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Webinar #2 - Social Learning & Knowledge Management with Cindy Rockwell
By Kevin Jones | March 18, 2008
For a recording of Webinar #2, go here.
This one focused on how to use Social Learning with Knowledge Management and what it will take to make it all work. It was presented by Cindy Rockwell, CEO of CustomerVision.
There were a number of key points that Cindy brings up, including the need to make it easy and a part of the workflow. There are also a number of key features that help create a Social Learning environment. There is a lot of great information. Check it out!
Other posts on similar topics- Webinar #2 - Using Wikis in Social Learning
- 1st SIG Webinar - Intro to Social Learning
- How Technology Transformed My Professional Development
- Do expectations affect Web 2.0 adoption?
- Social Learning SIG: 1st Webinar - an Introduction to Social Learning
Topics: - Social Learning SIG |
March 26th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Thanks for the link to the recording of Cindy Rockwell’s presentation. I thought the information she provided was very interesting and useful.
Although the word “security” came up briefly in her presentation, I was hoping she would talk more about how enterprise-level social learning tools address some of the common concerns that network/security administrators have in this area. For example, the ability to integrate with existing authentication mechanisms, create/isolate spaces, roll-back changes, etc.
From my experience, if you can’t convince network/security administrators that the technology will not introduce security vulnerabilities, you will always struggle to get social learning tools into today’s companies.
Your thoughts?
March 27th, 2008 at 6:45 am
It depends a lot on two major factors:
1) Your approach to I.T.
2) The ability of IT to redefine their sense of security.
1) These tools and this way of thinking came not from the corporate world to improve efficiency, but came from public life. Once people started using them personally, they saw how helpful they would be when applied to the business world. So the push (demand) has been from the bottom up. If it is approached and used and then demanded from the bottom, I.T. has two courses: a) keep it out of the enterprise for which they will only lose because employees will use it with or without their blessing (because that is the nature of these tools) or b) figure out a way to embrace it. And they do. There are plenty of companies who have done so very successfully.
Larger companies (like Microsoft, IBM, and SO many others) have tried to jump on a bandwagon and ‘enterprise’ the tools to make them appealing to I.T. That is the wrong approach. The tools should be appealing to those who would use it. I.T. should be there to support the organization. Instead, too often they have taken on a commanding role which often limits and confines effectiveness.
I started with the top down approach in our organization and it crashed. Then I used the bottom up approach in our organization and it worked beautifully. And it still continues to work.
There are a TON more thoughts and best practices I have on this and wish I could share them all!
b) The problem with Social Learning and the whole Web 2.0 movement it wasn’t factored into I.T.’s long term plans. And the fact that I can use them with or without I.T.’s permission has them in a frantic state.
Just as many trainers will need to change the mindset that they can’t (and should not) control all of the content that is created, I.T. will need to redefine their role in control. Not that it needs to be any less secure, but now you have more people being able to do more things. This scares them, understandably.
There are some things that are out of the question: opening up HR information to the outside world, for example, is out. That is the type of vulnerability that a company cannot budge on. There are other vulnerabilities, however, that are more ‘traditional’ that we have lumped in to ’security’ that can be changed. One, for example, is allowing employees to make comments or content that will be open to the outside world. First of all, it is already happening, they just don’t know about it.
… Actually, maybe that is a good approach. Show them how they are vulnerable now but just don’t know it. And that if they open up they may be as vulnerable, but at least they will have visibility into it and will be able to react quickly and stop something before it gets out of hand.
Well, initial thoughts at least. This is a topic I could talk on for hours because this isn’t an I.T. issue at the heart of it; This is a SOCIAL & CULTURAL issue within an organization that needs to be defined, looked at and dealt with from that point of view.
March 27th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Kevin,
Those are excellent points! I too agree that social learning tools can add a lot of value to companies and that IT needs to figure a way to embrace the technology. They have been in a “controlling” role for too many years. Moving from a control culture to an open culture, where collaborative tools are used and employees take responsibility for their actions, will require them to reconsider their roles.
I think you also made an excellent point when you said, “…if IT doesn’t open up to these tools, employees will use them anyway.” A tool that comes to mind is the good old blog! It is quite possible to have blogs (corporate and personal) being used and still have guidelines regarding acceptable usage. Yahoo, IBM, and Sun are examples of companies that allow blogging but provide direction in the form of written policies. In fact, they encourage their use.
Yahoo, for example, makes it clear in their policy that blogging is a valuable component and clearly states, “When you choose to go public with your opinions via a blog, you are legally responsible for your commentary.” “Any confidential, proprietary, or trade secret information is obviously off-limits for your blog per the Proprietary Information Agreement you have signed with Yahoo! Source: http://jeremy.zawodny.com/yahoo/yahoo-blog-guidelines.pdf
Unfortunately, many companies have no policies in place or only dictate acceptable Internet usage (no porn sites, no gambling sites, etc.).
March 27th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
One example regarding control is one I am working on right now. We are going to give our customers the same social learning opportunities we have within our company. One way is that we are going to make our software’s official documentation to them online. But most people here want to make it so only our customers can see it. I am challenging that. Why not open it up and let everyone see it?
-It is a great selling tool.
-Our competitors already have the information.
-Better for SEO.
-The technical aspects for us are a lot easier.
-Usability for the customer takes a jump for the better.
But TRADITION dictates that we must control and safely guard the information. It is time we use a little double-loop learning and rethink a lot of the positions we have with the organization.
Most of that is rethinking and changing a culture mindset. This is the more difficult part. Once that happens, the rest can fall into place.
March 27th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
It really is about changing how people look at information and the control of it.
I once read that a person’s behavior is an expression of their underlying beliefs and assumptions. To make change appeal to them, you have to understand why they do what they do. I suspect the same applies to companies as well when it comes to information/control.
March 28th, 2008 at 6:09 am
I agree and would like to expand on one point you made. Not only do we need to understand why they do what they do, but they, themselves, need to understand why they do what they do. The “WHY” question is so important. The “HOW” will naturally follow if the “WHY” is understood.