Can Corporate Jets Help Aircraft Carriers Adapt to the Social Web?

It’s a Metaphor and a Challenge

When I worked for a small publisher turning itself around, we were well aware of the disadvantage our size in terms of visibility, offer, and reach. Still we felt we were on the winning side, because we had advantages the corporate publishers had lost just because they had gotten big.

A friend of mine used to say, “It takes a long time to turn an aircraft carrier. Corporate publishers have the same problem. We’re like a Seafox, small but quick.”

It looks the same for small business and corporations on the social web.

Corporations have more structure. Think of the set relational culture and history of huge corporations. Think organizational structure and traditions.
Corporations have more to lose. Think stakeholders, stockholders, and financial histories. Think protecting reputation and market share that is huge.

Small business can focus, move, and respond quickly. A change of thinking and a few new people can change the culture in a few breaths. Communication is faster, so education is too. Could that be why smaller business is adapting more quickly to the social web?

But then, I keep thinking, “Aircraft carriers also transport jets.”