Change…but not everything at once

There’s one common question with no absolute answer : “ok, since I decided to implement social software within my company, how do I have to do ?”. I think most of the experts will agree there’s no magic recipe but many tips you have to adapt to your own context.

But, before all, never forget the rule number one : before ask how, first ask why. It will help you to choose the right tools (because “social software” means a very broad choice of tools) for the right purposes. Then, imagine the practices and usages uou want to happen, the starting point and the finish line because the best way to achieve something is to fully visualize it.

In the following paragraph I’ll use generic words practices and tools in their 1.0 and 2.0 version, even if it may be simplistic.

Tools 1.0 : all the classic and legacy tools companies have been using so far.

Tools 2.0 : social networks, blogs, wikis, social bookmarking….

Practices 1.0 : current practices, mainly top down, in a “hub approach“, relying on corporate’s formal structures and neglecting the informal one.

Practices 2.0 : about free-form collaboration, cross organizaton interactions. They’re not to replace the previous ones but to add to them.

The purpose is to start from practices 1.0 on tools 2.0 to practices 2.0 on tools 2.0. To be more precise, it’s about keeping the 1.0/1.0 duet for activities it’s perfectly adapted to, move some 1.0 practices on 2.0 tools for more efficiency and make it possible to develop new 2.0 on 2.0 tools.

Expercience teaches us that moving directly from 1.0/1.0 to 2.0/2.0 is very hard for many reasons.

• First there’s a change of tools. Even it they’re intuitive and “user friendly”, web 2.0 tools have their own logic which is the exact opposite of the tool’s they were using for ages.

• There’s a radical change in practices. Not everybody will become a “champion”, “a connector”. But in order the few champions would be useful, tools must be used, at least at a minimalist level, by everybody. Going too fast may make 90% people give up and you’ll end alone with your champions, wagons without cars to pull. Remember the 1-9-90 rule..

• Furthermore everybody knows adopting new tools is never a neutral project, neither changing the way one does its job. Adopting new practices one can’t visualize because they’re a part of a new paaradigm is even  more difficult, if not impossible.

So intermediary steps are needed. But which ? Practices 2.0 on tools 1.0 ? Imposible because tools aren’t designed for those kinds of use. Practices 1.0 on tools 2.0 ? It seems to be the right choice.

It’s about starting to use these new tools for day to day tasks, not to ask people to jump into an unknown world but to use new friendly tools for tasks they already know and master. Of course, you’ll soon have to move some flows (email ??) to these tools. The purppose is to make it in order to everybody knows how to use web 2.0 tools at a minimalist level in order to be able to follow the locomotives when time will come to develop new practices around champions.

So everybody will discover the new paradigm in a no-risk context and understand bu themselves they can do many other things. This intermediate phase may need and exchanges and flows analysis.

Now let’s talk about benefits.

The first step allow a better diffusion of information, better availablity of tacit knowledge. They will be measured in terms of harnessing / information readiness. The  second step will help companies to adopt SOO or Wirearchy logics. This will lead to organizational performance related benefits.

In order to understand this two-steps methodology, try to imagine a famous rock’n roll band. If they can do outstanding thinks on stage, jam sessions, it’s only because they first started by learning music theory.

adoption,changement,Entreprise 2.0,flux,participation,usages,web-2.0

Bertrand DUPERRIN
Bertrand DUPERRINhttps://www.duperrin.com/english
Head of People and Business Delivery @Emakina / Former consulting director / Crossroads of people, business and technology / Speaker / Compulsive traveler
Head of People and Business Delivery @Emakina / Former consulting director / Crossroads of people, business and technology / Speaker / Compulsive traveler
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