The NOW Revolution E-Book

Jay Baer

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 299

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

The social web has changed the way we do business forever The future of your company is not in measured, considered responses and carefully planned initiatives. Business today is about near-instantaneous response. About doing the best you can with extremely limited information. About every customer being a reporter, and every reporter being a customer. About winning and losing customers in real-time, every second of every day. About a monumental increase in the findable commentary about our companies. Having the time and information required to make a considered business decision is a luxury - a luxury that's quickly facing extinction. Yet business hasn't adapted to this evolution. And adapt you must. This book isn't about how to "do" social media. Instead, The Now Revolution outlines how you must retool your organization to make real-time business work for you rather than against you. Read about seven shifts that will help you make your company faster, smarter, and more social: * Engineer a New Bedrock * Find Talent You Can Trust * Organize your Armies * Answer the New Telephone * Emphasize Response-Ability * Build a Fire Extinguisher * Make a Calculator The Now Revolution is pushing you to adapt the way you do business, from the inside out. It impacts your organization culturally, operationally, and functionally. This book is your guide to making the changes you need, and to harnessing the potential of this new communication era.

Leseprobe

Contents

Cover

Praise for The Now Revolution

Title Page

Copyright

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Welcome to the Now Revolution

Get More Than You Bargained For

Chapter 1: Engineer a New Bedrock

What You're Made Of: Harnessing Intent

We, The People

Ritz-Carlton's Culture in Action

Real-Time Leadership

5 Attributes of a Healthy Real-Time Culture

Shields Up: Cultural Roadblocks to Social Media

Assessing Your Company Culture

Righting the Ship: Guiding Culture Shift and Adaptation

Getting It Done: Engineering a New Bedrock

Chapter 2: Find Talent You Can Trust

A Purposeful Team

A New Approach to Hiring

Personal Characteristics and Traits

Skill Sets: The Rise of the Generalist

Connected Talent and Mutual Value

The New Organizational Chart of Now

A Note on Butts in Seats

Immersion and Education

Motivation

So Long, Farewell: Preparing for Departures

Getting There: Finding Talent You Can Trust

Chapter 3: Organize Your Armies

So, Who Owns This Stuff?

Staying Flexible

The Game Plan: Building Integrated Social Media Teams

Broadening Your Horizons

Build Your Unofficial Marketing Team

Establishing Social Media Guidelines

Where Does Our Agency Fit?

Social Media Training and Optimization

Getting There: Organizing Your Armies

Chapter 4: Answer the New Telephone

The Social Phone is Ringing

What We Mean by Listening

Opening a Channel

Listening Intersections

Listening Models

Getting There: Answering the New Telephone

Chapter 5: Emphasize Response-Ability

Follow the Humanization Highway

Be Tools Agnostic

Internal Social Media: Pulling on the Same Rope

Fueling the Engine: How You Engage

Faster! When You Engage

The Opportunity Economy: Why You Engage

Getting There: Emphasizing Response-Ability

Chapter 6: Build a Fire Extinguisher

A Mountain Out of a Mole Hill

The Importance of Life Preservers

Social Media Crisis Management: Eight Components to Recovery

Getting There: Build a Fire Extinguisher

Chapter 7: Make a Calculator

One Equals One

Measure Ability

Caution, Paradox Ahead

Goals First, KPI Second

Create Awareness

Drive Sales

Build Loyalty

Less Is More

The ROI Quandary

Communicating Results

You Don't Make a Scrapbook out of Data

Getting There: Making a Calculator

Where Do We Go from Here?

New Bedrock

Talent You Can Trust

Organized Armies

The New Telephone

Response-Ability

Fire Extinguishers

Calculators

Possibility Awaits

Index

Praise for The Now Revolution

“The revolution is inside, not just out. This book makes it perfectly clear that social media is not a substitute for TV or PR. Instead, it demands that you change who you are and what you do, not how you talk about it.”

—Seth Godin, author of Meatball Sundae

“Jay and Amber have penned a book that truly isn't a social media book. In other words, this isn't the book you pick up when you want to create a blog or Twitter feed or Facebook group; rather, this is the book to read when you need to understand how our newly social and connected world has disrupted business as usual.”

—Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs

“The real time revolution is happening all around you whether you choose to join or not. My advice, devour this guide to the revolution and get in the game—NOW!”

—John Jantsch, author ofDuct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine

“Action. I no longer read a business book like this seeking thoughts and ideas. I read them to get actionable bits I can employ immediately. ‘Now’ is staring all businesses in the face. It doesn't matter whether you want to join the conversation. They're already shouting for you (or AT you). Get this book and heed Baer and Naslund's advice. Now.”

—Chris Brogan, President, Human Business Works

“This book should be read by every person who thinks social media is merely a new tactic for generating clicks and sales. Baer and Naslund make the case that changes in our world don't just suggest ways our communication or marketing strategies must be altered but instead require transformation of the enterprise. This isn't just an inspirational book but a practical one.”

—Augie Ray, Senior Analyst, Forrester, Inc.

“Jay and Amber have gone from two of the best bloggers in the business, to co-authors of one of the best books for business. The question isn't ‘if’ you should read this, but ‘when.’ And the answer is in the title.”

—Scott Stratten, best-selling author of UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging.

“Social media has caused a paradigm shift in how we function and do business on the planet, yet so many companies are still stuck in the old media world and are getting left behind. The Now Revolution is the missing handbook for exactly how to successfully navigate and integrate the new media paradigm. Packed with examples, tools, checklists, case studies and best practices, this book absolutely must be on the desk of every executive serious about thriving in the new social economy.”

—Mari Smith, author of Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day and The Relationship Age

“Business leaders must embrace the real-time Web to compete for the moment and for the future. In The Now Revolution, Baer and Naslund show them the way.”

—Brian Solis, author of Engage: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success in the New Web

“Jay and Amber have written a book that everyone from the janitor up to the CEO should read. If you don't think social media is changing (or has changed) corporate culture, you have been living with your head in the sand. Well, now what? What are you supposed to do about it? How are you going to change things in a world that has already been changed? Thankfully, The Now Revolution is here. Don't read this book. Devour it. Then, once you're done, study it, keep it and share it. The revolution is now. What are you going to do about it?”

—Mitch Joel, President of Twist Image and author of Six Pixels of Separation

“Finally! A book on social media that delivers the perfect mix of philosophical underpinnings to guide your thinking and practical insights you can immediately put to use. Whether you are just getting started in social marketing, or you are looking to elevate your organization's online engagement efforts, The Now Revolution is your roadmap to a sound strategy. Jay and Amber are true social media and business marketing gurus, and their book is a goldmine for you and your company.”

—Petri Darby, APR, Director of Brand Marketing and Digital Strategy, Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America

“Never before have companies had the opportunity to either grow exponentially or fail spectacularly based on their ability to have real-time conversations about their brands. The Now Revolution is filled with specific, timely and relevant advice for positioning your company to thrive in the next decade. Ignore it at your own peril.”

—Pamela Slim, business coach and author of Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur

“With all of the latest platforms—blogs, social networks, microblogs, location-based services (not to mention dueling mobile devices)—taking center stage, it's easy to be lured by the luster of each. But rather than constantly chasing technology change, Amber and Jay make a great case for a significant culture change backed by definitive and measurable steps that will ground any business in the modern thinking that will withstand the fickle preferences of the digerati. If you follow these steps, your business will be well grounded for what's lurking around the corner.”

—Scott Monty, Global Digital and Multimedia Communications Manager, Ford Motor Company

“Real time is not a cliché. It's a not a buzzword. And it's not a fad. It's a mission critical, strategic imperative that every business is going to need to master in order to stand a chance of surviving and even thriving in an increasingly digital, connected and social world. Baer and Naslund are your guides to make this a reality.”

—Joseph Jaffe, author of Flip the Funnel, and Chief Interruptor at Powered, Inc.

“This book is different. It is filled with actionable tips instead of buzzwords, and it makes you work on your business instead of giving you platitudes. The Now Revolution is written by two smart, innovative minds who live the change they talk about. They know what works. This is the book you want.”

—Julien Smith, co-author of the New York Times best-seller Trust Agents

Copyright © 2011 by Convince & Convert, LLC. and Amber Naslund. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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ISBN 978-0-470-92327-6 (cloth); ISBN 978-1-118-00861-4 (ebk);

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Acknowledgments

Writing a book can be an isolating experience, but not if you have a co-author! The book you are holding was a true collaboration and would not and could not exist as a solo project. Each of us wrote almost precisely 50 percent of this book, and even though we are of one mind about The Now Revolution and its importance to business, we went to great lengths to make this book sound like it came from one voice. We have a high-stakes side bet to see if people can tell who wrote which chapters. Drop us a line at [email protected] if you have a guess.

We have been incredibly fortunate to have a team of relentlessly encouraging collaborators who helped us tackle this project and push The Now Revolution across the finish line. Thanks to Chris Sietsema from teachtofishdigital.com, whose illustrations and info-graphics add immeasurable depth and engagement to this book. Thanks to Jason Amunwa from jaffydesigns.com for his tireless assistance with the nowrevolutionbook.com web site. To Chris Bohnsack from bohnsackdesign.com for helping us break through on the look of the cover.

Also to Jim Hoff and Matt Ridings from techguerilla.com, Derrick Widmark from diabloburger.com, and Joyce Hollis from inmaricopa.com for their thoughtful advice on early versions of the manuscript.

To Scott Stratten from Un-Marketing.com for getting this ball rolling. To Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, friends and authors of Trust Agents, for their encouragement and patient answering of questions about co-authorship.

To all of the companies and professionals we profile. Your real-world examples and experiences make the principles in this book come alive. Thank you for being generous with your time and your knowledge.

Thank you to our amazing team at John Wiley & Sons: Elana Schulman, Deborah Schindlar, Kim Dayman, and, of course, the dynamo that is Shannon Vargo, who surprisingly continues to talk to us after we approached a world record for most stupid questions by first-time authors.

Enormous thanks also to Radian6 for providing Amber with the time and trust to create and promote this book and to all of Jay's clients at Convince & Convert, whose patience and enthusiasm made his participation possible.

And, of course, to our children, spouses, parents, family, and friends. We know how much you've had to sacrifice to make this book a reality. Your encouragement and belief in this project is, in large part, what made it possible. We can't ever repay you for your support and good humor. But the good news is it's almost over.

Until the next one.

We hope you enjoy The Now Revolution. We'd love to talk with you about it. Find us online at www.nowrevolutionbook.com or [email protected].

—Jay Baer & Amber Naslund

Introduction

For today's businessperson, possessing the time and information required to make sound product, pricing, operations, and customer service decisions is a luxury—a luxury that's facing extinction.

This book is about a business culture that has changed more in the past 3 years than in the prior 30 and what you must do as a consequence of that change.

The future of business is not in measured, scrutinized responses or carefully planned initiatives. Business will soon be about near-instantaneous response; about making the best decisions you can with the extremely limited information you have; about every customer being a reporter, and every reporter being a customer; about winning and losing customers in real time, every second of every day; and about a monumental increase in the availability of commentary about our companies. Business will be always on, always changing, always moving.

Welcome to the Now Revolution

This book is about the emerging reality of having to do business in a world that's increasingly immediate and synchronous. Social media, 24/7 news, and a globally interconnected world have banded together like a hyperactive street gang to reduce our decision-making cycle to the point where it often wholly evaporates. But yet, faced with a new world that requires our companies and organizations to be faster and more nimble, we've made few changes to the way we organize and operate to meet that challenge.

This book gives you the playbook for making those changes, and for reexamining and retooling your company or organization to make real-time business work for you, rather than against you.

The seven shifts for real-time business are:

1. Engineer a New Bedrock

2. Find Talent You Can Trust

3. Organize Your Armies

4. Answer the New Telephone

5. Emphasize Response-Ability

6. Build a Fire Extinguisher

7. Make a Calculator

Each chapter includes a detailed discussion, process recommendations, and case studies. The examples included are focused mostly on companies of modest size and means that have jumped on the motorcycle of real-time business and leapt over a bunch of buses in a casino parking lot. They're like Evel Knievel with a crystal ball—and no broken bones.

Are you ready to hit the throttle?

Get More Than You Bargained For

Throughout this book, you'll find these symbols. They are electronic gateways to supplemental material and examples included in the text. These codes are powered by Microsoft Tag technology; to read and use them, simplydownload the Tag application on any smartphone. (Go to http://gettag.mobi on your phone's browser or visit http://tag.microsoft.com/consumer/index.aspx on your computer and have a link to the application sent to your phone. Microsoft Tag is also available in most smartphone app stores). Or for this tag, go to http://www.nowrevolutionbook.com/tag1 to access this information.

Once you've downloaded Tag, just open the application, take a picture of the tag using your phone camera, and be immediately transported to the related information.

Use your camera to take a picture of the tag above to visit the official Facebook page for The Now Revolution.

The Death of Asynchronous Business

In the prior era of business, the one with rules and syncopations with which we are historically familiar and comfortable, the methods of customer-to-company interaction were well established and predictable. If a customer had a problem with a company, she would send a letter or an e-mail, or perhaps she would call a toll-free number. The company would hear the customer's complaint, consider its merits, and take an action in response. That action was often less than immediate. In the case of mailed complaint letters, receiving a response from a company in thirty days or more wasn't considered unusual or unresponsive. And all of these interactions took place in private.

Not anymore.

Customers are disrupting the timing, sequencing, and privacy of the interactions between companies and themselves. This reduces and in some cases eliminates the time businesses have to make decisions, and it makes customer attitudes and interactions viewable and findable.

If you had a problem with a hotel in which you stayed in 2000, you would probably visit the front desk and complain. Perhaps if you were truly irked, you would call the national phone number or send a letter to the corporate office.

Now, your ire is instant, public, and permanent.

A review on the travel guide web site TripAdvisor.com from user “Shawn3985789” is an example of this new dynamic. Shawn apparently had a less-than-ideal experience with the Budget Host Saga Motel in Flagstaff, Arizona. His review reads:

I think I can feel death creeping upon me as I write this.…It's SOOOOOO gross. Like something in a horror movie. I'm about to walk out to my car to get my own blankets because this bed is so gross I don't even want to imagine how many people are brought here to be murdered. DO NOT STAY HERE. My wife and I are gonna go get tested for HIV because of this bed.

also the Wi-Fi blows.

Ouch.

Although this review has its humorous elements (especially the fact that Shawn cares enough about Wi-Fi to put it on the same amenity level as HIV-free bedding), that humor would be quickly lost on the owners of the Budget Host Saga Motel, who—in the matter of just a few seconds via the mighty keyboard of Shawn3985789—have been led to the digital guillotine of the Now Revolution.

There are five distinct differences between how this issue could have been navigated by the Budget Host Saga Motel in the past and how it has to be handled today.

Verification

Had Shawn called or written a letter, he no doubt would have identified himself, giving the motel means of determining his customer history.

Now, Shawn3985789 identifies his location as “the road” on his TripAdvisor profile and provides no additional information. The only data point Budget Host Saga Motel has is the review date, which may or may not be when “Shawn” stayed in the hotel. He mentions in the review that he wrote it while at the hotel, but there is no proof of the accuracy of that assertion. Is this even a review from a real guest? Or, is it a competitor trying to sabotage the reputation of the motel (and doing a nifty job of it)?

The inability to verify information is one of the hallmarks of this revolution. You've heard of the “fog of war”? Welcome to the “fog of real-time business,” where you never have all the facts, just social media flotsam, sentence fragments, and tiny, out-of-focus photos.

Contemplation

The Budget Host Saga Motel has a grand total of zero seconds of contemplation. As soon as Shawn, the grossed-out patron, hits Enter, the review is live for all the world to see. And for every minute that ticks by without a response from the motel, people make purchase decisions and judge that business, sight unseen, based on a post from a stranger.

The Now Revolution washes away navel-gazing committee meetings and games of “what if.” “We're working on it” has been forever replaced by the need for response “right now.”

Coordination

The Now Revolution fundamentally changes the nature of coordination and teamwork. Coordination, “what do we do in this circumstance?” must now happen before and after the fact, not during the event. Your team members have to be able to make smart, appropriate decisions with little warning or hand-holding. In the past, different departments at the motel's home office might read a customer complaint letter and determine how to respond. The speed and nimbleness you need today doesn't leave much room for that kind of multilayered decision process.

Privacy

Real-time business—like every revolution preceding it—is almost entirely a public spectacle. There are no insignificant transactions any longer. Every customer can, if he or she chooses to do so, instantly advocate for your company or attack it, affecting perception and, potentially, profits.

The response-ability necessary to win and lose in real time requires companies to engage with customers and prospective customers out in the open, one blog comment, tweet, YouTube video, and “Seriously, you're not going to get HIV from our blankets” forum response at a time.

Expectations

In large measure, we've created our own Frankenstein's monster.

There was a time when you could only engage with a business face-to-face. If you were a colonial American and you bought some meat that happened to be rancid, your sole recourse was to hoof it down to Ye Olde Meat Shoppe for an exchange.

Then there came a time when you could put your grievance into writing and an intrepid middleman would deliver your letter to the appropriate person.

The invention of the telephone added a new method of communication, and soon you could express your problem in that format.

But eventually, that wasn't good or fast enough either. So we devised a system to send letters via computer, and the keyboard instantly became mightier than the sword.

And now, we can use the real-time web to interact with companies. Whether it's Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, discussion forums, or review sites, the mechanisms by which we can engage with companies have never been more numerous—or faster.

“Customers will stand in line for 15 or 20 minutes. They'll wait on hold for as long as 30 minutes. We expect an e-mail response within four hours. But send a tweet, and you expect a response in two minutes or less,” says Brandie Feuer, Vice President of Marketing and Innovation for Tropicana Las Vegas.

What changes have you made to meet that expectation?

Change Forces Response

Historical developments cause metamorphosis for business. If you were in the business of selling dicey meat, the invention of the telephone rocked your world.

The effort required to call and complain is significantly less than the effort required to walk back to the store. Our technological advances actually drive consumer participation. In the exact same way, social media has created yet another phase of increasing consumer interaction. It's a lot easier to tweet than it is to write a letter, or even an e-mail.

In our never-ending desire to better manage customer relationships, we have adopted every new communication method and, eventually, changed our companies in response. Many of the interaction mechanisms we view as routine today were strange and frightening when they first appeared. We didn't always have call centers. We didn't always have web sites. We didn't always have e-mail addresses. And now we do. In support of those systems, we've also fundamentally changed who we hire, how we organize them, how we communicate internally, and how we measure success.

Despite the initial confusion and trepidation brought upon by these changes, we've used each new technology to dramatically enhance our businesses’ ability to succeed, and delight customers while doing so. Each and every customer touchpoint is an opportunity to win hearts and minds and dollars and advocacy. Companies are better today because of the phone, and FedEx, and e-mail.

But we haven't adapted to the social web yet. That's why most of the angst and questions around this topic are related to resources and measurement. They are inquiries rooted in uncertainty, stemming from organizations that haven't made the next metamorphosis—the jump to real-time business.

Just like the transformational technologies that preceded it, this newest era of change is both a challenge to your company and an unprecedented opportunity to rewrite the rules, gain new customers, and deepen your relationships with current customers. You can navigate the world of real-time business. You can be part of this revolution instead of being victimized by it.

Activate Your Adaptation

The urgency you feel—that pressure to provide more, faster, now—is real. And chances are you already feel it knocking at your door, even if you're not the owner of that unfortunate motel. But what you really need to know is this:

What do you do about it?

Outfitting your business for the social web is critical, but it can also seem like a lot to tackle. And although you might be thinking about social media or working with it a bit already, you're also recognizing that it's more than just another marketing campaign or sales promotion. You're hearing it, seeing it, and feeling the ground shift under your feet. And you're savvy enough to know that you need to keep pace with what's happening around you.

The truth is that the Now Revolution is pushing us all to adapt the way we do business, from the inside out. It affects businesses culturally, operationally, functionally, and organizationally.

But this is also a time of unprecedented opportunity. A time when you and your business can harness the potential of the social web and a new era of communication. Reengineer a few things. Rebuild others. Rethink the way you define people and processes to make your business more agile and more responsive than ever. This opportunity is absolutely within your reach.

But you don't need a one-size-fits-all, step-by-step guide, because you know your business is different than everyone else's. You have the hammers, the nails, and even the glue. What you need are the blueprints, the fundamental models you can adapt and adopt.

There are seven areas of business that are changing, shifting, and evolving thanks to the new era of instantaneous business. This isn't a book about how to “do” social media. It's a book about how to engineer your business for and in response to what the Web has become.

You're part of the Now Revolution. Are you ready?

Shift 1

Engineer a New Bedrock

Successful adoption of a social web and participation strategy is rooted in business culture as much as it is business operations.

Your company culture consists of two key elements: your businesses’ underlying intent and the people you bring together to carry it out. Together, the people and the purpose of your organization intertwine to make up the core of what you do.

Today, there are more windows into your company's culture than ever before. Your intent is seen, heard, and felt by employees, prospective employees, customers, prospective customers, media, competitors, and more. The rise of the Internet makes it possible for people to know your culture, or at least guess at it, based on a stream of clues emanating from your business and your people.

A trusting, open-minded culture is one of the key factors in embracing and harnessing the potential of the social web.

What You're Made Of: Harnessing Intent

Having a great business or product to sell is important. But if you've truly got something of value to offer, the how and why you go about doing that are every bit as critical as the what.

What's your motivation for creating this product in the first place? How do you want people to feel when they do business with you? Ze Frank, an exuberant and creative speaker and thinker about marketing and culture, defines a brand as “the emotional aftertaste that's conjured up by, but not necessarily dependent on, a series of experiences.” It's a definition that is equally suitable for “brand” and “corporate culture.”

What aftertaste do you want to leave?

Your culture is one part about your passion, one part about your philosophy on how you treat people who are part of your business (that includes customers, employees, and vendors), and one part about the actions you take to prove it.

Consumers use word of mouth and social media to help ascertain the true intentions of companies, and then they decide whether those companies are worthy of support. That customers can gauge company intent, not just products and services, is a hallmark of the Now Revolution.

Yes, we're all in business to earn money of some kind. That's accepted by both business owners and consumers. The balancing act is in determining where profit falls in the spectrum of other objectives such as ethics, morality, service, sustainability, and so on. With consumers having access to more information than ever, how you balance your goals with the human and emotional sides of business becomes critically important.

Your culture is what you use as the guidepost for making those decisions.

We, The People

Your people have always been an important part of what makes your company successful. But now, your customers are paying extra attention to the whole of their experience with your business. And what they see—how they connect the dots between their experiences, perceptions, and the attitude of your employees—figures into their buying decisions. You need to equip every employee to be an ambassador, a representative, and an advocate in the very moment they need to be.

In an era of increasing business accountability and forthrightness, your ability to attract talent is crucial. A single terrific employee can literally change your business fortunes through unusually adept usage of social media. And the converse is also true.

Individually, employees want to work toward something that matters, in a company that welcomes and appreciates their contributions. They seek out environments that challenge them, invest in them, and encourage reward and recognition for good work. And most likely, they want to have a hand in your company's success.

Culture can be deeply philosophical, and it can even be downright uncomfortable for some people to discuss. But talking about your culture openly and allowing your employees to actively contribute to its creation and upkeep will help forge relationships and a sense of shared purpose that can bring out the best in your teams.

In a hyperconnected, relentlessly paced business environment, a healthy and strongly defined culture gives everyone in your organization common ground—that is, the ability to be an ambassador, a representative, and an advocate—and the confidence to do the right thing, fast.

Ritz-Carlton's Culture in Action

At Ritz-Carlton, every element of the business embodies their philosophy that employees, whom they refer to as Ladies and Gentlemen, are the brand. So the company invests heavily in making sure that those employees can deliver on their renowned promise for world-class customer service.

At each of the 75 hotels worldwide, the day starts with a roundup of the staff; at this meeting, they discuss the brand's core service values, recount sparkling customer service moments, or review recent challenges. And at Ritz-Carlton, when those complaints happen, the employee that receives it owns it through to its resolution. (They can always request assistance, but a guest will never be passed off to someone in “another department”).

Each employee can spend up to $2,000 on the spot to resolve any customer's situation. It's the hallmark of trusting people to do the right thing and infusing the organization's culture into every nook, cranny, and polished brass doorknob.

Ritz-Carlton has their intent in hand: Deliver an amazing guest experience in their hotels. And the people they've put in place not only want to deliver on that but are empowered and equipped to do so, no matter what their job. Culture for them isn't just an idea; it's baked right into their business.

The Ritz-Carlton Gold Standard. Take a picture of this tag with your smartphone to read more about Ritz-Carlton's culture and hear a podcast from the perspective of their Ladies and Gentlemen. Or go to http://www.nowrevolutionbook.com/tag2 to access this information.

Real-Time Leadership

Today's businesses require leadership with strength, fluidity, and resolve. Businesses that go to great lengths to delight their customers by mobilizing outstanding people have leadership presence, rather than leadership dominance. Those at the helm of successful businesses are pragmatic but not fearful, practical but not stubborn, adaptable but not wandering, nimble but not reactionary, open but not spineless, empathetic but not unprofessional. And above all, they are responsive.

Those with rank will participate in conversations to offer strategic perspective, approve decisions, or guide other employees based on the depth of their experience. But leadership can and should extend beyond the domain of management. Other individuals should be empowered to outline implications and strategies, assess risks, and chart the best course of action as well. It's a not-so-simple matter of leading through involvement, but not instruction, and trusting that the team you've assembled has enough collective experience, perspective, savvy, and commitment to the company's best interests to execute well.

Businesses must operate more nimbly and broadly than they've ever needed to before. They have to respond with confidence, fail quickly and learn from their missteps, motivate individuals, inspire teams, connect with customers, and demonstrate interest and compassion in their daily business endeavors. That's far too much responsibility to place on the shoulders of one strata of an organization.

The people among your ranks and the employees you've brought aboard should have the freedom and trust to help you evolve your business and infuse your intent in everything they do. And your leaders need to understand and embrace the difference between being a player and being a coach.

5 Attributes of a Healthy Real-Time Culture

What kind of culture excels in modern business? You might know it when you feel it, and you most certainly know it when it's not there. There are five cultural elements consistently found in businesses that are well primed to adapt to today's pace and attitudes online.

Solidarity

If you're a sole proprietor, the essence of your culture is likely contained within the heart and mind of a single person (you), which makes it easier to adjust and make the changes necessary to adapt to social media. In a small business with just a handful of folks, it might be a little more challenging, but it's simple enough to translate meaning from one person to another and find like minds that share a unified sense of purpose. It's also more common for all the members of smaller companies to have consistent contact with the founders, who probably established the initial cultural norms and still set the pace.

As scale increases, however, culture becomes harder to disseminate throughout an organization. The breadth and diversity of larger teams makes it harder to ensure that culture is clearly communicated, absorbed, and put into daily practice. The toughest leap for any growing business is the increase from 50 to 100 employees. Impromptu and ad hoc conversation gives way to process and procedure. Personal connections among people, and opportunities for the free exchange of ideas simply become harder to find. Shared mind-set that's easy to agree on among a few dozen people becomes foggier and more diluted.

Once you move beyond being a very small business, culture needs to find ambassadors throughout the company and take root not just at the center of the organization but in many independent hubs throughout. That's what makes a positive culture sustainable and scalable.

The single most important thing you can do to foster that solidarity is to actually define and articulate your culture with clarity. During discussion and conversation about the business's culture and personality, people decide whether or not they're on the bus, that is, whether they share your values. It's also the time when you can spot disconnects or potential disparities between people and practice.