coward MS? wise MS?

When you google "corporate blog", you can see tons of results including some commercial corporate-blogging companies--which help corporations to blog.  People are debating about corporate blogging whether it is good for the firm .  It's fun to see both sides in one magazine(Global PR blog week) at the same time: Why CEOs shouldn't blog?, Why CEOs should blog? Both basically say that the blogging helps communicating with customers. Difference between two articles is who blogs.  Blogging is not a fad anymore.  Anyhow, it seems that most firms and customers prefer to blog for themselves and customers.

I read the Microsoft's successful blogging stories from naked conversation and bloggers send a warning shot to corporate America.  Both stories are about Robert Scoble, the former employee of Microsoft and the co-author of Naked Conversation.  It was so good for Microsoft to choose him to talk about Microsoft in his blog.  But he left the company and he is still blogging with the same url.  Now he just said a few days ago that how fun it was at the Apple Store.  Is that still good for Microsoft?? 

Also, Microsoft only has one official Internet Explore blog explaining about the functions not having used so much, SP2, ControlX, and etc.  It seems boring and IT IS boring.  It is like a Internet Explore manual nobody uses.  Why don't Microsoft do the same thing they did with another Rob Scoble?  

Ok. then, check this out The unauthorized Microsoft Weblog. This guy Jason have done a good job giving good information to visitors about Microsoft Windows stuffs.  Why can't MS do like this?  I absolutely believe that MS can do the better job on this.  Is blogging too much for the huge info tech companies?  Is that because MS is worried about all the Window users come to there blog and say bad thing about MS?  or is that an wise action for MS not to blog so that they can avoid miscellaneous conflicts and problems because they have more major stuffs to care about??

Well,

All the smart kids can enter MS.  I hope they figure out soon how to change their business wisely through blogging or the better way.  But I don't even imagine what it could be.

p.s   whenever I try to work on my laptop for a long time in the library, I ALWAYS forget to bring the adapter.... so stupid... 

Don't bother me!!!!!!!!!!! please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I missed the last class because I went to NY finance trip with Kogod!!! 

It was kinda intense and sorta productive. I am totally exhausted after this trip.

Since my father had a business trip to florida, I had to meet him right after the trip (no time to go to MoMa!!! it was my 5th visit and everytime I tried to go to MoMa, I failed for some reasons)

Anyway, dad and I stopped by alot of car dealershops to buy a car over this weekend(he's snoring now..). Our first visited site was Honda, I testdrove on car.  For a test drive, a salesman asked me my number and DL. I thought he will make me annoying by calling me to push me to buy a car.. well it was not like that.

When I was in like....um....3rd, 4thish dealershop (2hours later), I got a call with the number starting 888-***-****. I pick it up. It was a Honda customer service in order to do the survey. I was talking to another salesman and helping my dad to understand what the conditions are, etc.  Imagine that sales guy talk to a guy. A guy do not understand fully. A guys daughter as an assistance is doing nothing but talking on the phone and say the random things. I tried to hang it up asap. It lasts 5 mins.  5mins could be long or short time.  But at that situation  it was long. So, on the question "does salesman give you the number after you test drive?" I couldn't remember because I had visited other places and I couldn't remember the exact number. So profound that I can't focus on this conversation with the other dealer and dad.  I tried to finish the conversation, "yeayea it was good good". She said "thank you, blah blah blah." oh yeeeassss! it's over!! yay!!!

Um, a phone survey can get the fastest response anytime. But the result of survey can't be accurate.  CRM, customer support sound good even to me until I reacted like that to the customer center. Could there be some other not-annoyable, accurate way to study people/customers? is that the best way for now? I don't know yet because I just don't want to be bothered.

be yourself-the best way to blog

The blog is the representative of one online where more people participate and sometimes better conversations have been made.  The authors of naked conversations, Scoble and Israel demonstrate that the interaction online between corporate and other constituencies is becoming important and even more essential.  I am agree with that because most people use the Internet everyday and get information from it.

To describe, nowadays, politicians are like corporations.  They advertise and promote themselves through blogging.  For example, two major presidential candidates in South Korea, Myungbak Lee(www.cyworld.com/mbitious) and Geunhye Park(www.cyworld.com/ghism) from Hannara party, a nongovernment party, have been renowned for their blog.  More than 1000 people visit their blog daily and show supports or sometimes antagonism.  They upload their campaign pledges with reasonings, personal photos with explanations, hobbies, and press released from other media.  They are blogposting to tell the truth about themselves, which is to tell the truth (kind of), which is the first Corporate Weblog Manifesto qtd. in Naked Conversation(191-194).   At the blog, they show that they are as same as other common citizens so that electors can feel comfortable with them.  

I sometimes visit their blog to see what is going on.  Whenever I go their blog it is so interesting because they show the old pictures of theirs with sense of humor.  Without blog technologies, it's impossible to see politicians from the different perspectives, the aspect of human. With this grateful technologies, they've been doing a good job in attracting people because they have been themselves in their blog.

p.s

They've used Cyworld, which is the most popular social networking website.

here's some quotes from Business 2.0, 

-Cyworld, for example, is a social network owned by a subsidiary of SK Telecom, the country's largest wireless provider. To an American eye, the Cyworld service looks like a mixture of some of the hottest US properties: it's MySpace meets Flickr and Blogger and AIM and Second Life.

- Users have avatars that visit and can link to each other's "minihompy" - a miniature homepage that's actually a 3-D room containing a users' blog, photos, and virtual items for sale. Cyworld's digital garage sales include music, ringtones, clothes for your avatar and furnishings for your own minihompy.

- Cyworld has penetration rates that would make Rupert Murdoch, CEO of MySpace parent News Corp, green with envy: An astonishing 90% of South Koreans in their 20s use the service. Celebrities and politicians set up their own minihompies, and the way to get ahead in twentysomething Korean society is to found a popular Cyworld club, or chat room.

(http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/2006/06/16/the_future_is_in_south_korea.html)

*Naked Conversations; How blogs Are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers. (2006) by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel

Trust based network works

At the IT Conversation from MeshForum, Dr. Karen Stephenson talked about social network analysis.  The one thing I can't forget is about transactional network vs. trust based network.  I can't agree with her more in terms of trust-based network, which is the better network.

There must be tons of examples, but I've got a simple one.

I have never detached from group project since my college life as an business major student began.  Let's say a professor makes the group to work on the project together.  The purpose of this teams is transactional.  This team will discuss project and communicate with one another.  There are many measurable transactions including phone calls, emails, and meetings.  They interact so much. However, once the project is done, there is no transaction and communication usually.  Of course, I do experience those situations. I don't usually communicate with project teams unless we are friends before. On the other hand, there is a group of random people who hang out, eat out together, talk on the phone, and discuss personal stuffs.  These highlight the trust-based network.  In terms of the degrees of communication and interaction during the project, transactional network can be higher than trust based one.  But, trust based one is stronger and lasts longer.  

what's good network and how do we build it?

The middle of the Maslow's hierarchy of needs is "Love and belonging needs", the need for belonging, to reveive and give love, appreciation, friendship, which can be referred as network because the nature of the network is this need, I believe. Also, human is social animal. Humans have gathered and lived together interacting one another since a long, long, long time ago. So, it surprised me because most the readings about informal network assigned to the class sound very very formal, academic, and serious. Even in the Six Myths about Informal Networks* - and How to Overcome Them published by MIT Sloan, the authors show how to read a network diagram. But it seems hard to analyze with that example diagrams and explanations. 

So, I've got a good test to rate my network.

You can test yours right now! bring a piece of paper and pen! Ready? Here's the test**.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Rate yourself on a scale of 1-5

(1=never; 2=occasionally; 3=regularly; 4=frequently; 5=always)

Know your own power as a networker

1. I know the values and principles that are important in my life

2. I can list five major accomplishments that I am proud of in my life

3. I have a written list of long and short term goals that I review and revise regularly

Be gracious and courteous as you network

4. I introduce myself in a way what is clear, concise, personable and generates interest

5. I reintroduce myself to people rather than waiting for them to remember me

6. I focus on people as they are introduced to me so that I remember their name and who they are (or their profession, connection to the field, etc.)

Handle business cards with respect/nurture your network

7. I make notations on business cards that I receive as memory joggers and follow-up reminders

8. I nurture my network with calls, notes, emails and gifts in a timely and appropriate manner

9. I graciously receive and accept acknowledgement and support

Manage yourself as a resource

10. My business card file is organized and up to date

11. I use my time management system effectively

12. I return phone calls and/or emails within 24 hours

Develop a personal networking approach

13. I am a member of professional organization(s), serve on a committee or volunteer in the community

14. I regularly give referrals to and make request of my work

15. I operate with integrity and professionalism in all my interactions and endeavors

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

All done?

then, now you can check how good your network is/how good you are as a networker.

65-75: powerful

55-64: effective

45-54:resourceful

30-44: branch out

20-29: timid

below 20: long ranger

I've got 66, which is powerful!!!!!

Okay, but this is not just about the score. This test points out some practical tips as well as A Practical Guide to Social Networks*** published by Harvard Business Review.  

With thinking reversely from the test, if I do these, my network will be improved.

• think of myself, what I've done, and what I've pursued in order to know the values, principles, and my goals
  
• come talk to new people first
  
• remember people's name/profession/etc
  
• communicate and interact with people afterwards
  
• get involved in the group or community
  

This is more practical to me to build good networks.  I'd better start to elaborate my network with these principles instead of trying to make new friends as much as possible, which I do usually. 

* Rob Cross, Nitin Nohria, and Andrew Parker, Six Myths About Informal Networks - and How To Overcome Them Published by MIT Sloan Management Review, Spring 2002

** Adapted from Power Networking 59 Secrets for Personal & Professional Success by Donna Fisher & Sandy Vilas. Copyright 2002

*** Rob Cross, Jeanne Liedtka, and Leigh Weiss, A Practical Guide to Social Networks published by Harvard Business Review, May 2005

Social Capital

The evaluation of human in the organization has been evolved from labor through human resources to human capital.  Since the human capital has been valued, the relationships of them have been studied 
by many people such as Rob Cross and Laurence Prusak, 
the authors of  "The People Who Make Organizations Go-or Stop" at Harvard Business Review in 2002.  Now, the networking among people is not just a relationship or a network, it is the social capital.

They distinguish types in social capital based on the role in the organization: central connectors, spotting boundary spanner, information broker, peripheral specialists.  In their review, they all value these four types of people high with mentioning possible problems.

Anyhow, how it works?
"Saguaro about Social Capital"  (http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/saguaro/primer.htm) says that works in many ways: information flow, norma of reciprocity, collective actions, broader identity and solidarity.
Almost every action and every reaction of one entity is relevant to social capital.  

Then, among four types, who is the most wanted?
- central connectors links people inside the group, so organizations would need them
- boundary spanner connects other part of the organization, so orgs would  need them, too
- information broker communicate across the sub groups, so orgs want them as well
- also, peripheral specialists are specialized expertises, of course, orgs need them.
Then, all are needed for organizations. It differs from one's personality and specialization.


So far, it seems that many expertises tried so hard to find ways to make organization more efficient and effective.  They are even caring so much about informal network.  But all these studies took the management viewpoint from the organization.

Even informal network has been used by organization management.  And it seems that employers judge their ability or value through identifying each social capital and the role inside (they sometimes give intensives or higher salaries for some people because of their role in the org).  Therefore, we can't just neglect the role of informal network.

Then, what do we do for a successful social network??
From the member of the organization's point of view, how we could make OUR organization better?

In my opinion, it is all about leadership.  Leadership is not just for the leader.  The one's own way of working with pride in their work gives one leadership.  Sometimes leadership is followed by the pride and confidence.  Leadership is about being independence and communicating with people at the same time.  
There will be better answerS for this "what do we do for a successful social network?"


Although I also value the social network, today's  lives are so intense.  
We can't just let it go...