6 ways to get executive buy-in for an internal social network

Perhaps you’ve read enviously about organizations that use internal social networks.

Or you’ve attended a conference where the speakers gush about the business value of digital collaboration.

But as for talking your leaders into investing in this—well, where to begin?

If your senior leadership balks at jumping in on an enterprise social network, there are ways to persuade them to give it a shot.

Executives are no fools. They’ve heard about the benefits. But they want to know that this won’t just become a time-squandering internal Facebook, cluttered with cat photos and posts about employees’ precocious children.

Valerie Brown, communications manager at ServiceMaster, says the bosses ask, “Are [employees] going to start hanging out and not doing anything?”

Here are some tips for winning over your leadership:

1. Tell the execs the network will keep them in touch with the troops.

Top bosses often feel isolated, unsure if they are getting the real story or if their goals are widely understood.