I am product of the dot-com times. The mantra that I lived by (with my band of merry colleagues) for over 6 years of my life was to 'collaborate or die'.
Fridays were reserved for networking...meeting people to ideate and look for ways to work together. It didn't matter if you were a CEO or a 'fresh college grad' with an idea, didn't matter if you were from Timbuctoo or if you spoke with an accent we had to strain our ears to get...we learnt to deal with it.
We didn't have too much by the way of expense accounts...so we went virtual. We met with people in virtual lounges, built presentations together, argued, fell in love with each others avatars and grew to understand and respect each other as people, using technology that was far inferior to what we have right now.
We functioned as a loose network of small businesses spread across Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, HongKong, India ...all tied together by a single mantra...collaborate or die.
Cut to the lament that I hear across the huge organizations that I work with today..."We have fancy collaboration technology in place, we have fancy education and hand-holding sessions...but where are the people? Why aren't the 'droves' materializing?"
Well...it is because, they don't have to. They have nothing to lose if they don't. No change in ratings or paychecks. No fear of having to suit up and live in a cubicle for the rest of their lives because they already are. ;-)
And the view from the cubicle that they exist in, is hardly conducive. It is of a hierarchical construct that pits people against each other using a laughably flawed performance rating system. What do you expect?
Going social, as I never tire of saying, is more about culture and context than technology.
Reaping the benefits of 'virtual collaboration' requires us finding the 'what's in it for them' first. We need to identify the key business pain points that the 'collaboration' can help address and resolve. Define the right organization construct. And then the best technology and support enablement. Not the other way round.
Yes build the right culture, Vs. humbly surrender to globalized practices just because the group in Everberg is or is the only way Latin America or APAC can !? I realize we begin to look like ill at ease rigid clones from the outside, holding unhappy mismatched, incompatible mindsets within ! Always arguing over this, I am a headache to our IT, they hate me :))
ReplyDeleteAnitha Gaddam
Well...I dont think a 'standardized' approach will work or grandiose 'mega community' plans will yield much. People share for a reason...and share with people they trust and are comfortable with...also share when they know they are being heard and respected.
DeleteI for one have become wiser in my choice of forums and people to give a 'headache' to. These are people I respect and who I know will understand the passion that drives the suggestions.
I agree... Sometimes it all boils down, at least initially, to whom you can share your thoughts and ideas with.
DeleteThe focus mainly is on collective intelligence and wisdom of virtual humans beings connected through the internet. Agenda is to access collective knowledge and build expertise using virtual tools which are cost effective for organizations. Result: Collaboration which has created or re-created silos of a different sort.
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