The continued boom of Web 2.0 and its social networks (social media) is about to create new market transparency in all industries and countries. Everyone and everything can — and is — compared. Managers from all levels and industries are required to adapt their communication and leadership behavior: New media skills are required in management.
From hotels to dentists, from real estate agents to pastors, from the competence of the call center agent to the comprehensibility of the user manual: Everyone and everything can, and is, commented on and compared. This new market transparency is leaving its mark far beyond social media.
Employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers, lenders, government agencies, private organizations and, last but not least, the media no longer want to be informed about a company competently, but also very quickly and, above all, transparently. If a company does not provide this information, you find out elsewhere; the company loses information leadership on its own topics.
Only those who build trust in good times can draw on it in the event of a crisis. Professional dealings with today's media world therefore start with a commitment to open and transparent communication both externally and internally. The times when a company with enough communication budget could simply impose a point of view on its employees and the public are a thing of the past.
Anyone who does not communicate transparently and openly accounts for their actions and omissions loses the trust of their contacts and sooner or later faces a reputation crisis. Of course, there will continue to be things that are and should remain confidential in the future. But what is visible to viewers can and should also be addressed openly.
Today, any user of the Internet can also become a blogger, journalist or publicist. Problems or mistakes made are becoming increasingly difficult to cover up; you can sweep under the rug less and less. In the almost endless circle of social media users, there will always be someone who will turn the rug around afterwards and stir up a lot of dust with it.
Companies and managers who are not prepared to dialogue lose: The dialogue about them takes place one way or another, simply without them. Managers of all levels are challenged; they need more and more media literacy in order to survive in day-to-day management. Because anyone who misses out on modern media is offside.
Christian Gartmann
gartmann.biz launches medienseminar.com
“New media literacy in leadership” is a modular full-day seminar that gives managers of all levels and industries an overview of the modern media world in theory and practice. Using examples, it is shown what consequences the media revolution has on companies and how social networks can be used in communication and management for the purposes of the company.
“New media literacy in leadership” is offered as a modular, in-house seminar for companies or as a public seminar for individual participants. Together with management consultant Markus Hotz, who specializes in leadership development, the modules of the seminar were tailored to the needs of modern management education. The content of the modules is adapted as far as possible to the needs of the participants.
Link: “New media literacy in leadership” (overview)
Link: “New media literacy in leadership” (modules)