We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry.
William Butler Yeats
Author: simongterry
S.O.C.I.A.L
This study includes analysis of a NAB case study. A great conclusion:
Most notable however is that this network shows an elaborate and more pronounced idea-generation practice than we have observed in other networks. A closer look at the content of these conversations reveals the benefit for the corporation when viewed from an organisational learning perspective. For example, in more than a quarter of all instances employees brainstorm matters of corporate strategy, work philosophy, working conditions and sustainability. Furthermore, people engage in dis- cussions about their immediate work processes, exchanging ideas that can be influenced and implemented by the employees themselves. Interestingly, there are also a number of conversations about improvements to or developments of new products and other customer-related issues. Finally, people discuss ideas for personal (skills) development and workplace learning.
S.O.C.I.A.L
This study includes analysis of a NAB case study. A great conclusion:
Most notable however is that this network shows an elaborate and more pronounced idea-generation practice than we have observed in other networks. A closer look at the content of these conversations reveals the benefit for the corporation when viewed from an organisational learning perspective. For example, in more than a quarter of all instances employees brainstorm matters of corporate strategy, work philosophy, working conditions and sustainability. Furthermore, people engage in dis- cussions about their immediate work processes, exchanging ideas that can be influenced and implemented by the employees themselves. Interestingly, there are also a number of conversations about improvements to or developments of new products and other customer-related issues. Finally, people discuss ideas for personal (skills) development and workplace learning.
Concentrate on the Flow of Knowledge
Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge – Plato
John Stuart Mill was once described, no doubt erroneously, as someone who knew all the knowledge that it was possible for someone to know in his era. The possibility that there is a finite stock of knowledge is one that tempts us. Even the concept of ‘knowledge as power’ assumes a scarce stock of knowledge to be allocated out for influence.
In an era of rapid change and high levels of connectedness, what matters is not an individual’s stock of knowledge. The value of an individual stock of knowledge is falling as new knowledge is being created fast, search costs are reduced and there is an increasing focus on collaborative knowledge work.
Individuals have greatest impact now through their ability to contribute to the flow of knowledge.
Managing the flow of knowledge in networks takes new and different skills:
- Creators: who add new ideas to the flow of discussions to build knowledge
- Connectors: who know where to source and distribute knowledge in and around organisations
- Context providers: who know how to provide new knowledge with context that adds to its trust, value or meaning
- Community managers: who build enduring communities across boundaries, aid their sharing of knowledge and building of consensus
A pile of publications, patents and Ph.Ds might offer temporary bragging rights. However, real and enduring value of knowledge comes from its application in our everyday fast moving interactions.
Focus on the flow of knowledge in and around your organisation and you will see better the individuals who are accelerating that flow and creating new value.
Are you a spark or an accelerant?
The spread of civilisation may be likened to a fire; First, a feeble spark, next a flickering flame, then a mighty blaze, ever increasing in speed and power. – Nikola Tesla.
Are you a spark or an accelerant?
Sparks bring ideas for change. They start conversations, activity and change. When a spark connects you get a small fragile fire. Life is full of sparks.
The vast majority of small sparks disappear without starting a fire. The vast majority of small fires die out.
Add an accelerant to a small spark and it will grow, catch-on and spread. Sustainable change needs an accelerant to push change beyond the initial small start.
Accelerants play a number of roles:
- Spreading change: community managers, connectors & networkers
- Advocating change: leaders, great marketers, advocates & storytellers
- Completing change: designers, developers, entrepreneurs & implementers of change
- Enabling change: change managers, capability builders & effective sales people
We need more accelerants to drive our changes to widespread sustainability.
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. – Albert Schweitzer
Actionable insight matters more than big data.
Don’t worry how big your data is. Focus on how actionable your insights are.
The only thing that delivers business value is turning insights into effective action. Big data can deliver new insights but they will only drive your business when they are put into action to create new sales, save money or create other ways delivering better value in line with your strategy.
Many companies forget to leverage the insights in their existing customer systems. Do your people remember to make a birthday call to a key client using data in your customer relationship management system? Do referrals, leads & other opportunities identified always get executed effectively? Are anniversaries, expiry dates and other retention triggers well managed? Before you launch into new insights make sure you have captured the low hanging fruit.
Big data is often celebrated with examples of counterintuitive insights. Counterintuitive insights are hard to predict and equally hard to action. People doubt the strategies that come from black boxes. Doubt is not a great enabler of action. Organizations often lack the capability to execute the counterintuitive strategy. For example, knowing that left handed plumbers are more likely to watch opera is not much use unless your opera company has a hardware partnership.
Big data is often sold as a source of new strategy. It is rare that a company changes strategy on one insight. Usually, insights enable you to better execute your current strategy. These insights will confirm the hypotheses you used to create the strategy and translate general plans into the right actions with specific customers. Start your focus on better insights with what you need to do to drive your current strategy and leverage your existing capabilities.
Before you boil the ocean in a battle of data completeness, decide what you need to know and can use to create value. Invest in the capabilities to better action insights. You might be surprised by the insights you already have that are opportunities. Focus your insights on driving your business, not the size of your data bill.
Any life is made up of a single moment, the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is.
Jorge Luis Borges
Life is a long preparation for something that never happens.
William Butler Yeats
Your customers are collaborating
Many businesses panic at the thought that their customers might start to collaborate. Often the concern arises because their business models are based around atomizing customers to diffuse their power, lack of transparency or arbitrary differences in value. Some times the concern can be as simple as having to watch customers discover ways to create value with your product or service with little power in that conversation.
Strong businesses embrace collaboration with and between their customers. It is going to happen and it will drive real value. The tools to enable your customers to collaborate are everywhere around your business. Social media makes the buyers of your product more obvious to each other. The many other services of the Internet makes every business well aware of the increased transparency and pressure on arbitrary rules or processes. At its most basic customers write reviews, share information about your business and answer service queries of other customers
At its most powerful, your customers should be the heart of your process of value creation. How can they share their insights with you? How can they guide your roadmaps, customer experiences and innovation? How can they help each other to maximize the value from use of your products and services? How can they become advocates for a business that delivers greater value by engaging their views?
Collaboration is already happening in your customer base. Start leveraging that value. If you are not involved, you are just not a part of the conversation.
What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
Mary Oliver