Not surprisingly, lots of Zayo employees are on Facebook. Like other companies, we keep a Zayo Group group site. We don’t do much with it though.
I had a thought. (Shocker, huh?)
Facebook (and other social media) threaten to cross the boundary between personal and professional lives. Some people prefer to keep their personal lives private. Others don’t.
I think Facebook is an ideal platform for letting employees learn about one another. As such, I’d like to see all Zayo employees use Facebook and be part of a Zayo Group community. However, I don’t want anyone to feel obliged to share personal information with co-workers. This creates a dilemma. How do you strongly encourage employees to use Facebook and become members of a Zayo group without the employees feeling pressured to to expose personal lives to co-workers?
Here is my thought (it is simple, so expect to be underwhelmed):
- Strongly encourage Zayo Group employees to open a Facebook account. (But at the end of the day, it is up to each employee. It won’t be counted against them if they choose not to join.)
- However, make it crystal clear that the account need not be the same Facebook account they use for personal networking.
- In their Zayo Group Facebook account, we would ask that the following info be populated: name, photo, work location, job title, job description, and a little about your career background. Any additional information is 100% optional. Though it would be great to share interests, it is really up the individual.
- We’d also ask that the Zayo Group Facebook account become a member of the Zayo Group community.
- We’d do our best to only have current Zayo Group employees in the Zayo Group Facebook Community.
- If an individual would like to use a dual personal/professional account, that is fine. If at anytime, a different employee complains that something they consider inappropriate was in someone’s account, we’d remove the individual from the Zayo Group Community and encourage them to open up a separate Zayo Facebook account.
Thoughts?
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What, Me Worry?
- Is Social networking really social or is it decidedly anti-social? (If you wanted a relationship with these people, would you not pick up a phone or send an email, a letter or Christmas card?)
- Weren’t we all better off prior to knowing that David Carradine was found hanging from his closet clothes-bar?
- Who wants the responsibitlity of determining what is offensive in our personal lives to the masses of Zayo? (ie What if I really hate Springsteen?)
- Facebook may make some feel cool but wouldn’t a single Zayo intranet with links to things like ADP Open Source, benefit providers, a company directory, etc be a better tool in creating community?
- What if I am less Paris Hilton and more Ted Kazinsky in my profile?
- Whatever happened to the Witness Protection Plan and isn’t CO supposed to be the best place to hide out since Uncle Ted (Kazinsky) ruined Montana for the rest of us?
- What if my work Facebook persona is more of a jerk than my personal Facebook persona?
- Can anyone really believe that non-participation will not be held against you?
- Isn’t Facebook just another cry for attention?
- Isn’t Twitter just the sprinkles on the ice cream cone of Narcissism?
Socialization is not effectively enforced. It is organic.
“We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.”
Alfred E. E. — now that comment is hilarious. Conflicted. Clever. Cliches’ish and thought-provoking at the same time.
Is the world better off because of Social Networking. With all that is happening in Iran as we speak (and the role social networking played in it), the answer would seem to be obvious.
Dan,
Instead of having facebook accounts, why not perform “real” social networking and have all Zayo employees engage in assisting Habitat for Humanity projects or other like minded “real” social networking causes.
I would have a very hard time working for a company that was mandating that I join facebook, twitter, linkedin, myspace or any other social networking club. I know you stated it was not forced, but I cannot fathom why it is so darn important or even relevant that an employee has to put ANY info on the grid, which is permanent , etc.
“Is the world better off because of Social Networking”
actually I have found that social networking has created a minority group of young people(18-28) that cannot present a verbal idea, give a verbal briefing, or interact maturely on a verbal interpersonal level period. Not to mention who cannot spell on emails, tune out the world due to their ipods and and fidget constantly when they are without any electronic, artificial stimulus.
There may be positives to social networking, but I find it to be a lazy replacement for getting out and actually physically networking and verbalizing ideas, thoughts, actions, etc.
Technology might have made our world easier, etc, but ti it has also made us dumber, less self reliant, and certainly have taught us there is no need for situational awareness in any realm of our lives.
Honest question Dan,
Do you ever think you would have your HR dept ever allow your hiring managers to screen potential Zayo Group or Envysion candidates personal Facebook or My Space accounts? and depending on what is found on those personal account’s prohibit hiring that person?
What would you use as GO or NO-GO criteria!? Would you use a internal code of ethics standards to be the litmus test and how does the use of social netowrking keep up with anti-discrimination laws, etc?
Where do you stop, when do WE learn that not everyhting in your life has to be surrounded by technology?
I stay off the grid for a reason and that reason is a personal choice, because unlike others I do not feel like I neeed every facet of my life to be able to be called up with a set of keystrokes.
Iran may be a better place with Facebook but why would Zayo be?
As a Zayo employee, I understand the complexities of developing real community with employees literally all over the country. I have been on facebook because Eric Cho, Stephanie Schultze, Robert Krupka, Brian Proffit, Rich Sack, Jeremy Andrews, Brad Cheedle, and of course Dan Caruso were all on it–just to name a few. We are really busy people all day long–slammed with more than we can get done. I’ve learned about them personally–when I’ve had a few minutes on my own to read–a little about what was going on with them. I’ve learned Brian Proffit and I share a similar faith. I’ve learned that Eric Cho really is even funnier than I realized and networks as much on facebook as he does on the job. I’ve seen Dan has cute kids. We’ve shared stories about who was heading where on vacation. We don’t get the opportunities in a focused business like Zayo to stop and get to know each other like I think we all would like to do. We laughed for about 5 minutes today as Roger Adamiak learned how to do it–and is still seeking a picture of Brad Pitt to use as his own. It’s a reminder that we work with people–fun people that I wish the pace was slower sometimes so that I could get to know them better. In any event–I’m for this. The personal side is sometimes missing and it does matter. Cheers!
Scott, you are persuasive in your main point–though my opinions are vastly different than yours overall. At the end of the day, your perspective convinces me that you are right. Anything even remotely close to “strongly encouraging” is inappropriate until a social networking is more mainstream. My guess is a year or two from now, this will change. Now some specific responses:
I participated in building homes in Tijuana. It was a great experience and did result in a bonding between those who did the home building. In this regard, charity activities such as Habitat for Humanity could play a positive role in a company. However, this has little to do with the role Social Networking could play in helping employees get to know one another better. We have hundreds of employees in many states who interact together on business issues. Social networking would provide a platform for employees to share information with one another–but only info they are comfortable sharing. When the occasional opportunity presents itself for employees to meet in person, they are already more familiar with one another. I see this as a big positive.
Again, I agree with you major point. Mandating (or anything close) to participation would make some people uncomfortable.
You say “I cannot fathom why it is so darn important or even relevant that an employee has to put ANY info on the grid…”. Getting to know the people you work with is important. Social networking platforms provide a unique platform for facilitating this.
You ask “Is the world better off because of Social Networking?”. You then provide your answer: “actually I have found that social networking has created a minority group of young people(18-28) that cannot present a verbal idea, give a verbal briefing, or interact maturely on a verbal interpersonal level period. Not to mention who cannot spell on emails, tune out the world due to their ipods and and fidget constantly when they are without any electronic, artificial stimulus. There may be positives to social networking, but I find it to be a lazy replacement for getting out and actually physically networking and verbalizing ideas, thoughts, actions, etc”
Wasn’t the same said about TV? Cable TV? Mobile Phones? AOL? The Internet itself? My opinion is “yes, the world is a ton better”. And the next generation is going to accomplish things that we cannot even fathom.
You continued: “Technology might have made our world easier, etc, but ti it has also made us dumber, less self reliant, and certainly have taught us there is no need for situational awareness in any realm of our lives.” I disagree.
Later you add: “I stay off the grid for a reason and that reason is a personal choice, because unlike others I do not feel like I need every facet of my life to be able to be called up with a set of keystrokes.” I respect your choice.
Teresa, thanks for you comment. It captures the positive benefits of Facebook. I think those of us who are comfortable use it and, hopefully, others join in.
It’s only fair folks. Brad Pitt uses MY picture on HIS facebook!
Dan, I know my comment is four days late to the table, but I have been absorbing the utilization of our Facebook Group as a tool for the business.
I have long been a user of the Social Networking sites, LinkedIn and Jigsaw, and you and other Zayoite’s were some of my first Facebook Connections. I would never post anything to the web that was offensive or personally endangering, so being connected with colleagues is not a huge concern.
The concern I have is the usefulness of a Zayo Facebook Group, not because of the content, but the lack of visibility of groups in Facebook. I am part of a few groups on Facebook, but Facebook provides no stream of content and updates. You have to go to the group to know that the group has been updated or changed.
One of the reasons for the effectiveness of other tools like Google reader is that the information I choose is consolidated into a reader that I can quickly sort through what content is relevant (thank you for that tip).
So follow up thoughts for those that are more web savy than I:
1) Is there code that can be written for the groups tab that can allow you to know of updates?
2) Can you add a RSS Stream from the group that can be added to a reader?
3) There are “fan sites” that are a growing microcosm of the Facebook world. What a fan site is a profile that exists for a specific commercial or promotional purpose, i.e. Oprah. Groups are Pages with less functionality. So that leads me to…
4) If we cannot find the ability to have the functionality listed above, we should create a profile for Zayo, go get the Zayo vanity name, and allow people to connect as friends. Then people have all of the choices of notification, functionality, feeds, etc. And you or the appropriate administrators can twitter to the site, etc.
Might I suggest that we facilitate a functionality dialog on your posts over the next couple of weeks to discuss ideas and concepts?
Thanks for being the evangelist.
Brian
Brian,
Thanks for taking the time to write this post. Our “sister blog site” http://www.businesstoolsblog.com but the A-Mays-ing Sandi Mays is doing a series on Facebook functionality. The series is exploring ways to do the types of things you describe (in part) but your comment will trigger Sandi and me talking through this specifically based on your ideas.
I’m still learning how Facebook works. One reason I like Facebook is that, being the major social networking site, it will get a lot of bells and whistles added to it over time.
Thanks again.
For Zayo Employees who would like to join the group and are new to Facebook, please feel free to go to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=100344470037&ref=ts and request to be a member.