When a vision becomes reality - the story of my organization's social reporting team - aka dream team

When you have a vision, you want to inspire others so that they can help you achieve it.  Usually the transformation of a vision into reality requires that people either “see” the vision in its entirety or at least “see” some elements of it. Alternatively, and in the best case scenario, the people who need to help make the vision come true, are like-minded folks who trust you and YOUR vision. In that case you are in business.

If on the other hand, you have cynics, naysayers and people who go out of their way to pull the rug from under you, then fulfilling your vision becomes an uphill journey, as it is highly unlikely for a visionary person to forgo their aspiration.

The realization of a vision is always accompanied by a sense of joy and pride. The second best satisfaction for a visionary person is when a respectable person outside their immediate circle sings the praises of and acknowledges their vision.  That is when you sit back and think to yourself - well, you know what, it was worth it all.  And if you are amongst the lucky ones who had people around you who “saw” your vision and accompanied you on the journey, then you feel truly blessed and accomplished.

This is exactly how I felt when I read Nisha Pillai's blogpost, singing the praises of my organization’s social media efforts. I think it is fair to say that introducing and mainstreaming social media has been quite a challenging experience. But comments and words of appreciation from seasoned professionals like Ms Pillai warm my heart. Thanks to my organization's social reporting team, today more people see the power and potential of social media. 

I thank the DREAM TEAM for sharing my vision. Through out our journey, you gave nothing but your best to overcome all the challenges. You continuously and consistently championed and mainstreamed an alternative communication paradigm. 

I go proud of what we managed to accomplish together. I am proud of never giving up, preserving and forging ahead as if there was no tomorrow. I am proud of your unwavering support which allowed us to turn the vision into reality and to make our organization's social media practices  a model to follow.

Well done DREAM TEAM. You are and will continue to be a DREAM TEAM.

THANK YOU and love you all.

A long walk to "Madibahood". Honouring the great Nelson Madela #mandelamemorial

Nicholas Kristof in his poignant op'd entitled How to truly honor Mandela, talks about how all those who are rushing to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela have failed to "uphold Mandela's spirit".

Is it because people no longer feel morally obliged to do something meaningful for others? Is it because the cost of taking sides can end up being too high? Is it because committing to fight for something you believe in may be too costly?  Or is it because there is comfort in compliance which is preventing us to open our minds and embrace diversity?

Mandela once said “When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”

I guess this is the Mandela spirit that Kristof is referring to.... and I guess this is precisely why visionary leaders of the calibre of Madiba are few and far between. 

How many of our leaders practice Mandela's mantra of: "A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger" and how many are prepared to say: “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

Madiba taught us that the art of forgiving is the only way we can move forward and achieve our vision: “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.”

I do wonder whether he ever forgot.... But I guess at this point it really does not matter.

If you ever have had a real vision and not just a rehashed "safe and secure"  idea,  you know helping people see your vision is far from being an easy feat, as you will have the naysayers barking; the snipers ready to shoot; and the cautious running for cover to avoid getting hurt.

But when you get a handful or just the ONE person - because that is what it takes - just ONE person with a decent social capital and influence - to "see and share"  your vision,  then you are in business and can pursue realizing it.

Mandela was determined to realize his vision of uniting his nation. In doing so he tried to help people see his vision, or at least asked for their indulgence to give him the benefit of the doubt...... He then ended up having many partners in crime and with his iron determination, his wonderful smile and stamina managed to bring about the change he had always dreamt and advocated for.

He is one of the few people who stood for something all throughout his life. He never gave up his ideals and convictions to please anyone or to be politically correct. He criticized the people in power when they deserved it or when he was not convinced of their actions. He never forgot nor abandoned his friends and allies - even if this meant going against the tide.

Indeed he was a giant and even if he said: "I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying"  do not be  surprised if sometime soon he will be elevated to sainthood.

Madiba, may you rest in peace.  Hopefully collectively we'll be able to honour your immense legacy.

Parasite... A catalyst for creating beautiful and precious gems

Today I learnt that even a parasite can produce something beautiful...... You are probably wondering what in heaven's name I am talking about......

Did you know that natural pearls are produced as a defense mechanism against parasites that enter in the oyster's shell. What happens is that the mollusk creates a pearl sac to ward off the irritation caused  by the parasite.

As I was watching an animated explanation of this transformation, I thought to myself, would not it be great if a similar transformation could happen when our healthy cells are attacked by cancerous ones... So instead of death, something new and beautiful is born

It also made me realize that even parasites can be a catalyst to create wonderful, beautiful and precious things.

Wondering how long before humankind can learn from and be inspired by nature..... And learn to turn bad into good.

Who is the primary audience on social media when it comes to development-related issues? #askAg

Couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure and honour of participating  in an Agrilinks sponsored #askAg twitter chat, where we discussed the use of social media for development.

One of the many interesting questions posed to the panelists was to describe how we reach one of our primary audiences through social media. The question made me reflect on who really is the primary audience of social media efforts when it comes to development related issues? Are we really reaching our donors, or for that matter our recipients - the poor rural people?

Quite frankly, I am not sure. And I do not think we are. For that matter I do not think we should be using  social media to reach our primary audience, unless our primary audience is within 25-45 age group. I know this may sounds absolutely absurd and quite out of character for a social media junkie like me. But here is my rationale for this statement - and I stand to be corrected and challenged:

• As development workers, our primary audience - our donors and other development partners - are probably not in the millennial age bracket, and may not necessarily consider social media as their preferred communication means.
  Yes, it is true that today many politicians and decision makers are at least "active" on one or more social media channels. However, this said, the majority of them have ghost writers and their aids are feeding the social media channel. This means that they are not reading updates posted on social media channels nor engaging with "their audience". Which means, they are not reading our posts or our tweets :(

• Moving on to our beneficiaries..... I am not sure we can claim to have a high percentage of them actively engaged on different social media channels. At best, we may reach farmers' organizations, grassroot organizations that work with them, but not Jane the farmer or Osvaldo the pastoralist - at least not yet.

So, why in heaven's name are development workers using social media? Based on my experience as a social media convert and dare I say a social media strategist, as development workers we are using social media to:

• raise awareness about our issues with the public at large, with the folks who know little or nothing about development
• make the voice of the people we work with and serve - the voice of the voice-less - heard
• mobilize social capital with the hope that it will translate into mobilizing financial resources

In a way social media for development as turned the table because our secondary audience - the public at large - becomes our primary audience and our primary audience - the donors and our beneficiaries - become our secondary audience.

And hello - what about the millennial - the future policy makers - they are and should be indeed OUR PRIMARY audience. We need to invest in the future and have them advocate for changing the present.

Africa can feed Africa, Africa should feed Africa and Africa will feed Africa, says IFAD President #aasw6

When was the last time you thanked your boss for making your job easy?

Earlier today, my boss, Dr Kanayo Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD),  delivered a passionate speech to the over 1200 participants of the sixth Africa Agriculture Science Week in Accra, Ghana and received a standing ovation.

Thought provoking speeches that touch people's heart are rare. Words only come alive if they are delivered with flair and passion.

When this happens, you are on cloud nine!!!!! Because you are not only able to share soundbites that go viral on social media but also your job of rallying journalists and organizing interviews becomes easier.

This morning, I was lucky enough to experience this first hand. And believe me it was a rewarding experience.

After the inaugural session and the press conference, my colleague Daniela and I had to manage the assault of journalists who wanted to interact and interview the President.

The President's messages are being echoed by all the speakers who followed him. His messages and call for action are travelling beyond th conference hall in Accra and are travelling across the African continent.

This speech will be one that will be remembered and cited for many years to come.

When you have a brilliant communicator as a boss, your job is made so much easier. Thank you @knwanze #assw6 pic.twitter.com/nqq1lBIr2p
— Roxanna Samii (@rsamii) July 18, 2013

Embracing the beauty and strength of diversity

When we talk about diversity, our default behaviour is to consider the visible aspects of diversity which unfortunately are limited to the usual stereotypes of culture, ethnicity, gender, race and religion. Yet, there is much more than meets the eye, as diversity is multi-dimensional and multi-faceted.

What humankind seems to struggle with are the invisible diversities - that is to say the personal traits (Character and personalities) and the personal truths. And maybe this is why we find it hard to embrace diversity in its totality.

I've been asking myself what is holding us back from leaving the comfort that we find in homogeneity so that we can embrace and celebrate diversity in its totality?

I keep asking myself what are the alluring characteristics of "friendly environment", as opposed to one that fosters innovation and creativity. Why do we consider a friction-less environment an asset and desired? 

Why is it that we want to adopt such a narrow-minded approach? Why are we failing to see that homogeneity is enemy of creativity and innovation?

I wonder why is that "leaders" go out of their way to surround themselves with people who are just like them. And why is that LEADERS with capital "L" cherish  DIVERSITY and surround themselves with and celebrate people who have different personal truths, personal traits and are different than them?

Guy Kawasaki in his book Enchantment talks about how diversity brings enchantment and suggests that a successful team is one that has:

• an advocate (the champion)
• a skeptic (challenges ideas)
• a visionary (has a clear idea)
• an adult (makes things happen)
• an evangelist (sells the cause)
• a rainmaker (closes deals)

Those of us who have had the luxury and privilege of experiencing diversity in its totality know that it is the catalyst for progress and innovation. We also know that homogeneity can lead to slow and painful death.

So how do we change the tide? How can we champion and advocate for embracing diversity of ideas, personal truths and personal traits? How can we show that homogeneity stifles progress and creativity? How do we show respect for diversity without paying lip service to it?

P.S. I just came across this great Harvard Business Review (HBR) article entitled "Creating the best workplace on earth" and found the first question of their "dream company diagnostic" a testimony to celebrate and cherish diversity.

Cri de coeur: Embrace social media. Think, act and be social, then measure the impact of social media activities #sm

When, as social media advocates, we embark on the crusade to mainstream social media in our respective businesses, we are probably asked why is this "social media" business so important and how can we measure and show the  impact of our activities.

I guess the best answer to this question, is to assess the level of investment. So here is a rough list of questions to assess how serious is your organization in investing in and embracing social media:

• do you have a cadre of bloggers?
• do you have a social media officer for Facebook, one for Twitter, one for Pinterest and Instagram, one for G+, one for YouTube, Vimeo and Blip?, one for LinkedIn? 
• do you have your social media plan in place? 
• are you making conscious decision when to use which social media channel and for what? 
• do you have your multilingual, locally sourced viral content lined up and ready to be disseminated on different channels?

If you have answered YES to all or some of the above, then you are well positioned to measure the impact of your social media activities, because you:

• have mastered that social media is a tool to develop a brand familiarity, build engagement and give you organization’s a human face
• have mastered how and when to use the different social media channel 
• have a clear idea what works for you and are using social media to support the mission of your organization 
• have kept social media in-house and have made it the day job of your staff 
• are creating quality and viral content and also curating content
• are disseminating facts, figures, infographics, cartoons, pictures and engaging with the digital audience
• have embraced and instilled a digital culture in your organization. In other words, all staff are contributing to the social media channels, they are actively blogging, tweeting and also participating in on-line conversations.

And as a result your social media activities are having an awesome impact; you are engaging with and having a conversation with your audience; your message are being amplified; there is much more awareness about your issues; more people know about the work of your organization and they  are contributing to fund raising initiatives of the organization.

I am sure there are lots of folks out there that are achieving all the above with a skeleton staff and perhaps with no budget.

So just imagine how much more impact your communication efforts would have, if we were to adequately resource the social media arm of our communication operations.

I believe today, even the skeptics have come to terms with the fact that:

• social media is a powerful tool in the communicator’s toolbox 
• it is fast and furious
• it offers numerous opportunities and has an incredible multiplier effect

We’re coming to terms with the fact that:

• blogs are a useful way of influencing and shaping opinions 
• HASHTAGs are the new taglines
• campaigns not only have moved to the digital world, but sometimes start there
• we are no longer pitching but having a conversations and people are sharing their views in the language and the way they feel most comfortable – that is why they SHARE
• ROI has become ROE - return on ENGAGEMENT

So what does this all of this mean in terms of measuring the impact of social media activities? and what exactly should we be measuring?  and what should we be doing to have the desired impact?

People-centred measurement – SROI, rather than ROI
Measuring impact of social media means, measuring how PEOPLE have interacted and engaged with your content. This is why it is a two-way communication.

I guess the question we should be asking ourselves is, how can we have Nick Kristoff put two Facebook status updates in less than an hour on rural development and agriculture-related issues.

This why the quality of content is paramount – and this comes as no surprise. To make an impact, we need to create emotionally engaging and “viral content”.

This means we probably need to spend 50% of our time on the idea and 50% on how to spread the content, Typically viral content is:

• authentic, shows the organization’s heart, is emotionally engaging, pays tribute to  and entertains your audience, and shows you care about your audience and shows that you’ve created content that is relevant to them
• simple and jargon free
• one that takes a stand and has a call to action 

Once we know what we want to achieve, know who we need to attract, what actions we want people to take, and we have our emotionally engaging and “viral content”, then we can measure the impact of our social media activities and we can do it in terms of:

• how is our audience sharing the content?
• are our tweets being retweeted and by whom, are people marking our tweets as favourites? 
• are people replying to our posts and tweets? 
• are people posting on our wall and commenting on our posts? 
• is our audience clicking on the links? Are our links spreading organically?   
• is our content influencing others, are they talking about it? And what percentage of mentions goes to our brand and what to our competitors? Are we talking to the right people?
• are we listening to what our audience is saying? 
• are people downloading our documents? Do they attend our virtual events? Is our audience responding to our call to action? 
• MOST IMPORTANTLY Are we feeding the voices of our audience into decision-making process? 

Embrace social, Be social, Think social, Act social
Social media may not have penetrated in all parts of the world, but it definitely has penetrated amongst and between today’s decision and policy makers and more importantly it is the way of life for tomorrow’s decision and policy makers.

It is true that the people we work with and serve may not use social media or have access to it, however, this does not mean that we should not be using these channels to advocate on their behalf and share their stories with on-line community and raise awareness about their realities.

As a social media junkie, I believe ignoring this new communication paradigm is no longer an option
Here are my FOUR calls to action:

• THINK SOCIAL, ACT SOCIAL and BE SOCIAL and for this we need to change the way we work. To start with, let’s mainstream crowdsourcing as part of our business
• I am sure you’ll agree that producing 140 page highly technical documents which needs to get translated in all our official languages is  an expensive proposition.  Let’s convert the complex concepts of the 140 page report into 140 characters and do so without using jargon and even better do it visually
• For the speech writers: Think of how your soundbites can travel on social media. Dare I ask think in 140 characters
• Take risks. In the fast and furious world of social media, there is little or no room to ask for permission 
• Last but not least, and pay tribute to and celebrate your social media activist and colleagues