We spend a lot of time talking and thinking about technology and social media in the office. Steve Jobs’ resignation sparked one of our lengthy theoretical conversations about social media – particularly why some companies are still reluctant to give their employees access to social media sites.
First, I think it’s important to mention that the social media uptake in South Africa differs from that of the Western world. A large part of the population has limited or no access to the Internet. A staggering 63% of South Africans still use dumb phones, with the Nokia Dinosaur at the top of the consumer list.
Speaking of dinosaurs, it’s a sad and shocking fact that most CEOs and other members of upper management in South Africa are predominately white, predominately male and predominately old.
Mr. CEO?
When my grandmother was a child, the most amazing technological advancement of her day was electricity. Being able to turn on a light was something magical. Compare this to the technological advancements of my mother’s day. While electric light and refrigeration didn’t exactly shock her, South Africa only got television in 1976. She was already married by the time the National Party decided that we’re also allowed to mindlessly stare at boxes like the rest of the world.
I was born in the eighties. By the time I was out of diapers I could use a tape player, a video machine and a microwave. I even got to mess around with LP players for a while before my parents replaced it with the infinitely magical and glorious CD player. I was still in primary school when my parents got our first PC – one of those big, white ones with the floppy drive. Oh, man! The Tetris I played!
I had a cellular phone by eleventh grade, which was a lot later than most of my peers. In the nine years since I left school (oh god! oh god! oh god!) I’ve had more phones than I care to remember. I have an iPod, an iPhone, a MacBook, an iPod docking station among other technological wonders. If there’s a new technological advancement, I want it. If there’s a new app, I want to know about it. One of my very own apps might even be in the making. (Watch this space.) Technology doesn’t scare me.
Now, let’s consider the differences in communication.
In my gran’s age, long-distance communication consisted of letters, telegraphs and phone calls through a central operating room. When my mom was my age, they had thankfully figured out how to make calls without involving the neighbourhood snoop. By the time I was four years old South Africa had Internet access. Sure, it took a while before it would be available to households, but by the time I got to high school I could send an email. I started using Facebook in my second year at varsity, I text, I MMS, I email. I have more social media accounts than anyone should have. I only ever write my gran, who lives in Schweizer-Reneke and can’t hear all that well. I’m not even too fond of phone calls.
My gran was convinced her electric blanket will be the death of her, my mother struggles with the concept of social media, my dad (who’s slightly older than my mom) only just figured out how to use email. If we consider that most people in upper management in South Africa share a socioeconomic history with my parents (which, let’s face it, they do), it’s not surprising that a lot of otherwise forward-thinking suits still haven’t caught on to the fact that social media can’t be ignored.
How to bridge the gap
This brings us to the difficult part of this somewhat longwinded blog. How do we convince terrified CEOs that social media is replacing email, just like emailed replaced faxes, just like faxes replaced letters, just like letters replaced carrier pigeons, just like carrier pigeons replaced smokes signals? Okay, I’ll stop now.
Sadly, I don’t think we do. I think it’s a waiting game that will end up doing a lot more harm than we anticipate. Employees will find a way to participate in social media. The nature of technology means Mr. CEO can control which websites his employees visit from the company network, but not from cellular phones and other nifty devices. Maybe someone should tell him his employees are blogging about the tedious status meeting and his horrible tie while he’s in the room. He’s the only one who’s not in on the joke.
His competition, his customers, his friends, his employees and their friends are all talking about his company, and he has no control over what they’re saying. It comes down to simple public relations. If there’s an issue, which you’re not addressing it will become a problem. The fact that you don’t understand social media won’t get you a pardon.
By the time the old guard kicks it, the damage would have been done. I’m not sure how easy it will be to recover from it.
Peace,
Kris
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