Companies of all sizes have realized the power of their people network and are continually introducing new tools and processes to further connect their people and cultivate their network. Unfortunately, many companies have inaccurately emphasized the technology network over their people network which has devalued engagement and turned employees away from collaborative tools. Therefore, it is critical to focus not only on how the network can tap into each employee, but how each of them can tap into the network.

1. THE MISSING LINK
IN YOUR
NETWORK
Empower Your People through Open Interaction Collaboration

2. OPEN INTERACTIONS | SLALOM CONSULTING
2
Companies of all sizes have realized the power of
their people network — and many continually
introduce new technological tools and processes to
further connect their people and cultivate this
network.
Unfortunately, many companies have inaccurately
emphasized the technology network over their
people network which has turned employees away
from engaging with and through these collaborative
tools.
Therefore, it is critical to focus not only on how the
network can tap into each employee, but how each
of them can tap into the network to realize its value.

3. OPEN INTERACTIONS | SLALOM CONSULTING
3
Employee networks are typically comprised of two types of
interactions: one-way interactions where each person consumes
information that is pushed to them from individuals or groups and
bi-directional interactions in which individuals exchange
communications with other individuals or groups.
In recent years, employees have realized that while these types of
interactions meet many of their communication needs, they are not
a comprehensive solution. These closed circuit interactions share
knowledge only within isolated conversations — detached email
chains, locked down groups or siloed streams without a feedback
loop. This makes sharing information difficult, managing content
complex, and retaining information nearly impossible.
To address this gap, individuals have adopted personal social
networks that rely on a third communication type; open interaction.
Open Interactions:
One-to-many or many-to-
many communications that
enable interaction from a
broader network audience.
One-way Interactions:
Intranet content, email
newsletters, physical
message boards for
informative purposes.
Bi-directional Interactions:
Face to face, phone, email,
instant messaging and
content exchanges with
formalized connections.
of companies lack a clear or formal
strategy for enhancing communication and
collaboration for their employees1
60%
INTERACTION DRIVES YOUR NETWORK
1 – http://web.esna.com/blog/60-percent-of-companies-lack-a-collaboration-strategy-introducing-esna-ilinkpart-1-

4. OPEN INTERACTIONS | SLALOM CONSULTING
4
Open interaction is one of the most underutilized and under invested
network channels available to connect and strengthen your
organization’s network. While open interaction channels are
prevalent in personal networks, they are just making their way into
the enterprise.
Most of the information and knowledge shared through organizations
today is in closed circuit interactions, and therefore lost to rest of the
organization. Open interaction exists in the enterprise today in a few
forms such as message boards, town halls and more increasingly
through enterprise social networks.
Creating an enterprise social network, an open interaction platform,
unlocks the knowledge and information within and for your
organization by increasing the volume of information readily
accessible to individuals.
As employees learn, grow, share, and teach each other, that
information is captured and provides value not only for immediate
benefit to those involved, but to the network and company as a
whole, immediately and indefinitely.
OPEN COLLABORATION CHANNELS

5. OPEN INTERACTIONS | SLALOM CONSULTING
5
It is critical to focus on the value your network provides to
the employee and the enterprise and not just the
technology gap that may exist.
It must feel natural to your workforce to integrate with their business
processes, routine, and their network. Identify the methods of
communication, processes, and business cases that the new channel can
supplement and enhance. It is critical that the channel not only align to
goals but integrate with tactical business processes so that users are
driven to utilize it.
START WITH WHY
Next, prioritize your people — ensure that your workforce is ready for a new
communication channel and that your culture is supportive. Make sure they
understand why, what and how to share through the new channel. Enact the
appropriate training and coaching methods to support and encourage your
employees to be comfortable sharing and communicating in the new
environment.
As you enact an open interaction channel such as an enterprise social
network, clearly define your goals and objectives. Identifying critical
business scenarios that can be enhanced and ideally quantifiably tracked
will lead to user adoption and long term traction. This is not an “if you build
it, they will come” scenario – align your value propositions to business goals:
• Reduce redundant processes through shared best practices
• Reduce sales cycle time by getting leads in the right hands
• Increase employee retention through personal engagement
• Acclimate new hires through readily available information and personal
connections
• Retain and leverage IP as your experts share openly, not in private

6. OPEN INTERACTIONS | SLALOM CONSULTING
6
Purpose
People
Process
Technology
Start with Purpose:
• What are the goals and
objectives of the channel?
• What information sharing gaps
exist in your network?
• What are your value
propositions?
Focus on the People:
• Are other channels exhausted?
• Have new channels been
requested?
• Does the workforce
understand the benefits of the
new channels?
• Are your users ready or
capable of change?
Align to Process:
• Which methods of
communications does the new
channel support?
• Which processes are more
efficient with the new
channel?
• Which projects could you have
used the new channel for?
Integrate with Technology:
• Does the technology enhance
or inhibit connections?
• Does the technology provide
quality content?
• Does the technology improve
efficiencies?
As your organization’s network evolves and open interaction increases,
it is critical to understand that communication channels will be used
for different purposes and leveraged in varying capacities by different
people – not all people and processes will align successfully to this
channel.
For that reason, it’s crucial to continuously analyze your collaborative
solutions and invest and support new, growing and proven areas of
your collaboration network to accommodate the ever-changing needs
of the individuals that comprise your network.
ADAPT AND GROW
Once the people and process components are clear, integrate
technology that provides visible value and does not distract from the
goals of the network. The technology must enhance connections,
provide quality and quantity of content, increase speed without barriers
and be user-friendly.

7. OPEN INTERACTIONS | SLALOM CONSULTING
7
Slalom Consulting brings together business and technology
expertise to help companies drive enterprise performance,
accelerate innovation, enhance the customer experience, and
increase employee productivity.
The firm delivers award-winning solutions in areas such as
information management and analytics, sales and marketing,
organizational effectiveness, CFO advisory, mobility, and cloud
through a national network of local offices and major alliance
partners, including Microsoft, Salesforce.com, and Amazon Web
Services.
Founded in 2001 and based in Seattle, WA, Slalom has organically
grown to more than 2,200 consultants. The company has been
ranked as a Top 10 Best Firms to Work For by Consulting magazine
four times, and earned recognition from Microsoft as a Partner of
the Year five times.
For more information, visit slalom.com.
ABOUT SLALOM CONSULTING
Mike Davis
Consultant
miked@slalom.com