Comments on: Big Co’s to Big Co’s We have no idea….. Share? http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/ an unbound place for inquiry, conversation... feed the spiral Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:56:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: sean o'driscoll http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1595 sean o'driscoll Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:40:20 +0000 http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1595 all excellent advice I'd also give...well recommended. Thanks for having the convo with me. sean all excellent advice I’d also give…well recommended. Thanks for having the convo with me.

sean

]]> By: Stuart http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1594 Stuart Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:18:56 +0000 http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1594 Sean, I aways wanted to know how to do a Gant chart. It's a great example. I was also the unpaid Skype blogger and evangelist for the first two years of Skype's life. They did not see me as you see your Gant man. Anyways that's another story. I believe there are real merits in looking to learn across different categories and synthesize from what others are doing. Only time will tell if your partners in the Blog Council are the right one's to help you do that or if it actively produces new insights or rapid deployment of new techniques. I also understand why many conferences are not as useful as the should be, re content and exposure. I'd suggest smaller gatherings, where the speakers don't pay to pitch their companies and or interests are not tied directly to blogging or community building. I know MS also has the resources to create their own little gatherings. There is no reason MS couldn't have created a meeting-workshop-discussion; except it takes time to organize and blog council makes that easy. After the initial sharing who will focus the "stretch"? Where I am always most interested is where boundaries can be pushed. What's happening at the fringe or edge. I believe the people that "know" or can perhaps share insights into that are not in a blog council, do not go or will not meet you at a typical conference. I think you have to look elsewhere for these "remarkable" people, and you have to use a process that helps to break mental models and create new narratives. The benefit of "thinking outside" or at the "edge" of current community behavior and actions is you will create narratives that you can test out in the community. Stories that by their own retelling may help you evolve in new directions. Sean, my guess is you already know this stuff too, and have used different approaches and tools. While writing to you I am really sharing more broadly my beliefs in finding and exploring new directions. In the end... if we can ask our community better questions then I believe we are probably serving them best. Maybe a model for the blog council will come out. Only time will tell. Sean,
I aways wanted to know how to do a Gant chart. It’s a great example. I was also the unpaid Skype blogger and evangelist for the first two years of Skype’s life. They did not see me as you see your Gant man. Anyways that’s another story.

I believe there are real merits in looking to learn across different categories and synthesize from what others are doing. Only time will tell if your partners in the Blog Council are the right one’s to help you do that or if it actively produces new insights or rapid deployment of new techniques.

I also understand why many conferences are not as useful as the should be, re content and exposure. I’d suggest smaller gatherings, where the speakers don’t pay to pitch their companies and or interests are not tied directly to blogging or community building. I know MS also has the resources to create their own little gatherings. There is no reason MS couldn’t have created a meeting-workshop-discussion; except it takes time to organize and blog council makes that easy. After the initial sharing who will focus the “stretch”?

Where I am always most interested is where boundaries can be pushed. What’s happening at the fringe or edge. I believe the people that “know” or can perhaps share insights into that are not in a blog council, do not go or will not meet you at a typical conference. I think you have to look elsewhere for these “remarkable” people, and you have to use a process that helps to break mental models and create new narratives.

The benefit of “thinking outside” or at the “edge” of current community behavior and actions is you will create narratives that you can test out in the community. Stories that by their own retelling may help you evolve in new directions.

Sean, my guess is you already know this stuff too, and have used different approaches and tools. While writing to you I am really sharing more broadly my beliefs in finding and exploring new directions. In the end… if we can ask our community better questions then I believe we are probably serving them best.

Maybe a model for the blog council will come out. Only time will tell.

]]> By: sean o'driscoll http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1592 sean o'driscoll Wed, 19 Dec 2007 07:01:52 +0000 http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1592 I agree with your listening model. In fact, most of what I learned about community I learned from connecting with MS enthusiasts. The last 5 years, I've been responsible for "leading" (turns out guiding is maybe a better word) what is called the Microsoft MVP award program (www.microsoft.com/mvp). This program was started in 1992 as a recognition program to acknowledge top contributors to compuserve forums. It continued through the 90s (mostly around usenet) and today includes over 4000 "superusers" who participate in forums, newsgroups, usergroups, bloggers, authors, speakers, etc (even youtube now, check out this guy with 77,000+ views on how to do gantt charts in Excel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW_wGSFavTc) - how can we not love this guy! ... We created this program to do just what you highlight, listen to the listeners and create systematic ways for them to participate in feedback and product design. They are of course very independent of us and it's this independence that makes them valuable to the communities they participate in. Thanks for the comment back, I'd simply encourage you to consider this isn't the blind leading the blind coucil...I think we are a pretty experienced group on the whole and part of why I jumped at such an opportunity is to connect with some pretty smart folks. Why private is a good question...and much of it shouldn't be I agree. If I were to throw out my little rant, try attending a conference as a learning/networking opportunity with a major brand name on your badge - guess what happens - you meet A LOT of vendors, agencies and technology providers (bee to honey). I don't really mind this (might sound like it) as there are a bunch of smart people in those firms, but it limits who you do meet - so a private venue to just connect with other "brands" is a welcomed thing for me. ok, I could attend without my company name on the badge - but that's not very transparent:) - and makes me hard to find. sean I agree with your listening model. In fact, most of what I learned about community I learned from connecting with MS enthusiasts. The last 5 years, I’ve been responsible for “leading” (turns out guiding is maybe a better word) what is called the Microsoft MVP award program (www.microsoft.com/mvp). This program was started in 1992 as a recognition program to acknowledge top contributors to compuserve forums. It continued through the 90s (mostly around usenet) and today includes over 4000 “superusers” who participate in forums, newsgroups, usergroups, bloggers, authors, speakers, etc (even youtube now, check out this guy with 77,000+ views on how to do gantt charts in Excel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW_wGSFavTc) - how can we not love this guy! … We created this program to do just what you highlight, listen to the listeners and create systematic ways for them to participate in feedback and product design. They are of course very independent of us and it’s this independence that makes them valuable to the communities they participate in.

Thanks for the comment back, I’d simply encourage you to consider this isn’t the blind leading the blind coucil…I think we are a pretty experienced group on the whole and part of why I jumped at such an opportunity is to connect with some pretty smart folks. Why private is a good question…and much of it shouldn’t be I agree. If I were to throw out my little rant, try attending a conference as a learning/networking opportunity with a major brand name on your badge - guess what happens - you meet A LOT of vendors, agencies and technology providers (bee to honey). I don’t really mind this (might sound like it) as there are a bunch of smart people in those firms, but it limits who you do meet - so a private venue to just connect with other “brands” is a welcomed thing for me. ok, I could attend without my company name on the badge - but that’s not very transparent:) - and makes me hard to find.

sean

]]> By: Stuart http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1591 Stuart Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:40:42 +0000 http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1591 Chris, Was coincidence to see your reference to Ester's Release 1.0's and how long ago it was that the inevitable was stated as inevitable. A model broken and now shared. We're closing on something new; a tipping point where humanity's noise won't play mono or stereo anymore. I just had to borrow the ram for one post! I'm still holding back, there's a rage within that would like to see more original thinking. It's the same quiet rage I feel when I see writings on the "Future of Management". Baaaaaah! Progress is never fast enough and yet is fast becoming outdated. I'm going to keep thinking the Blog Council is outdated. Chris,
Was coincidence to see your reference to Ester’s Release 1.0’s and how long ago it was that the inevitable was stated as inevitable. A model broken and now shared. We’re closing on something new; a tipping point where humanity’s noise won’t play mono or stereo anymore. I just had to borrow the ram for one post! I’m still holding back, there’s a rage within that would like to see more original thinking. It’s the same quiet rage I feel when I see writings on the “Future of Management”. Baaaaaah! Progress is never fast enough and yet is fast becoming outdated. I’m going to keep thinking the Blog Council is outdated.

]]> By: Stuart http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1590 Stuart Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:27:26 +0000 http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1590 Sean, Thank you, I appreciate your comment and the position. I've always liked the Microsoft policy "be smart". I like your listening question. The simple answer is you cannot listen to a million conversations at once.... however your community can. Example Skype Forum SuperUsers just helping other visitors; no relation to Skype. Just an example that the conversation is owned by the community that the company input can become and should become less and less overtime. I really liked the BBC example today linked to above. I also think companies can learn something from SFGate and should consider the "Sugar" sites. These sites are beginning to bring in their readers in new ways. I think many organizations may be more specialized and yet many of these ideas can be adapted. While I agree "let the conversation happen" is too easy to say and almost flippant, the conversation is happening already; too many are not listening effectively to it. I really believe that the "we" that belong and live within an organization care about how we are perceived. Drop the walls, live closer to the edge and there is likely to be change for the good. Sean,
Thank you, I appreciate your comment and the position. I’ve always liked the Microsoft policy “be smart”. I like your listening question. The simple answer is you cannot listen to a million conversations at once…. however your community can. Example Skype Forum SuperUsers just helping other visitors; no relation to Skype. Just an example that the conversation is owned by the community that the company input can become and should become less and less overtime. I really liked the BBC example today linked to above. I also think companies can learn something from SFGate and should consider the “Sugar” sites. These sites are beginning to bring in their readers in new ways. I think many organizations may be more specialized and yet many of these ideas can be adapted.

While I agree “let the conversation happen” is too easy to say and almost flippant, the conversation is happening already; too many are not listening effectively to it.

I really believe that the “we” that belong and live within an organization care about how we are perceived. Drop the walls, live closer to the edge and there is likely to be change for the good.

]]> By: Chris Locke http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1589 Chris Locke Wed, 19 Dec 2007 05:49:44 +0000 http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1589 Stuart, I have nothing to add to your fine words here, but just want to say how it warms the cockles of me wicked old heart to see RB's ram sticking his tongue out at the whole sorry business. baaaaaah! Stuart, I have nothing to add to your fine words here, but just want to say how it warms the cockles of me wicked old heart to see RB’s ram sticking his tongue out at the whole sorry business. baaaaaah!

]]> By: sean O'Driscoll http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1588 sean O'Driscoll Wed, 19 Dec 2007 04:53:15 +0000 http://www.henshall.com/stuart/2007/12/18/big-cos-to-big-cos-we-have-no-idea-share/#comment-1588 I'm pretty sure I've done most of what you've suggested for quite awhile. I really don't see anything wrong with gathering with industry peers in a different venue to discuss both good and bad practices. Should you think no "hairs" were raised, you'd be wrong - I think many of us involved in the council have similar concerns as most of us have been very involved in community for a long time. But, that's why I for one am invovled in the council as I think it can contribute to raising the bar on corporate practices I don't support (ghost blogging, anonymous posts, legal/PR editorial oversight, etc, etc, etc). Hardly a week goes by without a bad example...and each bad example tends to reflect on the industry. If I find myself 6, 9, 12 months into the council and it isn't aligned with the principals of blogging, I'd probably be the first one out, but having met some of the others involved, I suspect we'd all stampede for the door so I don't think that will happen. It's easy to say "let the conversation happen" and I'm lucky to not work in a regulated industry, but many companies do. At Microsoft we are fortunate, our blog "policy" is two words "be smart." It's not burdened by process, reviews, procedures, etc. A policy that simply enables anyone at the company to blog is great and well received, but we're also not Merrill Lynch or other regulated business where the legal/governance reality is different. Reading your post I suspect we'd agree on most of this and I'm more than happy to discuss more. Listening is a good example, our bloggers do that daily...but what if there are a million conversations a week about your brands - how do you listen to all of them. We definately think this is goodness, but I'd sure like to sit in a room with 20 other large companies and hear how they are doing this or thinking about doing it. sean I’m pretty sure I’ve done most of what you’ve suggested for quite awhile. I really don’t see anything wrong with gathering with industry peers in a different venue to discuss both good and bad practices. Should you think no “hairs” were raised, you’d be wrong - I think many of us involved in the council have similar concerns as most of us have been very involved in community for a long time. But, that’s why I for one am invovled in the council as I think it can contribute to raising the bar on corporate practices I don’t support (ghost blogging, anonymous posts, legal/PR editorial oversight, etc, etc, etc). Hardly a week goes by without a bad example…and each bad example tends to reflect on the industry. If I find myself 6, 9, 12 months into the council and it isn’t aligned with the principals of blogging, I’d probably be the first one out, but having met some of the others involved, I suspect we’d all stampede for the door so I don’t think that will happen.
It’s easy to say “let the conversation happen” and I’m lucky to not work in a regulated industry, but many companies do. At Microsoft we are fortunate, our blog “policy” is two words “be smart.” It’s not burdened by process, reviews, procedures, etc. A policy that simply enables anyone at the company to blog is great and well received, but we’re also not Merrill Lynch or other regulated business where the legal/governance reality is different.

Reading your post I suspect we’d agree on most of this and I’m more than happy to discuss more. Listening is a good example, our bloggers do that daily…but what if there are a million conversations a week about your brands - how do you listen to all of them. We definately think this is goodness, but I’d sure like to sit in a room with 20 other large companies and hear how they are doing this or thinking about doing it.

sean

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