the power of sharing
DESCRIPTION
I was lucky enough to give a presentation at an intergovernmental social networking workshop and a brief talk at a PS collaborative management day, both were outstanding events and real learning experiences for me. Listening to the other great presenters, re-enforced my fundamental beliefs that collaboration is not just a cooperative venture, but a deeper intellectual interaction based on respect and trust. It is the connection of people into communities, their conversations and relationships that will enable the rich layers of knowledge that are needed to address tomorrows complexities today. A Collaborative tenets from my talks and collaboration primer presentation. Leadership is not threatened by collaboration, the vertical alignment of the org charts will still exist, the chain of authority, responsibility and accountability haven’t changed, but what has changed is the access to new innovative solutions and possibilities that come with connecting the horizontal lines of collaboration. It may well be impossible to implement collaboration and social learning within government if we can't get past the restrictive policies and realize that collaboration is not a risk but an enabler. Simply put, change must start now if we want it to be part of the cultural fabric of the future. ( stop talking about it, and do it, trust your people) Just as we create physical workspace to generate creativity we need to design the collaboration spaces that stimulate the mind not close it down with poor design. We need to move from the document and records management architecture that is a file and forget system, to one that we can surface the information we need and connects it to the right people, in the right place at the right time. Managers exercise the authority they are given, if they are not empowered to say yes they will say no rather than ask up the chain. The new managers role will shift from being the gatekeepers of the corporate knowledge to enablers of the practices and behaviors that build corporate knowledge from the bottom up. And finally if I can leave you with one thought on integrating any social technology into our work it is this; Stop building policy that keeps telling us what we can't do and Start building policy that tells what we should do.TRANSCRIPT
Power of Sharingand open data
Power of Sharingand open data
Knowledge is not power, it’s solutions
Knowledge is not power, it’s solutions
The Power of Sharing and Open Data (insider notes)
• Short presentation about collaboration and Open Data, To ensure persistence of the practice there are several key enablers:
• Collaboration must be part of the officially recognized decision cycle
• Open data can be inward facing
• Social Collaboration can live inside the firewall
The Power of Sharing and Open Data (insider notes)
• Open Data Mil: A philosophy and practice requiring that data of the same security level (or lower) will be freely available to everyone (with clearance), without restrictions from hierarchies or perceived ownership or internal mechanisms of control. This data should be easily searchable and federated
• Ralph Mercer’s definition (not official or policy anywhere)
• It’s not always about building content sometimes it’s about understanding and connecting the content we have now.
The Gatekeepers don’t always have the answer, many times it the people who live at the edges that have the best answer
Collaboration is not just a cooperative venture, but a deeper intellectual interaction based on learning, knowledge and team development.
Many times the answers reside with those who don’t need them.
• Eureka’s don’t happen in lonely cubicles, they happen in crowds fed by social interaction
• Innovation comes from connecting people to ideas
We need to make our silos transparent and encourage worker curiosity
The safest plane is one that sits in the hanger, the safest IT policy is one that doesn't allow any freedom online.. both are useless
The Power of Sharing and Open Data (closing thoughts)
Hallmarks and elements of good collaboration
• Internal transparency and ability to share knowledge directly with each other, rather than through hierarchies
• Ad hoc groups allowed to evolve from a shared need without seeking official blessing
• Must be based on trust and respect not technology
• Knowledge and information accessible to everyone (open data)
The Power of Sharing and Open Data (closing thoughts)
• Social Collaboration tools cannot live in parallel to official decision channel.
• The results of the social collaboration process must be seen as “just as valid” as results from manager directed committees and working groups
• Creativity, innovation and engagement are by-products of good collaboration and data sharing processes.
• We don’t always need to make more content, we need to be able to surface existing content with ease and confidence
Ralph Mercer : Social Media advocate and mentor, bringing the Social Web to the Military 1 brain at a time. Working out of the Canadian Defence Academy (my views are my own)Contact:[email protected]@ralphmercer.caTwitter @ralphmercerDigitalchief.wordpress.comFacebook.com/smformil (Social Media for Military on FB)