Social Business Digest
by caro
Curated hints on Digital Transformation, Enterprise 2.0, Enterprise Social Networks, Social Intranets, Social Collaboration, Knowledge Management, HR 2.0, ... and all the rest
Dr.-Ing. Carsten Rose – Effective: 31.07.2017
Dr.-Ing. Carsten Rose – Effective: 31.07.2017
Archive 07/2017
Confirmed: internal social media drive engagement, save costs and time
31.07.2017
We don't have to hire a research company such as Forrester or Gartner to prove what we already experience. A study of the German Macromedia University, conducted in 2016, confirms that internal social media truly drive employee engagement and save time and money. Its survey was conducted in more than 500 German companies across different hierarchy levels. The results were compared with a similar study that was realized by the same authors in 2013. The results have to been seen in the context that the use of internal social media in German companies has ...
31.07.2017
We don't have to hire a research company such as Forrester or Gartner to prove what we already experience. A study of the German Macromedia University, conducted in 2016, confirms that internal social media truly drive employee engagement and save time and money. Its survey was conducted in more than 500 German companies across different hierarchy levels. The results were compared with a similar study that was realized by the same authors in 2013. The results have to been seen in the context that the use of internal social media in German companies has ...
How to keep introverts and extroverts happy in the workplace
31.07.2017
Being able to cater for everyone in the workplace can be a challenge. A recent survey revealed 60% of workers don't think that their employers are catering for their individual needs. Research from office furniture supplier, DBI Furniture, has found 60% of workers don't think that their employers are catering for their individual needs. Nick Pollitt, Managing Director of the firm, believes that a lot more can be done to facilitate the needs of every employee making them feel as comfortable as possible in their working environment regardless of their ...
31.07.2017
Being able to cater for everyone in the workplace can be a challenge. A recent survey revealed 60% of workers don't think that their employers are catering for their individual needs. Research from office furniture supplier, DBI Furniture, has found 60% of workers don't think that their employers are catering for their individual needs. Nick Pollitt, Managing Director of the firm, believes that a lot more can be done to facilitate the needs of every employee making them feel as comfortable as possible in their working environment regardless of their ...
Building Internal Support vs. Building An Internal Alliance
31.07.2017
Building internal support begins with: "I want to do this thing, will you help me?" Building an internal alliance begins with: "What are you trying to achieve? How can I help?" Too many people try to build internal support when they should build internal alliances. Support is difficult to gain and can quickly evaporate as priorities shift. If you're waiting for someone to do you a favour, take a number and get in line. You could be waiting for a while. It's a thousand times easier to build an alliance instead. Figure out the goals and concerns of those ...
31.07.2017
Building internal support begins with: "I want to do this thing, will you help me?" Building an internal alliance begins with: "What are you trying to achieve? How can I help?" Too many people try to build internal support when they should build internal alliances. Support is difficult to gain and can quickly evaporate as priorities shift. If you're waiting for someone to do you a favour, take a number and get in line. You could be waiting for a while. It's a thousand times easier to build an alliance instead. Figure out the goals and concerns of those ...
Will Today's Digital Transformations Finally Create a New Era of Productivity?
31.07.2017
I recently had a fantastic and wide-ranging conversation with one of the leaders of today's tech revolution, Marcus Weldon, Nokia CTO and President of Bell Labs. We discussed the future of work, the difficulties of taking AI to the next level, and the leadership challenges we all face in the coming cognitive era. As we wrapped up, he added a twist that still has me spinning: Weldon set a target date for achieving the long-promised, long-awaited, and still missing, corporate productivity gains driven by all our technology. 2028. Says Weldon: "At Bell ...
31.07.2017
I recently had a fantastic and wide-ranging conversation with one of the leaders of today's tech revolution, Marcus Weldon, Nokia CTO and President of Bell Labs. We discussed the future of work, the difficulties of taking AI to the next level, and the leadership challenges we all face in the coming cognitive era. As we wrapped up, he added a twist that still has me spinning: Weldon set a target date for achieving the long-promised, long-awaited, and still missing, corporate productivity gains driven by all our technology. 2028. Says Weldon: "At Bell ...
Do You Have AI Trust Issues?
31.07.2017
How much trust do you place in the machines you use and interact with every day? Do you ever think it might be possible for a machine to understand you as well as -- or maybe even better than -- another human being? The truth is that increasing numbers of consumers each year are putting their trust into machines that gather data about them and then use it to understand their behavior and preferences in far quicker, easier and often more accurate ways than human beings ever could. AI Solutions May Be Evolving but They Aren't New Excuse Me, but Are You ...
31.07.2017
How much trust do you place in the machines you use and interact with every day? Do you ever think it might be possible for a machine to understand you as well as -- or maybe even better than -- another human being? The truth is that increasing numbers of consumers each year are putting their trust into machines that gather data about them and then use it to understand their behavior and preferences in far quicker, easier and often more accurate ways than human beings ever could. AI Solutions May Be Evolving but They Aren't New Excuse Me, but Are You ...
IT's future value proposition
31.07.2017
Many executives expect IT will play a growing role in driving business results, according to a new survey. For that to happen, CIOs must broaden their profiles and prove IT's effectiveness in areas such as digital and innovation. IT is poised to play a new, more strategic role in companies, one that moves beyond support to create business value through technology-based business innovation and digital initiatives. But according to the newest McKinsey Global Survey on business technology,1 IT organizations continue to struggle with performance issues, ...
31.07.2017
Many executives expect IT will play a growing role in driving business results, according to a new survey. For that to happen, CIOs must broaden their profiles and prove IT's effectiveness in areas such as digital and innovation. IT is poised to play a new, more strategic role in companies, one that moves beyond support to create business value through technology-based business innovation and digital initiatives. But according to the newest McKinsey Global Survey on business technology,1 IT organizations continue to struggle with performance issues, ...
Employee Networking
28.07.2017
Products and services of tomorrow are the result of advanced ways of working. That's why we at Daimler never stop reinventing ourselves. For us, networked cooperation is the key to increasing our agility and innovational strength. More and more of our staff therefore use our company-wide social network and employ new methods. Networked cooperation helps us to positively embrace the changes brought about by digitalization. User-friendly technologies are just as important for working together as the skills and attitudes of the people who work with ...
28.07.2017
Products and services of tomorrow are the result of advanced ways of working. That's why we at Daimler never stop reinventing ourselves. For us, networked cooperation is the key to increasing our agility and innovational strength. More and more of our staff therefore use our company-wide social network and employ new methods. Networked cooperation helps us to positively embrace the changes brought about by digitalization. User-friendly technologies are just as important for working together as the skills and attitudes of the people who work with ...
Social Business Benefits
28.07.2017
Corporate Patterns over Process Now let's pause and reflect on how this scenario is playing out inside a corporate firewall. An Oil and Gas company for example encounters a new drilling problem in its Alaskan exploration initiative. At a cost of $250K per day, delays are costly indeed. Through its normal knowledge management, designated experts, and consultancy route it may take several days to document, share the problem and wade through the possible solutions now contained in multi-threaded email trails and attachments. There is the further risk that ...
28.07.2017
Corporate Patterns over Process Now let's pause and reflect on how this scenario is playing out inside a corporate firewall. An Oil and Gas company for example encounters a new drilling problem in its Alaskan exploration initiative. At a cost of $250K per day, delays are costly indeed. Through its normal knowledge management, designated experts, and consultancy route it may take several days to document, share the problem and wade through the possible solutions now contained in multi-threaded email trails and attachments. There is the further risk that ...
Internal Communicators most likely to invest in Social Intranets & ESNs
28.07.2017
Social Intranets and Enterprise Social Networks (ESN) are the channels most likely to be invested in by Internal Comms professionals according to a new report. The yearly report surveyed 100 internal communications professionals in order to discover which channels they see as the most valuable, both traditional and digital internal comms channels. The survey by communications agency Hollinger Scott found a number of interesting results. The findings show that internal communicators still see the importance of both traditional channels such as team meetings ...
28.07.2017
Social Intranets and Enterprise Social Networks (ESN) are the channels most likely to be invested in by Internal Comms professionals according to a new report. The yearly report surveyed 100 internal communications professionals in order to discover which channels they see as the most valuable, both traditional and digital internal comms channels. The survey by communications agency Hollinger Scott found a number of interesting results. The findings show that internal communicators still see the importance of both traditional channels such as team meetings ...
Innovation Management: Knowledge-Sharing Culture
28.07.2017
Knowledge increases when it is shared. That's why Siemens has invested in a platform that contains the company's consolidated expertise. It has also launched an internal search engine. These steps have set the stage for an open and cooperative knowledge-sharing environment. In a bid to obtain an ?11 million contract for the medical diagnostic equipment of a pharmaceutical company, Siemens employee Alistair Gammie visited the pharmaceutical manufacturer's production plant in Brazil after weeks of negotiations. During his tour of the plant, Gammie ...
28.07.2017
Knowledge increases when it is shared. That's why Siemens has invested in a platform that contains the company's consolidated expertise. It has also launched an internal search engine. These steps have set the stage for an open and cooperative knowledge-sharing environment. In a bid to obtain an ?11 million contract for the medical diagnostic equipment of a pharmaceutical company, Siemens employee Alistair Gammie visited the pharmaceutical manufacturer's production plant in Brazil after weeks of negotiations. During his tour of the plant, Gammie ...
Fixing the Leadership Crisis: Rebuilding Trust
28.07.2017
by Rachel Happe - Trust is critical to solving complex problems. And the world is full of complex problems in need of solutions - solutions that will not be developed if people think they are going to be misunderstood, shot down or censured. There is a lot of hand-wringing about the lack of trust these days. There is very little discussion of holding leaders accountable for it. It is, however, the most valuable impact a leader can have - because trust begets efficiency, advocacy, and loyalty. There is enough research about trust that developing trust ...
28.07.2017
by Rachel Happe - Trust is critical to solving complex problems. And the world is full of complex problems in need of solutions - solutions that will not be developed if people think they are going to be misunderstood, shot down or censured. There is a lot of hand-wringing about the lack of trust these days. There is very little discussion of holding leaders accountable for it. It is, however, the most valuable impact a leader can have - because trust begets efficiency, advocacy, and loyalty. There is enough research about trust that developing trust ...
When learners become teachers - how community roles shift over time
28.07.2017
Community of practice members may start by being learners and end up being teachers who still learn. Let's look at patterns of behaviour in a Community of Practice forum, or discussion area. When a novice employee is very new to an organisation or to a topic, they are usually very quiet in a community forum. They are still learning the basics, which they get from training and from the community knowledge base, and they spend 100% of their community time watching and reading community discussion. They don't tend to ask questions on the forum ...
28.07.2017
Community of practice members may start by being learners and end up being teachers who still learn. Let's look at patterns of behaviour in a Community of Practice forum, or discussion area. When a novice employee is very new to an organisation or to a topic, they are usually very quiet in a community forum. They are still learning the basics, which they get from training and from the community knowledge base, and they spend 100% of their community time watching and reading community discussion. They don't tend to ask questions on the forum ...
Why Change Initiatives in The Workplace Fail
28.07.2017
Pursuing productivity is at the heart of almost every change management and design programme, yet its definition seems more elusive than alchemy. Although it is the most ubiquitous measure, it is impossible to measure productivity by questionnaire. Just as with a car, a survey will tell you how comfortable people may be, or what they think of the air conditioning, but you need the equivalent of a stopwatch for the performance data. Consequently, employees in telephone call centres tend to know little other than constant measurement. Emergency services ...
28.07.2017
Pursuing productivity is at the heart of almost every change management and design programme, yet its definition seems more elusive than alchemy. Although it is the most ubiquitous measure, it is impossible to measure productivity by questionnaire. Just as with a car, a survey will tell you how comfortable people may be, or what they think of the air conditioning, but you need the equivalent of a stopwatch for the performance data. Consequently, employees in telephone call centres tend to know little other than constant measurement. Emergency services ...
Katharina Krentz, Robert Bosch GmbH, über einen wichtigen Erfolgsfaktor digitaler Zusammenarbeit: Working Out Loud
27.07.2017
Working Out Loud, kurz WOL - wer im Thema digitale Zusammenarbeit denkt, hat sicherlich von dieser Methode gehört. WOL, das bedeutet ein Spektrum enthusiastischer Verfechter der Methode bis hin zu Skeptikern, die nur die nächste Sau durch die Unternehmen getrieben sieht. Wer den Hashtag #WOL bei Twitter recherchiert wird allerdings feststellen: für die Einordnung von WOL als Hype hält sich "die WOL-Bewegung" bereits zu lange, und die Berichte aus WOL-Circlen, aus Initiativen gemeinsam im WOL-Thema voranschreitender Unternehmen uvm. generieren konsequent ...
27.07.2017
Working Out Loud, kurz WOL - wer im Thema digitale Zusammenarbeit denkt, hat sicherlich von dieser Methode gehört. WOL, das bedeutet ein Spektrum enthusiastischer Verfechter der Methode bis hin zu Skeptikern, die nur die nächste Sau durch die Unternehmen getrieben sieht. Wer den Hashtag #WOL bei Twitter recherchiert wird allerdings feststellen: für die Einordnung von WOL als Hype hält sich "die WOL-Bewegung" bereits zu lange, und die Berichte aus WOL-Circlen, aus Initiativen gemeinsam im WOL-Thema voranschreitender Unternehmen uvm. generieren konsequent ...
"Social Technologies in Business": my summary and thoughts
27.07.2017
I got to know about this book through social media. Someone in my network talked about it; someone else commented and liked it. I saw photos of its launching session and within days my social media timeline paraded praise after praise for the book. I just had to read it. I really, really liked it. Just as each chapter of the book starts with a set of tags, I start this post with a set of tags for the book itself: leadership, network, sharing, strategy, tools, transformation, voice. Let me explain. Isabel De Clercq brought together a group of professionals ...
27.07.2017
I got to know about this book through social media. Someone in my network talked about it; someone else commented and liked it. I saw photos of its launching session and within days my social media timeline paraded praise after praise for the book. I just had to read it. I really, really liked it. Just as each chapter of the book starts with a set of tags, I start this post with a set of tags for the book itself: leadership, network, sharing, strategy, tools, transformation, voice. Let me explain. Isabel De Clercq brought together a group of professionals ...
How Do You Explain Yammer?
27.07.2017
Last week I was put through my paces at work. A colleague who I had worked with a couple of years ago to create Role Based Proficiency Pathways for the retail arm of her business came back from maternity leave and she sat next to me at work. We caught up with the "goss" and I learned about her new role. She was excited to be back at work after extended leave but also slightly anxious to be out of the business she knew so well and now in a centralised role in corporate support with Human Resources. She mentioned that her many years at the coalface of ...
27.07.2017
Last week I was put through my paces at work. A colleague who I had worked with a couple of years ago to create Role Based Proficiency Pathways for the retail arm of her business came back from maternity leave and she sat next to me at work. We caught up with the "goss" and I learned about her new role. She was excited to be back at work after extended leave but also slightly anxious to be out of the business she knew so well and now in a centralised role in corporate support with Human Resources. She mentioned that her many years at the coalface of ...
Guidelines for Executive engagement
27.07.2017
Hello, We're planning on training some of our Executive team for Community posting. We have external posting guidelines for our members and a couple of bullet points internally for employees to consider. I am wondering if anyone has experience of training Executives, if so what guidance/guidelines would you share with them? Our Execs are known publicly by our users, so they'd almost be 'celebrities' for want of a better word in our Community. Some of our Execs are known publicly, so they'd almost be 'celebrities' for ...
27.07.2017
Hello, We're planning on training some of our Executive team for Community posting. We have external posting guidelines for our members and a couple of bullet points internally for employees to consider. I am wondering if anyone has experience of training Executives, if so what guidance/guidelines would you share with them? Our Execs are known publicly by our users, so they'd almost be 'celebrities' for want of a better word in our Community. Some of our Execs are known publicly, so they'd almost be 'celebrities' for ...
External Access and Extranets
27.07.2017
by Stan Garfield - External access: capability for users outside of a company's firewall to have access to selected web sites and team spaces to allow collaboration with retirees, partners, and customers who would otherwise be blocked from the company's internal network - requires technical, security, and legal elements Extranet: an intranet that can be partially accessed by authorized outside users, enabling businesses to exchange information over the Internet securely; controlled private network that allows access to partners, vendors and ...
27.07.2017
by Stan Garfield - External access: capability for users outside of a company's firewall to have access to selected web sites and team spaces to allow collaboration with retirees, partners, and customers who would otherwise be blocked from the company's internal network - requires technical, security, and legal elements Extranet: an intranet that can be partially accessed by authorized outside users, enabling businesses to exchange information over the Internet securely; controlled private network that allows access to partners, vendors and ...
The problem solving pattern [Agile decision-making series]
27.07.2017
It is possible to generically describe problem solving as taking place through three related cycles of activity. This is part 2 of a series of articles on modelling and enhancing how decision-making occurs in an organisational context. Earlier decision-making models often resemble the tale of the "blind and the elephant",1 each describing only one aspect of a generic and universally applicable problem-solving pattern. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the multiple definitions of knowledge management are also often accused of only describing part of a larger whole. ...
27.07.2017
It is possible to generically describe problem solving as taking place through three related cycles of activity. This is part 2 of a series of articles on modelling and enhancing how decision-making occurs in an organisational context. Earlier decision-making models often resemble the tale of the "blind and the elephant",1 each describing only one aspect of a generic and universally applicable problem-solving pattern. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the multiple definitions of knowledge management are also often accused of only describing part of a larger whole. ...
Change hack 8: Using human-centred design in change management [Change hacks series]
27.07.2017
The practice of change management is demanding a new set of capabilities to complement our existing ones. This is part 8 of a series of articles on 'change hacks' from expert change management speaker and facilitator Lena Ross. There's this experience most of us have when we buy a new car. Let's say it's a green Volvo. Once you own it, you notice there are quite a few people around driving the same car as you. There's a nifty scientific term for that called the reticular activating system, which is like a switch you activate in your brain once you dedicate ...
27.07.2017
The practice of change management is demanding a new set of capabilities to complement our existing ones. This is part 8 of a series of articles on 'change hacks' from expert change management speaker and facilitator Lena Ross. There's this experience most of us have when we buy a new car. Let's say it's a green Volvo. Once you own it, you notice there are quite a few people around driving the same car as you. There's a nifty scientific term for that called the reticular activating system, which is like a switch you activate in your brain once you dedicate ...
Offener Brief: Den Chancen und Möglichkeiten eines Enterprise Social Network für ihr Unternehmen sollten Sie ihre Aufmerksamkeit schenken!
26.07.2017
Sehr geehrtes Mitglied der Geschäftsführung, in Gesprächen mit Geschäftsführern und Vorständen erfahren wir immer wieder, dass das Thema Enterprise Social Network als eine Option der digitalen Transformation bisher entweder noch nicht wahrgenommen wurde oder als IT Thema zu einer reinen technologischen Herausforderung gesehen wird. Beide Haltungen sind meiner Meinung nach für die zukünftige Wettbewerbsfähigkeit höchst gefährlich. Vor allem dann, wenn der Mitbewerb sich bereits auf den Weg zur digitalen Transformation und der Einführung eines ESN Konzeptes ...
26.07.2017
Sehr geehrtes Mitglied der Geschäftsführung, in Gesprächen mit Geschäftsführern und Vorständen erfahren wir immer wieder, dass das Thema Enterprise Social Network als eine Option der digitalen Transformation bisher entweder noch nicht wahrgenommen wurde oder als IT Thema zu einer reinen technologischen Herausforderung gesehen wird. Beide Haltungen sind meiner Meinung nach für die zukünftige Wettbewerbsfähigkeit höchst gefährlich. Vor allem dann, wenn der Mitbewerb sich bereits auf den Weg zur digitalen Transformation und der Einführung eines ESN Konzeptes ...
Silodenken: Wie Sie es aufbrechen
26.07.2017
Silodenken gibt es nahezu überall. In jedem Betrieb, jeder Organisation, jeder Abteilung. Dabei sind die Nachteile, die ausgeprägtes Silodenken mit sich bringt, keineswegs unbekannt: Es hemmt die Kooperation, erhöht die Kosten, behindert den Fortschritt. Kurz: Silodenken ist so nützlich wie eine Wärmflasche aus Schokolade. Warum ist dann trotzdem so verbreitet? Und vor allem: Was lässt sich dagegen unternehmen? Wir hätten ein paar Vorschläge, wie sich Eigenbrötler-Kultur aufbrechen lässt... Silodenken Definition: Systemimmanent, aber unnütz Silodenken: ...
26.07.2017
Silodenken gibt es nahezu überall. In jedem Betrieb, jeder Organisation, jeder Abteilung. Dabei sind die Nachteile, die ausgeprägtes Silodenken mit sich bringt, keineswegs unbekannt: Es hemmt die Kooperation, erhöht die Kosten, behindert den Fortschritt. Kurz: Silodenken ist so nützlich wie eine Wärmflasche aus Schokolade. Warum ist dann trotzdem so verbreitet? Und vor allem: Was lässt sich dagegen unternehmen? Wir hätten ein paar Vorschläge, wie sich Eigenbrötler-Kultur aufbrechen lässt... Silodenken Definition: Systemimmanent, aber unnütz Silodenken: ...
Inspiring Collaboration in the Modern Workplace
26.07.2017
Where does collaboration come from? It comes from communication, from drive, and from a shared passion to achieve great things as an organization. Microsoft Office 365 has produced this helpful webcast to help you understand how you can foster a culture of collaboration in your workplace. You can put all the physical and digital strategies you like in place but without an underlying ethos of collaboration, the effect on your workplace will be minimal. Instead, the right environment must be fostered in order to incubate collaboration in your office and ...
26.07.2017
Where does collaboration come from? It comes from communication, from drive, and from a shared passion to achieve great things as an organization. Microsoft Office 365 has produced this helpful webcast to help you understand how you can foster a culture of collaboration in your workplace. You can put all the physical and digital strategies you like in place but without an underlying ethos of collaboration, the effect on your workplace will be minimal. Instead, the right environment must be fostered in order to incubate collaboration in your office and ...
The Fear of Working Out Loud
26.07.2017
by Paul Taylor - Bromford Lab are trying to get back into the Working Out Loud thing -- starting by publishing their weekly priorities. Even as we were discussing it this morning there is a part of my brain nagging me into not sharing things. It's been built into us. Don't share things as someone will steal your ideas. What if we want to sell this? That's not been approved -- it isn't ready to share. Sharing things will just worry people unnecessarily Don't tell people -- we don't wash our dirty linen in public. This is all baggage we need to lose as ...
26.07.2017
by Paul Taylor - Bromford Lab are trying to get back into the Working Out Loud thing -- starting by publishing their weekly priorities. Even as we were discussing it this morning there is a part of my brain nagging me into not sharing things. It's been built into us. Don't share things as someone will steal your ideas. What if we want to sell this? That's not been approved -- it isn't ready to share. Sharing things will just worry people unnecessarily Don't tell people -- we don't wash our dirty linen in public. This is all baggage we need to lose as ...
Working Out Loud with The Boss
26.07.2017
Generally, we work better and smarter, and our organizations are more transparent and collaborative, when we can work "out loud." When we share work in progress with colleagues, they are better informed, and our work can inform their work. When we share what we don't know, or mistakes we have made, we can learn in new ways and colleagues become invested in our work. When our work becomes more visible within our organization, opportunities for collaboration can be found and time can be saved. By reading the great Working Out Loud book by John Stepper, ...
26.07.2017
Generally, we work better and smarter, and our organizations are more transparent and collaborative, when we can work "out loud." When we share work in progress with colleagues, they are better informed, and our work can inform their work. When we share what we don't know, or mistakes we have made, we can learn in new ways and colleagues become invested in our work. When our work becomes more visible within our organization, opportunities for collaboration can be found and time can be saved. By reading the great Working Out Loud book by John Stepper, ...
The interplay of individual values, team work, and knowledge management
26.07.2017
How do human values, team work, and knowledge management interrelate with each other on the industrial shop floor? Work teams are one of the most popular types of teams, and research shows that knowledge creation and sharing are closely related to the effectiveness of work teams in an industrial shop floor context. Work teams are typically led by a supervisor who makes most of the decisions, however many researchers have found that greater autonomy for team members is a key driver of successful knowledge management. Some studies propose that the extent ...
26.07.2017
How do human values, team work, and knowledge management interrelate with each other on the industrial shop floor? Work teams are one of the most popular types of teams, and research shows that knowledge creation and sharing are closely related to the effectiveness of work teams in an industrial shop floor context. Work teams are typically led by a supervisor who makes most of the decisions, however many researchers have found that greater autonomy for team members is a key driver of successful knowledge management. Some studies propose that the extent ...
Organizational Change Management and Social Media With Dr Jennifer Frahm
26.07.2017
Summary: In this episode of the Change Management Review? Podcast, Theresa Moulton interviews Dr Jennifer Frahm, founder of Conversations of Change. With a deep understanding of communication, change management and human behavior, Jen uses her expertise to help companies execute strategic change while supporting delivery. She has worked across multiple industries and her change projects have included culture change, process change, legislative change, mergers and acquisitions and technology / systems change. In this in-depth interview, Dr Frahm reveals ...
26.07.2017
Summary: In this episode of the Change Management Review? Podcast, Theresa Moulton interviews Dr Jennifer Frahm, founder of Conversations of Change. With a deep understanding of communication, change management and human behavior, Jen uses her expertise to help companies execute strategic change while supporting delivery. She has worked across multiple industries and her change projects have included culture change, process change, legislative change, mergers and acquisitions and technology / systems change. In this in-depth interview, Dr Frahm reveals ...
Autokraten können mit Tools wie Slack & Co. nicht viel anfangen
25.07.2017
von Gunnar Sohn - McKinsey hat eine neue Studie zum Thema 'Advanced social technologies and the future of collaboration' veröffentlicht. Fazit: Unternehmen, die Messaging-Plattformen einsetzen, haben den Eindruck, dass sie öfter kommunizieren und ihre Teams sich besser selbst organisieren. Arbeit werde mehr projekt- statt team- oder funktionsbasiert. "Um aber die Kirche im Dorf zu lassen: Rund Dreiviertel der Befragten bauen am Arbeitsplatz noch auf ältere Technologien wie E-Mail, Telefonate oder Textnachrichten", schreibt Stefan Pfeiffer vom CIO-Kuratorium. ...
25.07.2017
von Gunnar Sohn - McKinsey hat eine neue Studie zum Thema 'Advanced social technologies and the future of collaboration' veröffentlicht. Fazit: Unternehmen, die Messaging-Plattformen einsetzen, haben den Eindruck, dass sie öfter kommunizieren und ihre Teams sich besser selbst organisieren. Arbeit werde mehr projekt- statt team- oder funktionsbasiert. "Um aber die Kirche im Dorf zu lassen: Rund Dreiviertel der Befragten bauen am Arbeitsplatz noch auf ältere Technologien wie E-Mail, Telefonate oder Textnachrichten", schreibt Stefan Pfeiffer vom CIO-Kuratorium. ...
2 Ways Forward
25.07.2017
A social organization is a more collaborative, open and transparent organization. That's a given, but how we approach becoming one is debatable. In my opinion there are two ways; one being Push and the other Pull. Pushing social, might be seen as incongruent; something natural being forced unnaturally. And yet, in the social/collaboration space, this is the road most often taken. Organizations will often start their journey to improved communication, cooperation and collaborations by initiating social efforts such as supporting CoPs, instituting ...
25.07.2017
A social organization is a more collaborative, open and transparent organization. That's a given, but how we approach becoming one is debatable. In my opinion there are two ways; one being Push and the other Pull. Pushing social, might be seen as incongruent; something natural being forced unnaturally. And yet, in the social/collaboration space, this is the road most often taken. Organizations will often start their journey to improved communication, cooperation and collaborations by initiating social efforts such as supporting CoPs, instituting ...
Social intranet brings Principality connected: the story of 'Cwtch'
25.07.2017
Principality Building Society is connecting over a thousand employees across Wales and the borders with their new social intranet. After 14 years' reliance on out-dated tech, the new platform provides a friendly place for staff to contribute and collaborate. An intranet that only broadcasts static, top-down news is barely fit for purpose in the 21st century. Intranets should support contribution, collaboration, and better decision making as an important part of the digital workplace. Principality Building Society needed all this and more, as they worked ...
25.07.2017
Principality Building Society is connecting over a thousand employees across Wales and the borders with their new social intranet. After 14 years' reliance on out-dated tech, the new platform provides a friendly place for staff to contribute and collaborate. An intranet that only broadcasts static, top-down news is barely fit for purpose in the 21st century. Intranets should support contribution, collaboration, and better decision making as an important part of the digital workplace. Principality Building Society needed all this and more, as they worked ...
What Does Working Out Loud Really Mean?
25.07.2017
I'm wondering what working out loud really means. To some it's just tweeting. To some it's defaulting to transparency in every social interaction "Working Out Loud = Observable Work + Narrating Your Work" I think people underestimate the difficulty in working out loud. Working out loud is hard. It means sharing what you are doing in the bad times not just the good. It means asking for help when you need it. It means saying when you don't feel very motivated or productive. It means sharing failure. It means demonstrating the value to colleagues who just ...
25.07.2017
I'm wondering what working out loud really means. To some it's just tweeting. To some it's defaulting to transparency in every social interaction "Working Out Loud = Observable Work + Narrating Your Work" I think people underestimate the difficulty in working out loud. Working out loud is hard. It means sharing what you are doing in the bad times not just the good. It means asking for help when you need it. It means saying when you don't feel very motivated or productive. It means sharing failure. It means demonstrating the value to colleagues who just ...
Community Manager Toolkit - Small Tactics For Big Change
25.07.2017
To encourage and build engagement in online communities, sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference -- I was reminded of this recently listening to a science podcast where they discussed the metabolism of medicines in mice during lab experiments. In one group of mice, the meds the scientists were testing were metabolized twice as fast as they were in a second group of mice. As far as the scientists could tell, there was no difference between the groups of mice. So they repeated the study on new groups, controlling for every conceivable ...
25.07.2017
To encourage and build engagement in online communities, sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference -- I was reminded of this recently listening to a science podcast where they discussed the metabolism of medicines in mice during lab experiments. In one group of mice, the meds the scientists were testing were metabolized twice as fast as they were in a second group of mice. As far as the scientists could tell, there was no difference between the groups of mice. So they repeated the study on new groups, controlling for every conceivable ...
Artefacts
25.07.2017
The more people who help create an artefact, the more people are likely to share it. The more it's shared, the more people are likely to join and help build the next artefact. Communities aren't never-ending streams of discussions. They are places to use the collective knowledge, passion, and resources of members to build things that help every member. Each artefact increases the value of the group and attracts more people. An artefact can be anything you like (books, videos, products, prototypes, events etc...). The only requirement is it involves as ...
25.07.2017
The more people who help create an artefact, the more people are likely to share it. The more it's shared, the more people are likely to join and help build the next artefact. Communities aren't never-ending streams of discussions. They are places to use the collective knowledge, passion, and resources of members to build things that help every member. Each artefact increases the value of the group and attracts more people. An artefact can be anything you like (books, videos, products, prototypes, events etc...). The only requirement is it involves as ...
How to Overcome Challenges and Use Community as an Integrated Service to Improve Business Results
25.07.2017
Historically, organizations have struggled to integrate community into their infrastructure and customer-facing offerings. Community is often looked at as a standalone application or service that's tacked onto a company's overall suite of platforms, such as their corporate website, their marketing automation platform, their email engine, and their CRM. Such a lack of integration makes each platform, and even the entire company, less efficient because they create a fragmented view of customers. Your email engine gives you one set of data, while your CRM ...
25.07.2017
Historically, organizations have struggled to integrate community into their infrastructure and customer-facing offerings. Community is often looked at as a standalone application or service that's tacked onto a company's overall suite of platforms, such as their corporate website, their marketing automation platform, their email engine, and their CRM. Such a lack of integration makes each platform, and even the entire company, less efficient because they create a fragmented view of customers. Your email engine gives you one set of data, while your CRM ...
How Tribalism Hurts Companies, and What to Do About It
25.07.2017
A strange thing happens just before mile marker three in the London Marathon. With approximately 40,000 runners participating in one of the world's largest charity fundraising events, crowd control necessitates that there be three different starting points. Just before the three-mile marker, these three different routes start to merge onto a single course. As the different routes start to converge most of the runners start to cheer as they are meeting comrades to join in what remains of the grueling, 26.2-mile journey. However, many of the runners start ...
25.07.2017
A strange thing happens just before mile marker three in the London Marathon. With approximately 40,000 runners participating in one of the world's largest charity fundraising events, crowd control necessitates that there be three different starting points. Just before the three-mile marker, these three different routes start to merge onto a single course. As the different routes start to converge most of the runners start to cheer as they are meeting comrades to join in what remains of the grueling, 26.2-mile journey. However, many of the runners start ...
When Are You At Your Most Unproductive?
24.07.2017
Three years on and my post wishing for The Death of The Office seems to be having a second wind with a lot of shares over the weekend. Why do people have such a problem with the office? I reckon it's because most people get a kick out of being productive and the office just isn't conducive to that. It's been made worse by a slew of badly designed tech sending us notifications all day long. Today we are more unproductive than we've ever been. What's Your Worst Possible Day? I've been thinking a lot about what makes me happy at work but a good starting ...
24.07.2017
Three years on and my post wishing for The Death of The Office seems to be having a second wind with a lot of shares over the weekend. Why do people have such a problem with the office? I reckon it's because most people get a kick out of being productive and the office just isn't conducive to that. It's been made worse by a slew of badly designed tech sending us notifications all day long. Today we are more unproductive than we've ever been. What's Your Worst Possible Day? I've been thinking a lot about what makes me happy at work but a good starting ...
Why we run our business on social
24.07.2017
When I worked in the corporate world, I was lucky to work for a sales leader who "got" Social. Not in a "I say I understand because I need to politically", but in actual deeds. As somebody once said to me, "in leadership, somebody that "gets" Social is a competitive advantage". But that, my friends, is a blog for another day. This blog is about how we use social internally to power our start-up. Some of you may recall the CEO of Atos, Thierry Breton, announcing he wanted to be a zero email company and certainly this is something we are striving to do. ...
24.07.2017
When I worked in the corporate world, I was lucky to work for a sales leader who "got" Social. Not in a "I say I understand because I need to politically", but in actual deeds. As somebody once said to me, "in leadership, somebody that "gets" Social is a competitive advantage". But that, my friends, is a blog for another day. This blog is about how we use social internally to power our start-up. Some of you may recall the CEO of Atos, Thierry Breton, announcing he wanted to be a zero email company and certainly this is something we are striving to do. ...
How to Gain and Develop Digital Talent and Skills
24.07.2017
As digital transformation disrupts the workplace, one factor more than any other will determine which companies turn digital to their advantage. That critical element is people: the talented employees who are able to use existing digital technologies and adapt to evolving methods and new approaches. Without these employees, companies will struggle to benefit as they should from the latest advances -- everything from Industry 4.0 and robots to artificial intelligence, data science, virtual reality, and new digital business models. The technologies themselves ...
24.07.2017
As digital transformation disrupts the workplace, one factor more than any other will determine which companies turn digital to their advantage. That critical element is people: the talented employees who are able to use existing digital technologies and adapt to evolving methods and new approaches. Without these employees, companies will struggle to benefit as they should from the latest advances -- everything from Industry 4.0 and robots to artificial intelligence, data science, virtual reality, and new digital business models. The technologies themselves ...
A Digital-People Strategy is Critical in Today's Changing Workplace
24.07.2017
To Build a Strong Pool of Digital Talent, Says a New Report from BCG, Companies Must Learn Who These "Digital" Employees Are; Where and How to Find, Recruit, and Retain Them; and What Skills Must Be Developed In-House. As digital transformation continues to disrupt the workplace, companies worldwide can expect a severe shortfall in digital talent by 2020. In fact, a survey of more than 600 senior executives reveals that, even today, the biggest perceived technology challenge for many companies is a lack of qualified employees. To survive, says a report ...
24.07.2017
To Build a Strong Pool of Digital Talent, Says a New Report from BCG, Companies Must Learn Who These "Digital" Employees Are; Where and How to Find, Recruit, and Retain Them; and What Skills Must Be Developed In-House. As digital transformation continues to disrupt the workplace, companies worldwide can expect a severe shortfall in digital talent by 2020. In fact, a survey of more than 600 senior executives reveals that, even today, the biggest perceived technology challenge for many companies is a lack of qualified employees. To survive, says a report ...
Digital Transformation Is More About the 'Transformation' Than the 'Digital'
24.07.2017
Have you ever been struck by the sound of an old-fashioned phone ringing in the middle of a crowded restaurant or public transit stop? I'm betting you have. And I'll also bet the person who chose that retro ringtone was old enough to remember when that sound came from a land line. We hear the phrase "digital transformation" a lot these days, and it often seems to focus on only half of the equation: digital. But the popularity of that 20th century ringtone -- so comforting to the Gen Xers who grew up with it -- is a clear indicator where the ...
24.07.2017
Have you ever been struck by the sound of an old-fashioned phone ringing in the middle of a crowded restaurant or public transit stop? I'm betting you have. And I'll also bet the person who chose that retro ringtone was old enough to remember when that sound came from a land line. We hear the phrase "digital transformation" a lot these days, and it often seems to focus on only half of the equation: digital. But the popularity of that 20th century ringtone -- so comforting to the Gen Xers who grew up with it -- is a clear indicator where the ...
Most People Are Attracted To Success
24.07.2017
Understand most people are attracted to success. Almost nobody wants to be in the group at the beginning. Why would they? There isn't much there. Just a few discussions, no sense of community, and no track record of doing amazing things. But success, wow, that's attractive. Everyone wants to embrace the group identity when you're successful. Outside of customer support communities, the best way to build a community is to begin with the true believers. These are the people who closely share your vision for what the community could be and want it to be ...
24.07.2017
Understand most people are attracted to success. Almost nobody wants to be in the group at the beginning. Why would they? There isn't much there. Just a few discussions, no sense of community, and no track record of doing amazing things. But success, wow, that's attractive. Everyone wants to embrace the group identity when you're successful. Outside of customer support communities, the best way to build a community is to begin with the true believers. These are the people who closely share your vision for what the community could be and want it to be ...
Benefits Of Telecommuting For The Future Of Work
24.07.2017
A decade ago, working from home may have seemed like a distant dream. Today, it's the future of work. With millennials the driving force behind this shift in the workforce, remote work was dismissed as another "annoying" millennial trait. As more companies adopt telecommuting practices, the benefits are very clear. No longer is remote work about working on a beach, it's a complete design in how we approach the way we work. Here are the benefits and reasons why to embrace telecommuting and remote work. Improving productivity Better for your ...
24.07.2017
A decade ago, working from home may have seemed like a distant dream. Today, it's the future of work. With millennials the driving force behind this shift in the workforce, remote work was dismissed as another "annoying" millennial trait. As more companies adopt telecommuting practices, the benefits are very clear. No longer is remote work about working on a beach, it's a complete design in how we approach the way we work. Here are the benefits and reasons why to embrace telecommuting and remote work. Improving productivity Better for your ...
Will the real Elon Musk please stand up? Autonomous bots and synthesized speech in the public domain
24.07.2017
The ability to create virtual clones that appear to think and talk like the real thing is very much real, as it has been done for Elon Musk and Barack Obama. We discuss techniques and potential with the people behind them. Do pixies have addresses, and if they do, should you match them? You're probably thinking this is a weird question to ask, and it probably is, even more so taken out of context. It refers to the antithesis between the up-in-the-sky expectations and theories associated with artificial intelligence (AI) and the often mundane work ...
24.07.2017
The ability to create virtual clones that appear to think and talk like the real thing is very much real, as it has been done for Elon Musk and Barack Obama. We discuss techniques and potential with the people behind them. Do pixies have addresses, and if they do, should you match them? You're probably thinking this is a weird question to ask, and it probably is, even more so taken out of context. It refers to the antithesis between the up-in-the-sky expectations and theories associated with artificial intelligence (AI) and the often mundane work ...
Install, Promote, Support - wie man interne soziale Netzwerke als Plattform für digitalen Wandel zum Fliegen bringt
21.07.2017
von Alexander Kluge - Für viele Unternehmen beginnt der Maßnahmenkatalog eines (digitalen) Transformationsprogramms mit einem technologischen Schritt: sie schaffen die Grundlage für vernetzte,. offene, partizipative und agile Kommunikation und Zusammenarbeit mit einem internen sozialen Netzwerk. Dass die Einführung eines Enterprise Social Networks noch nicht viel ändert, ist eine Erkenntnis aus vielen Projekten und an dieser und vielen anderen Stellen oft wiederholt worden. In meinem Rollenverständnis als "Reisebegleiter" in Projekten der digitalen Transformation ...
21.07.2017
von Alexander Kluge - Für viele Unternehmen beginnt der Maßnahmenkatalog eines (digitalen) Transformationsprogramms mit einem technologischen Schritt: sie schaffen die Grundlage für vernetzte,. offene, partizipative und agile Kommunikation und Zusammenarbeit mit einem internen sozialen Netzwerk. Dass die Einführung eines Enterprise Social Networks noch nicht viel ändert, ist eine Erkenntnis aus vielen Projekten und an dieser und vielen anderen Stellen oft wiederholt worden. In meinem Rollenverständnis als "Reisebegleiter" in Projekten der digitalen Transformation ...
Culture for a digital age
21.07.2017
Risk aversion, weak customer focus, and siloed mind-sets have long bedeviled organizations. In a digital world, solving these cultural problems is no longer optional. Shortcomings in organizational culture are one of the main barriers to company success in the digital age. That is a central finding from McKinsey's recent survey of global executives (Exhibit 1), which highlighted three digital-culture deficiencies: functional and departmental silos, a fear of taking risks, and difficulty forming and acting on a single view of the customer. Each obstacle ...
21.07.2017
Risk aversion, weak customer focus, and siloed mind-sets have long bedeviled organizations. In a digital world, solving these cultural problems is no longer optional. Shortcomings in organizational culture are one of the main barriers to company success in the digital age. That is a central finding from McKinsey's recent survey of global executives (Exhibit 1), which highlighted three digital-culture deficiencies: functional and departmental silos, a fear of taking risks, and difficulty forming and acting on a single view of the customer. Each obstacle ...
Why Enterprise Social Networking will Overtake Email
21.07.2017
By 2014, enterprise social networking services will replace e-mail as the primary vehicle for interpersonal communications for 20 percent of business users. "The rigid distinction between e-mail and social networks will erode. E-mail will take on many social attributes, such as contact brokering while social networks will develop richer e-mail capabilities," By 2012, over 50 percent of enterprises will use activity streams that include microblogging, but stand-alone enterprise microblogging will have less than 5 percent penetration. The huge popularity ...
21.07.2017
By 2014, enterprise social networking services will replace e-mail as the primary vehicle for interpersonal communications for 20 percent of business users. "The rigid distinction between e-mail and social networks will erode. E-mail will take on many social attributes, such as contact brokering while social networks will develop richer e-mail capabilities," By 2012, over 50 percent of enterprises will use activity streams that include microblogging, but stand-alone enterprise microblogging will have less than 5 percent penetration. The huge popularity ...
How to pick the right collaboration tools
21.07.2017
IT pros say collaboration is a high priority to their organization, so it's important to choose wisely. Does the prospect of choosing a collaboration suite seem unusually daunting? That's because for many people, it is. "I've covered this space for nearly 20 years, I know all the tools, and personally, I'm overwhelmed," said Alan Lepofsky, vice president and principal analyst at Constellation Research. The recent proliferation of collaboration software has put many technology decision-makers and users "in a tizzy," he explained, as mobile apps, ...
21.07.2017
IT pros say collaboration is a high priority to their organization, so it's important to choose wisely. Does the prospect of choosing a collaboration suite seem unusually daunting? That's because for many people, it is. "I've covered this space for nearly 20 years, I know all the tools, and personally, I'm overwhelmed," said Alan Lepofsky, vice president and principal analyst at Constellation Research. The recent proliferation of collaboration software has put many technology decision-makers and users "in a tizzy," he explained, as mobile apps, ...
Social Responses To Questions
21.07.2017
An interesting paper to note: Contrary to the theory of reciprocity, and in line with predictions by the bystander effect, we found that receiving high quality answers negatively influenced new knowledge seekers' future likelihood of knowledge contribution. Consistent with the social exchange theory, receiving high quality answers positively affected newcomers' future knowledge seeking behaviors. Social responses (votes to the new members' questions) were found to have strong positive effects on both newcomers' future knowledge contribution and seeking ...
21.07.2017
An interesting paper to note: Contrary to the theory of reciprocity, and in line with predictions by the bystander effect, we found that receiving high quality answers negatively influenced new knowledge seekers' future likelihood of knowledge contribution. Consistent with the social exchange theory, receiving high quality answers positively affected newcomers' future knowledge seeking behaviors. Social responses (votes to the new members' questions) were found to have strong positive effects on both newcomers' future knowledge contribution and seeking ...
Blogs and Blogging
21.07.2017
by Stan Garfield - Blogs: web sites where posts are made (such as entries in a journal or diary), displayed in a reverse chronological order; often provide commentary or news on a particular subject; some function as personal online diaries or logbooks; combine text, images, and links to other blogs and web sites; typically provide archives in calendar form, local search, syndication feeds, reader comment posting, trackback links from other blogs, blogroll links to other recommended blogs, and categories of posts tagged for retrieval by topic Blogs are ...
21.07.2017
by Stan Garfield - Blogs: web sites where posts are made (such as entries in a journal or diary), displayed in a reverse chronological order; often provide commentary or news on a particular subject; some function as personal online diaries or logbooks; combine text, images, and links to other blogs and web sites; typically provide archives in calendar form, local search, syndication feeds, reader comment posting, trackback links from other blogs, blogroll links to other recommended blogs, and categories of posts tagged for retrieval by topic Blogs are ...
3 Ways To Ease The Pain Of Slow And Frustrating Decision Making
21.07.2017
Much of the frustration in today's workplaces is linked to the way decisions are made. At the top of the organization people with the most decision making power (high up in the organization) are the farthest away from the actual work that's being done. At the same time, people at the bottom of the organization often don't have the authority to make decisions on their own. The result? Ill-informed, slow and terrible decisions that are made in a process that frustrates everyone involved. Luckily, there are a number of ways to relieve the pain. People with ...
21.07.2017
Much of the frustration in today's workplaces is linked to the way decisions are made. At the top of the organization people with the most decision making power (high up in the organization) are the farthest away from the actual work that's being done. At the same time, people at the bottom of the organization often don't have the authority to make decisions on their own. The result? Ill-informed, slow and terrible decisions that are made in a process that frustrates everyone involved. Luckily, there are a number of ways to relieve the pain. People with ...
Wir brauchen mutigere Manager! Oder nicht?
20.07.2017
von Niels Pflaeging - Häufig hört und liest man dieser Tage Aussagen wie: "Eine Führungskraft, die unter heutigen Bedingungen anders agiert, handelt erst mal gegen das herrschende System. Dazu gehört Mut!" Das klingt auf den ersten Blick ganz vernünftig. Geradezu kämpferisch. Wir sollten uns jedoch angewöhnen, dieser Art von These entschieden zu widersprechen. Warum? Letztlich steckt in der Mut-Aussage vor allem eine Schuldzuweisung. Die da lautet: "Heutige Manager sind Lappen.", bzw.: "Manager und Führungskräfte sind Feiglinge. Wenn die nur ein wenig ...
20.07.2017
von Niels Pflaeging - Häufig hört und liest man dieser Tage Aussagen wie: "Eine Führungskraft, die unter heutigen Bedingungen anders agiert, handelt erst mal gegen das herrschende System. Dazu gehört Mut!" Das klingt auf den ersten Blick ganz vernünftig. Geradezu kämpferisch. Wir sollten uns jedoch angewöhnen, dieser Art von These entschieden zu widersprechen. Warum? Letztlich steckt in der Mut-Aussage vor allem eine Schuldzuweisung. Die da lautet: "Heutige Manager sind Lappen.", bzw.: "Manager und Führungskräfte sind Feiglinge. Wenn die nur ein wenig ...
Digital Transformation and the Leadership Quandary
20.07.2017
by Dion Hinchcliffe - The data now shows that a near majority of organizations today are undergoing digital transformation in some shape or form. By digital transformation I don't mean IT automation of the business of course, but wholesale rethinking of some or all of the business in digital terms. It's the greatest game in the business world right now, and necessary for long term survival, but such digital reinvention is also one of the hardest journeys to make. Moreover, just like startups have a high failure rate (8 out of 10 don't make it typically) ...
20.07.2017
by Dion Hinchcliffe - The data now shows that a near majority of organizations today are undergoing digital transformation in some shape or form. By digital transformation I don't mean IT automation of the business of course, but wholesale rethinking of some or all of the business in digital terms. It's the greatest game in the business world right now, and necessary for long term survival, but such digital reinvention is also one of the hardest journeys to make. Moreover, just like startups have a high failure rate (8 out of 10 don't make it typically) ...
Changing workplace behaviour isn't rocket science
20.07.2017
Behaviours are patterns of action that give us a feeling of predictability and safety, and they are programmed into us from birth: set meal times, sleep schedules, school timetables, nine to five, Monday to Friday - I could go on forever. In the workplace, our embedded behaviour enables us to do things on auto-pilot, saving time and effort, so changes and organisational initiatives are usually met at best with scepticism, and most likely with downright resistance. "I've always done it this way, we don't need all these bells and whistles. Why do we need ...
20.07.2017
Behaviours are patterns of action that give us a feeling of predictability and safety, and they are programmed into us from birth: set meal times, sleep schedules, school timetables, nine to five, Monday to Friday - I could go on forever. In the workplace, our embedded behaviour enables us to do things on auto-pilot, saving time and effort, so changes and organisational initiatives are usually met at best with scepticism, and most likely with downright resistance. "I've always done it this way, we don't need all these bells and whistles. Why do we need ...
Humanizing the Digital Workplace Experience
20.07.2017
The app economy promised to deliver an easier existence -- and it actually has. We now have the power to summon a car, order a pizza and receive updates about news around the world instantly, right from our mobile device. While the app economy provides great conveniences and keeps people connected, the consequences of too many, always-on apps can cripple businesses and their employees. Don't Blame the Apps, Blame the Design A Digital Humanist Approach How Topic Computing Helps Collaboration Peace of Mind Augmenting the Brain With AI A Win-Win for ...
20.07.2017
The app economy promised to deliver an easier existence -- and it actually has. We now have the power to summon a car, order a pizza and receive updates about news around the world instantly, right from our mobile device. While the app economy provides great conveniences and keeps people connected, the consequences of too many, always-on apps can cripple businesses and their employees. Don't Blame the Apps, Blame the Design A Digital Humanist Approach How Topic Computing Helps Collaboration Peace of Mind Augmenting the Brain With AI A Win-Win for ...
Tell The Story of Practice
20.07.2017
by Simon Terry - Politely trash thought leadership and you get a big reaction of support. You will also discover a lot of similar frustration. However, these responses highlight how closely the message skirts the line of being merely entertaining thought leadership (a TEDX talk awaits me somewhere). If we are to stay true to the message of that post, we move beyond thought leadership when we share stories of the benefits of the real practice of change to inspire others. This is critically important in the domain of my work, helping organizations change ...
20.07.2017
by Simon Terry - Politely trash thought leadership and you get a big reaction of support. You will also discover a lot of similar frustration. However, these responses highlight how closely the message skirts the line of being merely entertaining thought leadership (a TEDX talk awaits me somewhere). If we are to stay true to the message of that post, we move beyond thought leadership when we share stories of the benefits of the real practice of change to inspire others. This is critically important in the domain of my work, helping organizations change ...
5 Essential Tips For Creating A Killer Corporate Wiki
20.07.2017
Knowledge sharing is of crucial importance for, well, just about anything. In companies large and small, software technology and techniques developed for easier exchange of company-wide know-how can make a world of difference. Not only can corporate wiki software make communication smooth and collaboration fruitful, it can efficiently boost productivity of each employee and streamline operations on a larger scale. Still, this only applies to internal knowledge bases that are properly structured. With that in mind, we've compounded a number of organizational ...
20.07.2017
Knowledge sharing is of crucial importance for, well, just about anything. In companies large and small, software technology and techniques developed for easier exchange of company-wide know-how can make a world of difference. Not only can corporate wiki software make communication smooth and collaboration fruitful, it can efficiently boost productivity of each employee and streamline operations on a larger scale. Still, this only applies to internal knowledge bases that are properly structured. With that in mind, we've compounded a number of organizational ...
The Age of the Wisdom Worker Is (Still) Just Ahead
20.07.2017
Almost 60 years ago, Peter Drucker coined the term "knowledge workers," saying that a new generation of professionals and their productivity would become "the most valuable assets of a 21st-century institution, whether business or non-business." Unlike the previous century's most valuable assets - production equipment - this century's assets would be human, he said. Institutions would value knowledge workers not for their ability to run equipment but for their ability to analyze information and apply their expertise. Twelve years ago, in his book A Whole ...
20.07.2017
Almost 60 years ago, Peter Drucker coined the term "knowledge workers," saying that a new generation of professionals and their productivity would become "the most valuable assets of a 21st-century institution, whether business or non-business." Unlike the previous century's most valuable assets - production equipment - this century's assets would be human, he said. Institutions would value knowledge workers not for their ability to run equipment but for their ability to analyze information and apply their expertise. Twelve years ago, in his book A Whole ...
Stop Using the Excuse "Organizational Change Is Hard"
20.07.2017
During nearly every discussion about organizational change, someone makes the obvious assertion that "change is hard." On the surface, this is true: change requires effort. But the problem with this attitude, which permeates all levels of our organizations, is that it equates "hard" with "failure," and, by doing so, it hobbles our change initiatives, which have higher success rates than we lead ourselves to believe. Our biases toward failure is wired into our brains. In a recently published series of studies, University of Chicago researchers Ed O'Brien ...
20.07.2017
During nearly every discussion about organizational change, someone makes the obvious assertion that "change is hard." On the surface, this is true: change requires effort. But the problem with this attitude, which permeates all levels of our organizations, is that it equates "hard" with "failure," and, by doing so, it hobbles our change initiatives, which have higher success rates than we lead ourselves to believe. Our biases toward failure is wired into our brains. In a recently published series of studies, University of Chicago researchers Ed O'Brien ...
Wie ein guter Gastgeber: Der Community-Manager im Intranet
19.07.2017
von Oliver Chaudhuri - Virtueller Arbeitsraum, Teamsite oder Workspace: Je nach eingesetzter Lösung gibt es die unterschiedlichsten Bezeichnungen für Projekt- und Gruppenräume in einem Social Intranet. Als Oberbegriff lässt sich auch von Communities sprechen. Und jede dieser Communities braucht einen Moderator und Administrator: den Community Manager. Gespräche anregen und das Glas nachfüllen Der Community Manager lässt sich mit dem Gastgeber einer Party vergleichen: Er lauscht den Gesprächen und hält sie durch freundliche Nachfragen in Gang. Er schaut, ...
19.07.2017
von Oliver Chaudhuri - Virtueller Arbeitsraum, Teamsite oder Workspace: Je nach eingesetzter Lösung gibt es die unterschiedlichsten Bezeichnungen für Projekt- und Gruppenräume in einem Social Intranet. Als Oberbegriff lässt sich auch von Communities sprechen. Und jede dieser Communities braucht einen Moderator und Administrator: den Community Manager. Gespräche anregen und das Glas nachfüllen Der Community Manager lässt sich mit dem Gastgeber einer Party vergleichen: Er lauscht den Gesprächen und hält sie durch freundliche Nachfragen in Gang. Er schaut, ...
5 Surmountable Hurdles to Collaboration Success
19.07.2017
We invest in digital collaboration tools, therefore we see collaboration as the outcome, right? Unfortunately, the answer is largely a resounding no. Over the last year, I have been running workshops for multinational organizations on how to overcome collaboration's hurdles. The following five areas emerged which require extra attention when deploying digital collaboration tools. First, Get Your Meeting Culture Right There's No Time for Collaboration We're Afraid to Be Seen Digital Confusion Getting Leaders and Influencers to Engage [ ...
19.07.2017
We invest in digital collaboration tools, therefore we see collaboration as the outcome, right? Unfortunately, the answer is largely a resounding no. Over the last year, I have been running workshops for multinational organizations on how to overcome collaboration's hurdles. The following five areas emerged which require extra attention when deploying digital collaboration tools. First, Get Your Meeting Culture Right There's No Time for Collaboration We're Afraid to Be Seen Digital Confusion Getting Leaders and Influencers to Engage [ ...
How You Can Benefit From Enterprise Social Middleware
19.07.2017
I've been around long enough to recall a time when middleware was virtually non-existent. Proprietary mainframe systems did not use middleware because everything was exclusively owned. Then along came client-server computing and graphical user interfaces, and all of a sudden there was a huge demand to separate the backend engines from what we were seeing on the front end. Defining Middleware Lessons from Consumer Social Middleware Using Enterprise Social Middleware The Status Quo [...] ...
19.07.2017
I've been around long enough to recall a time when middleware was virtually non-existent. Proprietary mainframe systems did not use middleware because everything was exclusively owned. Then along came client-server computing and graphical user interfaces, and all of a sudden there was a huge demand to separate the backend engines from what we were seeing on the front end. Defining Middleware Lessons from Consumer Social Middleware Using Enterprise Social Middleware The Status Quo [...] ...
Achieving Digital Maturity - Adapting Your Company to a Changing World
19.07.2017
In the 2017 Digital Business Report, MIT SMR and Deloitte find that digitally maturing companies are achieving success by increasing collaboration, scaling innovation, and revamping their approach to talent. 1 - Executive Summary Adapting to increasingly digital market environments and taking advantage of digital technologies to improve operations are important goals for nearly every contemporary business. Yet, few companies appear to be making the fundamental changes their leaders believe are necessary to achieve these goals. Based on a global survey ...
19.07.2017
In the 2017 Digital Business Report, MIT SMR and Deloitte find that digitally maturing companies are achieving success by increasing collaboration, scaling innovation, and revamping their approach to talent. 1 - Executive Summary Adapting to increasingly digital market environments and taking advantage of digital technologies to improve operations are important goals for nearly every contemporary business. Yet, few companies appear to be making the fundamental changes their leaders believe are necessary to achieve these goals. Based on a global survey ...
'Work' is no longer a place that people go to, it's what they do regardless of location
19.07.2017
The adoption of mobility, cloud, and social media have changed the way people used to work earlier. The boundaries of workplaces are melting down fast, as today people can choose where they work, thanks to the consumerization of IT as well as democratization of it. These are making organizations rely more on the virtual communication tools than ever before- a glue that binds these geographically dispersed teams together. Video is one growing and effective virtual communication tools among them. The increasing appetite to consume video content coupled ...
19.07.2017
The adoption of mobility, cloud, and social media have changed the way people used to work earlier. The boundaries of workplaces are melting down fast, as today people can choose where they work, thanks to the consumerization of IT as well as democratization of it. These are making organizations rely more on the virtual communication tools than ever before- a glue that binds these geographically dispersed teams together. Video is one growing and effective virtual communication tools among them. The increasing appetite to consume video content coupled ...
Knowledge management made incredibly simple
19.07.2017
by Sam Marshall - The knowledge management (KM) concept has been around a long time, and I thought it was lingering in a post-hype disillusionment phase. But lately I've seen it creeping back into business cases for collaboration tools and digital workplaces. Leaders still worry that teams don't share enough knowledge and that it is locked in departmental silos so they are looking for technology to provide part of the answer. Here's a technique that helps you think about knowledge flows and how to plan beyond simple technology changes. I created it because ...
19.07.2017
by Sam Marshall - The knowledge management (KM) concept has been around a long time, and I thought it was lingering in a post-hype disillusionment phase. But lately I've seen it creeping back into business cases for collaboration tools and digital workplaces. Leaders still worry that teams don't share enough knowledge and that it is locked in departmental silos so they are looking for technology to provide part of the answer. Here's a technique that helps you think about knowledge flows and how to plan beyond simple technology changes. I created it because ...
Social Software and Social Media
19.07.2017
by Stan Garfield - Social software and social media: a range of tools that facilitate social networking, typically personal web pages including bios, interests, links, photos, videos, personal networks, posts, and comments; web and mobile applications used to turn communication into interactive dialogue, sharing, and assistance Social software is primarily used within an enterprise (private). Social media is primarily used externally (public). Offering a broad portfolio of social software helps democratize knowledge and better links people. Social networking ...
19.07.2017
by Stan Garfield - Social software and social media: a range of tools that facilitate social networking, typically personal web pages including bios, interests, links, photos, videos, personal networks, posts, and comments; web and mobile applications used to turn communication into interactive dialogue, sharing, and assistance Social software is primarily used within an enterprise (private). Social media is primarily used externally (public). Offering a broad portfolio of social software helps democratize knowledge and better links people. Social networking ...
A Study Shows How to Find New Ideas Inside and Outside the Company
19.07.2017
Bill Joy, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems, was famous for saying, "Not all smart people work for you." Companies know this. That's why many seek to tap the potential of "open innovation" by encouraging their employees to scout for new ideas among external partners, such as universities, research institutes, competitors, and customers. Companies as diverse as Procter and Gamble, Henkel, Lego, and Bosch are all using technology scouts to import ideas from external sources. Much research suggests that exposing employees to a broad range of external partners ...
19.07.2017
Bill Joy, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems, was famous for saying, "Not all smart people work for you." Companies know this. That's why many seek to tap the potential of "open innovation" by encouraging their employees to scout for new ideas among external partners, such as universities, research institutes, competitors, and customers. Companies as diverse as Procter and Gamble, Henkel, Lego, and Bosch are all using technology scouts to import ideas from external sources. Much research suggests that exposing employees to a broad range of external partners ...
Fordert die DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 ein ESN Konzept?
18.07.2017
Was fordert die neue Norm ISO 9001:2015 zum Thema Wissensmanagement? Die Norm fordert von den Organisationen, Wissen explizit zu erwerben und zu bewahren mit dem Ziel, die Prozessqualität und damit die Qualität der Produkte und Dienstleistungen nachhaltig zu verbessern. Damit verbunden sind auch Maßnahmen, die vor dem Verlust von Wissen schützen. Die Anforderung der Norm ist erfüllt, wenn Wissen und der Umgang mit dem Unternehmenswissen als strategischer Faktor der Unternehmensführung verstanden und in der Organisation gelebt wird. Detailliertere Informationen ...
18.07.2017
Was fordert die neue Norm ISO 9001:2015 zum Thema Wissensmanagement? Die Norm fordert von den Organisationen, Wissen explizit zu erwerben und zu bewahren mit dem Ziel, die Prozessqualität und damit die Qualität der Produkte und Dienstleistungen nachhaltig zu verbessern. Damit verbunden sind auch Maßnahmen, die vor dem Verlust von Wissen schützen. Die Anforderung der Norm ist erfüllt, wenn Wissen und der Umgang mit dem Unternehmenswissen als strategischer Faktor der Unternehmensführung verstanden und in der Organisation gelebt wird. Detailliertere Informationen ...
'Work out loud' oder besser 'offen arbeiten'?
18.07.2017
von Dr. Peter Schütt - John Stepper war bei der Deutschen Bank von New York aus lange zuständig für das "Social Intranet", was im unruhigen Geschäft von Banken immer eine besondere Herausforderung ist. Er hat seine nicht immer zu Begeisterungssprüngen verleitenden Erfahrungen reflektiert und daraus 2015 ein Buch gemacht: "Working out loud" - und die Bank verlassen. Der Titel ist brillant und regt zu allerlei Vermutungen an, was denn damit gemeint sein könne - insbesondere, wenn man ihn auch noch übersetzen muss. Möglichst "laut arbeiten" und dabei den ...
18.07.2017
von Dr. Peter Schütt - John Stepper war bei der Deutschen Bank von New York aus lange zuständig für das "Social Intranet", was im unruhigen Geschäft von Banken immer eine besondere Herausforderung ist. Er hat seine nicht immer zu Begeisterungssprüngen verleitenden Erfahrungen reflektiert und daraus 2015 ein Buch gemacht: "Working out loud" - und die Bank verlassen. Der Titel ist brillant und regt zu allerlei Vermutungen an, was denn damit gemeint sein könne - insbesondere, wenn man ihn auch noch übersetzen muss. Möglichst "laut arbeiten" und dabei den ...
Connecting the movement
18.07.2017
by Mara Tolja - Recently I heard from an HR leader at one of the worlds largest retailers, about how he spends two weeks of every year working as a delivery driver in the company. This experience helps him to bring to life the impact of the decisions he makes from his office. He gets direct contact with customers and gains another perspective of work in the company. Richard Branson is known for collecting similar feedback, by walking around the cabin during his Virgin flights and talking directly to the crew and passengers. There is nothing particularly ...
18.07.2017
by Mara Tolja - Recently I heard from an HR leader at one of the worlds largest retailers, about how he spends two weeks of every year working as a delivery driver in the company. This experience helps him to bring to life the impact of the decisions he makes from his office. He gets direct contact with customers and gains another perspective of work in the company. Richard Branson is known for collecting similar feedback, by walking around the cabin during his Virgin flights and talking directly to the crew and passengers. There is nothing particularly ...
Working out loud; importance and ideas
18.07.2017
I have always been pretty gregarious; happy to chat to anyone I meet and willing to share my view even when it is not fully worked through. Not only that I am always interested in what others are up to. You may call me nosey but other folk's ideas and practice and are just too fascinating to ignore! And why would I want to spend time re-inventing the wheel? Over the years I have found an open approach has paid huge dividends in making new friends and professional contacts, learning new things and gaining insights which would not have been the case ...
18.07.2017
I have always been pretty gregarious; happy to chat to anyone I meet and willing to share my view even when it is not fully worked through. Not only that I am always interested in what others are up to. You may call me nosey but other folk's ideas and practice and are just too fascinating to ignore! And why would I want to spend time re-inventing the wheel? Over the years I have found an open approach has paid huge dividends in making new friends and professional contacts, learning new things and gaining insights which would not have been the case ...
The Most Important Idea In Community Development
18.07.2017
Speaking this week to community managers in Israel, one idea struck a chord; asset-based community development. It's the most important concept in community organizing you probably haven't heard of. ABCD is when a community organizer (builder, manager) stops treating communities as a group with a collective problem to solve and starts treating the community as a group with countless opportunities for growth. It's the belief that every single person who walks through the door of your event, who joins your community, or engages with you in some way has ...
18.07.2017
Speaking this week to community managers in Israel, one idea struck a chord; asset-based community development. It's the most important concept in community organizing you probably haven't heard of. ABCD is when a community organizer (builder, manager) stops treating communities as a group with a collective problem to solve and starts treating the community as a group with countless opportunities for growth. It's the belief that every single person who walks through the door of your event, who joins your community, or engages with you in some way has ...
KM Incentives and Rewards
18.07.2017
by Stan Garfield - Incentives and rewards: programs designed to encourage compliance with goals, improve performance against metrics, and increase participation in KM initiatives, including performance ratings, salary increases, promotions, promotion requirements, tangible rewards, recognition, competitive rankings, badging, and gamification There are several differing schools of thought on whether or not to provide special rewards for desired knowledge behaviors. One school holds that incentives can yield short-term results when introducing a change ...
18.07.2017
by Stan Garfield - Incentives and rewards: programs designed to encourage compliance with goals, improve performance against metrics, and increase participation in KM initiatives, including performance ratings, salary increases, promotions, promotion requirements, tangible rewards, recognition, competitive rankings, badging, and gamification There are several differing schools of thought on whether or not to provide special rewards for desired knowledge behaviors. One school holds that incentives can yield short-term results when introducing a change ...
Why Informal networks are set to revolutionize HR and People Analytics
18.07.2017
To date, very little work has been done on harnessing the power of informal networks and teams in the world of both global HR and global HR systems. The fluidity and informality of teamwork has always meant that capturing ever changing team membership and dynamics has been virtually impossible at any scale. While the science behind Organisational Network Analytics (ONA) pioneered by the likes of Karen Stephenson and Rob Cross is well established, tried and tested, the ability to scale these insights has always been a major hurdle to these powerful data ...
18.07.2017
To date, very little work has been done on harnessing the power of informal networks and teams in the world of both global HR and global HR systems. The fluidity and informality of teamwork has always meant that capturing ever changing team membership and dynamics has been virtually impossible at any scale. While the science behind Organisational Network Analytics (ONA) pioneered by the likes of Karen Stephenson and Rob Cross is well established, tried and tested, the ability to scale these insights has always been a major hurdle to these powerful data ...
Die Agile Organisation ist kein Kunststück
17.07.2017
von Niels Pflaeging - Warum Agile Höchstleistungs-Organisation trotzdem "empfindlich" und relativ selten ist. Wie sich organisationale Lebendigkeit wiederherstellen oder erhalten lässt. Die Agile Organisation ist ein wenig wie gesunde Ernährung: Jeder kann sie sich vorstellen - aber kaum einer macht´s. In diesem Sinne sind die meisten Managementpraktiken, derer sich Manager und ihre Unternehmen heute bedienen, wie Kartoffelchips. Und zwar die mit den bösen Fetten. Beispiele gefällig? Aber gern. Nehmen wir die Mitarbeiterbeurteilung. Eine ausgesprochen ...
17.07.2017
von Niels Pflaeging - Warum Agile Höchstleistungs-Organisation trotzdem "empfindlich" und relativ selten ist. Wie sich organisationale Lebendigkeit wiederherstellen oder erhalten lässt. Die Agile Organisation ist ein wenig wie gesunde Ernährung: Jeder kann sie sich vorstellen - aber kaum einer macht´s. In diesem Sinne sind die meisten Managementpraktiken, derer sich Manager und ihre Unternehmen heute bedienen, wie Kartoffelchips. Und zwar die mit den bösen Fetten. Beispiele gefällig? Aber gern. Nehmen wir die Mitarbeiterbeurteilung. Eine ausgesprochen ...
Lernen in der Postkreidezeit: Working Out Loud für eine veränderte Lernkultur
17.07.2017
Das 4K-Modell des Lernens macht deutlich, welche Kompetenzen in einer digital geprägten Gesellschaft wichtig sind: Kreativität, Kommunikation, Kollaboration und kritisches Denken. Daher bleibt zu überlegen, wie im schulischen Unterricht diese Kompetenzen gefördert werden können. Meiner Meinung nach stellt der Ansatz Working Out Loud, der bisher vorwiegend in der Arbeitswelt verbreitet ist, ein geeignetes Gerüst dar. Es geht dabei nicht darum, sich wirtschaftlichen Zwängen anzupassen beim schulischen Lernen oder der Wirtschaft Dienste zu leisten. Es geht ...
17.07.2017
Das 4K-Modell des Lernens macht deutlich, welche Kompetenzen in einer digital geprägten Gesellschaft wichtig sind: Kreativität, Kommunikation, Kollaboration und kritisches Denken. Daher bleibt zu überlegen, wie im schulischen Unterricht diese Kompetenzen gefördert werden können. Meiner Meinung nach stellt der Ansatz Working Out Loud, der bisher vorwiegend in der Arbeitswelt verbreitet ist, ein geeignetes Gerüst dar. Es geht dabei nicht darum, sich wirtschaftlichen Zwängen anzupassen beim schulischen Lernen oder der Wirtschaft Dienste zu leisten. Es geht ...
Personaler, vernetzt Euch!
17.07.2017
Gerade in einer digitalen Arbeits- und Wirtschaftswelt liegt die Zukunft des Personalmanagements in der Kultur- und Organisationsentwicklung. HR muss sich als Vernetzer verstehen und Personalarbeit zusammen mit Führungskräften und Mitarbeitern gestalten. Im Mai dieses Jahres veröffentlichte Sabine Kluge, Global Program Manager Learning and Development bei Siemens, einen bemerkenswerten Artikel auf LinkedIn zum Thema Social Learning, der enorme Aufmerksamkeit auf sich zog. Sie beschreibt eine Zeitenwende hinsichtlich des Lernens in der deutschen Wirtschaft. ...
17.07.2017
Gerade in einer digitalen Arbeits- und Wirtschaftswelt liegt die Zukunft des Personalmanagements in der Kultur- und Organisationsentwicklung. HR muss sich als Vernetzer verstehen und Personalarbeit zusammen mit Führungskräften und Mitarbeitern gestalten. Im Mai dieses Jahres veröffentlichte Sabine Kluge, Global Program Manager Learning and Development bei Siemens, einen bemerkenswerten Artikel auf LinkedIn zum Thema Social Learning, der enorme Aufmerksamkeit auf sich zog. Sie beschreibt eine Zeitenwende hinsichtlich des Lernens in der deutschen Wirtschaft. ...
Advanced social technologies and the future of collaboration
17.07.2017
The next generation of social technologies is beginning to transform the way people communicate and work with each other, according to a new survey. After nearly a decade of research on the business uses of social technologies, executives say these tools are more integrated into their organizations' work than ever before -- and that the most sophisticated of these tools, message-based platforms, are gaining traction. At the companies where messaging platforms have taken hold, respondents to the latest McKinsey Global Survey on social tools report that ...
17.07.2017
The next generation of social technologies is beginning to transform the way people communicate and work with each other, according to a new survey. After nearly a decade of research on the business uses of social technologies, executives say these tools are more integrated into their organizations' work than ever before -- and that the most sophisticated of these tools, message-based platforms, are gaining traction. At the companies where messaging platforms have taken hold, respondents to the latest McKinsey Global Survey on social tools report that ...
Why Silos Kill The Ability To Communicate A Unified Vision, And 5 Ways To Eliminate Them
17.07.2017
Many organizations today that struggle with change and fall short of fulfilling their ultimate vision spend countless days, weeks and months - not to mention resources - trying to understand why they can't seem to circumvent the barriers standing in their way. And often, they can't quite define what those barriers are. In an article I wrote on this column in 2013 - still the most viewed piece I have written to date, I talked about the silo mentality and some of the ways organizations can make strides in eliminating the structure and behavioral barriers ...
17.07.2017
Many organizations today that struggle with change and fall short of fulfilling their ultimate vision spend countless days, weeks and months - not to mention resources - trying to understand why they can't seem to circumvent the barriers standing in their way. And often, they can't quite define what those barriers are. In an article I wrote on this column in 2013 - still the most viewed piece I have written to date, I talked about the silo mentality and some of the ways organizations can make strides in eliminating the structure and behavioral barriers ...
Return on Employees... Social Media Empowers Your Employees
17.07.2017
by Ted Rubin - Who knows your business as well (if not better) than you do? The people who work in your business, of course! And I'm not talking about a sales staff. I'm talking about your nuts-and-bolts employees who know the everyday ins and outs, whether they work with your customers, handle inventory or do the behind-the-scenes work that helps run your company. In today's socially-connected world, employees are often an untapped resource that (with a little guidance) could exponentially expand your company's word-of-mouth reach. Empower them so they ...
17.07.2017
by Ted Rubin - Who knows your business as well (if not better) than you do? The people who work in your business, of course! And I'm not talking about a sales staff. I'm talking about your nuts-and-bolts employees who know the everyday ins and outs, whether they work with your customers, handle inventory or do the behind-the-scenes work that helps run your company. In today's socially-connected world, employees are often an untapped resource that (with a little guidance) could exponentially expand your company's word-of-mouth reach. Empower them so they ...
Why We Haven't Been Working Out Loud
17.07.2017
There's a lot of rubbish written about working out loud. Working out loud is hard. It means sharing what you are doing in the bad times not just the good. It means asking for help when you need it. It means saying when you don't feel very motivated or productive. It means sharing failure. It means demonstrating the value to colleagues who just don't get it. When we began Bromford Lab we were pretty good at it. Sharing regular updates, live Trello and using Google docs and video to share our growing pains. However, as we've gotten ...
17.07.2017
There's a lot of rubbish written about working out loud. Working out loud is hard. It means sharing what you are doing in the bad times not just the good. It means asking for help when you need it. It means saying when you don't feel very motivated or productive. It means sharing failure. It means demonstrating the value to colleagues who just don't get it. When we began Bromford Lab we were pretty good at it. Sharing regular updates, live Trello and using Google docs and video to share our growing pains. However, as we've gotten ...
How communities of practice can help reduce staff turnover
17.07.2017
by Nick Milton - There are many ways in which Communities of Practice add value to an organisation, 27 of which are listed here. Here is a 28th way. There is a really interesting analysis of Communities of practice from the Geneva Knowledge forum which looks at CoPs in several large multinationals, and which points out some of the softer benefits. For example, CoP members can get the following personal benefits: the thrill of participating in an exchange of ideas with like-minded colleagues who share a common interest and skills, resulting in a major ...
17.07.2017
by Nick Milton - There are many ways in which Communities of Practice add value to an organisation, 27 of which are listed here. Here is a 28th way. There is a really interesting analysis of Communities of practice from the Geneva Knowledge forum which looks at CoPs in several large multinationals, and which points out some of the softer benefits. For example, CoP members can get the following personal benefits: the thrill of participating in an exchange of ideas with like-minded colleagues who share a common interest and skills, resulting in a major ...
The Community Insights And Innovation Strategy
17.07.2017
Communities are a goldmine for innovation and insights, but you need to get the strategy right. Insights don't appear by chance, they appear after a successful execution of your community strategy. You can use a community to directly solicit ideas, gather feedback, identify bugs, track sentiment, identify popular trends, and refine ideas through getting early feedback (content, possible new features, and potential product changes). More than any other goal, innovation requires internal alliances (and strong internal relationships) to realize the value. ...
17.07.2017
Communities are a goldmine for innovation and insights, but you need to get the strategy right. Insights don't appear by chance, they appear after a successful execution of your community strategy. You can use a community to directly solicit ideas, gather feedback, identify bugs, track sentiment, identify popular trends, and refine ideas through getting early feedback (content, possible new features, and potential product changes). More than any other goal, innovation requires internal alliances (and strong internal relationships) to realize the value. ...
The Lost Art of Thinking in Large Organizations
17.07.2017
Many executives in big companies attained their positions by excelling at getting things done. Unfortunately, a bias for doing rather than thinking can leave these executives ill-equipped for their new roles. If you ask managers in a large organization to approach a strategic business problem, their focus often quickly narrows to proposing solutions. When asked why, many respond that they don't have time to think. How did we arrive in a state where managers do not recognize that thinking is part of their job? The answer reflects a relentless focus on ...
17.07.2017
Many executives in big companies attained their positions by excelling at getting things done. Unfortunately, a bias for doing rather than thinking can leave these executives ill-equipped for their new roles. If you ask managers in a large organization to approach a strategic business problem, their focus often quickly narrows to proposing solutions. When asked why, many respond that they don't have time to think. How did we arrive in a state where managers do not recognize that thinking is part of their job? The answer reflects a relentless focus on ...
Job titles and job descriptions are no longer an attraction
17.07.2017
Do you think a single job description will define what you are capable of? Why do you need it? Job titles and descriptions are becoming obsolete nowadays and are no longer an attraction for employees and the employers. Employees at work in the traditional workplace were completely blinded by their job titles like "Manager", "Assistant" and descriptions like "Junior", "Senior" etc.,. This created some big problems as the responsibilities were divided accordingly that made their growth limited and it was all about growing egos and politics. But now the ...
17.07.2017
Do you think a single job description will define what you are capable of? Why do you need it? Job titles and descriptions are becoming obsolete nowadays and are no longer an attraction for employees and the employers. Employees at work in the traditional workplace were completely blinded by their job titles like "Manager", "Assistant" and descriptions like "Junior", "Senior" etc.,. This created some big problems as the responsibilities were divided accordingly that made their growth limited and it was all about growing egos and politics. But now the ...
Newsroom und Social Intranet: Zwei Seiten derselben Medaille
14.07.2017
Die Arbeit von Kommunikationsmanagern wandelt sich weiter stetig und rasant. Wesentliche Treiber der Veränderung sind: Ruf nach noch höherer Geschwindigkeit bei der Bereitstellung von Inhalten und passgenaues, zielgruppenrelevantes Ausspielen von Botschaften Forderung nach Effizienz und Synergien ("Single source, multiple media") Orchestrierung von crossmedialer Vernetzung und Interaktion (Multichannel/Multimedia). Um diesen Anforderungen besser gerecht zu werden, setzen immer mehr Kommunikationsabteilungen auf den Newsroom-Ansatz. Typische Merkmale ...
14.07.2017
Die Arbeit von Kommunikationsmanagern wandelt sich weiter stetig und rasant. Wesentliche Treiber der Veränderung sind: Ruf nach noch höherer Geschwindigkeit bei der Bereitstellung von Inhalten und passgenaues, zielgruppenrelevantes Ausspielen von Botschaften Forderung nach Effizienz und Synergien ("Single source, multiple media") Orchestrierung von crossmedialer Vernetzung und Interaktion (Multichannel/Multimedia). Um diesen Anforderungen besser gerecht zu werden, setzen immer mehr Kommunikationsabteilungen auf den Newsroom-Ansatz. Typische Merkmale ...
Empirically proven: internal social media drive engagement, save costs and time
14.07.2017
Nice! We didn't have to hire a research company such as Forrester or Gartner to prove what we already know. A study of the German Macromedia University, conducted in 2016, shows that internal social media truly drive employee engagement and save time and money. Its empirical survey was conducted in more than 500 German companies across different hierarchy levels. The results were compared with a similar study that was realized by the same authors in 2013. The results have to been seen in the context that the use of internal social media in German companies ...
14.07.2017
Nice! We didn't have to hire a research company such as Forrester or Gartner to prove what we already know. A study of the German Macromedia University, conducted in 2016, shows that internal social media truly drive employee engagement and save time and money. Its empirical survey was conducted in more than 500 German companies across different hierarchy levels. The results were compared with a similar study that was realized by the same authors in 2013. The results have to been seen in the context that the use of internal social media in German companies ...
Business Collaboration Meets the Enterprise Social Network: Etiquette
14.07.2017
With all the recent attention to social media platforms due to the interesting commentary, fake news, and release of information on these tools, I thought it worthwhile to re-release an article I wrote 6 years ago. I have added a couple of updates to include the new Facebook Workspaces platform. Business collaboration tools, such as Salesforce.com's Chatter and Facebook Workspaces are taking companies by storm. It makes sense, these tools provide the most efficient way to increase productivity, boost morale, and create a sense of community within your ...
14.07.2017
With all the recent attention to social media platforms due to the interesting commentary, fake news, and release of information on these tools, I thought it worthwhile to re-release an article I wrote 6 years ago. I have added a couple of updates to include the new Facebook Workspaces platform. Business collaboration tools, such as Salesforce.com's Chatter and Facebook Workspaces are taking companies by storm. It makes sense, these tools provide the most efficient way to increase productivity, boost morale, and create a sense of community within your ...
"Digital Channels" or Work Tools?
14.07.2017
At my last job, when I started introducing the comms team to our new enterprise social network (ESN), I asked a simple question: Is our enterprise social network a "digital channel" or a work tool? Most comms teams I speak to see it as a the former. It's a shame because it greatly limits what an ESN can enable an organization to achieve. It's also surprising because ESNs are no longer new, disruptive tech tools -- in fact, like Workplace by Facebook and Yammer, they are quite mature. An ESN is a tool to get work done. To get work done, employees need ...
14.07.2017
At my last job, when I started introducing the comms team to our new enterprise social network (ESN), I asked a simple question: Is our enterprise social network a "digital channel" or a work tool? Most comms teams I speak to see it as a the former. It's a shame because it greatly limits what an ESN can enable an organization to achieve. It's also surprising because ESNs are no longer new, disruptive tech tools -- in fact, like Workplace by Facebook and Yammer, they are quite mature. An ESN is a tool to get work done. To get work done, employees need ...
How to better connect, share and lead
14.07.2017
Lessons from reading 'Social Technologies in Business'. While working on a major knowledge management initiative at my company, I came in touch with Isabel Declercq's community The Future of Work. Digital. Social. Agile. Till that date, I had a hard time to understand the foundations of a successful knowledge management practice, especially because there is no single definition of what that actually means. Through the interactions with the community's members, I discovered that an important key to successful dealing with knowledge lies in human conversation. ...
14.07.2017
Lessons from reading 'Social Technologies in Business'. While working on a major knowledge management initiative at my company, I came in touch with Isabel Declercq's community The Future of Work. Digital. Social. Agile. Till that date, I had a hard time to understand the foundations of a successful knowledge management practice, especially because there is no single definition of what that actually means. Through the interactions with the community's members, I discovered that an important key to successful dealing with knowledge lies in human conversation. ...
Fostering Employee Engagement Via Digital Workplace Tools
14.07.2017
Many organizations are using new tools to connect people to people and people to information, and help create a sense of belonging. Employee engagement is the Holy Grail for any company these days. An engaged workforce is a sign of a supportive, inclusive environment where people feel empowered and can work efficiently. As a matter of course, anyone working in enterprise IT should be looking for opportunities to leverage technology for improved employee engagement. Here's what employees have shared in surveys about feeling a sense of engagement: ...
14.07.2017
Many organizations are using new tools to connect people to people and people to information, and help create a sense of belonging. Employee engagement is the Holy Grail for any company these days. An engaged workforce is a sign of a supportive, inclusive environment where people feel empowered and can work efficiently. As a matter of course, anyone working in enterprise IT should be looking for opportunities to leverage technology for improved employee engagement. Here's what employees have shared in surveys about feeling a sense of engagement: ...
The Hidden Knowledge Problem in Organizations
14.07.2017
Having had the opportunity to observe many conversations in organizations, I have come to understand that the greatest knowledge deficit in organizations is not the lack of sharing nor is it poorly designed repositories. Rather it is the inability to hold authentic conversations. What I have too often observed is teams and units where members do not offer their best thinking out of fear; fear of not being viewed as a team player, fear of being seen as incompetent, fear of embarrassing themselves or someone else, fear of acknowledging that they do not ...
14.07.2017
Having had the opportunity to observe many conversations in organizations, I have come to understand that the greatest knowledge deficit in organizations is not the lack of sharing nor is it poorly designed repositories. Rather it is the inability to hold authentic conversations. What I have too often observed is teams and units where members do not offer their best thinking out of fear; fear of not being viewed as a team player, fear of being seen as incompetent, fear of embarrassing themselves or someone else, fear of acknowledging that they do not ...
Syndication, Aggregation, and Subscription Management Systems
14.07.2017
by Stan Garfield - Syndication and aggregation: using feeds available from a web site or other content source to provide an updated list of its content in the form of a subscription, an embedded portion of a web site, or a collection of disparate content on a particular topic Syndication and aggregation typically use RSS or Atom syndication and .rss, .xml, or .rdf files for the feeds. Aggregation can also use open API and open data sources. (RSS stands for Really Simply Syndication or Rich Site Summary. XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. RDF ...
14.07.2017
by Stan Garfield - Syndication and aggregation: using feeds available from a web site or other content source to provide an updated list of its content in the form of a subscription, an embedded portion of a web site, or a collection of disparate content on a particular topic Syndication and aggregation typically use RSS or Atom syndication and .rss, .xml, or .rdf files for the feeds. Aggregation can also use open API and open data sources. (RSS stands for Really Simply Syndication or Rich Site Summary. XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. RDF ...
Enterprise 2.0: Mehr Social Collaboration in den Unternehmen
13.07.2017
Beim Thema Enterprise 2.0 geht es in den deutschen Unternehmen offenbar voran: Laut einer aktuellen Studie sind Social-Collaboration-Ansätze inzwischen weit verbreitet. Die Studie zeigt aber auch: Vielen Unternehmen fehlt eine klare Strategie für den Einsatz entsprechender Anwendungen. Virtuelle Meetings, interaktive Intranets, Instant Messaging oder Corporate Wikis: Enterprise 2.0 ist in der Arbeitswelt angekommen. Das zeigt die vierte Auflage einer Panelstudie der Hochschule Rhein-Main, für die das Forscherteam der Wiesbaden Business School 145 Unternehmensvertreter ...
13.07.2017
Beim Thema Enterprise 2.0 geht es in den deutschen Unternehmen offenbar voran: Laut einer aktuellen Studie sind Social-Collaboration-Ansätze inzwischen weit verbreitet. Die Studie zeigt aber auch: Vielen Unternehmen fehlt eine klare Strategie für den Einsatz entsprechender Anwendungen. Virtuelle Meetings, interaktive Intranets, Instant Messaging oder Corporate Wikis: Enterprise 2.0 ist in der Arbeitswelt angekommen. Das zeigt die vierte Auflage einer Panelstudie der Hochschule Rhein-Main, für die das Forscherteam der Wiesbaden Business School 145 Unternehmensvertreter ...
Digitale Transformation: 4 Thesen und Handlungsempfehlungen
13.07.2017
Klar ist: durch die Digitalisierung ändern sich nicht nur Strategiekonzepte und Geschäftsmodelle, sondern auch Prozesse, Systeme und Strukturen in Organisationen - und damit die Arbeit an sich. Weniger klar ist, was Digitale Transformation genau meint. Im Artikel werden vier Thesen formuliert und mit Beispielen illustriert. Daraus lassen sich sechs Handlungsfelder für das Management der digitalen Transformation ableiten. These 1: Es geht nicht um Dienste statt Dinge, sondern um Dinge UND Dienste These 2: Wettbewerbsvorteile entstehen eher über die Kontrolle ...
13.07.2017
Klar ist: durch die Digitalisierung ändern sich nicht nur Strategiekonzepte und Geschäftsmodelle, sondern auch Prozesse, Systeme und Strukturen in Organisationen - und damit die Arbeit an sich. Weniger klar ist, was Digitale Transformation genau meint. Im Artikel werden vier Thesen formuliert und mit Beispielen illustriert. Daraus lassen sich sechs Handlungsfelder für das Management der digitalen Transformation ableiten. These 1: Es geht nicht um Dienste statt Dinge, sondern um Dinge UND Dienste These 2: Wettbewerbsvorteile entstehen eher über die Kontrolle ...
The Promise of Social (The ESN edition)
13.07.2017
Let's take a moment and look at the idealistic, hopeful "promises" (the promise so many still speak of and fight for at least those who haven't gone "corporate" so to speak) we saw emerge from around 2007 and compare them against the "common reality" we see in many organizations today. Promise: Organization-wide transparency & openness Common Reality: Organization-wide monitoring, measuring, judging and manipulating Promise: B2B and B2C networks Common Reality: Another sales channel Promise: Social platforms to make work easier Common Reality: Social ...
13.07.2017
Let's take a moment and look at the idealistic, hopeful "promises" (the promise so many still speak of and fight for at least those who haven't gone "corporate" so to speak) we saw emerge from around 2007 and compare them against the "common reality" we see in many organizations today. Promise: Organization-wide transparency & openness Common Reality: Organization-wide monitoring, measuring, judging and manipulating Promise: B2B and B2C networks Common Reality: Another sales channel Promise: Social platforms to make work easier Common Reality: Social ...
The State of the Digital Workplace
13.07.2017
by Brad Grissom - Over the last three days, I've spent my time in conversations and presentations revolving around the digital workplace at the inaugural Digital Workplace Experience conference put on by CMSWire and the Digital Workplace Group. The conference on the whole was indeed a great experience. Attendance was measured in the hundreds as opposed to the thousands, which gave it a much more intimate and engaging vibe. There were a good mix of general and breakout sessions with small vignettes interspersed throughout the agenda. There were some great ...
13.07.2017
by Brad Grissom - Over the last three days, I've spent my time in conversations and presentations revolving around the digital workplace at the inaugural Digital Workplace Experience conference put on by CMSWire and the Digital Workplace Group. The conference on the whole was indeed a great experience. Attendance was measured in the hundreds as opposed to the thousands, which gave it a much more intimate and engaging vibe. There were a good mix of general and breakout sessions with small vignettes interspersed throughout the agenda. There were some great ...
4 Ways to Use a 'Social Mindset' and Boost Employee Engagement
13.07.2017
Social mindset means everyone can see and feel his or her individual value, making for more engagement. There is no such thing as employee-engagement "quick fixes." In spite of what employers may be led to believe that they can accomplish using trendy workplace hacks, engagement is an issue that sits differently with each individual on a team. Therefore, disengaged workforces continue to be a major issue in companies worldwide. In fact, according to the February 2017 State of the American Workplace Gallup report, only 33 percent of U.S. employees are ...
13.07.2017
Social mindset means everyone can see and feel his or her individual value, making for more engagement. There is no such thing as employee-engagement "quick fixes." In spite of what employers may be led to believe that they can accomplish using trendy workplace hacks, engagement is an issue that sits differently with each individual on a team. Therefore, disengaged workforces continue to be a major issue in companies worldwide. In fact, according to the February 2017 State of the American Workplace Gallup report, only 33 percent of U.S. employees are ...
Finding the right signal for modern comms
13.07.2017
by Rita Zonius - Believe it or not, "internal corporate communications" has a history dating back more than 150 years. It's obviously changed a lot but actually, in essence, much remains familiar. Given that history, the disruption of the traditional communications function is not unexpected and not something to be feared. Professional communicators should see the shift as an opportunity to refresh their roles and work with businesses leaders to encourage them to be the 'real deal' -- ultimately driving better business outcomes. In addressing the fear ...
13.07.2017
by Rita Zonius - Believe it or not, "internal corporate communications" has a history dating back more than 150 years. It's obviously changed a lot but actually, in essence, much remains familiar. Given that history, the disruption of the traditional communications function is not unexpected and not something to be feared. Professional communicators should see the shift as an opportunity to refresh their roles and work with businesses leaders to encourage them to be the 'real deal' -- ultimately driving better business outcomes. In addressing the fear ...
Amplify Your Human Resource Department with Social Collaboration
13.07.2017
Each Human Resource department handles day to day operations, and any or all of the following: recruiting, screening, interviewing and placing workers. They also regularly take on employee relations, payroll, benefits and training. Further, Human Resource managers plan, direct and coordinate administrative functions and act as a middleman between employee and management. The department is a hub for basic company information, and can be inundated with many requests from employees. That's a lot of information. A company intranet helps manage and organize ...
13.07.2017
Each Human Resource department handles day to day operations, and any or all of the following: recruiting, screening, interviewing and placing workers. They also regularly take on employee relations, payroll, benefits and training. Further, Human Resource managers plan, direct and coordinate administrative functions and act as a middleman between employee and management. The department is a hub for basic company information, and can be inundated with many requests from employees. That's a lot of information. A company intranet helps manage and organize ...
A Strong Customer-Facing Brand Needs A Solid Employee Foundation
13.07.2017
Social media has made it increasingly difficult to distinguish between internal and external communications, with significant implications for marketers. In an era in which brands must prove their values through their actions rather than just their marketing messages, the traditional divisions between internal and external marketing are coming apart at the seams. In the past, embracing the power of employees as a marketing tool extended to little more than including staff in ad campaigns. However, a wealth of new technology, combined with a consumer ...
13.07.2017
Social media has made it increasingly difficult to distinguish between internal and external communications, with significant implications for marketers. In an era in which brands must prove their values through their actions rather than just their marketing messages, the traditional divisions between internal and external marketing are coming apart at the seams. In the past, embracing the power of employees as a marketing tool extended to little more than including staff in ad campaigns. However, a wealth of new technology, combined with a consumer ...
Does Slack live up to the hype?
12.07.2017
I cannot think of a digital workplace tool, since SharePoint, that has received so much attention and ink as Slack. It's very popular, widespread and extremely hip, particularly with the media and technology pundits. Even Vanity Fair has dedicated some of its oh-so-fashionable pages to the hipster app (Slack, The Group-Chat App Everyone Hates To Love...). A look at the numbers reveals an intriguing tale: Estimated market: value $9 billion Annual revenue: $150 million Daily users: 5 million Paid users: 1.5 million Number of teams: 60,000 Well if 1.5 million ...
12.07.2017
I cannot think of a digital workplace tool, since SharePoint, that has received so much attention and ink as Slack. It's very popular, widespread and extremely hip, particularly with the media and technology pundits. Even Vanity Fair has dedicated some of its oh-so-fashionable pages to the hipster app (Slack, The Group-Chat App Everyone Hates To Love...). A look at the numbers reveals an intriguing tale: Estimated market: value $9 billion Annual revenue: $150 million Daily users: 5 million Paid users: 1.5 million Number of teams: 60,000 Well if 1.5 million ...
Information Overload Comes in 3 Flavors: Here's How to Combat It
12.07.2017
According to the latest Nielsen Total Audience Report, US adults spend almost 11 hours a day consuming media. That translates to 70 percent of waking time. Which means you spend 70 percent of your day on your computer and phone using social media, apps, browsing web pages, and of course, 'doing' email. Information Overload Takes a Toll Information Overload Comes in 3 Flavors Too Much Information Not Enough Time Poor Quality of Information Failsafe? No. An Improvement? Yes. [...] ...
12.07.2017
According to the latest Nielsen Total Audience Report, US adults spend almost 11 hours a day consuming media. That translates to 70 percent of waking time. Which means you spend 70 percent of your day on your computer and phone using social media, apps, browsing web pages, and of course, 'doing' email. Information Overload Takes a Toll Information Overload Comes in 3 Flavors Too Much Information Not Enough Time Poor Quality of Information Failsafe? No. An Improvement? Yes. [...] ...
Blink: The Enterprise Software Startup Helping Companies Design Digital Workplaces
12.07.2017
In 2017, IT spending on enterprise software is projected to peak at $351 billion globally, a number that is expected to reach $462 billion by 2021. While enterprise software is intended to streamline workflow, boost productivity and help companies operate more efficiently; without giving workers thorough training, most enterprise solutions prove to do the opposite. In addition to the challenges of integrating changing technology, enterprise solutions can also present roadblocks such as confusing interfaces, elaborate dashboards and complicated communication ...
12.07.2017
In 2017, IT spending on enterprise software is projected to peak at $351 billion globally, a number that is expected to reach $462 billion by 2021. While enterprise software is intended to streamline workflow, boost productivity and help companies operate more efficiently; without giving workers thorough training, most enterprise solutions prove to do the opposite. In addition to the challenges of integrating changing technology, enterprise solutions can also present roadblocks such as confusing interfaces, elaborate dashboards and complicated communication ...
Huddle aims to bring networked enterprise to old-school orgs
12.07.2017
Summary: Cloud-based document collaboration vendor Huddle wants to help old-school organizations on the path of digital transformation to the networked enterprise. Cloud-based document collaboration vendor Huddle is on a mission to bring its vision of the networked enterprise to old-school organizations. Yesterday, we wrote about Huddle's decision to focus on complex document-centric collaboration use cases for government and large enterprise, as part of its new CEO's strategy to become cash-flow positive this year after scaling back to more modest growth ...
12.07.2017
Summary: Cloud-based document collaboration vendor Huddle wants to help old-school organizations on the path of digital transformation to the networked enterprise. Cloud-based document collaboration vendor Huddle is on a mission to bring its vision of the networked enterprise to old-school organizations. Yesterday, we wrote about Huddle's decision to focus on complex document-centric collaboration use cases for government and large enterprise, as part of its new CEO's strategy to become cash-flow positive this year after scaling back to more modest growth ...
How Tight-knit and Individualistic Communities Adopt New Technologies Differently
12.07.2017
Innovations from fax machines to WhatsApp spread faster in some societies than others. At a restaurant with friends five years ago, Bryony Reich described a new messaging app called WhatsApp. It was encrypted, allowed international chatting, and best of all, it was free. Everyone in the group downloaded WhatsApp, and they have been messaging on it ever since. The experience got Reich, now an assistant professor of strategy at the Kellogg School, thinking about how innovation spreads through societies. Are tight-knit Groups -- like her circle of friends ...
12.07.2017
Innovations from fax machines to WhatsApp spread faster in some societies than others. At a restaurant with friends five years ago, Bryony Reich described a new messaging app called WhatsApp. It was encrypted, allowed international chatting, and best of all, it was free. Everyone in the group downloaded WhatsApp, and they have been messaging on it ever since. The experience got Reich, now an assistant professor of strategy at the Kellogg School, thinking about how innovation spreads through societies. Are tight-knit Groups -- like her circle of friends ...
How Idle Chatter And Gossip Can Make You More Productive
12.07.2017
A while back I was having lunch with a friend who is one of the most dynamic people I've ever met. A successful businesswoman, she regularly commutes between the five countries in which she run operations, while at the same time somehow manages to be a doting single mother to her young child. Despite her comings and goings, we're able to stay in touch through social media and, because she is something of a power user of Facebook and Skype, we're able to keep up with what's going on in each others lives. So I was quite surprised when she told me that ...
12.07.2017
A while back I was having lunch with a friend who is one of the most dynamic people I've ever met. A successful businesswoman, she regularly commutes between the five countries in which she run operations, while at the same time somehow manages to be a doting single mother to her young child. Despite her comings and goings, we're able to stay in touch through social media and, because she is something of a power user of Facebook and Skype, we're able to keep up with what's going on in each others lives. So I was quite surprised when she told me that ...
Your Brain Can Only Take So Much Focus
12.07.2017
The ability to focus is an important driver of excellence. Focused techniques such as to-do lists, timetables, and calendar reminders all help people to stay on task. Few would argue with that, and even if they did, there is evidence to support the idea that resisting distraction and staying present have benefits: practicing mindfulness for 10 minutes a day, for example, can enhance leadership effectiveness by helping you become more able to regulate your emotions and make sense of past experiences. Yet as helpful as focus can be, there's also a downside ...
12.07.2017
The ability to focus is an important driver of excellence. Focused techniques such as to-do lists, timetables, and calendar reminders all help people to stay on task. Few would argue with that, and even if they did, there is evidence to support the idea that resisting distraction and staying present have benefits: practicing mindfulness for 10 minutes a day, for example, can enhance leadership effectiveness by helping you become more able to regulate your emotions and make sense of past experiences. Yet as helpful as focus can be, there's also a downside ...
Digital Workplace: Work is not a Place
11.07.2017
Der moderne und digitale Workplace verspricht den Beschäftigten mehr Flexibilität und den Firmen weniger Kosten. Was gilt es zu beachten? Rechnet sich eine flächendeckende Einführung von Cloud-Arbeitsplätzen? ITK-Hersteller und -Anbieter geben Einblick in ihre Ansichten zum Arbeitsplatz der Zukunft. Arbeitnehmer und ihre Bedürfnisse ändern sich und mit ihnen ihre Arbeitsplätze. Gehörte es vor nicht allzu langer Zeit noch zum guten Ton, Tag für Tag möglichst lang an seinem Schreibtisch im Büro auszuharren, so ist heute deutlich mehr Flexibilität gefragt: ...
11.07.2017
Der moderne und digitale Workplace verspricht den Beschäftigten mehr Flexibilität und den Firmen weniger Kosten. Was gilt es zu beachten? Rechnet sich eine flächendeckende Einführung von Cloud-Arbeitsplätzen? ITK-Hersteller und -Anbieter geben Einblick in ihre Ansichten zum Arbeitsplatz der Zukunft. Arbeitnehmer und ihre Bedürfnisse ändern sich und mit ihnen ihre Arbeitsplätze. Gehörte es vor nicht allzu langer Zeit noch zum guten Ton, Tag für Tag möglichst lang an seinem Schreibtisch im Büro auszuharren, so ist heute deutlich mehr Flexibilität gefragt: ...
Working Out Loud in der Siemens Heavy Metal Werkstatt: "Ihr erfahrenen Könner, lasst Euch von uns Jungen inspirieren!"
11.07.2017
von Sabine Kluge - ...erzählt was Ihr tut und lasst uns das mal gemeinsam neu denken! Vor rund vier Jahren begannen Robert Harms und Ronny Grossjohann, Fertigungsplaner im Siemens Gasturbinenwerk Berlin Huttenstrasse, Fertigungsplanung anders zu denken, und schufen einvernehmlich mit den Entscheidungsträgern des Standortes und der Maxime: "Ihr baut Eure Fabrik" einen experimentellen Freiraum, der heute die beteiligten Fertigungskollegen selbstorganisiert zu Höchstleistungen motiviert. Nun wird am gesamten Standort - und darüber hinaus - die erfolgreiche ...
11.07.2017
von Sabine Kluge - ...erzählt was Ihr tut und lasst uns das mal gemeinsam neu denken! Vor rund vier Jahren begannen Robert Harms und Ronny Grossjohann, Fertigungsplaner im Siemens Gasturbinenwerk Berlin Huttenstrasse, Fertigungsplanung anders zu denken, und schufen einvernehmlich mit den Entscheidungsträgern des Standortes und der Maxime: "Ihr baut Eure Fabrik" einen experimentellen Freiraum, der heute die beteiligten Fertigungskollegen selbstorganisiert zu Höchstleistungen motiviert. Nun wird am gesamten Standort - und darüber hinaus - die erfolgreiche ...
Arbeitszeit: "Ein Recht auf Offline!"
11.07.2017
Der Rechtswissenschaftler Gregor Thüsing fordert, unsere Erreichbarkeit besser zu regeln. Gesetzgeber und Unternehmen sollen das ernst nehmen und endlich Lösungen finden. Herr Thüsing, haben wir in unserer Arbeitswelt ein Problem mit der ständigen Erreichbarkeit? Nicht immer - aber vielleicht immer öfter. Die Arbeitswelt hat sich in den letzten Jahren von einer analogen zu einer digitalen gewandelt. Je mehr Möglichkeiten sich ergeben, von anderen Orten, zu anderen Zeiten oder mal kurz zwischendurch zu arbeiten, desto höher wird die Versuchung, dass der ...
11.07.2017
Der Rechtswissenschaftler Gregor Thüsing fordert, unsere Erreichbarkeit besser zu regeln. Gesetzgeber und Unternehmen sollen das ernst nehmen und endlich Lösungen finden. Herr Thüsing, haben wir in unserer Arbeitswelt ein Problem mit der ständigen Erreichbarkeit? Nicht immer - aber vielleicht immer öfter. Die Arbeitswelt hat sich in den letzten Jahren von einer analogen zu einer digitalen gewandelt. Je mehr Möglichkeiten sich ergeben, von anderen Orten, zu anderen Zeiten oder mal kurz zwischendurch zu arbeiten, desto höher wird die Versuchung, dass der ...
Enterprise Social Collaboration: Creating Workplace Interactions That Unite
11.07.2017
The role of the HR organization is quickly moving beyond managing employees dispersed across the globe, adjusting to new cultures, ensuring compliance at all levels, and allocating resources promptly. It's not just because political and demographic structures are evolving before our very eyes. The world of work is also changing along with our expectations for fairness, demand for best-fit talent, and a vast pool of talent diversity. With the rise of the gig economy and remote work environments, according to McKinsey Global Institute, more and more workers ...
11.07.2017
The role of the HR organization is quickly moving beyond managing employees dispersed across the globe, adjusting to new cultures, ensuring compliance at all levels, and allocating resources promptly. It's not just because political and demographic structures are evolving before our very eyes. The world of work is also changing along with our expectations for fairness, demand for best-fit talent, and a vast pool of talent diversity. With the rise of the gig economy and remote work environments, according to McKinsey Global Institute, more and more workers ...
Signs Your Enterprise Software Is Blocking Digital Transformation
11.07.2017
How do you react when your company's software is too clunky to use? If you are one of the people IFS North America surveyed for a forthcoming report, you turn to Microsoft Excel. The report, whose working title is "Enterprise Software Usability and Digital Transformation," found a sizable majority of respondents -- 88 percent -- would abandon the software and create a workaround with alternative software. And the alternative software for 84 percent of that group was Microsoft Excel. That data point is surely happy news for Microsoft, but is also ...
11.07.2017
How do you react when your company's software is too clunky to use? If you are one of the people IFS North America surveyed for a forthcoming report, you turn to Microsoft Excel. The report, whose working title is "Enterprise Software Usability and Digital Transformation," found a sizable majority of respondents -- 88 percent -- would abandon the software and create a workaround with alternative software. And the alternative software for 84 percent of that group was Microsoft Excel. That data point is surely happy news for Microsoft, but is also ...
How to Plan for Continuous Improvement on your Intranet
11.07.2017
Great intranets continually improve and evolve. To effectively manage that change, you need a system. Step 1: Start with intranet purpose Step 2: Focus on delivering value to the business Step 3: Think ahead in 6-month blocks Step 4: Get the support of the intranet steering group Get agreement on the six-month plan Establish a "parking lot" for second-tier priorities Report on progress Ongoing intranet management is a dance [...] ...
11.07.2017
Great intranets continually improve and evolve. To effectively manage that change, you need a system. Step 1: Start with intranet purpose Step 2: Focus on delivering value to the business Step 3: Think ahead in 6-month blocks Step 4: Get the support of the intranet steering group Get agreement on the six-month plan Establish a "parking lot" for second-tier priorities Report on progress Ongoing intranet management is a dance [...] ...
Why we're betting against real-time team messaging
11.07.2017
Real-time chat apps are taking the business world by storm. But does faster communication really mean better communication? Three years ago our remote company joined Slack. Until then, we had relied on a mix of email and an internal tool called Wedoist for all our communication. But our steadily growing team based across several time zones made it hard to stay on the same page and even harder to feel like one, cohesive team. Something had to change. So we tried Slack. To say the app was a game-changer would be putting it mildly. Communication between ...
11.07.2017
Real-time chat apps are taking the business world by storm. But does faster communication really mean better communication? Three years ago our remote company joined Slack. Until then, we had relied on a mix of email and an internal tool called Wedoist for all our communication. But our steadily growing team based across several time zones made it hard to stay on the same page and even harder to feel like one, cohesive team. Something had to change. So we tried Slack. To say the app was a game-changer would be putting it mildly. Communication between ...
How to create a global, scalable, user-friendly organization
11.07.2017
by Dave Gray - Very few things rival the complexity, scale, and global reach of the modern enterprise. Making these behemoth, monolithic organizations easy, friendly, and fun to interact with is a monumental challenge. Together with the attendees and people behind the Enterprise UX Conference, we created a visual explanation that you can use to start conversations to help us work together to create the change we want to see in the world. Check it out and download the PDF here. ...
11.07.2017
by Dave Gray - Very few things rival the complexity, scale, and global reach of the modern enterprise. Making these behemoth, monolithic organizations easy, friendly, and fun to interact with is a monumental challenge. Together with the attendees and people behind the Enterprise UX Conference, we created a visual explanation that you can use to start conversations to help us work together to create the change we want to see in the world. Check it out and download the PDF here. ...
Krokers RAM: Verweigert Mitarbeitern nicht die Digital-Tools, die sie sich im Job wünschen!
07.07.2017
Mein Rant am Morgen: Unternehmen, die vor allem jüngere Beschäftigte langfristig an sich binden wollen, müssen verstärkt auf neue digitale Tools wie etwa Messenger-Dienste setzen, die diese sich im Joballtag wünschen. Das Thema Mitarbeiterführung und -gewinnung ist seit Jahren in aller Munde - insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund des Fachkräftemangels auf der einen Seite und den steigenden Anforderungen durch die Digitalisierung auf der anderen. Vor allem junge Arbeitnehmer, die sogenannten Millenials, hätten andere Jobvorstellungen als die Generationen ...
07.07.2017
Mein Rant am Morgen: Unternehmen, die vor allem jüngere Beschäftigte langfristig an sich binden wollen, müssen verstärkt auf neue digitale Tools wie etwa Messenger-Dienste setzen, die diese sich im Joballtag wünschen. Das Thema Mitarbeiterführung und -gewinnung ist seit Jahren in aller Munde - insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund des Fachkräftemangels auf der einen Seite und den steigenden Anforderungen durch die Digitalisierung auf der anderen. Vor allem junge Arbeitnehmer, die sogenannten Millenials, hätten andere Jobvorstellungen als die Generationen ...
Benefits of a Corporate Social Network
07.07.2017
There are many benefits of investing in an internal, corporate social network, from increased employee engagement to improved inter-departmental communications. If you work in HR or Marketing, a part of your role will probably already require you to implement strategies focusing on improving internal relations. By investing in an internal social network, you will empower and encourage your colleagues throughout your business to take ownership of communicating with each other. More open internal communications can lead to greater productivity and a clearer ...
07.07.2017
There are many benefits of investing in an internal, corporate social network, from increased employee engagement to improved inter-departmental communications. If you work in HR or Marketing, a part of your role will probably already require you to implement strategies focusing on improving internal relations. By investing in an internal social network, you will empower and encourage your colleagues throughout your business to take ownership of communicating with each other. More open internal communications can lead to greater productivity and a clearer ...
4 reasons why social tools are replacing email in the legal sector
07.07.2017
Technology is ever-evolving. When email arrived back in 1993, it was revolutionary and changed the way most businesses were run. Just like we evolved to email however, so must we eventually evolve away from it. Those days are edging ever closer, with email on the way out and social collaboration tools on the way in. 58 percent of workers print and hand-sign documents that have been emailed to them, with an IDC study reporting that workers lose 3.5 hours per week because they don't use digital services. In this piece, we'll examine the four pivotal reasons ...
07.07.2017
Technology is ever-evolving. When email arrived back in 1993, it was revolutionary and changed the way most businesses were run. Just like we evolved to email however, so must we eventually evolve away from it. Those days are edging ever closer, with email on the way out and social collaboration tools on the way in. 58 percent of workers print and hand-sign documents that have been emailed to them, with an IDC study reporting that workers lose 3.5 hours per week because they don't use digital services. In this piece, we'll examine the four pivotal reasons ...
The Futility of Benchmarks
07.07.2017
Benchmarks from other organizations don't usually tell you how you're doing, they only tell you what's possible. If you want a 100% accepted solution rate to every question, that's not possible (without removing the questions which don't get a solution, but I digress). But if Dropbox, Airbnb, or GiffGaff get that number up to 75%, then you can study them to see how they did it. Comparing yourself to other organizations is a dangerous game. A product with thousands of customers will have VERY different benchmarks from one with millions of customers. They ...
07.07.2017
Benchmarks from other organizations don't usually tell you how you're doing, they only tell you what's possible. If you want a 100% accepted solution rate to every question, that's not possible (without removing the questions which don't get a solution, but I digress). But if Dropbox, Airbnb, or GiffGaff get that number up to 75%, then you can study them to see how they did it. Comparing yourself to other organizations is a dangerous game. A product with thousands of customers will have VERY different benchmarks from one with millions of customers. They ...
No Email Day
07.07.2017
Is too much email ruining your life? Are you struggling with information overload? Are you not as productive as you would like to be? If the answer is 'Yes!' then perhaps you should try taking part in the 7th annual global 'No Email Day' which takes place on 7th July 2017 (7/7/17). The premise sounds simple enough - avoid email for 24hrs so you can be more productive, social and collaborative at work! All other methods of communication: phone, SMS, face-to-face, social media, or handwritten notes are fine. It's just email that isn't. A crazy idea? Maybe ...
07.07.2017
Is too much email ruining your life? Are you struggling with information overload? Are you not as productive as you would like to be? If the answer is 'Yes!' then perhaps you should try taking part in the 7th annual global 'No Email Day' which takes place on 7th July 2017 (7/7/17). The premise sounds simple enough - avoid email for 24hrs so you can be more productive, social and collaborative at work! All other methods of communication: phone, SMS, face-to-face, social media, or handwritten notes are fine. It's just email that isn't. A crazy idea? Maybe ...
Breaking your addiction to email... It's tough but possible
07.07.2017
According to the McKinsey Global Institute report The social economy: Unlocking value and productivity through social technology, which uses IDC data, workers spend 28 per cent of their time reading, writing or responding to email. If you took email away from lawyers they would feel less productive and isolated. This feeling would be a genuine reaction because over the last ten years Outlook has become the hub of productivity (ironically). I wrote about the changing role of email in business here. I guess you could say that a loss of productivity would ...
07.07.2017
According to the McKinsey Global Institute report The social economy: Unlocking value and productivity through social technology, which uses IDC data, workers spend 28 per cent of their time reading, writing or responding to email. If you took email away from lawyers they would feel less productive and isolated. This feeling would be a genuine reaction because over the last ten years Outlook has become the hub of productivity (ironically). I wrote about the changing role of email in business here. I guess you could say that a loss of productivity would ...
Classification Process and Taxonomy
07.07.2017
by Stan Garfield - Classification: creating and maintaining a taxonomy that can be used to organize information so that it can be readily found through navigation, search, and links between related content To ensure that information can be readily found, it is important to use a standard classification terminology when storing it. By defining a taxonomy before beginning to store information in repositories, and then applying the taxonomy through the use of standard metadata and tagging, future problems with inconsistent categories, conflicting and redundant ...
07.07.2017
by Stan Garfield - Classification: creating and maintaining a taxonomy that can be used to organize information so that it can be readily found through navigation, search, and links between related content To ensure that information can be readily found, it is important to use a standard classification terminology when storing it. By defining a taxonomy before beginning to store information in repositories, and then applying the taxonomy through the use of standard metadata and tagging, future problems with inconsistent categories, conflicting and redundant ...
Agile OCM - game-changer or just another methodology?
07.07.2017
It's been a while since I wrote an article here on LinkedIn which has been mainly due to the fact that I have had nothing much to say but also because I have been busy. So what has prompted this latest article? Two reasons: REASON 1 Of late I have noted more and more talk of "waterfall" Change Management not cutting it and that we should be looking to "agile" Change Management as an alternative in this time of digital disruption and transformation. In my view there is still a lack of understanding of what exactly "agile" Change Management is, how it ...
07.07.2017
It's been a while since I wrote an article here on LinkedIn which has been mainly due to the fact that I have had nothing much to say but also because I have been busy. So what has prompted this latest article? Two reasons: REASON 1 Of late I have noted more and more talk of "waterfall" Change Management not cutting it and that we should be looking to "agile" Change Management as an alternative in this time of digital disruption and transformation. In my view there is still a lack of understanding of what exactly "agile" Change Management is, how it ...
Social Collaboration in der Verwaltung: Potenziale und Hemmnisse der Vernetzung
06.07.2017
Die Zusammenarbeit mit Hilfe elektronischer Medien bezeichnet man als Social Collaboration. In der Wirtschaft ist diese schon weit verbreitet. Moysies & Partner untersuchte nun in einer Onlinebefragung, wie der Stand von Social Collaboration in der öffentlichen Verwaltung ist. Social Collaboration bezeichnet die Zusammenarbeit von Menschen in Projekten, Gruppen oder auch Teams mit Hilfe des Internets und elektronischer Medien, beispielsweise durch die Nutzung bestimmter Plattformen. Unternehmen haben die Potenziale von Social Collaboration bereits ...
06.07.2017
Die Zusammenarbeit mit Hilfe elektronischer Medien bezeichnet man als Social Collaboration. In der Wirtschaft ist diese schon weit verbreitet. Moysies & Partner untersuchte nun in einer Onlinebefragung, wie der Stand von Social Collaboration in der öffentlichen Verwaltung ist. Social Collaboration bezeichnet die Zusammenarbeit von Menschen in Projekten, Gruppen oder auch Teams mit Hilfe des Internets und elektronischer Medien, beispielsweise durch die Nutzung bestimmter Plattformen. Unternehmen haben die Potenziale von Social Collaboration bereits ...
"I am not a phone number" - Being yourself in the digital workplace
06.07.2017
by Sam Marshall - "I worked with someone in another department for two years but would blank them in the corridor because I didn't know what they looked like." ~ An employee during a focus group Does working digitally mean we bring less of our identity to work? Increasingly we work independently of a single physical location: in distributed teams, in home-based roles, out in the field or travelling on business. As a consequence we rely on our digital workplace to communicate about work, but if we don't also communicate about ourselves, we lessen the ...
06.07.2017
by Sam Marshall - "I worked with someone in another department for two years but would blank them in the corridor because I didn't know what they looked like." ~ An employee during a focus group Does working digitally mean we bring less of our identity to work? Increasingly we work independently of a single physical location: in distributed teams, in home-based roles, out in the field or travelling on business. As a consequence we rely on our digital workplace to communicate about work, but if we don't also communicate about ourselves, we lessen the ...
4 Ways to Use a 'Social Mindset' and Boost Employee Engagement
06.07.2017
Social mindset means everyone can see and feel his or her individual value, making for more engagement. There is no such thing as employee-engagement "quick fixes." In spite of what employers may be led to believe that they can accomplish using trendy workplace hacks, engagement is an issue that sits differently with each individual on a team. Therefore, disengaged workforces continue to be a major issue in companies worldwide. In fact, according to the February 2017 State of the American Workplace Gallup report, only 33 percent of U.S. employees are ...
06.07.2017
Social mindset means everyone can see and feel his or her individual value, making for more engagement. There is no such thing as employee-engagement "quick fixes." In spite of what employers may be led to believe that they can accomplish using trendy workplace hacks, engagement is an issue that sits differently with each individual on a team. Therefore, disengaged workforces continue to be a major issue in companies worldwide. In fact, according to the February 2017 State of the American Workplace Gallup report, only 33 percent of U.S. employees are ...
How to Earn Your Chops as a Community Manager
06.07.2017
According to Community Roundtable's 2015 State of Community Management report, all of the best-run forums have one particular thing in common: they're backed by organizations who intentionally and consistently invest in their community management team. I probably don't have to tell you that not every community manager receives that kind of support. For some, their organization sees them as a glorified social media consultant to be hidden in a dark room and left to their own devices. For others, however, the community manager is the organization. Wherever ...
06.07.2017
According to Community Roundtable's 2015 State of Community Management report, all of the best-run forums have one particular thing in common: they're backed by organizations who intentionally and consistently invest in their community management team. I probably don't have to tell you that not every community manager receives that kind of support. For some, their organization sees them as a glorified social media consultant to be hidden in a dark room and left to their own devices. For others, however, the community manager is the organization. Wherever ...
The Personal Network Effect Makes Walled Gardens Stronger, But There's Still Hope
06.07.2017
I'm still chewing over the role of "walled garden" vendors including Google, Amazon, and Facebook, and in particular how most observers - especially in the general media - fail to grasp how those firms differ from traditional monopolists. As it happens, I'm also preparing a speech for later this month that will touch on the topic, which means I've spent many hours working on slides to communicate the relevant concepts. Since just a handful of people will see the slides in person, I figured I'd share them here as well. In pondering the relation of the ...
06.07.2017
I'm still chewing over the role of "walled garden" vendors including Google, Amazon, and Facebook, and in particular how most observers - especially in the general media - fail to grasp how those firms differ from traditional monopolists. As it happens, I'm also preparing a speech for later this month that will touch on the topic, which means I've spent many hours working on slides to communicate the relevant concepts. Since just a handful of people will see the slides in person, I figured I'd share them here as well. In pondering the relation of the ...
Untangling your organization's decision making
06.07.2017
Any organization can improve the speed and quality of its decisions by paying more attention to what it's deciding. It's the best and worst of times for decision makers. Swelling stockpiles of data, advanced analytics, and intelligent algorithms are providing organizations with powerful new inputs and methods for making all manner of decisions. Corporate leaders also are much more aware today than they were 20 years ago of the cognitive biases--anchoring, loss aversion, confirmation bias, and many more--that undermine decision making without our knowing ...
06.07.2017
Any organization can improve the speed and quality of its decisions by paying more attention to what it's deciding. It's the best and worst of times for decision makers. Swelling stockpiles of data, advanced analytics, and intelligent algorithms are providing organizations with powerful new inputs and methods for making all manner of decisions. Corporate leaders also are much more aware today than they were 20 years ago of the cognitive biases--anchoring, loss aversion, confirmation bias, and many more--that undermine decision making without our knowing ...
Software & Tools: Collaboration ist unterbewertet
05.07.2017
Im Zeitalter der Vernetzung hängt Erfolg im Wesentlichen von Kollaboration ab. Und doch wird die Zusammenarbeit in vielen Unternehmen stiefmütterlich behandelt. Das muss sich ändern. Collaboration sollte nicht bloß auf das Office beschränkt sein. Unsere Wirtschaft, unser politisches System - ja unsere gesamte Zivilisation - beruht auf Kollaboration. Wie wir uns ernähren, anziehen, bilden und amüsieren hängt von einer bemerkenswert komplexen - und überraschenderweise wenig beachteten - Kollaborationskette ab. In der heutigen Zeit kommt es so gut wie nicht ...
05.07.2017
Im Zeitalter der Vernetzung hängt Erfolg im Wesentlichen von Kollaboration ab. Und doch wird die Zusammenarbeit in vielen Unternehmen stiefmütterlich behandelt. Das muss sich ändern. Collaboration sollte nicht bloß auf das Office beschränkt sein. Unsere Wirtschaft, unser politisches System - ja unsere gesamte Zivilisation - beruht auf Kollaboration. Wie wir uns ernähren, anziehen, bilden und amüsieren hängt von einer bemerkenswert komplexen - und überraschenderweise wenig beachteten - Kollaborationskette ab. In der heutigen Zeit kommt es so gut wie nicht ...
Working Out Load - the ultimate change method or just a group therapy? Recap of #wolweek discussions.
05.07.2017
by Bjoern Negelmann - Working Out Loud (or short WOL) is very en vogue in recent discussions about the digital transformation of the workplace. It's nothing new as the term has been brought up by Bryce Williams in a blog post in 2010. And even before "the importance of narrating your work as a way to develop shared awareness and a culture of collaboration in the workplace" was key to the early days of social media and blogging - as Lee Bryant wrote in a post last year. But it wasn't before John Stepper formalized and conceptionalized the approach in ...
05.07.2017
by Bjoern Negelmann - Working Out Loud (or short WOL) is very en vogue in recent discussions about the digital transformation of the workplace. It's nothing new as the term has been brought up by Bryce Williams in a blog post in 2010. And even before "the importance of narrating your work as a way to develop shared awareness and a culture of collaboration in the workplace" was key to the early days of social media and blogging - as Lee Bryant wrote in a post last year. But it wasn't before John Stepper formalized and conceptionalized the approach in ...
CIOs: Employees Are Your Customers
05.07.2017
In today's hyper-connected digital workplace, the experience their employees have have become as important as those of their customers. Are your employees engaged and satisfied? Is the technology working for them as expected? Can they seamlessly access the tools and resources they need? As a result, the roles of IT teams and CIOs have undergone a significant transformation: It's no longer enough to respond quickly when issues emerge, or to implement predictive maintenance and security plans. Now, tech specialists must anticipate and respond to their ...
05.07.2017
In today's hyper-connected digital workplace, the experience their employees have have become as important as those of their customers. Are your employees engaged and satisfied? Is the technology working for them as expected? Can they seamlessly access the tools and resources they need? As a result, the roles of IT teams and CIOs have undergone a significant transformation: It's no longer enough to respond quickly when issues emerge, or to implement predictive maintenance and security plans. Now, tech specialists must anticipate and respond to their ...
Why Workforce Planners Should Forget about Position Management
05.07.2017
Workforce planning is the process of ensuring that the business employs the right staff at the right time and at the right cost. As a best practice workforce planning should be continuous. However, the problem is that most finance departments still develop budgets for people the same way they do for chairs. This is a traditional approach often known as Position Management. It creates risk and headaches for the organization because it fails to articulate the impact on teams and the roles that need to be planned for and managed throughout the workforce ...
05.07.2017
Workforce planning is the process of ensuring that the business employs the right staff at the right time and at the right cost. As a best practice workforce planning should be continuous. However, the problem is that most finance departments still develop budgets for people the same way they do for chairs. This is a traditional approach often known as Position Management. It creates risk and headaches for the organization because it fails to articulate the impact on teams and the roles that need to be planned for and managed throughout the workforce ...
Competition in organizations: good or bad?
05.07.2017
by Niels Pflaeging - This question is wrong. Competition within organizations is neither good, nor bad. Whether internal competition is useful, constructive and appropriate depends on the level on which we let it happen, or on which it is stimulated or suppressed. In other words: There is an organizational domain where competition is good, and where it makes sense. There is another domain in organizations, however, where competition will inevitably turn dysfunctional, toxic, vicious and destructive. How to screw up just any company In many organizations, ...
05.07.2017
by Niels Pflaeging - This question is wrong. Competition within organizations is neither good, nor bad. Whether internal competition is useful, constructive and appropriate depends on the level on which we let it happen, or on which it is stimulated or suppressed. In other words: There is an organizational domain where competition is good, and where it makes sense. There is another domain in organizations, however, where competition will inevitably turn dysfunctional, toxic, vicious and destructive. How to screw up just any company In many organizations, ...
Want Your Employees to Trust You? Show You Trust Them
05.07.2017
Executives and managers invest a lot of effort and time building trust in their teams: both establishing trust in their employees and ensuring that their employees trust them in return. But many employees say they do not feel trusted by their managers. And when employees don't feel trusted, workplace productivity and engagement often suffer. It's up to managers to signal trust in their employees in consistent and thoughtful ways. We have explored the dynamics of the trusting relationship between managers and their employees for over 10 years in multiple ...
05.07.2017
Executives and managers invest a lot of effort and time building trust in their teams: both establishing trust in their employees and ensuring that their employees trust them in return. But many employees say they do not feel trusted by their managers. And when employees don't feel trusted, workplace productivity and engagement often suffer. It's up to managers to signal trust in their employees in consistent and thoughtful ways. We have explored the dynamics of the trusting relationship between managers and their employees for over 10 years in multiple ...
Working Out Loud - Das mentale Onboarding für die Digitale Transformation
04.07.2017
#MutAnfall würde ich mal sagen! Inspiriert durch tolle Begegnungen und Ideen beim gestrigen #WOLCoP MeetUp der "Working Out Loud" Community of Practice habe ich heute in unserem Enterprise Social Network "ConNext" nun auch (endlich) meinen eigenen Blog "FutuHR in Motion" (in Anlehnung an unseren Claim "The Future in Motion") gestartet. Da wir (Harald, Silke, Tom und ich) uns bei der Conti darum kümmern wollen, unsere bestehende WOL Community mit mehr als 1.000 Mitgliedern noch weiter auszubauen und WOL als Lern- und Arbeitsansatz weiter voranzutreiben, ...
04.07.2017
#MutAnfall würde ich mal sagen! Inspiriert durch tolle Begegnungen und Ideen beim gestrigen #WOLCoP MeetUp der "Working Out Loud" Community of Practice habe ich heute in unserem Enterprise Social Network "ConNext" nun auch (endlich) meinen eigenen Blog "FutuHR in Motion" (in Anlehnung an unseren Claim "The Future in Motion") gestartet. Da wir (Harald, Silke, Tom und ich) uns bei der Conti darum kümmern wollen, unsere bestehende WOL Community mit mehr als 1.000 Mitgliedern noch weiter auszubauen und WOL als Lern- und Arbeitsansatz weiter voranzutreiben, ...
Warum unfähige Männer so oft in Führungspositionen sind
04.07.2017
Das Problem ist allseits bekannt: Männer befinden sich viel öfter in Führungspositionen als Frauen. Gründe dafür werden viele angeführt. Der Psychologe Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic sieht das Problem in unserem Verständnis von guter Führung. Vor ein paar Wochen haben wir darüber berichtet, dass immer noch viel zu wenige Frauen in europäischen Aufsichtsräten sitzen, auch wenn die Zahl langsam steigt. Das Ungleichgewicht ist bekannterweise ein Problem, das nicht nur die Aufsichtsräte haben, sondern fast jede höhere Führungs- und Managementebene. Argumente dafür, ...
04.07.2017
Das Problem ist allseits bekannt: Männer befinden sich viel öfter in Führungspositionen als Frauen. Gründe dafür werden viele angeführt. Der Psychologe Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic sieht das Problem in unserem Verständnis von guter Führung. Vor ein paar Wochen haben wir darüber berichtet, dass immer noch viel zu wenige Frauen in europäischen Aufsichtsräten sitzen, auch wenn die Zahl langsam steigt. Das Ungleichgewicht ist bekannterweise ein Problem, das nicht nur die Aufsichtsräte haben, sondern fast jede höhere Führungs- und Managementebene. Argumente dafür, ...
The Digital Workplace is Not About Software
04.07.2017
A New Way of Working and Keys to Success If you enter "digital workplace" into a search engine, you'll find some links to vendor pages as well as articles that touch on the different software needed to create a digital workplace. If you really dig, you may find some good information that goes beyond the technology, but I think organizations are still missing the mark. A digital workplace is not about a set of tools you put in place, but about providing a new way of working. This results in employees that are more engaged, efficient, and productive, which ...
04.07.2017
A New Way of Working and Keys to Success If you enter "digital workplace" into a search engine, you'll find some links to vendor pages as well as articles that touch on the different software needed to create a digital workplace. If you really dig, you may find some good information that goes beyond the technology, but I think organizations are still missing the mark. A digital workplace is not about a set of tools you put in place, but about providing a new way of working. This results in employees that are more engaged, efficient, and productive, which ...
6 Degrees of Working Out Loud
04.07.2017
Many of us work on a precarious razor's edge balancing a need for privacy and confidentiality on one hand, and the benefits and advantages of working openly and transparently on the other hand. Where can we find the most advantage? What will serve our needs, and the needs of our colleagues and organization the best? But perhaps the razor's edge is actually a mid point, and on either side is a continuum representing the way we work. On one end of the continuum is the beginning, a place where we all start, and on the other end is the place we want to work ...
04.07.2017
Many of us work on a precarious razor's edge balancing a need for privacy and confidentiality on one hand, and the benefits and advantages of working openly and transparently on the other hand. Where can we find the most advantage? What will serve our needs, and the needs of our colleagues and organization the best? But perhaps the razor's edge is actually a mid point, and on either side is a continuum representing the way we work. On one end of the continuum is the beginning, a place where we all start, and on the other end is the place we want to work ...
Find Out What Your Employees Think - Now
04.07.2017
As unbelievable as it might sound, many large corporations still use the old annual survey to gauge employee engagement. The process goes something like this: Hire a consultant to administer the employee survey. Wait four to six weeks for the firm to compile the data. And finally, dig through a 90-page PDF trying to figure out what you're supposed to act on. To help leaders and managers move away from this static, annual process and instead, turn employee engagement into a real-time environment, Redwood City, Calif.-based Glint has announced its new ...
04.07.2017
As unbelievable as it might sound, many large corporations still use the old annual survey to gauge employee engagement. The process goes something like this: Hire a consultant to administer the employee survey. Wait four to six weeks for the firm to compile the data. And finally, dig through a 90-page PDF trying to figure out what you're supposed to act on. To help leaders and managers move away from this static, annual process and instead, turn employee engagement into a real-time environment, Redwood City, Calif.-based Glint has announced its new ...
Are 'Shadow' Collaboration Apps a Thing of the Past?
04.07.2017
It feels like only last week shadow IT was one of the biggest concerns of C-Suite executives and IT managers. Shadow IT describes the phenomena of employees bringing in unapproved apps into the enterprise. While employees do this for many reasons, the majority were doing so to simply make their jobs easier. New research carried out by Market Cube for collaboration vendor Smartsheet indicates those days may soon be over. IT Adopts a Flexible Approach Collaboration Tools Flooding the Enterprise Email Continues to Dominate Past the Collaboration Tipping ...
04.07.2017
It feels like only last week shadow IT was one of the biggest concerns of C-Suite executives and IT managers. Shadow IT describes the phenomena of employees bringing in unapproved apps into the enterprise. While employees do this for many reasons, the majority were doing so to simply make their jobs easier. New research carried out by Market Cube for collaboration vendor Smartsheet indicates those days may soon be over. IT Adopts a Flexible Approach Collaboration Tools Flooding the Enterprise Email Continues to Dominate Past the Collaboration Tipping ...
Ethnography
04.07.2017
Nothing really beats ethnographic research for getting valuable insights. Years ago, we forced a video game developer (who wanted a strong community) to get his customers in the room and sit next to them as they played the mobile game. Every time they got stuck or had a question we created a link back to the community. "Stuck here? Check out this discussion!" "No luck? Ask a question?" Every time they felt a sense of achievement, we encouraged them to share it. "You just tackled [level], share the reply in the community and help others in the future." ...
04.07.2017
Nothing really beats ethnographic research for getting valuable insights. Years ago, we forced a video game developer (who wanted a strong community) to get his customers in the room and sit next to them as they played the mobile game. Every time they got stuck or had a question we created a link back to the community. "Stuck here? Check out this discussion!" "No luck? Ask a question?" Every time they felt a sense of achievement, we encouraged them to share it. "You just tackled [level], share the reply in the community and help others in the future." ...
Flat hierarchies: Just another step in the wrong direction
04.07.2017
by Niels Pflaeging - Most managers and business leaders aim to make their organizations flatter. They try to reduce middle management, to skim the amount of hierarchical layers, or they scrap internal bureaucracy in order to achieve more efficiency, more effectiveness, and more enterprise agility. The problem with this is simple, but important: Organizations should actually not be flat, but decentralized. Why? Because flat means continuing to bark up the wrong tree: In flat, the steering from the top remains. Hierarchical steering in organizations once ...
04.07.2017
by Niels Pflaeging - Most managers and business leaders aim to make their organizations flatter. They try to reduce middle management, to skim the amount of hierarchical layers, or they scrap internal bureaucracy in order to achieve more efficiency, more effectiveness, and more enterprise agility. The problem with this is simple, but important: Organizations should actually not be flat, but decentralized. Why? Because flat means continuing to bark up the wrong tree: In flat, the steering from the top remains. Hierarchical steering in organizations once ...
Begraben unter Projekten: Führungskräfte sind völlig überfordert
03.07.2017
Überall herrscht Veränderung. Andauernde Change-Programme verunsichern Mitarbeiter - und überfordern Führungskräfte. Die müssen den Wandel nämlich nebenher wuppen. Eine gefährliche Entwicklung. Unternehmen muten ihren Führungskräften viel zu viel zu - mit einem Trommelfeuer dauernder Change-Projekte. Denn die Chefs sollen alles auf einmal schaffen: zukunftssichernde Projekte und das volle Tagesgeschäft. Und das, obwohl besagte Projekte im Schnitt 60 Prozent und mehr der regulären Arbeitszeit beanspruchen. Doch diese notwendige Zeit wird ihnen von ihrer ...
03.07.2017
Überall herrscht Veränderung. Andauernde Change-Programme verunsichern Mitarbeiter - und überfordern Führungskräfte. Die müssen den Wandel nämlich nebenher wuppen. Eine gefährliche Entwicklung. Unternehmen muten ihren Führungskräften viel zu viel zu - mit einem Trommelfeuer dauernder Change-Projekte. Denn die Chefs sollen alles auf einmal schaffen: zukunftssichernde Projekte und das volle Tagesgeschäft. Und das, obwohl besagte Projekte im Schnitt 60 Prozent und mehr der regulären Arbeitszeit beanspruchen. Doch diese notwendige Zeit wird ihnen von ihrer ...
The 7 Surprising Benefits of Social Collaboration
03.07.2017
Businesses are built from people - their ideas, their engagement, their labour, their passion. But sometimes actually working in a business can feel like it's been stripped of everything that made someone start it. Social collaboration can help bring the "people" back into the business by encouraging sharing of ideas, knowledge, and passion. People are social creatures so we want to spend time with others. This still holds true in the workplace. Employees with friends at work are more engaged, happier, more invested in an organization, and less likely ...
03.07.2017
Businesses are built from people - their ideas, their engagement, their labour, their passion. But sometimes actually working in a business can feel like it's been stripped of everything that made someone start it. Social collaboration can help bring the "people" back into the business by encouraging sharing of ideas, knowledge, and passion. People are social creatures so we want to spend time with others. This still holds true in the workplace. Employees with friends at work are more engaged, happier, more invested in an organization, and less likely ...
Help Your Employees Thrive By Giving Them Less
03.07.2017
It's easy to get caught up in the bells and whistles of new tools. But if you acknowledge your employees are your business's most important asset, you put the focus back where it belongs. To help your employees thrive, you need to think less about the bells and whistles and more about how to provide them with the most amount of value -- for the least amount of change. Less is More When it Comes to User Interface Augment, Not Replace, How Employees Work Today Social Tools Should Integrate with ALL Types of Data ROI Isn't Just for the C-Suite -- Prove ...
03.07.2017
It's easy to get caught up in the bells and whistles of new tools. But if you acknowledge your employees are your business's most important asset, you put the focus back where it belongs. To help your employees thrive, you need to think less about the bells and whistles and more about how to provide them with the most amount of value -- for the least amount of change. Less is More When it Comes to User Interface Augment, Not Replace, How Employees Work Today Social Tools Should Integrate with ALL Types of Data ROI Isn't Just for the C-Suite -- Prove ...
More than 50% of organisations claim existing processes are preventing digital adoption
03.07.2017
Agilisys, the digital transformation specialist for the public sector, has released a report highlighting some of the greatest challenges organisations in the UK are facing as they approach the next digital frontier. The 'State of the Digital Nation' draws on findings from a survey of over 400 individuals from private and public sector organisations, who shared the progress they are making on their digital transformation journeys. The report, based on the key findings of a survey conducted by Default News, considers the role of digital inclusion in the ...
03.07.2017
Agilisys, the digital transformation specialist for the public sector, has released a report highlighting some of the greatest challenges organisations in the UK are facing as they approach the next digital frontier. The 'State of the Digital Nation' draws on findings from a survey of over 400 individuals from private and public sector organisations, who shared the progress they are making on their digital transformation journeys. The report, based on the key findings of a survey conducted by Default News, considers the role of digital inclusion in the ...
How mobile is making the intranet redundant
03.07.2017
The intranet emerged in the early 90s as a private network accessible to an organisation's staff, providing a wide range of information and services from the organisation's internal IT systems. This was seen as an important business portal to deliver tools, e.g. collaboration (to facilitate working in groups and teleconferencing) or sophisticated corporate directories, sales and customer relationship management tools, project management etc., to advance productivity. But twenty-three years later, through various changes in employee engagement, work practices ...
03.07.2017
The intranet emerged in the early 90s as a private network accessible to an organisation's staff, providing a wide range of information and services from the organisation's internal IT systems. This was seen as an important business portal to deliver tools, e.g. collaboration (to facilitate working in groups and teleconferencing) or sophisticated corporate directories, sales and customer relationship management tools, project management etc., to advance productivity. But twenty-three years later, through various changes in employee engagement, work practices ...
Can 'Deep Work' Really Work for You?
03.07.2017
It's a condition familiar to a broad swath of American workers. You need a free stretch of time to tackle a problem or concentrate on a piece of writing. But diversions and interruptions keep coming: emails, texts, just one more spin through the Facebook news feed. It's as if we are all struggling through a Christina's World field of distraction toward a quiet place where we might actually be able to get some work done. The lure of a place apart, if only a psychological one, is a recurring theme in Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted ...
03.07.2017
It's a condition familiar to a broad swath of American workers. You need a free stretch of time to tackle a problem or concentrate on a piece of writing. But diversions and interruptions keep coming: emails, texts, just one more spin through the Facebook news feed. It's as if we are all struggling through a Christina's World field of distraction toward a quiet place where we might actually be able to get some work done. The lure of a place apart, if only a psychological one, is a recurring theme in Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted ...
8 Stupid Workplace Rules That Drive Everyone Crazy
03.07.2017
Companies need to have rules--that's a given--but they don't have to be shortsighted and lazy attempts at creating order. I understand the temptation. As my company has grown, so has our difficulty maintaining standards. There have been many instances where someone crossed a line, and we were tempted to respond with a new rule that applied to everyone. But that's where most companies blow it. In just about every instance, upon closer inspection, we realized that establishing a new rule would be a passive and morale-killing way to address the problem. ...
03.07.2017
Companies need to have rules--that's a given--but they don't have to be shortsighted and lazy attempts at creating order. I understand the temptation. As my company has grown, so has our difficulty maintaining standards. There have been many instances where someone crossed a line, and we were tempted to respond with a new rule that applied to everyone. But that's where most companies blow it. In just about every instance, upon closer inspection, we realized that establishing a new rule would be a passive and morale-killing way to address the problem. ...