How internal social networks boost workplace innovation

used with permission from MSFT for Work

Your business may already be tapping into social networks to analyze data and make real-time adjustments. But it's time to turn the tables and bring the same people-powered network to your office. While the issue raises productivity concerns—will employees spend more time socializing than doing work—social tools are actually shown to increase output. Businesses applying this trend to their work environments are finding that working like a network spurs more creative thinking, idea-sharing, and ultimately, business innovation.

Transparency across departments

You may not need, or want, to know everything that's going on in your business, but having the information readily accessible for employees companywide can bring about collaboration and help avoid duplicated work efforts. It's about moving away from silos and thinking in terms of systems. This means that while your business will probably continue to have individual teams, each team needs to open itself up to collaboration with other teams as a way to advance business goals instead of department goals.
In doing this, your business can promote more information discovery and delivery. Employees at all levels of the organization can discuss ideas, share information, ask questions, and provide updates. Your business is full of experts in various areas, and social channels are another way for employees to share skills, knowledge, and learn—about each other and what's going on in the business. Having a place to collect this information can also give your business a better understanding of how employees across different departments approach problems or look at a situation. It can help teams develop better ways to communicate and work together for a common cause.

Adapt to employee needs

You're listening to your customers (or at least you should be), but are you engaging in social conversation with your employees? Internal social channels can provide a place for employees to get information and stay in the loop. They also provide a place for ideas and feedback. Giving a voice to employees allows them to be heard, especially if you can incorporate the feedback into real-time changes, or resolve conflicts before they arise. This can help you meet their changing needs and ensure that top talent stays with your organization. When employees feel more connected to your organization, they can better understand its business goals and direction.

Grow business faster

Social, collaboration, and communication tools give your employees the power to get work done anywhere, on any device. Instant messaging tools can connect colleagues for immediate answers, while sharing documents lets workers collaborate in real time on projects. Giving employees a place to voice seemingly crazy ideas can, in the end, help your business capitalize on new opportunities and deliver better customer experiences. As long as you have policies in place for internal and external social media, your organization can expect the same high level of work, while raising the bar for innovation.
And remember: Implementing social solutions doesn't have to be complicated. You can seamlessly weave tools, such as Yammer and Office 365, into how you and your employees already work. Check out how these cloud-based applications and others are already helping businesses connect to colleagues and easily share information across teams.