Comments on: The problem of emergence http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/ Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:38:51 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Paula Thornton http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/comment-page-1/#comment-64181 Paula Thornton Mon, 22 Oct 2007 22:23:29 +0000 http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/#comment-64181 In reading the MIT report I was particularly struck by the following quote (which reinforces my earlier KM positions): "The good news is that new platforms have appeared that focus not on capturing knowledge itself, but rather on the practices and output of knowledge workers." Ah, you mean the artifacts of 'thinking'? Go figure. In reading the MIT report I was particularly struck by the following quote (which reinforces my earlier KM positions):
“The good news is that new platforms have appeared that focus not on capturing knowledge itself, but rather on the practices and output of knowledge workers.”

Ah, you mean the artifacts of ‘thinking’? Go figure.

]]> By: Jim McGee http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/comment-page-1/#comment-62521 Jim McGee Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:06:10 +0000 http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/#comment-62521 I agree that I oversimplified a bit. And Johnson's Emergence would certainly be a useful resource. On the other hand, I still think one of the key challenges for teams implementing Enterprise 2.0 ideas lies in very carefully understanding the internal market they are targeting and tailoring their implementation efforts to that market. I agree that I oversimplified a bit. And Johnson’s Emergence would certainly be a useful resource. On the other hand, I still think one of the key challenges for teams implementing Enterprise 2.0 ideas lies in very carefully understanding the internal market they are targeting and tailoring their implementation efforts to that market.

]]> By: James Dellow http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/comment-page-1/#comment-62448 James Dellow Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:51:33 +0000 http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/#comment-62448 I think part of the problem is the view that emergence is just a fancy word for "messiness". Try throwing around a few copies of Emergence by Steven Johnson. However, you're right that "Failure in the market is tolerated in ways that don’t translate well inside organizations" but even before Web 2.0 it was possible to build systems that allow for failure (or waste) - after all its all just bits and bytes (think Negroponte). I think part of the problem is the view that emergence is just a fancy word for “messiness”. Try throwing around a few copies of Emergence by Steven Johnson. However, you’re right that “Failure in the market is tolerated in ways that don’t translate well inside organizations” but even before Web 2.0 it was possible to build systems that allow for failure (or waste) – after all its all just bits and bytes (think Negroponte).

]]> By: Jordan Frank http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/comment-page-1/#comment-62121 Jordan Frank Thu, 18 Oct 2007 03:26:05 +0000 http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/#comment-62121 The coffee was good, and the followup too! The 3 suggestions coming from this entry point to marketing the deployment, offering but not requiring scaffolding (to avoid the blank white space problem that most users face when encountering a wiki or blog for the first few times), and providing coaching and mentoring. I expanded further on the differences between E2.0 and W2.0 scenarios as well as the importance of scaffolding in <a href="http://traction.tractionsoftware.com/traction/permalink/Blog520" rel="nofollow">Making Wikis Work in Business - Leading Users to the Water.</a> The coffee was good, and the followup too! The 3 suggestions coming from this entry point to marketing the deployment, offering but not requiring scaffolding (to avoid the blank white space problem that most users face when encountering a wiki or blog for the first few times), and providing coaching and mentoring. I expanded further on the differences between E2.0 and W2.0 scenarios as well as the importance of scaffolding in Making Wikis Work in Business – Leading Users to the Water.

]]> By: Jim McGee http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/comment-page-1/#comment-61942 Jim McGee Wed, 17 Oct 2007 14:44:57 +0000 http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/#comment-61942 Did the tagging effort start with a blank set of tags or was there some effort to suggest possible tags? Did the tool suggest tags drawn from the "cloud" as it evolved? You mention discussion. Was there some level of discussion specifically around tagging and tag choices? Did the tagging effort start with a blank set of tags or was there some effort to suggest possible tags?

Did the tool suggest tags drawn from the “cloud” as it evolved?

You mention discussion. Was there some level of discussion specifically around tagging and tag choices?

]]> By: Ray Sims http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/comment-page-1/#comment-61909 Ray Sims Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:42:14 +0000 http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/#comment-61909 Jim, Nicely said. Thanks for the 'aha' moments. Some thoughts this triggered: - The potential role of Agile Development approaches to help guide (or 'probe') the emergence. - The fuzzy line between an internal Marketing Plan that beneficially surfaces latent needs and demand, versus one that is just 'selling' the latest gee-whiz technology that is, in fact, nothing but a time-sink for employees. Often I've seen developers internally and externally build or 'gold plate' something first-most because it was “cool” and they could (in Open Source terms, scratching their own itch...even if that itch was mostly about pushing the technology), and only secondarily to solve an expressed business need. In the lead example (DrKW) in Andrew McAfee's article there was no need for a Marketing Plan as the demand was expressed by the actual user and was fulfilled in quick turn-around. End of story. However, at the scale of enterprise 2.0 adoption overall (contrast to a single small feature) in a company, I think you are on to something relative to approaching as if an external marketing project -- starting with understanding potential users. - Leading to pondering about the appropriate balance (resource allocation) in internal project portfolio control (in the stage-gate and formal budget processes sense) relative to allowing some amount of 'white space' for 'enterprise 2.0' creativity and experimentation. Also, with this, how much the formal IT organization can/should be in the lead, or conversely, really would best be a follower on enterprise 2.0. Ray Jim,

Nicely said. Thanks for the ‘aha’ moments.

Some thoughts this triggered:
- The potential role of Agile Development approaches to help guide (or ‘probe’) the emergence.

- The fuzzy line between an internal Marketing Plan that beneficially surfaces latent needs and demand, versus one that is just ’selling’ the latest gee-whiz technology that is, in fact, nothing but a time-sink for employees. Often I’ve seen developers internally and externally build or ‘gold plate’ something first-most because it was “cool” and they could (in Open Source terms, scratching their own itch…even if that itch was mostly about pushing the technology), and only secondarily to solve an expressed business need. In the lead example (DrKW) in Andrew McAfee’s article there was no need for a Marketing Plan as the demand was expressed by the actual user and was fulfilled in quick turn-around. End of story. However, at the scale of enterprise 2.0 adoption overall (contrast to a single small feature) in a company, I think you are on to something relative to approaching as if an external marketing project — starting with understanding potential users.

- Leading to pondering about the appropriate balance (resource allocation) in internal project portfolio control (in the stage-gate and formal budget processes sense) relative to allowing some amount of ‘white space’ for ‘enterprise 2.0′ creativity and experimentation. Also, with this, how much the formal IT organization can/should be in the lead, or conversely, really would best be a follower on enterprise 2.0.

Ray

]]> By: Rob Paterson http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/comment-page-1/#comment-61896 Rob Paterson Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:17:37 +0000 http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/#comment-61896 We found that using tagging really helps to "see" emergence We ran a one year intervention with public radio where we interviewed nearly 100 leaders and hosted 8 meetings with over 1,000 people - all the interviews and reports were hosted on a Web 2.0 tool - Sandbox - a precursor of Firestoker - built by Jevon MacDonald. It was the tagging set in the context of a "Cloud" that showed us over time the key issues - they "emerged" There was no argument then as to where the key points were - we could all see them and there could be no doubt as to their validity I feel that tagging and a Cloud in a social tool with a lot of discussion is a reliable way of working to emergence and highly recommend it - how else could we have got agreement with the numbers of people involved? We found that using tagging really helps to “see” emergence

We ran a one year intervention with public radio where we interviewed nearly 100 leaders and hosted 8 meetings with over 1,000 people – all the interviews and reports were hosted on a Web 2.0 tool – Sandbox – a precursor of Firestoker – built by Jevon MacDonald.

It was the tagging set in the context of a “Cloud” that showed us over time the key issues – they “emerged”

There was no argument then as to where the key points were – we could all see them and there could be no doubt as to their validity

I feel that tagging and a Cloud in a social tool with a lot of discussion is a reliable way of working to emergence and highly recommend it – how else could we have got agreement with the numbers of people involved?

]]> By: Bill Ives http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/comment-page-1/#comment-61581 Bill Ives Tue, 16 Oct 2007 23:24:32 +0000 http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/10/16/the-problem-of-emergence/#comment-61581 Jim - Good advice on providing some structure and guidance to emergence. This is similar to advice on other enterprise 2.0 tools. Most experienced wiki users say start with some structure to provide guidance for the users. Bill Jim – Good advice on providing some structure and guidance to emergence. This is similar to advice on other enterprise 2.0 tools. Most experienced wiki users say start with some structure to provide guidance for the users. Bill

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