Getting people, process, and technology to change can be a challenge. These posts talk about concrete tactics for results, with some “war stories” sprinkled in.
It's a common problem statement - 'I don't have enough information to (run my business unit, manage this process, identify opportunities, etc.)'. The solution designer, when faced with a question like this, starts with a little detective work; the problem is too broadly stated.
To be successful in leading change and creating value, demonstrate your ability to make Change happen skills in People, Process, or Technology.
There are a few ideas circulating in the blogosphere as to what will bring Web 2.0 into the enterprise, including ... The Influx of the Millennials; recent college graduates who have come to expect social networking, instant messaging and collaboration via the cloud. This groundswell of pressure will force IT to implement these new technologies. Consumer High-Tech; populist technologies like Apple hardware and Google's suite of software has taken hold in our homes; folks who expect interoperability with their employer's…
It's much easier to install the software than it is to get participation ... you need to put some thought into the why? and the who? ... Why are we doing this? Jack Vinson posted this list from C.G Lynch (CIO.com): Seven Reasons for Your Company to Start an Internal Blog Your enterprise e-mail applications are not easy to search - access to "buried in a colleague’s inbox" Your e-mail is lost in the eye of the "cc storm" -…
After my last post ... more experiences at work, and observations in the trades and other blogs, regarding Web 2.0 tools for use in business ... Improving Knowledge Capture is Half the Battle In last week's Information Week magazine, the story of Procter & Gamble's push towards collaboration - the tools can meet some resistance. A critical quote: We consistently hear that information posted to the intranet is incremental work. Similarly, in my organization, I have folks continuing to send…
Alternate Title: Battling Collaboration Memes As mentioned previously, we are trying out SharePoint where I work, and I'm finding it interesting, maintaing 3+ blogs, including this one. Actually, the focus of the internal stuff is quite different, as Dennis McDonald and others have been noting. Lot's of details and stories to write about, but one key learning we've captured recently ... With the SharePoint toolset, we can set up Announcements, Blogs, Discussion Forums (Fora?), and Wikis - sometimes all on…
If your objective is a "sense of urgency", or maybe "time to value", please don't think this gives you carte blanche to push patchy, chewing-gum-and-bailing-wire solutions out into production. Expect the expectation that the production systems' availability level must be maintained. Confused? It sounds like I'm taking two opposing sides ... I want speed and quality, and doesn't the Iron Triangle force you to pick between the two? It's possible, of course, you just need to practice a little discipline…
Stories make our ideas real and relevant, and are helpful tools when introducing change. This article has a few examples of stories - all around the topic of introducing change.
This week I had to wade into the depths of a Large Project; well, actually a component of a Large Project, that was struggling a bit to find a path through the forest. Not my first time, certainly not my last, and (believe it or not) usually a pretty good time! <aside> Ok, by "large" I mean "amazingly high profile, visible to Upper Management, involving Lots of Talented, Busy People" </aside> <aside> Ok, by "Talented" I mean "terrific at their…
Why do some folks insist on answering questions with questions? Or, answering questions with roadblocks? It's not surprising when you hear IT complain about their inability to connect with the business, of not being included, etc. - and then demonstrate a style of investigation / requirements gathering / support / feedback that is a bit antagonistic. Business: How long would it take you to do X? IT: Why X? Why not Y? ... or IT: Why X? What are the…