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Just because there are so many social tools available on the Web does not mean that you need to find the most powerful or feature-filled or customizable technology to supercharge your organization.

Usually, you’ll find that “just good enough” tools will allow you to make improvements without the frustrations of learning and configuring a complex solution that eats up your time and saps your team’s morale.

Yesterday, Beth Kanter – recognized champion of non-profits looking to adopt social media – published a guest post by David Venn describing what he has learned, in his work with mentally challenged youth, about “why organizational simplicity is key to social media success.” In introducing Venn’s piece, Beth gave this nice reminder of priorities in

Simplicity is a good thing and it’s been a theme of the book I’m co-
writing with Allison. The array of social media can appear to be very
complex. But social media and social networks respond to the same
needs that drive people; the need to connect with one another in
meaningful ways through conversation. Social change happens through
conversations, and the job of nonprofits is to organize themselves in
such ways as to catalyze and manage those conversations.

Organizations that can really adapt and use social media need to
simplify. Simplicity boils down to:

1. Identify the essential
2. Network the rest

It’s about letting go – the staff or the organization doesn’t have to
do it all. It’s also about having the ability to stop doing programs
or activities that don’t work. It’s also about streamlining decision-
making and being more nimble.