Wow, what a year!

2009 has come and gone, and many of us are taking a huge sigh of relief. Going through one of the worst recessions in U.S. history will certainly take the wind out of your sails. But we appear to have weathered the worst of the storm. And while the economy might not rebound with the speed and vigor we would like, it at least appears to be heading in the right direction again.

So what did we learn from the trials and tribulations of the past year? And how can we apply those lessons going forward? Here are 10 things I believe that leaders need to do differently to position their businesses for success in 2010.

1. Get used to the likelihood there will be no normal anymore. The old business world that most of us knew and loved went away with the recession, and it’s not coming back. To adapt to today’s business realities, question all your beliefs and assumptions, get comfortable with uncertainty, and adjust your expectations. For most, the new ‘normal’ will be slow and sustained growth rather than a hockey-stick curve and it will continue to surprise us.
2. Break the rules. If you’re not breaking rules on a regular basis, your customers and markets have probably already left you behind. The new rule for today’s chaotic markets is to constantly challenge the status quo. Don’t automatically assume that what made you successful in the past will continue to make you successful in the future.
3. Recognize and minimize your “MSUs.” We all constantly MSU (make stuff up) about our company, industry, and markets. During the strategic planning process, put everyone’s beliefs and assumptions out on the table and ask, “What do we think we know to be absolutely true about our customers, competitors and markets? Is it still true? If not, what has changed and how do we need to respond to that change?” Get data and question your long standing beliefs constantly.
4. Embrace social media. Embracing social media can be a real competitive advantage. In addition to instantly connecting you with customers, social media enables you to “mindshare” with industry peers, demonstrate thought leadership, recruit talent and more. Study the social media habits of your customers, and use the appropriate tools to make them part of your community.
5. Expect more transparency. With the advent of social media, you can no longer control public perception by limiting information about your company and products. When you withhold information, today’s bloggers, twitterers and forum posters will make it up for you. The next generation of market leaders will excel at using social media to create transparency and build trust with their key stakeholders.
6. Communicate to fill the void. Today’s employees are beset with doubts, uncertainties and fears about their jobs. If you don’t tell them what is going on, they will fill the void with rumors and misinformation, usually negative. Constantly let employees know where the organization is going and what your plan for winning is. In today’s world, you can’t over-communicate.
7. Encourage strategic thinking. Strategic planning involves a formal process whereby senior management peers into the future and charts a course of action for the organization. Strategic thinking occurs when the entire organization begins to act in concert with the strategic plan. Teach your people to anticipate opportunities and threats while managing the day-to-day tasks that fall within their scope of responsibilities.
8. Make innovation a way of life. Innovation needs to become an integral part of the way you do business, not just a one-time event. Constantly challenge the way you do things, even when they have always worked well. Strive to create new products, services and ideas that have real value for stakeholders. Look for different and novel ways to deal with ongoing challenges. Constantly seek to implement new and better ways of achieving results.
9. Slow down to go fast. In times of uncertainty, prepare to pause, focus, and plan. Learn to anticipate the unanticipated by making scenario planning part of your daily routine rather than an afterthought when plans don’t pan out. Take the time to consider multiple perspectives and engage others who have diverse views. This may feel like slowing down, but will actually help you get where you want to go much faster.
10. Get back to basics. When everything around you diverts you into complexity, get back to basics. Make strategic planning a way of life in your organization. Use a strategic planning framework to drive what you do and where you focus your energies. Constantly check for internal and external forces that may impact where you’re going, what you need to do and how you need to do it. Organize your day around achieving your destination, and focus on informing, inspiring and engaging others in getting there.

Those are my top 10 tips for success in 2010. I’d love to hear what you plan to do differently going forward.

Here’s wishing you clarity, focus, and great success in the New Year!

It’s no secret that more and more companies are using Twitter and other social media to connect with their customer base. But just who are they Tweeting and what kinds of results are they getting?

Socialmediatoday recently published a fascinating survey report entitled “The Coming Change in Social Media Business Applications: Separating the Biz from the Buzz.” What they found about who is using Twitter and why may surprise you.

According to the survey, companies of all sizes — from startups to FORTUNE 500 leviathans – have Twittered with customers and other internal and external constituencies. Internally, the primary focus is on networking and information sharing. Externally, companies Twitter mainly to “share breaking news” and/or to “extend a personal face to customers.”

In the external arena, however, the trend is definitely shifting toward using Twitter to facilitate more involvement with customers. And this is where I see the real potential for social media to change the way companies interact with their customers (including businesses and consumers).

In the battle for market share, few things have as much impact as when, where and how companies communicate with their prospects and customers. But as many companies are learning, some of the old tried-and-true communication methods are now falling on deaf ears.

Take cell phones and email. As these traditional communications tools become increasingly susceptible to unwanted marketing messages, many customers have begun ignoring them. A few years ago, having someone’s cell phone number practically guaranteed instant connection with them anytime, anywhere. Now, all you get is their voicemail box. And don’t expect them to return your call either.

At the same time, many younger consumers now consider email to be as outdated as fax machines. People who once felt compelled to check their email every 10 minutes now turn up their noses at the mere thought of using such primitive technology as their primary communication vehicle. As a result, many no longer respond to most email, even from people they know.

For most companies, the main attraction of Twitter is that it enables instant contact with customers. Granted, individual Tweets are limited to a paltry 140 characters. But when speed is of the essence, Twitter connects you with customers much faster than traditional channels. The only drawback is that your customers have to actually use Twitter in order for the channel to work.

How do you know if your customers are on Twitter? Study their social media habits.

If your customer base is blogging or using some form of social media, it greatly increases the odds of reaching them via Twitter. In fact, according to the survey, 23% of social network users also use Twitter or a similar service. In contrast, only four percent of people who do not use social networks have used Twitter.

For now, Twitter seems to be less effective in the B2B arena. In a separate study, only four percent of sales respondents said that Twitter had helped them close a B2B sale. But in the right markets, Twitter can profoundly influence your ability to reach your target audience, as well as connect with media outlets for PR and information distribution purposes. And I suspect it’s only a matter of time before B2B companies figure out how to use Twitter to effectively reach their customers.

An approach I have seen used effectively for B2B companies is to use social media to contribute to a positive brand perception and credibility for your products and services. Most major media is sourcing ‘experts’ via social media today. So, if getting quoted in a national publication or being referenced in industry journals, would contribute to your company’s success, Twitter is where you need to be.

In addition to connecting with customers, companies participating in the survey also reported using Twitter to:

• ‘Mindshare’ with industry peers
• Demonstrate thought leadership
• Recruit talent
• Provide educational content and tech support
• Notify constituents of upcoming events
• Keep in touch with bloggers
• Extend communities of interest
• Provide customer service

Other company uses I have seen include using Twitter for coupon distribution and special offering announcements, sharing industry news and engaging in question and answer sessions. Some large organizations are beginning to focus on Twitter as a channel to build their employee brand (after all, at some point hiring will crank up again and talent will get hard to find).

Going forward, I believe businesses will focus primarily on using Twitter to develop leads and generate prospects because that represents an area of real need for most companies. Plus, it offers the biggest payoff for the time and money invested. If you’re finding it harder to connect with your customers through traditional channels, take a look at Twitter. You may find that your customers are already there waiting for you.

To keep up, follow me on Twitter. I share articles, tips and links of interest to leaders and managers frequently!

To Twitter or not to Twitter, that is the question.

Obviously, Shakespeare didn’t write it quite like that. But if he lived in today’s world, he might have. And more important, if he ran a business or had P&L responsibility for a product line, the answer to his question would be an unqualified yes!

Most people see Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites as little more than the latest fad to spring from the Internet. However, astute business leaders have already begun using social media sites as effective communications tools, especially in the areas of branding, marketing and public relations. In particular, smaller companies are finding social media to be very effective in reaching new customers and building awareness for new products and services.

As companies continue to seek newer and better ways to connect with prospects and customers, social media is quickly moving beyond the novelty stage and into the realm of business necessity. Much sooner than you think, social media will become the centerpiece for a variety of mission-critical activities including generating new leads, supporting your sales force, and managing the entire customer interaction process.

According to a recent white paper survey by Josh Gordon of socialmediatoday, four factors are driving this emerging trend.

• The numbers are reaching critical mass. Initially, many organizations underestimated the number of potential customers using social media. However, thanks to the low cost and easy integration of social media into existing technologies, social media has zoomed past the “early adopter” phase and quickly become mainstream, with millions of daily users.
• Increased competition for customers. During the recent economic downturn, the customer base shrank in virtually every industry and market. Social media offers cost-effective ways of getting in touch with elusive customers.
• Change in attitudes. More and more people are beginning to see the potential for social media as a powerful persuasive tool. If judiciously applied social media can help to elect a president (it did), imagine what it can do for your product or service.
• The old ways aren’t working so well anymore. Traditional lead-generation programs, such as direct mail, print advertising and to some extent even email campaigns, are losing their effectiveness as more and more consumers go online. Social media allows companies to connect with potential customers using their preferred communication methods.

What does this mean for companies going forward?

For starters, social media will be used for a lot more than just creating some online buzz. Companies will need to make social media an integral component of key areas such as branding, information sharing, lead generation, sales support, customer interaction and internal communications. As companies gain experience and new knowledge, they will undoubtedly uncover many more applications.

Companies will also need to develop clear social media policies for their employees. In the survey, only one out of ten companies reported blocking employee access to social media sites. But less than half also had no formal social media policy of any kind. In order to guide behavior and results, companies need to develop clear guidelines for activities such as blogging and employee behavior on social media sites. And remember, when the telephone was first introduced, companies considered stringent policies not allowing employees to use it at work.

Don’t try to block social media or get too caught up in controlling employees. Give employees the parameters, hold them accountable for the results of their roles and get out of the way. Companies that work to strictly limit access are quickly becoming known as “old school cultures” and less desirable employers. And many employees are just accessing what they want from their own Iphones or other devices anyway, so be clear on your expectations about what can be shared and not shared, define ‘good judgment’ in your organization, and hold employees accountable for getting their jobs done.

Staffing for social media will become an issue. Only about 40% of the businesses in the survey reported having employees whose job function included spending time on social media sites. Going forward, companies will need to dedicate more time and manpower to planning and managing these activities. Plus, job descriptions will need to be revised to measure results rather than just the amount of time spent online.

Most of all, using social media effectively will require a coherent strategy. Before spending any money on traditional marketing and advertising, smart companies conduct a thorough assessment of which publications their customers read, where they live and shop, and how they like to receive information. Social media will require a similar approach. Specifically, business leaders will need to determine which social media sites their customers prefer and which networks/tools are most appropriate for their customer base.

You may not care what Shaq O’Neil had for breakfast or what book Ashton Kutcher is reading while he waits for his next flight or even what city and what work I am doing. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that’s what social media is all about. Sooner than you think (and perhaps already for some), social media will provide a real competitive advantage for companies who know how to use it and have linked it to their strategic plan.