Socially Dynamic Traits: Ideation, Aggregation and Dissemination

I’m writing today around a new area, the Socially Dynamic Organisation. I’m using this term in a very specific context, to talk about organisations that sit in the Dynamic expression of the Dynamic Change framework. these are organisations that have harnessed their potential, unlock the power of community, overcome their lethargy, and are truly able to change without becoming breathless. They are fully adapted to the realities of Social Age.

Let’s consider ideation, aggregation, and dissemination, aspects that sit at the heart of innovation, creativity and storytelling. In the Socially Dynamic Organisation we have unlocked the agency of the individual, people are empowered to question, challenge and support. Ideas are tested, prototyped, and easily heard. Much of the dynamics of social media are around aggregation, as represented by the hashtag in this diagram. The aggregation effects of social lie at the heart of its amplification potential. Strong stories, carefully crafted, shared wisely, spread rapidly.

Within Social Leadership we look at storytelling: the ways we craft our stories to be magnetic, to be amplified, to be shared. In the Socially Dynamic Organisation we see Social Leadership to be widely distributed and deeply embedded. The storytelling capability sits at the heart of the organisation.

For dissemination to occur, we certainly need the right channels in place, but must recognise that we may not own them. In the Social Age we recognise that conversations are independent of channels themselves, and will move freely between channels. Strong and magnetic stories, are those which are crafted to be both relevant and timely, and they will move rapidly through both formal and social channels.

Aggregation itself is interesting: we cannot force it, because it is more than simply hashtags, it is aggregation around principles and values, it is aggregation around communities. Put simply strong stories will gather communities around them, and through community, those stories will gather momentum.

Momentum itself is what many organisations desire for their formal storytelling channels, and is certainly something they aspire to in change, but momentum must be earned. Amplification does not mean broadcasting the story more loudly, because the amplification comes not from large speakers, but from the community itself. Quiet stories that are highly compelling spreading widely.

In the old world we shouted our stories from the rooftop, whilst in the new one they are whispered amongst crowds.

In the Socially Dynamic Organisation we see effective storytelling at every level, deeply embedded social leadership. It’s one of a range of traits that we see, and a range of traits that we must develop if we wish for our organisation to be truly Dynamic.