Concerns of Productivity
Thursday: August 2, 2007 6:30 AM
This past week, I was able to sit in on a presentation from one of the research firms on Collaboration and Social Software. One of the slides that jumped out was the concerns about productivity Executives and Managers have with deploying interactive communications. Let’s take a look at these concerns and see which actually are valid.
Excessive Socializing
Truth be told, Web 2.0 isn’t really about socializing as much as it is about conversations. A conversation where business/technical knowledge is exchanged is where the real value comes from. Eureka is one of the most successful implementations of knowledge management in the field. The system emerged when a manger noticed how much information was being shared during lunch on repair techniques and innovative workarounds.
Eureka wasn't the first attempt to get the thousands of Xerox service technicians-the company's largest community of practice-to share their knowledge with colleagues. The technology wasn’t rocket science, but rather the challenge was to come up with the right social insights. Perhaps we need more socializing, not less.
Users Spending too Much Time
Users may spend too much time tweaking wiki pages and writing weblogs instead of their core job function. Remember, Web 2.0 is a self policing communication medium so if someone decides to write a book on the PMO process then others will reduce it to something of value. Now, oppose this to the normal practice of writing manuals and technology documentation. I have actually seen a 500 page manual for a data management service. Did anyone actually read that novel? How much did that cost in writing, editing, and approval time? Yes, I admit that I have one of those manuals on my desk. Sealed in glass; I own an original “Executive Instruction Manual”. I came across it while cleaning up some storeroom and I treasure it to this day. Break glass in case of Decision!
Maintaining Duplicate Information
Ok, here is one that almost has merit. Let’s say it out of the gate, there will be duplication of knowledge. 90% of the intellectual capital of the organization is stored in the heads of our employee base. If social software can extract just a small part of that knowledge then it’s worth ten times the cost. We duplicate information because we don’t have an effective means of assembling information (Search) or an effective means to distribute (RSS). Duplication wouldn’t be necessary if we had the proper technology in place.
More Software to Learn
Most Web 2.0 software is built with simplicity in mind. This is by design since the main goal is to obtain mass adoption. That being said, most of the people entering the workforce today already know how this stuff works. What I am seeing is not really how to use the software but when and where. Most groups like the idea but struggle how to add it to their business model.
The good news about these concerns is that executives are thinking about this and putting it on the radar. Again, it’s not a matter of if collaborative software will become main stream but when.
This past week, I was able to sit in on a presentation from one of the research firms on Collaboration and Social Software. One of the slides that jumped out was the concerns about productivity Executives and Managers have with deploying interactive communications. Let’s take a look at these concerns and see which actually are valid.
Excessive Socializing
Truth be told, Web 2.0 isn’t really about socializing as much as it is about conversations. A conversation where business/technical knowledge is exchanged is where the real value comes from. Eureka is one of the most successful implementations of knowledge management in the field. The system emerged when a manger noticed how much information was being shared during lunch on repair techniques and innovative workarounds.
Eureka wasn't the first attempt to get the thousands of Xerox service technicians-the company's largest community of practice-to share their knowledge with colleagues. The technology wasn’t rocket science, but rather the challenge was to come up with the right social insights. Perhaps we need more socializing, not less.
Users Spending too Much Time
Users may spend too much time tweaking wiki pages and writing weblogs instead of their core job function. Remember, Web 2.0 is a self policing communication medium so if someone decides to write a book on the PMO process then others will reduce it to something of value. Now, oppose this to the normal practice of writing manuals and technology documentation. I have actually seen a 500 page manual for a data management service. Did anyone actually read that novel? How much did that cost in writing, editing, and approval time? Yes, I admit that I have one of those manuals on my desk. Sealed in glass; I own an original “Executive Instruction Manual”. I came across it while cleaning up some storeroom and I treasure it to this day. Break glass in case of Decision!
Maintaining Duplicate Information
Ok, here is one that almost has merit. Let’s say it out of the gate, there will be duplication of knowledge. 90% of the intellectual capital of the organization is stored in the heads of our employee base. If social software can extract just a small part of that knowledge then it’s worth ten times the cost. We duplicate information because we don’t have an effective means of assembling information (Search) or an effective means to distribute (RSS). Duplication wouldn’t be necessary if we had the proper technology in place.
More Software to Learn
Most Web 2.0 software is built with simplicity in mind. This is by design since the main goal is to obtain mass adoption. That being said, most of the people entering the workforce today already know how this stuff works. What I am seeing is not really how to use the software but when and where. Most groups like the idea but struggle how to add it to their business model.
The good news about these concerns is that executives are thinking about this and putting it on the radar. Again, it’s not a matter of if collaborative software will become main stream but when.
