Do we finally have the right technologies for knowledge work? Wikis, blogs, group-messaging software and the like can make a corporate intranet into a constantly changing structure built by distributed, autonomous peers — a collaborative platform that reflects the way work really gets done.
There is a new wave of business communication tools including blogs, wikis and group messaging software — which the author has dubbed, collectively, Enterprise 2.0 — that allow for more spontaneous, knowledge-based collaboration. These new tools, the author contends, may well supplant other communication and knowledge management systems with their superior ability to capture tacit knowledge, best practices and relevant experiences from throughout a company and make them readily available to more users. This article offers a paradigm that highlights the salient characteristics of these new technologies, which the author refers to as SLATES (search, links, authoring, tags, extensions, signals). The resulting organizational communication patterns can lead to highly productive and highly collaborative environments by making both the practices of knowledge work and its outputs more visible. Drawing on case studies and survey data, the article offers managers a set of ground rules for implementing the new technologies. First, it is necessary to create a receptive culture in order to prepare the way for new practices. Second, a common platform must be created to allow for a collaboration infrastructure. Third, an informal rollout of the technologies may be preferred to a more formal procedural change. And fourth, managerial support and leadership is crucial. Even when implanted and implemented well, these new technologies will certainly bring with them new challenges. These tools may well reduce management’s ability to exert unilateral control and to express some level of negativity. Whether a company’s leaders really want this to happen and will be able to resist the temptation to silence dissent is an open question. Leaders will have to play a delicate role if they want Enterprise 2.0 technologies to succeed.
5 Comments On: Enterprise 2.0: The Dawn of Emergent Collaboration
i’m not so sure if the term “emergent” is used correctly? I think the collaboration itself is not the emergent phenomenon, but is causing the emergence of something at a higher level?
Well, the technology is only as good users who know how to use it properly and with best practices. My company is constantly looking for new ways to integrate project management, collaboration type software into the workplace, but even after everyone has been through training, it seems that most do not use the software in the best way to get the most out of it. I think you really need to “sell” the benefits to the end user and if you can make them “want” to use the software, you will get much more out of it.
Good read Andy.
We at MinesweeperBiz believe success of collaboration depends upon: -
1. Simple and intuitive tools for employees.
2. A well defined and thought out roll out strategy.
3. Adoption of new technology tools needs to be gradual steps after successful of a roll out of a simple solution.
So .. technology is a good tool to accomplish our projects, but this also depends on how you use it. As can be so good, some people may use to harm.
I have to underline your thoughts on “search”. It seems to be really hard these days to get our employees use the huge amounts of intranet resources, that we provide them with. Instead they prefer to use search engines for the same data that is already available.
We therefore implemented a simple educational strategy and redirected search terms that include “tags” of local resources to our intranet – even when types into the google search field.
Now guess what … it works. Sometimes you just have to re-educate your staff.
Must say I really enjoyed reading your thoughts, as they reflect indeed a lot of todays problems when you try to sync the scaling of business procedures and technology.