Methods for Building Relationships and Trust: Reflections from Chapters 5 and 6

Chapter 5 offers a lot of information about ways that an organization can open up and foster beneficial relationships. It is noted that listening is the foundation for success in any organization when building relationships is the goal. I thought the authors made an excellent point when they said that an organization should never talk at their audience. Instead, it is important to get on the level of audience members and find out their individual questions, interests, and concerns. By doing this, trust is instilled in the organization and its fan base is sustained and even increased in size. Today, one of the best ways that companies and organizations can listen to their audiences is via social media. Virtually all major companies are utilizing outlets like Facebook and Twitter to promote their products and services to consumers.This is due in part to the fact that it is inexpensive advertising and can reach out to massive amounts of people at once. By "liking," or "following" these organizations on social media outlets, friends of friends and followers of followers will also see activity associated with supporting various pages and thus, increase supporters and consumers. It's a genius idea, especially considering social media is clearly not going anywhere.

Engaging the public can also have a positive effect for organizations online. I think it relates to virutally any kind of leader-follower scenario in that by making followers feel included, loyalty to a company/organization/product will flourish. It is also a great way for organizations to say thanks to their supporters, which is also a nice touch. There are a number of businesses I can think of in Clemson alone that engage their supporters via social media. This includes everything from fast food restaurants to retail stores. They offer specials or encourage feedback from customers about topics as simple as what they did over the weekend. Criticism is also accepted and harped on so as to improve products or services. I think by creating this sense of involvement, companies increase their success.

Chapter 6 discusses the need for nonprofit organizations to have transparency. According to the text, this involves, "engaging more honestly and openly with the networked world." This includes the three categories of transparency that nonprofits can be categorized as:

• Fortress: Very exclusive; build walls to keep "invaders" out. Self-protection to insure that secrets are kept. Very much an "us vs. them" mentality. This is not a good mindset to have because it leads to paranoia within the group, which can ultimately be detrimental to the organization itself.
• Transactional: provide services to the public, selected by the public, based on cost. These individuals are continuously crunching numbers and making comparisons based on who attended what function or who donated x amount of money to an organization. This is not the only way in which the organization can function, but it should be known that transactions are the basis for prime focus in organizations that adopt this mode of transparency.
• Transparent: The opposite of a fortress; a "glass house" though there is still a wall present. These organizations are compared to sponges in the text because they are straightforward in their intentions and plans, people are allowed to come and go as they please, and members are enriched in the process.

By inhibiting more transparency within, an organization can break down those walls that may discourage increased support from the outside world. This can in turn increase revenues collected and information posted by individuals everywhere. One quote I really liked from this chapter was on page 83: "The future of an organization has to be as transparent as the past." This pertains to planning for future methods of success such as reaching out to more people. It also relates to learning from the past-what worked and what didnt, and what new ideas could be utilized to increase the success of the organization

Just for Giggles...

Also, I wanted to add this little gem since we have discussed apprehension towards Facebook. My mother complains all the time that Facebook is too complicated for her because of its ever-changing nature. That's why I deemed this appropriate to the topic:

Enjoy!

Social Culture & The Dragonfly Effect

Chapter 4 of the text pertains to the transformation that many organizations make towards the status of a social culture. This is a shift that takes a great deal of patience and practice to perfect. This phenomenon is revolutionary in that it views values and operations of organizations in a whole new light. Page 43 of the book lists these characteristics as those that define social culture organizations:

• Social Media is used to engage in 2-way conversations about the work of the organization with people inside and outside the organization.
• Mistakes are embraced rather than dwelled on. Risks-no matter how calculated-are taken.
• Learning and reflection are rewarded.
• A "try it and fix it as we go" mentality is utilized - emphasizes failing fast.
• Overcome organizational inertia ("We've always done it this way" through open and robust discussions
• Understand/appreciate that informality and individuality to not indicate a lack of caring, professionalism, or quality.
• Trust staff members to make decisions/respond to situations rapidly, rather than attempt check-off and approval processes that take up precious time.

I think these aspects are an effective and rational way to approach the logistics of nonprofit organizations. I think it pertains especially to the rising generation of individuals (our generation, to be exact) that will be heading said organizations in the near future. My particular favorite characteristic from the list above is the fifth bullet point (overcome the "we've always done it this way" mentality). I can relate this to a plethora of different situations. In a leadership seminar class I took last spring, we examined this notion in regards to effective leadership. It has become absolutely necessary for members of organizations not to get stuck in routine practices that are outdated and useless. It is also crucial for these members to engage in "open and robust" discussions. This causes morale of the group to be high, a feeling of involvement amongst members, and a greater likelihood for creative thinking to be brought to the table. As the book also illustrates beginning on page 47, change for an existing organization is never easy. Many organizations can get hung up on the thought of potentially losing control, or "vertigo." I thought of Sara's example in class when she told us about the difficulties she faced trying to introduce social media to the company. This may have been due to a fear of looking unprofessional. For example, MANY Facebook users do not uphold their most endearing qualities when posting on their or others' pages. I think that these are the aspects of Facebook and Twitter that have given social media bad reputation amongst organizations, leading to a hesitance to use them. However, I also think that as the Millineal generation moves into the forefront, these apprehensions will subside because it is obvious that the rise of social media has only just begun.

We also discussed The Dragonfly Effect in class. This is a novel that explores the use of social media and how it can lead to social change. What I found fascinating about the naming of the book was that it relates to the anatomical features of an actual dragonfly; all four wings can move separately to maneuver its body in different ways. I thought it was really unique that the authors used this analogy to relate the model of the book itself:

These are all crucial aspects of social media practices, and if used correctly, have been proven to propel an organization in to the spotlight of an online presence. These are the methods that we have utilized with Safe Harbor, as well as other organizations we have encountered while interns or employees at a variety of companies/businesses. By mastering these core skills now, I think we will be much more effective at directing our knowledge of social media towards public relations related fields.

Social Networks for Networked Nonprofits

The information in the reading from chapter 3 focuses primarily on defining social networks and how they pertain to/make up a networked nonprofit organization. According to the book, the main social networks of focus are:

• Personal (family, friends, neighbors, congregants, hobbyists)
• Professional (colleagues, individuals who work at collegial agencies, funders, government agencies, associations, etc.)
• Self-organized (Facebook friends, Twitter followers, etc.)
• Networks of People (created by specific nonprofit organizations: members chosen from databases and are connected via online social networks, websites, etc.)

Prior to reading this chapter, I was not fully aware of the different dynamics of social networks. I think it is much easier to understand when applied to a real-life situation, so I compared the factors that make up social networks (nodes and ties) to the building blocks of our class projects with Safe Harbor.

• Hubs: "The larger nodes within networks; the people or organizations that have lots of connections." Aka: Julie and the rest of the staff at Safe Harbor. Each staff member would be able to help us out with establishing connections in the upstate to sponsor or support our projects/events. They also have provided us with a plethora of information and educational materials to use at events.
• Core: "the inner cluster of people who do most of the work on any project or effort." Aka: each particular group that is planning and executing a project. There was the Homecoming group, the Guest Speaker group, and now the remaining groups' projects to be carried out over the course of the rest of the semester.
• Clusters: "groups of people who are connected to one another, but who have few connections to the rest of the network." An example of a cluster that comes to my mind would be the different individuals working in the College of Architecture, Art & Humanities that all aided in spreading the word about our Homecoming project. There were a number of individuals within that college that worked to get our press release out, and include information about the event on the college's website. They would be considered colleagues because they probably all work somewhat closely together on a day to day basis. However, they are not particularly close with our class. They just aided in our project process.

I think by understanding each of these factors in a way that relates to our class projects, we can more clearly understand how vital they are to impacting the success of our endeavors.

Networked Nonprofits: A Definition + Challenges & Trends

Based on the reading, Surfrider is defined as a Networked Nonprofit because it is more like a social network than a "tradtional stand-alone organization." I thoroughly enjoyed the comparison of surfers and other ocean enthusiasts to unherded cats. As we have seen with the other text (SCfN), a major aspect of networking nonprofit organizations stems from the social media revolution. By utilizing mediums such as blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, the organization is able to reach out to-and obtain support from-a more diverse demographic of people who share similar interests. The characteristics of a Networked Nonprofit is different from our experience with Safe Harbor in several ways:

• Safe Harbor and other organizations like it have a slightly more firm grasp on their logos/brandings, messages/messengers, and services offered than that of a NN. For example, with our class projects (Homecoming, guest speaker, Chick-fil-A fundraiser, etc.) projects, it was necessary for us to go through both Claiborne and Julie to get the ultimate approvals for our ideas.
• Though Safe Harbor is getting more fans/followers on their Facebook/Twitter pages everyday, they still have a long way to go before they are on the social networking status of a NN. In fact, NN's typically utilize social mediums to accomplish most of their communication amongst supporters or members, where as Safe Harbor raises awareness primarily through educational seminars/speeches/tools.

Part of our job(s) with the class projects is to help raise awareness for domestic violence to our peers, as well as the programs offered by Safe Harbor. Because our generation constitutes a large majority of those using social media, one of the primary objectives of each group is to raise awareness via social mediums. On Twitter, Safe Harbor is now up to 283 followers and on Facebook, 659 fans. We are well on our way to accomplishing the numbers we originally set out to reach, but I believe by inhabiting several practices of Networked Nonprofits, we could go above and beyond our original goals.

The second chapter of the text focuses on challenges and trends amongst Networked Nonprofits, both of which I found fascinating. The unfortunate effect of our economic recession on organizations is an issue that almost all nonprofits face at some point or another, forcing them to either downsize or shut down completely. There are other aspects that lead to the success-or not-of NN's, such as the presence of Millennials and Free Agents. This reading was my first interaction with the idea of a Millennial, which is comparable to the Baby Boomer generation. I found this section particularly interesting because my mom is a Baby Boomer and I would be considered a Millenial, so it was cool to see the comparison of the two generations and the effects each had/has on society. Going back to the social media revolution, Millennials are considered "digital natives," in that we were brought up with ever-increasing amounts of technology being thrown at us. We are far more adaptable to the introduction of new mediums through which to communicate, Facebook and Twitter being a prime example. Therefore, my generation will utilize a variety of different mediums through which to promote an organization, which ultimately changes up the scope of nonprofits as a whole. Another aspect of Millennials that was interesting was the fluid nature of support for a cause/organization. Thus enters a problem for Networked Nonprofits in that they must constantly mold and reshape into an appealing factor for consumers to gain their support.

In contrast, Free Agents might be considred allies for NN's in that they are capable of attracting large groups of individuals and getting news/questions/etc. to mass amounts of consumers. However there is also a list of "rules of engagement" necessary to follow when working with free agents. Some of these include becoming familiar with FA's, or those using Facebook, Twitter, or writing blogs. Though not entirely related, I can't help but think of the PR blunder that took place with The Bloggess that Claiborne showed us in class...

Selecting Spokespeople/The Power of Partnerships

The information found in Chapter 9 pertains to selecting and training spokespeople for a given organization. I'm sure we could all think of an organization that utilizes celebrity sponsorships to appeal to mass amounts of the public. However, this option can be tricky due to famous figures having their own agenda, being involved in a scandal, or making outrageous demands of the organization in return for their cooperation. One of the first examples that came to mind was the infamous Kanye West rant during a Hurricane Katrina relief telethon..

Clearly, Kanye had his own agenda by participating in the Red Cross event, and one might argue that he even distracted viewers from the real reason why they were watching/participating in the organization's fundraiser because of his inappropriate statement that "George Bush does not care about black people." I just feel bad for poor Mike Myers.

Aside from having a positive supporter from the outside, it is also crucial to select a member from within the organization that will be an effective communicator in the spotlight of the media. According to the text, this involves a person who is willing-and has the time-to meet with media in the form of answering questions and doing press interviews. He or she must also be able to stand their own and deliver a positive image on TV, radio, or in print. Taking lessons in this area is encouraged, and can be done in a number of ways from pro bono coaching to setting up mock television/radio interviews. I liked that the reading compares this position to someone interested in learning to play soccer or golf... the training and lessons are necessary!

Chapter 10 focuses  on the concept of partnerships/collaborations amongst nonprofit organizations. Due to the ever-growing presence of social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and more.. it is almost a necessity for organizations to partner up in order to stand out from all of the other "contending interests" present. I think this idea would be beneficial for the causes held by these organizations in that by partnering, they ideally be able to reach out to more demographic than one. In a way, our class could be considered to be in a "collaboration" with Safe Harbor because we are planning an executing several projects through the course of the semester that will better allow us to promote domestic violence awareness on Clemson's campus. For the Homecoming project, it was necessary for my group to check in with Julie and Claiborne to make sure we were communicating the right messages to the public. That brings me to my next point about the text that involves internal communications within partnerships. I believe that communication amongst organizations is vital to the partnership they share. Memos were a suggested method of updating those involved. Utilizing an online marketing program to keep members informed on upcoming events, meetings, etc. can also be helpful and isn't time consuming. Keeping those invovled within a particular organization is also key so that members do not feel disconnected from what is happening. This is a point that has been stressed in most of the classes I have taken at Clemson; from interpersonal communication to leadership seminars, and it holds true with most other aspects of life as well.

Media Coverage is Key

Much of the information found in Chapter 7 is reminiscent of that found in Chapter 5. Forming relationships with those individuals who make up the media is a crucial step in promoting any organization to the public. By having familiarity with local reporters, one has a multitude of promotional opportunities at their fingertips. For the Homecoming project, my group had a very short window of time in which to accomplish our tasks, including getting our press release sent out to the media in time for it to be featured in various publications. Because of my internship from the previous summer, I already  had a pretty solid media list and was acquainted with many of the reporters on it. Therefore, in a time when I needed a press release sent out quickly, those contacts were willing to help out. I'm not saying that if I had not known them on a professional basis that they would not have assisted me, but I definitely believe that those relationships helped push our case. The Seneca Journal's LaDonna Beeker is currently workingn on a piece that focuses on Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so I also plan to follow up with her and send her pictures and any other info from the success of our project to include in her report. I feel confident that these individuals would also help our class out with the remaining group projects of the semester.

Here is a page featured on the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities news reel. Though not necessarily press-related, the story was still able to reach a large number of students and faculty at Clemson University by being listed on the website.

Another aspect from this chapter that struck home with me was the maintenance of press lists. This was also one of the many tasks I had as an intern over the summer, and I quickly learned how important it is to have an up-to-date list of media contacts. We primarily used an Excel sheet organized alphabetically and pertaining to what type of media (newspapers/newsletters, radio stations, social media, blogs, and so on). Specifically, the reading focuses on blogs, which is unique in that by following one blog,  there are tons of opportunities for reaching out to other individuals (blogrolls that may introduce other bloggers relevant to the organization at hand). We also utilized an online marketing tool called Vertical Response. This software not only allowed us to send eBlasts to mass groups promoting upcoming events or Chamber activities, but it also maintained a very well-organized member list of who was receiving our news.

Finally, I recently read an article on PR Daily titled, "Alternatives to sending a press release." I thought it was very interesting in that the author explores more creative ways to get news to reporters who may not necessarily want-or have time to-read through a million press releases a day. One of these included a pitch email that utilized bullet points to make the information simple, to the point, and easy for the receiver to copy/paste/release to the public. Here is the article.