A few days ago, a twitt from Luis Suarez caught my attention. He was saying that in 2009 his “evangelist” title will lose its sense and that he would have to find something else. As a matter of fact we have to admit that the evangelization period of enterprise 2.0 is close to its end.
It’s a period when it’s about making people understand that something new exist, that it may useful. It’s also about giving rise to discussions, reflections. Hence the title. But such a period must end.
When the end comes quickly it means that the “something” made a flop. Sometimes because it didn’t bring anything, sometimes because it was to much in advance of its time. Even the greatest visionniairies are useless if they’re right too early.
When the end puts off coming, it doesn’t mean that the change in minds is coming but that the evelangelist is persevering.
And when the end comes in reasonnable time, it means that the “something” landed at the right time and matched actual needs.
I think enterprise 2.0 is in the third situation.
All of those who, having the title of evengelist or acting as if, can confirm it. With the passing years questions were more and more precise. We started with using web 2.0 tools to end with concerns about organization, management etc… We switched from “we could do things with 2.0 tools” to “why we should to it (don’t laugh….it took take for many people to really wonder about the real purpose of things), “how to do it”, “what are the profound impacts”, “how to integrate it in a global strategy, in an HR policy”.
That doesn’t mean that the game is won. It simply means that the debate becomes more and more specialized. And that after the time of ideas comes the time of what’s essential : the enterprise. What will, according to me, imply a kind of “untechnologization” of the debate.
It tools are the ball that allows us to play a game, it’s time to focus on the rules of the game itself.
Which future for an enterprise 2.0 evangelist ? I think the title is still relevant because after having pushed an emergent global concept, the job will be more about its applications. This will quickly take us to not say anymore “it’s possible” but “thinks have to be done this way, at such conditions”, what wille be close to a vocation too in the early times. Many enterprise 2.0 evangelists, at least those I like to read, are experts in other domains who revisited their expertise according to a new vision. No problem for them, they have enough matter and expertise. I even think they learned many things in domains that weren’t theirs by trying to embrace global and systemic issues. For those who were only the spokepeople of a message that wasn’t theirs, without any operative vision nor understanding wider than the tool’s perimeter…it may be harder.
In 2009 discussions will be sometimes high level but often organization, process and day to day work oriented. I think that evangelist will have to turn more and more into business analysts.
Evanalyst ? Evangalyst ?
Whatever, what will matter is the ability to go profoundly into management and organizational issues, with a deep understanding of purposes and constraints. The real ones. Not “collaborat” neither “share” which are only holdall means but the operative mechanisms that help to create value. And that’s what enterprises are asking for, whether they’ve been evangelized or are waiting for business proofs.
By a strange irony, and unlike the religious aspect of evangelism, when applied to business the real story has to be written down after evangelization, not before.
Coming back to what inspired me this post…I don’t worry about Luis’ future title.
évangélisation, évangéliste, business analysis, business analyst, Entreprise 2.0, Management, organisation
