A networked Europe – c’est possible? I read today that Axel Schultze is in charge of developing a social media strategy for Europe – yes, Europe!
Just – think about it: think about the barriers you might be able to identify in any one of your current collaboration-orientated projects and then multiply them, say, a few billion times.
As it happens, I’m working on a collaborative behaviour workshop for the Knowledge & Innovation Network. Here are the top four enablers and barriers I come across while researching my book (not specifically with regard to Europe, but I guess we can apply them):
Key enablers
- Social Leadership – leaders that behave in a supportive, enabling manner. They empower others, are passionate and inspirational. They communicate openly and are good at explaining complex things in an accessible way.
- Networked culture – a culture that values connections and knowledge exchange across all parts of the organisation, and beyond. Information flows freely and constructive feedback is welcomed. The organisation is connected and weblike, a starfish not spider.
- Reward systems for collaborative behaviour – Renumeration and promotion for people showing collaborative approaches, peer recognition and acknowledgement. Gamification of rewards if possible.
- Social proof – real world examples of where collaborative behaviour has paid dividends in some way. This can be anything from increased sales or profits, improved fundraising, a rise in new and repeat customers/ beneficiaries to industry awards and media mentions.
Key barriers
- Anti-social leadership – empowering and promoting favourites, showing volatile and inconsistent behaviour, over-complicating things, not telling the truth, acting mostly in personal interests.
- Legacy systems – (both tech and human). Hierarchical structures and processes, over-obsession with security issues and fear of losing competitive advantage.
- Reward systems that reinforce the above.
- Paying lip service to change without actually changing one iota – something European businesses are very good at (especially banks).
Maybe there is scope here for some kind of international competition for social media consultants to come up with a solution (heh, I’m not joking)! Certainly this is a fabulous top level challenge to community managers everywhere – fancy stepping up to the plate? You can join the discussion on the Digital Agenda Assembly website.
Photo: L Church (via Flickr)
Wonderful plan:) Europe needs it (and fast)! Can I suggest one more barrier; cultural & language differences possibly causing collaboration illiteracy? Just picked up this term – and I like it – from your other blog!