Leverage from 'Social' Collaboration Technologies but don't undervalue Leadership and Stewardship

As an advocate of collaborative efforts in unlocking organisational performance (and facilitating that 'feel good factor' that retains good employees), social media technologies can be employed by organisations to overcome and circumvent a lot of the symptoms that organisational leaders, HR professionals, consultants and project managers moan about - engagement issues, people with their own hidden agenda, lack of communication, lack of feeling valued, isolated knowledge protectionism etc. Social Media TECHNOLOGIES rather than social media per se are absolutely a great way of communicating, collaborating and building teams.

The warning however is that the technology is only an enabler (this has always been the case and perhaps always should be!). Organisations and these systems still need (implementing correctly!) leadership and stewardship to provide direction and focus for collaborative effort. For the leader or steward, consider the cautions identified in this article here

That doesn't undermine or outweigh the benefits of embodying such technologies because the commercial, people and CSR benefits are there to be witnessed (if you are prepared to look). It allows people to speak up, contribute, share knowledge & experience. It's this kind of fundamental shift that can help lift people and organisations out of a world of negativity, isolation and depression and start focussing on positive efforts, identifying innovative (often simple) opportunities to get back on track and be instrumental in the UK (EU, US, the World!) beat stagflation.

On that latter note (warning to readers who wish to avoid political influence to look away now), it is disconcerting to see the Chancellor of the Exchequer sees 110% effort (not increased effort, but total effort) as achievable. Whilst mathematically it is not, have we arrived at a point of optimism over realism or are we simply seeing the face of political showmanship.

Either way, the message is clear, the government is not in a position to help businesses, it is down to leaders and business professionals offering value-add expertise to work this one out. If you are still not convinced, for an elemental view on the commercial power of social media and its potential take a look here. People, Businesses, Communities and Governments could benefit a great deal.