of tangible and social benefits.
The AARP's online community is primarily a way for over-50s to connect and socialize online. But community members also get online photo and video storage — great for those who want to swap pictures of the grandchildren. A more common approach is to run contests with modest prizes, to induce community members to upload stories and pictures; the American Humane Society scored a home run with its "LOLSeals" contest, which asked members to make their own funny seal photos (inspired by LOLcats) and awarded a gift basket to the author of the top photo. Offer a social experience that has intrinsic value by helping people connect, learn or laugh; then nudge people into joining or participating by giving them something concrete like a prize or premium service. How can you help your customers connect with one another — and what tangible benefits can you offer that will encourage their participation?
4. Embrace emergent value propositions
KaBOOM! is a nonprofit that started in 1995 with the goal of building playgrounds in underserved areas, so that every kid would have access to outdoor space. By 1999, the organization was building 50 playgrounds a year — but soon realized it could help build even more by supporting communities in planning playgrounds and raising money themselves. They created a KaBOOM! Toolkit that is now available online. Community members can trade advice online, supporting each other instead of relying exclusively on KaBOOM! staff. The organization also has a user-driven PlaySpace Finder that maps playgrounds across the US. The online toolkit and playspace finder have extended KaBOOM's reach and impact; instead of relying entirely on staff and funders, KaBOOM! uses online community tools to engage volunteers in mapping and developing playspaces nationwide. How can you extend or transform your value proposition by engaging your customers in value creation?
5. Innovate within the bounds of your core mission.
The Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League does what its name suggests: finds homes for abandoned Great Danes. And now they do it via Twitter: tweeting descriptions and photos of dogs that become available for adoption. It's a great example of how social media can not only promote your core mission, but actually deliver on it. What value or services do you offer that could be delivered through a social network or online community?
Non-profits came early to the social media party, thanks to their experience as member-driven organizations. But businesses are succeeding with social media by following the same principles: the principles of community participation, mission-driven activity, and online value creation. Adopt these principles in your own social media activities, and you can profit from the lessons of non-profit innovators.
Follow Alex on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/awsamuel
23 October 2009
03 October 2009
Five Biggest Mistakes That Entrepreneurs Make
Jerry Kaplan, serial entrepreneur, executive, technical innovator, and author, elaborates on the five biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs make:
1) Having unclear goals and an unclear mission
2) Trying to prove that they are smart
3) Greed - doing it for money.
4) Hiring people that they like rather than people that they need.
5) Not knowing when to let go.
@The Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) Entrepreneurship Corner
1) Having unclear goals and an unclear mission
2) Trying to prove that they are smart
3) Greed - doing it for money.
4) Hiring people that they like rather than people that they need.
5) Not knowing when to let go.
@The Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) Entrepreneurship Corner
02 October 2009
The New Volunteer Management
Nonprofits rely heavily on volunteers, but most CEOs do a poor job of managing them. As a result, more than one-third of those who volunteer one year do not donate their time the next year—at any nonprofit. That adds up to an estimated $38 billion in lost labor. To remedy this situation, nonprofit leaders must develop a more strategic approach to managing this overlooked and undervalued talent pool. The good news is that new waves of retiring baby boomers and energetic young people are ready to fill the gap.
Volunteers can do much more than stuff envelopes.
A few nonprofits have grasped this concept and are taking what we call a talent management approach—investing in the infrastructure to recruit, develop, place, recognize, and retain volunteer talent.
CAPITALIZING ON VOLUNTEER TALENT
To capitalize on the opportunity presented by volunteer talent, nonprofit leaders need to expand their vision of volunteering, integrate volunteers into their strategic planning, and reinvent the way that their organizations support and manage volunteer talent.
If nonprofit leaders want highly skilled volunteers to come and stay, they need to expand their vision of volunteering by creating an experience that is meaningful for the volunteer, develops skills, demonstrates impact, and taps into volunteers’ abilities and interests. More people need to understand that people will make time to volunteer if they are stimulated and engaged. People do not volunteer because nonprofits do not provide them with volunteer opportunities that interest them enough to pull them away from their television sets.
Rethinking Work Roles.
To create compelling opportunities for volunteers, a nonprofit’s management team should begin by evaluating the degree to which important roles could be performed by volunteers. Some organizations are elevating the roles of volunteers and blurring the distinctions between paid and nonpaid staff .
Assigning Appropriate Tasks.
Nonprofits must assign volunteers jobs that make the most of their skills and talents. For example, marketing experts from the consulting firm Deloitte & Touche were preparing for a traditional volunteer project—taking stock of donated inventory at a thrift store operated by Catholic Charities USA. But the Deloitte workers saw ways the thrift store could employ new merchandising techniques and offered pro bono consulting services to help make the changes. The changes the Deloitte volunteers suggested produced strong results: Average monthly revenue at the store rose 20 percent. Not only do nonprofits get more value from using highly skilled volunteers to perform highly skilled functions, but these volunteers are also more likely to offer their services again.
Creating Bonding Experiences.
One of the best ways that nonprofits can engage volunteers is to create experiences that develop strong attachments between the volunteer and the organization. The March of Dimes, for example, is constantly thinking about how to channel the interest of a onetime volunteer into a more sustained commitment. A volunteer might walk in the March for Babies two years in a row and then drop out. That person has not necessarily lost her passion for helping babies, she just needs a new challenge and more opportunities to stay involved. To keep her engaged, the March of Dimes might ask her to speak with groups of expectant moms on the importance of folic acid and prenatal checkups. That could lead to her managing a local fundraising event or recruiting corporate sponsors. The March of Dimes has found that by increasing responsibility, tailoring assignments to volunteer interests, and providing training and in-person networking opportunities, they are able to hang on to more volunteers.
Supporting and Training Volunteers.
Nonprofits also need to support their volunteers. The American Cancer Society, for example, respects and cares for volunteers in the same manner that the organization cares for its own staff . Their chief talent officer ensures that staff and volunteers participate together in orientation and training classes and work together on important projects such as creating curriculum, delivering quality of life programs to cancer patients and their families, and serving as community health liaisons. The American Cancer Society also expects its staff to recruit and work with community volunteers, and it enforces this through performance reviews that measure volunteer engagement.
Using New Technology.
New technologies allow nonprofits to communicate with volunteers inexpensively and to build social networks that connect volunteers with one another and with the nonprofit. Organizations like VolunteerMatch and Zazengo have developed technology that makes it easy for volunteers to find opportunities based on their needs, interests, and skills. With this technology, volunteers no longer need to go to a Web site to search for opportunities; the right ones come to them. Technology also allows people to volunteer without having to leave their homes. One of our colleagues, for example, develops and maintains Web sites pro bono without leaving her home.
Developing Strategic Plans.
To make effective use of volunteer talent, nonprofit leaders must integrate volunteers into their strategic plans. In 2007, the leaders of 11 major nonprofit organizations and the authors of this article met to discuss ways to engage volunteers and laid out the ingredients for this process. Nonprofit participants such as Goodwill Industries, United Way of America, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America zeroed in on strategic planning as the most critical and neglected step in managing volunteers. By treating volunteers as the valuable resource they are, nonprofits get more challenging work done, reap the benefit of more volunteer hours, and incur fewer costs associated with having to replace lost volunteers each year.
ATTRACTING A NEW WAVE OF VOLUNTEER TALENT
Even with the best planning and management, nonprofits will always need to recruit new volunteers to support new or expanded programs and to replace those volunteers who inevitably stop coming. The most promising places for nonprofits to recruit new volunteer talent are among retired baby boomers, young people (millennials), businesses, and religious organizations.
A new wave of volunteer talent is building. Some nonprofit leaders will take advantage of this opportunity and exponentially grow their impact; the rest will be left behind trying to make do the old way.
Volunteers can do much more than stuff envelopes.
A few nonprofits have grasped this concept and are taking what we call a talent management approach—investing in the infrastructure to recruit, develop, place, recognize, and retain volunteer talent.
CAPITALIZING ON VOLUNTEER TALENT
To capitalize on the opportunity presented by volunteer talent, nonprofit leaders need to expand their vision of volunteering, integrate volunteers into their strategic planning, and reinvent the way that their organizations support and manage volunteer talent.
If nonprofit leaders want highly skilled volunteers to come and stay, they need to expand their vision of volunteering by creating an experience that is meaningful for the volunteer, develops skills, demonstrates impact, and taps into volunteers’ abilities and interests. More people need to understand that people will make time to volunteer if they are stimulated and engaged. People do not volunteer because nonprofits do not provide them with volunteer opportunities that interest them enough to pull them away from their television sets.
Rethinking Work Roles.
To create compelling opportunities for volunteers, a nonprofit’s management team should begin by evaluating the degree to which important roles could be performed by volunteers. Some organizations are elevating the roles of volunteers and blurring the distinctions between paid and nonpaid staff .
Assigning Appropriate Tasks.
Nonprofits must assign volunteers jobs that make the most of their skills and talents. For example, marketing experts from the consulting firm Deloitte & Touche were preparing for a traditional volunteer project—taking stock of donated inventory at a thrift store operated by Catholic Charities USA. But the Deloitte workers saw ways the thrift store could employ new merchandising techniques and offered pro bono consulting services to help make the changes. The changes the Deloitte volunteers suggested produced strong results: Average monthly revenue at the store rose 20 percent. Not only do nonprofits get more value from using highly skilled volunteers to perform highly skilled functions, but these volunteers are also more likely to offer their services again.
Creating Bonding Experiences.
One of the best ways that nonprofits can engage volunteers is to create experiences that develop strong attachments between the volunteer and the organization. The March of Dimes, for example, is constantly thinking about how to channel the interest of a onetime volunteer into a more sustained commitment. A volunteer might walk in the March for Babies two years in a row and then drop out. That person has not necessarily lost her passion for helping babies, she just needs a new challenge and more opportunities to stay involved. To keep her engaged, the March of Dimes might ask her to speak with groups of expectant moms on the importance of folic acid and prenatal checkups. That could lead to her managing a local fundraising event or recruiting corporate sponsors. The March of Dimes has found that by increasing responsibility, tailoring assignments to volunteer interests, and providing training and in-person networking opportunities, they are able to hang on to more volunteers.
Supporting and Training Volunteers.
Nonprofits also need to support their volunteers. The American Cancer Society, for example, respects and cares for volunteers in the same manner that the organization cares for its own staff . Their chief talent officer ensures that staff and volunteers participate together in orientation and training classes and work together on important projects such as creating curriculum, delivering quality of life programs to cancer patients and their families, and serving as community health liaisons. The American Cancer Society also expects its staff to recruit and work with community volunteers, and it enforces this through performance reviews that measure volunteer engagement.
Using New Technology.
New technologies allow nonprofits to communicate with volunteers inexpensively and to build social networks that connect volunteers with one another and with the nonprofit. Organizations like VolunteerMatch and Zazengo have developed technology that makes it easy for volunteers to find opportunities based on their needs, interests, and skills. With this technology, volunteers no longer need to go to a Web site to search for opportunities; the right ones come to them. Technology also allows people to volunteer without having to leave their homes. One of our colleagues, for example, develops and maintains Web sites pro bono without leaving her home.
Developing Strategic Plans.
To make effective use of volunteer talent, nonprofit leaders must integrate volunteers into their strategic plans. In 2007, the leaders of 11 major nonprofit organizations and the authors of this article met to discuss ways to engage volunteers and laid out the ingredients for this process. Nonprofit participants such as Goodwill Industries, United Way of America, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America zeroed in on strategic planning as the most critical and neglected step in managing volunteers. By treating volunteers as the valuable resource they are, nonprofits get more challenging work done, reap the benefit of more volunteer hours, and incur fewer costs associated with having to replace lost volunteers each year.
ATTRACTING A NEW WAVE OF VOLUNTEER TALENT
Even with the best planning and management, nonprofits will always need to recruit new volunteers to support new or expanded programs and to replace those volunteers who inevitably stop coming. The most promising places for nonprofits to recruit new volunteer talent are among retired baby boomers, young people (millennials), businesses, and religious organizations.
A new wave of volunteer talent is building. Some nonprofit leaders will take advantage of this opportunity and exponentially grow their impact; the rest will be left behind trying to make do the old way.
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