You can download a .pdf of my entire study here: http://www.pm4girls.elizabeth-harrin.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/SocialMediaSurveyResults.pdf

The question I asked to get that answer was: “I think that social media and enterprise collaboration tools are a key issue for project managers in 2010.” 70 people strongly agreed, 90 agreed, 38 were neutral, 17 disagreed and 5 strongly disagreed.

So I would argue that the assessment of the survey results was correct! What I think you are suggesting is that social media and enterprise collaboration tools should never have been bundled together. Enterprise collaboration tools do incorporate social media features and I think this is a trend that will continue. I was more interested in establishing how ‘new’ tools are being adopted in the workplace as distinct from the old toolset of email and MS Project, which is why I didn’t make the distinction.

“twit-age”. Hahaha!!! Love it!!!

Let’s call this group “generation T”.

I recall the PMI NMC presentation (watched the clips over the internet) and agree with you (as I felt at the time) that your talks were really about collaboration, nothing to do with ‘Social Media’. It is unfortunate when hype takes over.

I take your point regarding the possible lack of coherence in terms of where the boundaries lie between Web 2.0 and Social Media. You are quite right. I’ve been troubled by this issue for quite some time now as I’ve seen references to Social Media where it didn’t really belong there.

My social observation (based on fair amount of published research – some of each summarized in some of my earlier posts) is that the delineation lies in generational differences. Similar to the PM 2.0 debate (that you will be quite familiar with by now ) the proponents of the Social Media agenda will tend to be young professionals (‘young’ being a product of the early 1980′s) of whom the research suggests the social scene is a prime driver. If my interpretation is correct then this generation (I call them the twit-age) will equate Web 2.0 (being Collaboration) with Social Media. For them these terms are probably synonymous, hence the constant reference of Social Media where other terms might be more appropriate.

Irrespective of the above discussion, we live in an exciting period with access to terrific technologies and capabilities. Let’s make sure we use them in the most valuable way.

Cheers, Shim.

collaboration tools [does not equal] social media
social media marketing [does not equal] project/business management

collaboration tools social media
social media marketing project/business management

The McKinsey study is talking about social media for marketing and customer relations purposes, period. Why it’s being used in the PM Network article is confusing to me, and seems to be pure misrepresentation.

The public vs private distinction seems to be a key issue to me as well. As soon as something is internal to an organization (like Yammer) it no longer seems to qualify as “social media” to my mind. At that point, it’s a communication tool.

It’s why I had some cognitive dissonance going on when I presented with the PMI NMC last year in a collaborative presentation labeled with “social media” in the title. The part Bas, Cornelius and I did had nothing really to do with social media. It was about using tools over the internet to collaborate on projects together. (Back then however, I hadn’t really made much distinction between the terms “social media” and web-enabled collaboration tools.)

Great job debunking claims about how social media is a major organizational enabler.

After reading your post, I had to read both the McKinsey and the PM Network article.

You are right that the McKinsey is looking at these Web 2.0 applications in the context of collaboration between a company’s internal staff and between a company and its customers and external partners/suppliers.

I wonder how much of the confusion between the terms Web 2.0 and Social Media is attributed the use of terminology that has not been clearly defined. Often these two terms are used interchangeably. Your post makes it clear that there is a difference between Social Media and Web 2.0. Reading the McKinsey, they seem to agree with you. While they never mentioned the term “Social Media”, they do list Social Networking as one of twelve technologies of Web 2.0. But they never define which Social networking tools they have asked about in their Survey so that we can differentiate them from the other web 2.0 applications.

Most importantly, as I read future studies about the impact of social media on organizations, I will ask are we talking about impact of collaboration tools or impact of Social Media tools.