Communication 2.0
Veröffentlicht von: Who is Who Europa Magazin, 01/2009, S. 00
People’s networking via the Inter-net has grown massively in the last years. Socializing and cultivating contacts happens via Internet technologies. Experience and knowledge is being requested and shared with other people. In private settings this situation can be categorized as standard. Now, the question is: Why companies are not going to leverage these hidden resources? While realizing projects which place people in the center of communication it becomes rapidly apparent that the motor “motivation” and “team dynamics” shortly bring an enormous added value.
Thus, it is the task of process and organisation consultants to bring IT and people together. However, the start should be with the people and not as often vice versa. When implementing this approach, important aspects for companies and its safety requirements will be realized automatically.
A short example for clarifcation purposes: An employee works in a project and seeks information. What effects is a cut in raw material prices having on my retail price for the customer? Where is the last meeting protocol, which version is the correct one, what are the next steps, who has already completed which task and what is the actual status and so on. Certainly, all this takes place under an enormous time pressure and many other tasks are scheduled with similar priority. This situation often results in meetings, telephone calls, telephone conferences or business trips. Escalations occur frequently.
Questions follow like e.g.: Where is my colleague right now, where and how can I reach him, am I disturbing when calling him, are the current documents on his notebook and how to obtain necessary information?
How to improve this situation? Technologies like chats, awareness, team rooms, blogs, wikis and Document Management etc. are certainly important and could represent a good basis, which results in a direct added value for employees if implemented systematically.
It is up to the employee to judge unproductiveness, ineffciency and expenditures for business trips, meetings and telcos, but companies are mostly unconcerned about such expenses. Banning business trips and other cuts are not the best solution. This money should be invested in communication and employees should be enabled to share information and to easily access information within the company.
A solution approach: With an appropriate solution employees realize that a colleague had a similar problem before and will be able to contact him. He will be able to see that the contact is online, has his phone number and knows whom he is reporting as well as his department. He knows that there is an adequate presentation and will be able to use it as a template - all this without leaving his workstation.
And what to do for it? Support your employees’ communication by implementing new technologies and integrate your people in this process. Put people in the center and integrate your IT applications, so that you facilitate the work of your employees and colleagues. Necessary workshops and consulting are fundamentals to ensure success of such projects.
The proft: Redundancies will be avoided and processes accelerated. Safety requirements will be understood and implemented by employees as well as transparency brought into information. Expenditures will be saved and resources in companies effectively utilized.
Just then a real added value for employees and the company is generated.
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