The document discusses opportunities for mainstream adoption of enterprise social computing. It outlines benefits like improved collaboration, productivity, learning and innovation through lightweight social tools. Challenges include changing IT strategies and policies to support more decentralized sharing. A layered "social stack" is introduced including feeds, bookmarks, blogs, wikis and networks. Case studies and real-world use cases are suggested to demonstrate value to organizations.

1. Letting some Light in:
Challenges and Opportunities
for Mainstream Enterprise
Social Computing
(cc) Lee Bryant, Headshift, March 2008

2. www.headshift.com
headshift
is a social software consulting
and development group who apply
emerging tools and ideas to the
real-world needs of organisations:
consulting & engagement
prototyping and experimentation
development and integration

3. Social computing in
the IT mainstream:

4. “an architecture
of participation”

5. An introduction to the social ‘stack’
Public feeds & flows: internal and external RSS
feeds based on subject, person, group or search

6. An introduction to the social ‘stack’
Bookmarks and tags: people store, share, tag,
vote or comment on useful links and news
Public feeds & flows: internal and external RSS
feeds based on subject, person, group or search

7. An introduction to the social ‘stack’
Blogs and networks: some items or topics are
shared within networks and discussed in blogs
Bookmarks and tags: people store, share, tag,
vote or comment on useful links and news
Public feeds & flows: internal and external RSS
feeds based on subject, person, group or search

8. An introduction to the social ‘stack’
Group collaboration: intimate groups/teams
organise knowledge in wikis and group systems
Blogs and networks: some items or topics are
shared within networks and discussed in blogs
Bookmarks and tags: people store, share, tag,
vote or comment on useful links and news
Public feeds & flows: internal and external RSS
feeds based on subject, person, group or search

9. An introduction to the social ‘stack’
Personal tools: organise your ‘stuff’ by tags;
arrange in a portal; manage networks and feeds
Group collaboration: intimate groups/teams
organise knowledge in wikis and group systems
Blogs and networks: some items or topics are
shared within networks and discussed in blogs
Bookmarks and tags: people store, share, tag,
vote or comment on useful links and news
Public feeds & flows: internal and external RSS
feeds based on subject, person, group or search

10. Simpler, smarter, cheaper enterprise computing
• Enterprise IT is often over-engineered and too clunky for
people to use - many internal systems, e.g. Intranets, are
better served by lightweight, informal social tools

11. Better personal productivity
• Less email, more feeds and flows
• Our social network as an information filter
• Better findability of things we use

12. Network productivity and presence sharing : ‘flow’
• Time is a shared space: presence, signals and feeds
• “Network productivity trumps personal productivity”
http://www.stoweboyd.com/message/2007/06/flow_a_new_cons.html

13. Better informal collaboration and sharing
• Better awareness and peripheral vision
• Collaboration should be easy to do
• Create your own support networks

14. Collaboration and networking
• project co-ordination with multiple partners
• research/feedback from wider stakeholder groups
• network building among external users

15. Collaboration and networking
• project co-ordination with multiple partners
• research/feedback from wider stakeholder groups
• network building among external users

16. Collaboration and networking
• project co-ordination with multiple partners
• research/feedback from wider stakeholder groups
• network building among external users

17. Open innovation using social networks
• Using social networks to surface good ideas
• Social filtering and iteration of selected ideas
• “wisdom of crowds” applied to internal markets

18. Internal communications
• more interactive engagement with internal users
• combination of blog, wiki, podcast, videos, etc
• two-way communication, not just broadcast

19. Recruiting and retaining emerging talent
• Young people come into the workplace
expecting to participate, not just ‘consume’
• They are no less serious, capable or ambitious
than us, but they can be more self-reliant

20. In-context, continual informal learning
• Training and conventional e-learning are good for
teaching repetitive tasks, but social tools are
better for reflection and on the job learning

21. In-context, continual informal learning
• Training and conventional e-learning are good for
teaching repetitive tasks, but social tools are
better for reflection and on the job learning

22. Embracing business online social networking
• finding expertise, people and networks
• social networks as content filters
• engaging with new forms of online communication

23. Embracing business online social networking
• finding expertise, people and networks
• social networks as content filters
• engaging with new forms of online communication

24. Getting started...

25. Start with simple self-powered pilots
• Small, intimate groups, not open to all
• Low investment, low IT overhead
• Grow via invitation - demand-driven

26. Create conditions for shared meaning
• Sharing bookmarks and tags or ‘social
objects’ like photos or links is ultra
simple but often very useful

27. Some challenges
for traditional IT

28. Enterprise IT needs to change ... fast
• Social tools represent the biggest phase
change in IT adoption since e-mail
• Problem: IT are still centralising, whilst the
internet is about intelligence at the edges

29. IT Strategy and Policy
• Try to put IT in the hands of business users
• Support speed, diversity and innovation
• Moving from policing to supporting users

30. Moving from .doc + email to the wiki way:
• one space per client or project for collaboration
• total audit history for every page with rollback
• open, closed or anywhere in between

31. Iterative approach, agile development
• 3 month cycles, not 12-24
• Release early and often
• Driven by user feedback

32. Enterprise Information Architecture
• Personal tagging drives folksonomy
• Individual action >> collective benefit
• ‘Ambient Findability’, not heavy search

33. Make the most of Information Professionals
• They become key nodes in social networks
• Knowledge guides, not water carriers
• Managing feeds and flows, not objects

34. Make the most of Information Professionals
• They become key nodes in social networks
• Knowledge guides, not water carriers
• Managing feeds and flows, not objects

35. Encouraging pioneers...
• Let them share the risks and rewards
• Relax rules about ‘IT standards’
• Allow low-risk pilot projects

36. ... whilst supporting 2nd wave adopters
• Use cases based on real needs
• Support lurking and light participation
• Create intimacy, not all-in debates

37. Using the Web as your innovation lab
• Exploiting external services and data
• Encouraging users to explore
• Building connected apps not ghettos

38. 3 myths about
social computing

39. Social Networking is a waste of time?
• Recognise that people’s online life is distributed; don’t
make them cut it off when they walk through the door
• Go to where they congregate to have a conversation

40. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/23390123
Social media poses new security risks?
• Majority of security risks are still human
• Bad IT leads to workarounds and more risks
• Security needs to evolve as tools evolve

41. http://dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/archive/dilbert-20071116.html
Sharing is dangerous?
• We cannot stem the tide of sharing - it is
what the internet is ‘for’
• Teaching responsibility is more effective than
trying to block access and ‘police’ usage

42. The importance of real-world use cases

43. The importance of real-world use cases
Information & knowledge sharing External communication
Ad hoc conversations and Q&As Issue management
Competitive intelligence Participation via extranet / website
Employee to employee communication Recruitment
Sharing knowledge within groups Thought leadership
Storing and finding information
Working with contractors or partners Internal communications
Internal issue management
Team collaboration Intranet development/replacement
Creating and editing documents Leadership communication
Documenting and organising work Training and personal development
Project collaboration
Marketing and PR
Innovation and R&D Campaign management
Innovation networks Engaging with customers and media
Prediction markets Monitoring brands and markets
Rapid prototyping Promoting a product or service
Social newsreading and bookmarking Social networking

44. Thanks!
lee@headshift.com
http://www.headshift.com
Except where otherwise stated, photos courtesy of Flickr using
Creative Commons license. Thanks to the following photographers:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dplanet/94442623/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/105123875/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kacey/252912749/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/victoriapeckham/164175205/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sgt_spanky/35811144/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/violator3/93589371/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianboulos/36957265/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/23390123/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/19490596/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/86624586@N00/10190970/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hiddenloop/429289122/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/glutnix/82935786/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ottonassar/1149873101/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gi/2127819/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wandering_angel/1702213953/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/loopzilla/1640551643/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oneeighteen/2073499871/