Interesting blog  over at Gartner on what it takes to get senior executives excited about social business.  It talks about the importance of structure in convincing executives that this is not some wild west.

The answer starts by recognizing that structure builds executive understanding and support, not because it gives them a way to control things, rather because it lets them know that things can be controlled if they get out of hand.

It goes on to talk about three crucial questions to ask before you get started with social business.

• What will the community do?
• Who is responsible for the community?
• How do executives measure community progress and success?

The first and third questions are key for me, as they identify what the purpose  of your social work is (and how it helps both your organisation and your customers), and then how you will measure that purpose.