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According to the Social Media in a Project Environment Survey, 75% of respondents believe social media tools can help manage your projects more effectively.
Project managers around the world are using Collaboration Tools to manage projects and lead teams, according to 2011 results. Social media was a hot topic in the last two years. This includes my book, Virtual Working Summit, as well as Bas de Baar’s work, which was also presented at the PMI EMEA Congress in Amsterdam. There is a lot of interest this year in social media tools for work.
Here are some trends
Comparing the survey results from 2010 and 2011. Many senior managers still do not see the value of using social media tools at work. Many workplaces now recognize the importance of tailoring communication channels to the needs and preferences of recipients. We need to adapt how we communicate with project members to ensure that we can communicate easily with them and that they understand what our actions are.
Podcasts are not enough to learn
Unexpectedly, podcasts and videos podcasts were among the most underused tools. When I was first starting in healthcare, I used to listen podcasts about healthcare on the commute to work. They helped me to quickly grasp the terminology and made me feel less dumb when I was asked questions. Many podcasts can help you manage projects, such as The PDUCast. This affiliate link is for your convenience.
If you haven’t, I highly recommend podcasts for professional development. Find one that interests you and get started. If you are a mentor or coach, you can use them to train your team.
More than 40% of people use tools informally
Alarmingly, 42% of those who claimed they weren’t authorized to use social networking tools at work actually do. This is an increase in social media use of 4% compared to last year.
IT managers and PMO staff must be aware of employees using social media tools at their workplace, regardless if they have been authorized. Software that isn’t authorized by the company could pose security risks. It is unlikely that it will be backed-up and the company may not have access to it. This could make it difficult to respond to audits and Data Protection Act subject access requests. If you are among the 42%, please contact IT! If you’re not sure if you can, please get in touch with us. I would love to know more about the reasons behind this result.
