Over at his ZDNet blog, Web 2.0 guru Dion Hinchcliffe has written an excellent article on the use of social computing tools as a catalyst for change in business. He examines in reasonable detail (and links off to deeper content) several aspects of the way in which these tools can enhance productivity and collaboration, noting:
Those of you tracking the Enterprise 2.0 story know the drill, namely that applying Web 2.0 tools and platforms inside organization may or may not — depending on who you are talking to — improve the way we collaborate, run our businesses, and even potentially tap major new veins of previously unexploitable worker productivity.
However, rather than the pie-in-the-sky, change the world attitude of many Web 2.0 proponents, Dion brings more than a touch of realism to the conversation when he says:
Cultural impedance is something that’s also inhibited many otherwise highly useful and potentially beneficial IT initiatives including SOA, BPM, EAI and others. The gap between what’s technically possible and what the corporate culture is willing and able to accept — must less actively encourage — is often wider than many people automatically assume.
This cultural impedance is something that may be the greatest stumbling block to Enterprise 2.0 adoption. Many businesses and government in particular, are often culturally ill-equipped to facilitate experimentation with social computing tools. Bureaucracy can get in the way and good ideas that need permission to go ahead become caught up in the committee process. The introduction of these tools to your workplace may require you to become the change agent for a significant cultural shift - not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.
A worthwhile approach is to socialise the benefits among a small, self-interested group who will realise immediate benefit from these tools. That group can then become your evangelists, adding their voices to yours in the effort to bring these tools to your business. A larger voice, moderated by awareness of business context, is likely to get a more receptive hearing.
Additionally, Dion notes that he is seeing social computing tools emerging in many businesses under their own steam, without corporate imprimatur. Done carefully, this approach can result in significant success - the tools are in place and providing tangible benefit to staff by the time senior management are introduced to them. However there is risk here, and this needs to be done carefully, avoiding the possibility of breaching organisational rules and policy.
If you are in a position to take this path, be very aware of the environment you operate in and take pains to introduce tools that don’t break the rules - a surefire way to guarantee your project will never see the light of day and potentially risking your job. That said, done well you can be on a winner and the need to beg forgiveness for bending the rules may be offset by the gains you realise.
The job of the knowledge worker as evangelist for change in practices is a relatively common one. Often, it involves a fight you’re not necessarily equipped for. Getting management to understand that the tools and access to external sources of information that you need are beyond the scope of what is considered “normal” for your business can be a significant battle (and a subject for another day).
