Social business requires a shift in culture and structure to allow for transparency and democratization of processes. This shift does not happen overnight. It’s easy for people to get discouraged and resist change when the transformation process takes time and doesn’t come easy. Hence, social business evangelists such as Jaime Punishill of Citibank, Bob Pearson of Dell (no longer at Dell), and Bryan Rhoads of Intel emerged to help sustain the momentum and promote cultural changes required for social business. Unlike a social media or brand evangelist, this person thinks beyond the scope of marketing to how social channels and behaviors benefit the business across all functions both internally and externally.
Some refer to this position as a Chief Social Media Officer. I don’t think the social business evangelist necessarily needs a specific title, but I do believe the person to shepherd social business possesses five characteristics.
- Passion for the business
- Appreciation for the organization’s cultural heritage
- Limitless determination and stamina
- Ability to influence
- Skills to maneuver the political landscape
These five characteristics are in addition to excellent interpersonal skills and a passion for social media.
Passion for the business
Passion for social media isn’t enough. The evangelist has to be passionate about the business and people associated with it. People who are passionate about the business are deeply committed to it and driven by intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic rewards according to John Hagel.
Appreciation for the organization’s cultural heritage
Culture makes or breaks social business. For many large companies, social business requires a cultural shift from traditional structures (command and control, information hoarding) to shared responsibilities and transparent processes. This shift does not happen overnight because it requires a change in behavior. This also requires new types of motivations. An evangelist needs to understand and empathize with colleagues who are apt to resist change in order to know how to motivate them. If colleagues feel the evangelist has blue-sky hopes that are unrealistic for the organization, they will lose faith that the evangelist can impact real change and resume old ways of working.
Limitless determination and stamina
According to Jaime Punishill, Director of Strategic Planning and New Channel Development at Citibank, the time it takes to evangelize social initiatives within an organization should not be underestimated. During our Social Business Summit, Jaime said he spends 25% of his time giving the same exact speech about why and how Citibank should operate as a social business. Jaime illustrates the need for an evangelist to keep pushing the vision and maintain momentum through ongoing education, especially when social initiatives lack desired results and disillusionment overcomes initial excitement.
Ability to influence
Evangelists need a vision that gains buy-in and support from the top (C-suite) as well as the bottom (entry-level). At the end of the day, the evangelist must have the political capital to influence the right people within an organization to make change happen. This can be as simple as getting as many people as possible within the organization to participate in the socialization process. When people participate in the process, they feel more invested in the outcome, which increases the likelihood of that outcome occurring.
Skills to maneuver the political landscape
Many businesses are consumed by debates over who owns what piece of the social strategy, especially during a time when resources are scarce. The evangelist should be able to rise above and maneuver corporate politics without getting tangled by them. This means the evangelist is best positioned when he or she can operate independently of a specific department or group. Obviously, this isn’t possible with an evangelist who emerges (versus hired). To be effective, the evangelist must be aware of competing agendas and demands and find a compromise that will maximize benefits for the whole.
Does your business have a social business evangelist? Are there additional characteristics you would add to this list?
I would add ability to Build Relationships – both internally but also with external evangelists. Not only is it great to collaborate with others doing similar work for ideation but also its great therapy and validation to sustain the effort!
Great point Sherri. #6 Ability to build strong relationships: The social business evangelist is someone who develops a strong social network that extends beyond the organization itself.
This is a great post. I think you (along with Sherri’s recommendation of Ability to Build Relationships) have captured very well the key elements to making the transformation happen…and as you noted, this takes time and patience. At Daptiv we have called this Community Development which encompasses social media and community engagement. Thanks for sharing!
Noting this distinction between the media/brand evangelist and the social business evangelist may prove helpful in helping others understand what can too easily be seen as “Marketing’s” initiative. Thanks for the realistic view of what may be needed and best wishes to those who will make this journey.