Leading Change in the Age of Social Media

The advent of social media has unarguably raised the level of communication whether you use it through professional or personal channels. While we capitalize on all the benefits of social media in order to acquire new customers, spread promotional materials, solicit suggestions, or raise awareness about pertinent social issues, it is also important to understand how social media can skew reality. The ubiquity and popularity of social media has not just changed how we communicate but how we interpret the world around us. Many editorials have since been written lamenting the attention seeking yet attention deficit millennial generation that are being bred from this technology. As a Continuous Improvement specialist or Change Agent, it is crucial to understand how modern communication systems such as social media interactions impact the culture of change and acceptance. 

Social Media is a modern day conundrum. It is both public yet insular. It is expansive yet tribal. Due to the unique nature of this communication, two interesting phenomenons are known to occur:

1. Spiral of Silence - This is the theory that stipulates that in mass communication channels, individuals may forego voicing their opinions if they feel that they will be excluded, isolated or neglected. It's harder to break the ice when you feel like you may be inciting a mob or waking a sleeping giant. 
   Similarly, an individual in a large group/corporation that does not have a culture of change may feel the same pressure to conform to the status quo, much like groupthink. 
    
2. Echo Chamber - As people seek out and generally associate with like minded individuals, an echo chamber occurs when these closed off systems become places where thoughts are amplified, reinforced, and repeated even if they are false. In this system, contrary thoughts are either underrepresented, censored, or discouraged.  
   Similarly, this could occur when teams work in silos and no cross functionally or collaboratively. The wrong or ineffective idea could propagate without adequate scrutiny.

Although social media is responsible for the rapid and overwhelmingly positive changes in recent history, whether it be social acceptance of the LGBT community or the Arab Spring civil uprisings, these two phenomenons working in tandem can work against change or drive negative change. In order to combat this tendency, a Change Agent should be sympathetic to the views of those who will be affected by change. 

Thankfully, communicating offline and in the real world is sometimes more effective in soliciting true responses. Real change is better resolved when contrary and off the wall opinions are encouraged. This highlights the importance of maintaining interpersonal relationships in place of electronic communications.