Julie's Conferences

Julie's Conferences

Julie Spokus  //  Long-time technical trainer who tries really hard to decode geek-speak for the non-techie. Loves (in no particular order) all things Apple, SharePoint, Social Media, and technical gadgets.

Working on second Master's degree from UVA in Management of IT. This Posterous is dedicated to all of my classmates in C'Ville and NOVA.

 
Nov 11 / 2:47pm

#dl09-207 Case Study of Micro-blogging for Learning at Qualcomm session notes

Did a "marketing" campaign for their Enterprise 2.0 rollout. 
 
Qualcomm is usingWordPress, Yammer, Qwiki, Qmark, go/, QForum.
 
Why micro-blogging? 
A good way to get quick answers to questions.
A good way to get people throughout a company (regardless of where they may be located) to collaborate.
A way for people who don't know each other to meet and share common interests.
A way to promote your training classes/sessions. 
A way to send out information after the training event.
It can be a virtual water cooler.
Micro-blogging is a great way to send a quick message to many people.
 
Questions:  Does micro-blogging really count as learning?
Bershin & Associates Research Bulletin, 2009, Vol. 4, Issue 36
 
How to implement:
Find a sponsor and get buy-in
Think about:  budget, internal vs external, gather requirements (include other departments), and do some research/investigate vendors.
 
Qualcomm chose Yammer because how accessible it is on various mobile devices, browsers, and other social media apps.
 
Challenges:
  • Some people just won't get it.  And that's ok.
  • Remain objective.  Don't evangelize too much.
  • Legal challenges/intellectual property issues may arise.
  • Electronic media policies may need to be updated.
  • Remember that the success of these systems isn't always based on numeric data.
  • Keep security in mind.
 
How is this different from IM?  It is a quick message to one person where micro-blogging is quick message to many.  Plus you can't see any trends in IMs.
 
Qualcomm has had zero incidents with their Yammer account.
 
Tips for a Successful Implementation
  • Begin with a grassroots approach.
  • Hold informal training sessions.
  • Find a vocal group of beta testers.
  • Don't set strict rules.
  • Constantly monitor user feedback and make changes as needed.
  • Communicate the "story" of micro-blogging
  • Use micro-blogging as a back channel during training.
  • Contests, quizzes, giveaways, sneak peeks.
  • Partner with internal departments.
Top Uses of Micro-blogging at Qualcomm
  • Connecting
  • Community Building
  • Bridging silos and distances
  • Continuous status updates
  • Real time chat
  • Industry research and news
  • Internal marketing
  • Increase sphere of influence
Use hashtags so people can search for specific topics.  Qualcomm has someone who posts management tips and uses a hashtag so they are easily searched.
 
BJ and John are showing a lot of great ways to use Yammer as listed above.
 
Measurement:
What's the ROI of a 24/7 fully-networked, 100% connected workforce?
 
Unexpected Benefits
  • Knowledge Experts/SMEs emerged
  • Brought groups together over common topics
  • Bridged silos
  • Led to the update of official eMedia policy
 
Moral of Story
  • Partner, partner, partner
  • Educate, educate, educate
  • Succeed or fail cheap and fast
  • Provide an Enterprise 2.0 alternative or people will find an unauthorized way
  • Micro-blogging is changing the way Qualcomm learns, works, develops products

Awesome presentation!  A lot of great take aways that can be implemented the moment I get back!