After a semester in the trench, and now coming up from “the field” with some results to my brief research study – it seems that acceptance of Enterprise 2.0… or perhaps even Web 2.0 comes down to two key things based on my finds:
- The culture you live/work in
- The desire you (or your firm) has to collaborate with others
It sounds so simple, but simple rarely means easy. It is simple for me to loose weight if I will just lay off the chips, walk 1/2 hour a day, and get my head in a positive mindset… EASY??? uhhh, no – not really.
As I reflect back on the first days of class and re-read my first blog, I was coming from a place – a culture perhaps – that found little if any value in the Web 2.0 space. I had observed its use by the so-called digital natives, and was not impressed at the value of Tweeting what you were eating where, incessantly checking Facebook for updates, or the need to spend hours creating “special” sites that reflected ones “unique image and personality”. I came from a different time, and place – a generation where efficiency, economy, and activity for PURPOSE was valued. A place where the individual was not really viewed as unique at all – it was their contribution to the greater whole that gave them value. Quite simply, the individual really didn’t matter, so why would I want to know what you were thinking, eating or listening to, 24/7? What value could that possibly bring?
I cannot report that I am converted from my thinking entirely – that would just be a lie. That said, the collaborative nature of Web 2.0 forced me into this alternative universe – this culture of intense sharing, exposing, listening. Taking a moment (or for me, a semester) to examine how the tools, methods and ways of thinking/engaging MIGHT be used for the benefit of the “greater whole” lead me to really believe in Enterprise 2.0 – Web 2.0 for work.
I will forever be more of a listener than a Tweeter, a thinker rather than a blogger, a note taker that uses a pen and paper rather than Google docs, but thanks to my young friends and instructor in #tech621, I am definitely not relegated to the culture I once pledged allegiance to. I value in a new and personal way, the fresh and lively exchanges that you have shared with me. I have laughed until my face hurt at your inclass tweets, your LOL cats and your Vladerday photos. I am forever beholding to the way each of you SHARED and collaborated with me to learn the tools, the terms, the sites and the right way to search using hashtags… Lets face it, I now know what a hash tag is!! BIG GROWTH for the gray haired GENXRECON! You have reminded me through your actions how to simply listen and think without sharing is really an existence of isolation, with missed opportunities for learning, understanding and harvesting joy that can only come through developing a relationship… even if the relationship is born on Twitter : )
To value Web 2.0/Ent 2.0, you must have a sense of wonder, adventure and give value to the possibility of collaboration – the power of the individual to help create collective value through their own unique voice.
This morning I received a tweet to take a quiz on the kind of collaborator I was. I was wishing I had taken it prior to the start of class, then again at the end to see what if any change had resulted. That said, I smiled as I read the result summary which encouraged me to “spend more time in the system sharing and collaborating to set an example for your team”… while also advising that I get along well with “the experts”.
Thank you – for being the experts that have enabled me to become an executive collaborator; never the ultimate Web/Ent2.0 user, but better informed, open and responsive to the possibilities. I am not sure if this will be the last blog I ever write, but I am confident this will not be the last blog I read.
Until next – I will echo back to you the wisdoms you shared and showed me over the months…
- Never Tweet before coffee or after beer
- Everyday is a day to celebrate Vladerday
- It’s ok to try new things and fail – keep trying, you might find something that works in a way you never envisioned
- If you need to blog it – then it matters, even if no one else comments
- Tweet like your life depends on … because sometimes your grade does!
- A LOL cat can bring a smile to someone having a really crappy day
- Gen Y’s are really special…listen & learn with them…
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