So far I have talked about the issues and common misunderstandings as to the nature of the problem and its resolution. I then developed a series of core principles that should be applied in this ever present issue in organisations. I now want to move on to describe solutions based on those principles, which hopefully avoid the misunderstandings! This will take four more posts starting tomorrow and I will cap the whole thing with a summary which will include a reflection on ethical issues.
I am going to address solutions as follows:
- I will start by updating one of the earliest applications of the Cynefin framework, namely is application to communities and social interaction in general. When this was originally published social computing was a glimpse in eyes of a very small number of pioneers and communities of practice were all the rage (regrettably they still are, but that is getting ahead of myself) and we didn't have the level of awareness we now have for complexity theory.
- That will lead logically into what I call messy coherence in which I will look at the way in which social computing can be used, including methods such as blog storms. This will include some reflections on granularity and modularisation
- I will then look at approaches to innovation involving SenseMaker™ which allow an distributed ethnographic approach to linking and connecting issues and ideas.
- Finally I will look at new organisational forms, in particular the use of crews. This is something I have talked about before, but this will be a more elaborate version, with more detail on implementation.
I have also renamed the posts, abbreviated Knowledge Sharing Across Silos to KSSn which allows me to provide a more meaningful title for each post.
Comments (2)
Dave,
On the point of new organisational forms, I am interested in your thoughts on the role of networked organisations in the future. These are more robust than the informality of social media or on-line communities, but not as strong the current corporations. I have been experimenting with a collection of professionals collaborating to win and deliver contracts together, but each person is a separate individual entity. I believe this wil happen a lot more as we move ahead (and will benefit from the ease of virtual work and supporting technology). To some extent the extended Cognitive Edge network is a bit like this, but as far as I can see there is not much (if any) collaborative contracts generated by members partnering to delive discrete projects.
Arthur Shelley
Tweeting as Metaphorage
Posted by Arthur Shelley | January 17, 2010 12:01 PM
Posted on January 17, 2010 12:01
Dave
I have been following this thread and am impatient for the next episode!
In the research for my book on project complexity and its implications for change management, I came across the following, which I pass on in the spirit of cross-silo sharing!:
“Although the intention of change management interventions is to create new ways of working, they may block or constrain emergent patterns of behaviour if they attempt to design and control the outcome. However, if re-design were to concentrate on the provision of enabling infrastructures while allowing the new patterns of relationships and ways of working to emerge, new forms of organisation will arise which would be more attuned with the culture of the organisation. The emergent organisation will thus be unique and not susceptible to copying. It will furthermore be more robust and sustainable.” (Eva Mitleton-Kelly, Organisations as complex evolving systems, OACES Conference, Warwick, 4/12/1998)
(I believe Eva led a Complexity group at the London School of Economics but I haven't been able to ascertain if she is still there).
Best regards
Peter Duschinsky
Posted by Peter Duschinsky | February 2, 2010 11:11 AM
Posted on February 2, 2010 11:11