The key concept to pull out of this thread is that technology and behavior must work in concert to achieve improved results. This is a must watch video if you want to get a better idea of our objective here at Decision 3D. When you read the articles and watch the post, think about the intersection of tools and behavior…
From the Oliver marks article:
Chambers talks about the gradual huge transition in the management of the company – the shift from Command and control management to collaboration and teamwork.
This is a behavioral change for Cisco management, that aligns with the capabilities of the networking products they use and sell. Having all of those tools available but not changing to a collaboration and teamwork culture would have propogated a disfunctional organization. Instead, Cisco is one of the strongest and most admired companies around.
One of the biggest problems I see in almost every organization is the wasted time and money due to duplication of effort. One of the main reasons that this happens is the high viscosity of information flow. In other words, the high level of difficulty of getting information from where it exists to where it can be of value.
This means that individuals and groups find it easier to solve problems from scratch than to search for help from elsewhere in the organization. So even if someone else has already solved a problem, or has significant insight, there is no effective way to find and engage them.
Reducing information viscosity is what Decision 3D is all about. The process of looking at tools and behaviors in an organization will help to optimize the flow of information to the people that need it. If, and when, connecting with others, that can help you solve your problem, is precieved as being easier than reinventing the wheel, organizations will see significant productivity gains.
For the most part I spent all of 2008 declaring myself to be an “Enterprise 2.0 consultant”. I learned that unless you are a member of the Enterprise 2.0 echo chamber, I spend a lot of time explaining what that means. I also began to feel that the title strongly implied a technology orientation. The bottom line is that labeling my self as Enterprise 2.0 was not helping me get very many clients. My choice in forming Decision3D was to move away from the label as a pitch for want I do. As a result you will notice that words like “wiki”, “blog”, and “Social Media” are not particularly evident. I want people to look at those things as just another potential tool that may help them address their business issues.
That said, there is definitely some good stuff under the E2.0 banner. I ran across this presentation by Ross Dawson today and like a lot of the core content.
I have always been a strong proponent of clear communication, though I tend to use too much coded language myself. This has been pointed out to me, once again, by a trusted friend.
Earlier in the week I sent the link for this site to a handful of people looking for feedback, which prompted this reply from my friend H.R.:
- some of the stuff could still be more in business terms and less in process professional terms. E.g., would a CFO or a unit manager know what ‘information productivity’ really was? Could you state it in terms they would know?
Good advice, methinks. On one hand, I do want to introduce new concepts to readers and I don’t think that “dumbing down” content is respectful, but on the other hand, I don’t want this site to seem inaccessible to potential clients. I am leaning toward keeping the core content intact, but adding more contextual content to the site, maybe a glossary…
Over the last few weeks as I have been putting Decision 3D together, I have managed to concoct a bucket full of phrases and descriptions of the company. None are perfect and none are right for every circumstance. It is hard to describe what you do when there are very few people already doing it, and those that are, do it a little differently. Maybe I should have followed in my Dad’s footsteps. He never had any problem describing his occupation.
“So, what do you do?”
“Lawyer.”
It doesn’t get much easier than that. When I get that question, well, let’s just say it’s not a one word answer! For your fun and entertainment, here are some of my many answers to that question.
“I help companies make better use of Social Media.”
“I am an Enterprise 2.0 consultant.”
“Decision 3D helps clients bridge the gap between IT and behavior.”
“We improve information productivity.”
“Well, all organizations have to make decisions and having information is key to making good decisions, so I help companies figure out how to improve information flow so they can make better decisions…”
“Connecting for Better Decisions”
“Building the Connected Enterprise”
I am sure you get the picture. I will continue to work on the pitch and tagline, but no matter what I am always happy to discuss this stuff, just drop me a note, leave a comment, whatever. I hope to talk to you soon.
Update:
I almost forgot my favorite:
“Sitting at the intersection of Technology and Behavior, waiting for the light to change.”
