Running head: SOCIAL MEDIA TRAINING MANUAL

Social Media Training Manual

Eric Coleman, Joshua Conner, Keith Miller
AET562
November 24, 2014
Professor Sean Spear

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Overview

This Social Media Training Guide is designed for employees of our organization to have
a concise, one-stop learning resource that facilitates integrating social media and social learning
processes into our business functions. This guides main objective is to educate the staff about
the proper usage and effectiveness of Social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and
Wikis as functions of social learning, organizational problem-solving, and as a function of other
business processes. With the ever changing evolution of technology, social media allows
companies to be connected and involved in networks via social media sights like, Facebook,
LinkedIn, YouTube, and Wikis. Even though each type of social media listed is unique and
stands alone in its own arena, the delivery of message and importance of its capability can and
should not go unnoticed. The effectiveness of social media in an organization can increase the
learning curve because it is tailored the leisure pace of associates and they have the ability to
complete modules, online learning and mandated refresher courses at their own speed. Social
media delivers and receives messages in different ways dependent upon the median that is used.
This is why we are creating a strategic guideline for employees to know how to perform, what to
say, how to conduct themselves and be limited in what is shared on public social networks.
Social Media delivers messages, connects the world, and creates an atmosphere for
associates to network in sharing information and being careful not to share information that will
be detrimental to the reputation to that of the company. The importance of an organization
depends on the understanding of how to strategically and effectively incorporate social media
learning tools for the purpose of learning. Even though its a public tool, social media can be
leveraged to enhance organizational learning and problem solving. It can also help solve
business issues and strengthen both internal and external relationships. Social media can be used

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an informal way of conducting training. In conjunction with the advancement of technology,

social medias need and demand will sky rocket. Social media in business and a company setting
connects personal around the globe and provide online training.
Social Media Training Manual
Social Media is quickly becoming infused into nearly every corner of our society, and its
impact on any organizations ability to accomplish its goals cannot be overstated. Used
improperly, social media can have a devastating impact on our organizations reputation, culture,
and morale. However, if harnessed correctly, it can also elevate our organization to an elite
global leader. This manual will describe how we can use social media to learn, solve problems,
address business issues and strengthen relationships. Then we will describe four primary social
media tools endorsed by our organization and how we use them in our day to day operations.
Social Learning
Social Learning
Social learning is described as being informal with no set time frames for classes like
traditional learning, and is often facilitated through social media today. According to Bozarth
(2012), social learning is how most of us learn most things. Social media are the tools that
enable social learning to happen on a large scale. We are essentially learning from others while
using the tools we have available to us. Social learning happens using social media tools and
through extended access and conversation with all our connections in our workplaces, our
communities, and online (Bingham, 2010). Although, social media allows us to communicate
more efficiently and effectively we have to be aware of barriers and other distractions.
Some barriers to using social media are not limited but include distractions by
technology. These may include too much use and it may be overwhelming to some employees.

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Some employees may take advantage and use them for personal use while working. The
organizational culture is used to a set of medium used and introducing more may not be
acceptable. Many organizations have a culture that doesn't support social tools or collaborative
learning. The idea of learning may be mired in a context of mandatory training in which, for
instance, you have 60 days to complete an e-learning course, and if you dont, you face
disciplinary action (Sissonen, 2013). We have personal interaction differences that can be a
barrier when considering using social media for learning because some have more experience
than others. Finally, there are those in the organization, who will resist changing and may feel
nothing is wrong with the current way we do business, so why change it. So organizations
wishing to use social media for learning have to be able to overcome barriers.
There has to be a solid training plan established to reduce barriers of social learning. A
good training plan will provide valuable information to obtain the resources required to use
social media tools correctly in the workplace. Also, management has to be on board. Without
support from the top, employees have no guidance. Organizations can incorporate social learning
into day-to-day requirements to gain employees trust they will use them for learning. A policy
has to be established that clearly state the use of social media for learning and should be
accomplished during an initial orientation and reviewed periodically throughout employment.
Social learning has to effectively introduce in workforce training.
Each employee must understand the organizations challenges and how outsiders perceive
the organization. They must share senior managements vision and strategy, while capturing
lessons learned to inculcate continued learning into the organizations culture. With each plan
come potential ethical dilemmas.
Potential ethical dilemmas may include employees releasing or sharing information with

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others that may damage the organization. Some employees may feel doing so is a personal
benefit versus an organization interest. Another is intellectual property and privacy concerns.
Organizations have to be protected from potential cases where misuse will occur and how to
handle it.
Organizations must establish and seek legal assistance when necessary. There
should be a governing board assigned that is responsible for all legal actions to protect the
interests of the organization, assets, and employees. Having a solid strategic plan will be a
benefit for an organization to reach their long-term goals and is why social learning is important.
Social learning allows an organization to grow, remain relevant, and be flexible. When
employees are seeking professional development they can achieve it through a Personal Learning
Network (PLN) (Bozarth, 2010). A PLN is different for each employee but allows a department
to grow because of an expanded network. The employee doesnt have to leave but should have
access to social media tools that allows for them to connect with others. Once an employee
establishes themselves in the workplace, their professional development increases and promotes
higher learning that considers them for awards and evaluations based on their results.
Problem Solving through Social Learning
Problem solving in the workplace is a critical function that is essential to any
organizations ability to adapt and survive as times change. However, as a process, it can
be problematic as group-think can often undermine the amount and diversity of creative
solutions problem-solving group develops.
Researchers have shown that individual brainstorming often yields more solutions than
group participation (Penley, L. 1978). Yet studies also show that group membership and
participation in problem solving activities raises workplace morale and commitment to

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implementing a solution (Penley, L. 1978), which can be argued as being as important to

problem solving as the process of generating solutions itself. Todays technology and variety of
mediums present new and exciting opportunities to improve upon our problem-solving
processes, and as a leader in our industry, we are increasingly embracing social media, especially
as a vehicle for social learning. Social learning can serve as a highly effective enabler in solving
and addressing business problems while avoiding the pitfalls of groupthink when implemented
properly. Before we analyze how we will use social learning as an enabler of our problemsolving processes, it is important to understand how social learning contributes to problem
solving and how it impacts employee perceptions of problems.
Social learning helps senior leaders and managers understand our problems better.
Surveys in medical schools have reported that the majority of students report that the integration
of social media tools into social learning helps then understand context, negative feedback, and
cause and effect relationships better during problem solving activities (George & Dellasega,
2011). When we present a structured group environment with a diversity of employees
participating, we gain broader viewpoints from within the organization. Gaining a broader
perspective enables managers to better communicate solutions and change initiatives throughout
the organization. Social learning can also allow managers to understand how outsiders to the
organization see or are affected by a particular problem, which enables decision-makers to pick
better solutions.
Social learning also similarly broadens employee perceptions of problems. Social
learning forums allow employees the opportunity to not only present potential solutions, but also
receive candid feedback from other employees, helping them see how their solution affects
people in other departments. Conversely, it also allows them gain insight as to how other people

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see the problem. When everyone has a more universal understanding of the problem, it enriches
collaboration and increases the likelihood of the group finding a successful solution to the
problem (Miller & Nunn, 2001). It can also contribute to employees having an increased sense
of urgency due to a better shared understanding of how others are impacted by their actions.
It is also important to understand how problem-solving processes are similar and different
when addressed via social learning as opposed to formal training. Both versions have similar
objectives, as they seek not only to help identify and implement solutions to problems, but also
raise awareness throughout the organization, build a coalition of support, and increase buy-in and
commitment to the end result. The processes can look very different though. Through a formal,
in-person problem solving environment, people are more likely to progress through the problemsolving model together as the group develops norms and values (Miller & Nunn, 2001). Once a
group proceeds beyond identifying solutions and starts analyzing potential solutions, it is
difficult for a member of the group to go back and present new alternatives. However, with
social learning, contribution can occur in a more asynchronous manner. People can use social
media to expand or contribute to older conversations without disrupting the thought process of
the whole group. People who are behind can also quickly catch up in later stages and provide
their input even if they were not present during earlier in the discussion. While social learning as
a part of the problem-solving process can greatly enable asynchronous input, it creates risks in
the sense of time. It can increasingly allow for bias to be confused with knowledge (Raddaoui,
2013) and can actually have a destabilizing effect on the group. It can cause groups to regress to
earlier stages in the organizations favored problem-solving model while reducing the control
that the leader has over the group. Therefore, it is imperative for the problem-solving group
leader to establish ground rules and timeline requirements at the beginning of the process to keep

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the group on track.

Addressing Business Issues and Strengthening Relationships
In the grand scheme of business and everyday life, we see that mostly everyone is online
in some type of capacity. Knowing this information helps us to gather new and productive ways
of teaching new hires and existing personal in the company. Social media and Social learning is
an interactive component to the strengthening of the companys connection with its staff which
will over flow into the service and attention to detail when it comes to the customer base. One
way to describe social media is to take into consideration the emailing system and the
internet/intranet. Just understanding to rules of engagement and proper etiquette of networks can
strengthen the relationships of management to employee and vice versa. When Social Media is
used correctly it can also help to personalize the services and brand of the company, uphold and
enhance our reputation. Social media for business can create a great atmosphere that is
collaborative, engaging, and provide a wealth of information at the users fingertips.
Engaging a company online can be beneficial, whether it be learning modules, online
networks for social learning, or using technology and social media for the sake of meetings and
outsourced meetings. Social media provides an avenue for new information and the ability to
share knowledge between coworkers. The encouragement of communication and posting to
online social media sites give way to answered questions that have already been probed and
posted for the benefit of the associates and the benefits of the overall company. Social Media
provides the team and the company a timely and comprehensive way to encourage the associates
to return to their local and privileged panels and authorized websites over and over again at the
leisure of the associate and or team member. But your content doesnt have to be elaborate to be
effective. In todays age of technology and being connected we find that there is social media and

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networks that are available for any kind genre or purpose of creation for implementation of
cohesiveness within the company and organization. The greatest thing to keep in mind is that the
social media for the company needs to accommodate what your mission and goal is. The worst
thing you can do is to create a system and implement a new policy and procedure that will take
over the reasoning for the technology. The stand point is that we want to increase productivity
and enhance the networking within department; our goal is not to make the social media do the
work for us and leave our employees to their own devices. The secret is out about how many of
our employees are on social media and are using it as a means for venting to others, finding
solutions to problems and creating networks. By our employees doing this, strengthens the
relationships and gains us access into area of concentration that we would not normally have
access to. We are now speaking their language and they are more willing to listen and observe
what we want them to know and embrace.
Not only do we allow our staff and associates to provide and share information within the
social media links and training sessions, we are able to provide them with training models that
we have created for their benefit and growth. We know that the first place our associates look for
guidance and answers is social media and internet. This is intriguing even knowing the fact that
we have tangible manuals and guides at their disposal. In our time frame of our company people
feel more comfortable to ask a coworker or someone else that is subject matter expert via
personal connection of blogs. Online blogs, social media sights and Intranet creates a community
that is connected far beyond what we are able to fathom just in person alone. Customers and
team members can collaborate, seek out answers to questions, and obtain information in ways to
be an innovator to drive business goals. (Marvin, 2004)

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We establish what we want to share with the team of the company and give them the
means and guidelines in which to do so, we will be a much better company that is able to
communicate with staff which in turn will benefit our customers. The influence of on social
media and training will be a positive means of growth once we continue to better the process and
have it mastered. Relationships in the company will grow if we continue to show that we are
listening to our associates and customers. Social media is a great way to stay connected and to
first hand address any and every issues that may and will arise. We will respond to complaints,
be change agents in changing and implementing new procedures, conducting quality assurance
on existing protocol and help our associates and customers feel heard and valued. (Cobb, Susan
C., 2011)
Social media might or might not be the best change in our company but we must test the
waters and give straight forward guidelines to see if in fact this is going to work. The idea is to
make the social media peace work for us and not work for the social media. Maximizing our
approach to training, cultivation, and exposure shows that we are will to invest in the present and
future state of our company. Turning conversation into real time solutions will be greatly
appreciated.
Social Media Tools and Description
Social media tools an organization can use to increase learning is Facebook, LinkedIn,
YouTube, and Wikis. Facebook is a single-login site that aggregates many forms of social media,
such as messages, photos, videos, events, discussions, and hobbies (Bozarth, 2010). LinkedIn is
another that is designed for members who are trusted sources for information. LinkedIn is used
to establish a network. YouTube is another social media tool an organization can use for sharing
educational videos. YouTube is a website that allows users to post and share videos. Wikis are

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interactive web pages on which everyone with access can change the content (Bozarth, 2010).
Wikis provide Wikis differ from blogs (online diary of chronological postings with interactive
links; usually with the latest information) because wiki users can read and revise the posted
information (McCartney, 2008).
The benefits of using these tools can be enormous. Facebook has and continues to be a
popular social media tool used to share information across a group with similar interests.
LinkedIn allows for smaller groups to develop a PLN while YouTubes ability to post and
retrieve videos that can be used for training showing step-by-step procedures. A Wiki is easy to
use, editable online space for collaborative work, sharing knowledge, and building databases of
libraries of information (Bozarth, 2010). Wikis provide opportunities for participants with
common interests or a project goal to move beyond traditional collaboration to a new age of
virtual community participation (McCartney, 2008). Although these tools are helpful, they do not
come without limitations.
Limitations include but are not limited to Facebooks privacy issues. If you are not
familiar with Facebook the set-up can be confusing and you may be releasing personal
information for all users to see and may take a lot of employee time as they may be using it
personally. LinkedIn limits the number of people you can connect to which reduces a PLN.
YouTube is a video posting only site and some may not be able to view the material or it may not
be of any use. Wikis allow anyone with access to change the content. When using any social
media tool for learning the bottom line is trust. Organizations have to trust their employees have
trusted sources when seeking and developing a PLN. Some examples of these tools used are with
Wal-Mart, University of Phoenix, Google, and Red Ant.
Wal-Mart uses Facebook to reach potential customers around the world with more than

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34 Million likes and 8 Million visitors to the page (Wal-Mart, 2014). The website is pleasant and
shows ordinary members who post comments about the services they received and offered by
Wal-Mart. LinkedIn ranked the University of Phoenixs, School of Business among the best U.S.
marketing schools by LinkedIn based on self-reported career outcome data (University of
Phoenix, 2014). Google uses YouTube to provide training on how to use their Apps to plan for
the upcoming holidays and more. The training is found along with many other useful videos at:
https://www.youtube.com/user/GoogleApps (YouTube Google App, 2014). Finally, there are
Wikis. RedAnt, a Sydney Australia based web design and development firm uses Wikis as the
main collaboration hub for employees and customers (RedAnt, 2014).
Conclusion
We are a learning organization, dedicated to improvement and lifelong learning. Social
media, when viewed as a tool set, is a powerful enabler of social learning and therefore is a
major part of our organizational vision. This manual serves to help employees harness social
media further our vision to empower problem-solving, strengthen internal relationships, while
facilitating operations. It also describes the primary tools we endorse and how they fit into our
operations and further our goals for social media use. By integrating these tools into our daily
processes, employees will be increasingly aware of the business environment while providing
creative solutions to problems and strengthening our team.

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References
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Francisco, CA: Pfieffer.
Bozarth, J. (2012). FROM TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTION TO INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN 2.0. T+D,
66(3), 64-67.
Cobb, S. C. (2011). Social Presence, Satisfaction, and Perceived Learning of RN-to-BSN Students in
Web-Based Nursing Courses. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/education/docview/863645876/E3865F113
067462FPQ/1?accountid=458
George, D. R., & Dellasega, C. (2011). Social media in medical education: two innovative pilot studies.
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Marvin, S. (2004). Viewing learning organizations through a social learning lens. Retrieved from
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McCartney, P. R. (2008, May/June). The new networking: Wikis: Virtual community collaborations.
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Penley, L. E. (1978). STRUCTURING A GROUP'S COMMUNICATION FOR IMPROVED
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Raddaoui, A. (2013). The Disruptive Potential of e-Learning in Academe and Beyond: A Futuristic
Perspective. Proceedings of the International Conference on E-Learning, 386-392.

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RedAnt (2014). Retrieved from: http://www.redant.com.au/

Sissonen, M. (2013, June). Overcoming barriers to social learning and collaboration in health care. SAP
Community Network retrieved from
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University of Phoenix (2014) Retrieved from http://www.phoenix.edu/
Wal-Mart. Facebook (2014) Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/Walmart
YouTube. Google App (2014). Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/user/GoogleApps