The 3rd Wave of Social Business: From enabling the few to mobilizing the many – Clara Shih – Harvard Business Review

Clara Shih lays out her perspective on the evolution of Social Media and the way to become a Social Business:

In summary, the third wave of social business will move from enabling the few (i.e., the few marketers who manage corporate social media accounts) to mobilizing the many (i.e., the entire workforce and the “feet on the street”) to authentically engage at a personal and local level. After all, people buy from people, not companies.  People trust individuals, not corporations. It’s the way business has always been done, but now social business complements traditional methods and allows for companies and their employees to manage and measure this engagement at scale.

Authenticity has become a prerequisite to doing business in this new era, and empowering employees to use social media for business will be the number one way companies stay relevant and top of mind.

via What’s the Endgame for Social Media? – Clara Shih – Harvard Business Review.

Although I do agree in a lot of the statements, I doubt that we are already in there in 2014, what Clara calls the third wave of social business. There is still a way to go from convincing and motivating both, the companies management and their employees to engage on a broad base. Undoubtable social channels will become another, most probably the most relevant communication channel. But let us face reality: Management fears loss of control, fears transparency and the employees need to get motivated and convinced, what is in it for them. Social needs cultural change. And this will still take time in a lot of companies.