Gary Hamel on Web Culture

Somehow I have become a kind of Web 2.0 evangelist over the last two years. Not that I try to avoid daylight and prefer to spend my time in a dark chamber in front of a computer screen. I still do a lot of work for clients in non-virtual realities and I enjoy. But I do also enjoy the web culture that I keep discovering, which is so different from some of the outside realities. Web culture for me is of course pop culture but much more, and nobody has broad it so well to the point as Gary Hamel the old management guru, in an article of the Wall Street Journal called The Facebook Generation vs. the Fortune 500. Worth to read.

His main theses are:

1. All ideas compete on an equal footing.
2. Contribution counts for more than credentials.
3. Hierarchies are natural, not prescribed.
4. Leaders serve rather than preside.
5. Tasks are chosen, not assigned.
6. Groups are self-defining and -organizing.
7. Resources get attracted, not allocated.
8. Power comes from sharing information, not hoarding it.
9. Opinions compound and decisions are peer-reviewed.
10. Users can veto most policy decisions.
11. Intrinsic rewards matter most.
12. Hackers are heroes.

I don't have to say more than that (but Gary Hamel has, please check his post, there is more wisdom to suck in).

I will be blogging here from the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco during the coming three days.

Photo: jurvetson on Flickr

The Change Journey (02)

Vesa and I spend the entire weekend on conceptualizing our book. The idea was born when we facilitated our second workshop in Helsinki, back in January. Vesa has developed a simple but compelling model for a contemporary, pragmatic approach to change (management? facilitation?). It's the change journey. And on a change journey we are.



We didn't know much more about our book project when we met Friday evening for dinner and some drinks. We know much more now. This is the journey of the last days:

Day 1:
Friday evening, we just brainstormed about what we had in our minds - our dreams, fears, and ideas. The concept was born in a few hours. We agreed that our target group will be middle and project managers, those who suffer most in change processes because they have to implement the change. It will be practical, simple (but not trivial) and will strike a balance between the old dilemma of change management trainers, which is the focus on attitudes (which we think is essential) versus focus on tools (which our clients think is essential). It will be illustrated, straight to the point and have a high level of usability for managers.

Day 2
Yesterday, after a healthy breakfast with shrimps toast and strong coffee, we left beside all thoughts on the concept and started to talk for hours on our mental models of change. When we went for a late lounge we had agreed on the essence of the background we want to communicate. One aspect which leads us is the thought that management and leadership is under transformation. Organizations are not any more working like Charles Taylor has described them (and even John Kotter who for us belongs to the mechanistic side of Change Management), but organizations aren't living beings or quantum systems either as Magaret Wheatley ("Leadership and the New Science") and many other avantgarde thinkers have made us think.

We are living in a transition stage and middle managers have to understand where they come from and where the world is moving towards. This is part of our mission.



In the evening, we went to an open stage circus where young artists where performing. We were looking for metaphors for our change journey. These were the two metaphors we got:
- the tightrope artist: in change processes we often feel like dancing on a thin rope. There is always the risk of falling. So, we better secure a soft landing and the less confident we are, the more support we must have. A saftey net wouldn't be bad.
- failure of the juggler: the juggling balls might fall down but we can start afresh when the audience is sympathizing with us. Failure is inherent to facilitation of change processes.

Day 3:
Within 6 hours, we had the strategy, the structure and the format of the book. The entire book will be written on a Wiki, and we will open that Wiki up to the public once we have made our first steps on the rope. We will invite you to follow our journey, to comment and even to contribute.

If you are interested: the deadline for the first draft is end July. Ask me again.

Agenda of CFAN's Global Gathering in Istanbul April 2009

I just received the latest programme of the Change Facilitation Associates Programm in Istanbul, April 21-25. More information and registration at http://change-facilitation.org/istanbul/

Day 1
09:00-09:15 = Checkin
09:15-11:30 = Workshop: Web 2.0 - practical applications for consultants
11:30-12:00 = Reflection: What role do I play in this group?
12:00-13:30 = Lunch
13:30-15:15 = Workshop: Corporate Trust
15:15-17:00 = Workshop: Self-Organisation
17:00-17:30 = Reflection: What else could I do/be in this group?
Evening = Celebrating 10 years of Humap

Day 2
09:00-09:15 = Checkin
09:15-11:30 = Workshop: Art as a feedback tool
11:30-12:00 = Reflection: Where is this group heading?
12:00-13:30 = Lunch
13:30-15:15 = Workshop: Change & Innovation
15:15-17:00 = Workshop: Topics to be confirmed
17:00-17:30 = Reflection: Where do I want this group to be heading?

Day 3: Harvesting results of the previous days' reflection into a discussion regarding CFAN. Serdar has agreed to facilitate this day, in a one-day (or maybe just part of the day) AI process. Originally, we had thought to have CFAN board and general meetings, but given the attendance this year, I'm inclined to not schedule anything specific and leave it up to feelings on the day to dictate what unfolds.

Day 4: Transfer to and tour of Istanbul.

Day 5: Open space with local school.

A Journey for Change

My friend Vesa Purokuru and I will spend the entire weekend in and around Helsinki to give birth to a book project about the change journey. I have no idea where we will end up on Sunday night. With his permission, I will report tomorrow and day after tomorrow about our progress (and I might open a Wiki for first sketches as well). Keep watching us!

Webinar Series: Web 2.0 for Business

WE CANNOT ACCEPT ANY MORE PARTICPANTS AND
PLAN TO REPEAT THIS EVENT SOON!

Webinar Series: How to Use Social Web Technologies for Business

You are welcome to join a four parts, interactive webinar series on Web 2.0 for Business. We have prepared a 20 minutes free video presentation which serves as the introduction to the topic. Watch the introduction here (give the video some time to start, and you can also watch it from here. We also recommend to use the full screen mode.

Web 2.0 for Business – Why Change Makers
Should Care About Social Media

Target group of the Webinar Series:

• Decision makers in companies and non-profit organizations, who would like to integrate social media in their communication strategies.


• Consultants, trainers and other providers of services demanding special needs in communication.


• Change agents and other stakeholders of change processes.

This is a beginners’ course. You can attend with any level of web literacy but you will likely be bored if you are already a web native.

These are the topics:

Webinar 1 (April 30, 2009, 15.00-16.30 GMT, please check your local time here): Blogs, wikis, podcasts, slideshows, etc. - How you and your customers can enter into dialogue
Just 10 years ago we started to comprehend that no organization could afford not to have a website. Today it is said to be: No organization can afford it not to interact with their stakeholders. This is the age of interaction. Many companies have started to use social media tools such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Wikis, etc.. In this webinar you will learn which tools are right for you and how to make your first steps. If you already use such tools, you will receive practical tips for optimizing your strategy. How and where should I blog? What are tags and what are their benefits? What is folksonomy? Is a wiki suitable for my internal or external communications? How can I improve the attractiveness of my blog? Does it make sense to upload videos and audio files to the internet? How do I embed them in blogs? What are mash-ups and widgets? And what about the copyright?

Webinar 2 (May 7, 2009, 15.00-16.30 GMT): Twitter - A new technology is revolutionizing the Web
Twitter is one of the latest major developments of the web. The micro blogging service allows you to build networks, discuss burning issues directly and quickly, broadcast brief information and forward them. Twitter is already used by many organizations. In this webinar you will learn how to use Twitter for yourself and your communication with partners, peers and clients. What tools are there and which one improves your Twitter performance best? Also, is Twitter really necessary?

Webinar 3 (May 14, 2009, 15.00-16.30 GMT): Networks and Netiquette
In this last webinar you will learn how to create new relationships through responsible and passionate action. The possibilities to connect with customers, like-minded people and opinion leaders and to become opinion leader oneself in a particular subject are manifold.
What are the basic rules and mechanisms to deal with it? How to use RSS feeds to efficiently meet the flood of data? What other networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Xing, etc. should I use?

Webinar 4 (May 21, 2009, 15.00-16.30 GMT): What’s new? What’s next?
While the majority of us is still digesting the new technologies which emerged yesterday, the development moves on at a ever increasing space. In this last webinar, we will talk about emerging trends – what technology will shape our future tomorrow.

Some more remarks
The series is practice-oriented and interactive. You will receive practical tips and tricks on how to use new technologies. Our team will make sure that all your questions are answered. All webinars will be thoroughly documented so all the information can be reviewed afterwards. Also, there will be an opportunity to collaborate with the other participants in discussion fora. And if you miss one of the series, you will be able to watch a video recording from the session.

Trainer
Holger Nauheimer, author of Change Management Toolbook and worldwide known for his media work and on change in organizations. Since two years, he is engaged in the area of new technologies for the monitoring of change processes in the economy and society.

Technology
If you like to participate in the webinar series, please register at The webinars will be based on a telephone conference system plus an online presentation system (Dimdim). All you need is a high speed Internet connection. There is no need to download any software to your computer.

Costs for the entire cycle of four webinars: € 198 including VAT. (convert into your currency from here)

If you are from East Asia or Australia and find the time of the events inconvenient, please send us an email at holger@change-facilitation.org. If a sufficient number of people from the region show their interest we will organize a second event that suits your time zone.

Trash Your Power Point Presentations

For a long time of my life as a trainer, I refused to use Power Point presentations. In the trainers trainings I gave, I usually introduced the concept of death by PP early in the course. But then, slowly, PP creeped into my courses. Before, I used to spend the entire night before the start of a course to draw my flip charts. This was a meditative exercise and gave me the possibility to rehearse. But finally, I plead guilty - I do use PP more than I should, even if I try to design the individual slides as animating as possible. I include videos, images and all kind of staff. And I still use flip charts and often I joyfully press the blind button of the clicker.

Having said that, I was more than happy to watch a taped webinar: Creating Powerful Presentations with Nancy Duarte. If you are a trainer or a presenter, you got to watch this 45 minutes and I bet, your presentations will never be the same.

Iran - the third largest blogger country on earth - or how change is gonna come

For the last weeks, I am spending a lot of my productive time on Twitter. This gives me less room to blog, for the time being. I plan to go back to regular blogging once my initial hunger for Twitter has faded a bit. However, what I discover on my Twitter journey is sometimes trivial but sometimes it is so overwhelming that it shakes my foundations. If I could chose one piece of information that was the most astonishing, encouraging message, it was a little video that I found yesterday. It shows that Iran is now the third largest country of bloggers: I have tried to verify this information but couldn't find any source (will keep looking at it). In any case, what this video says is that many people in Iran use blogs to create a counter culture, to meet in secluded spaces, to dream about a better life. I am speechless, again, about the power of social media that we yet have to comprehend.


Iran: A nation of bloggers from Mr.Aaron on Vimeo.

I just heard in an MP3 of Deutsche Welle (in German) more about the topic. It confirms what the video says but also tells that the Iranian top bloggers often end up in jail. And I just found an article that on of them has died in prison (read here).

By the way - follow me on Twitter if you want to follow my journey deep down the rabbit hole.

The New Change Management Toolbook - Change Management Community

I have just now produced a video on the main functionalities of our new website. Please take a little bit of your time to watch this video which will help you to use this site effectively to increase your visibility and to interact with the world's largest change management community.

How Twitter Changed My Life

Well, this is not my punch line... It is from @Minxuan, a Singapurian living in California. In case you haven't got the idea yet.

How Twitter Changed My Life

View more presentations from Minxuan Lee.

Interview with Seth Godin

Seth Godin is one of the emerging new thinkers on leadership in the digital age. For those who haven't read his latest book, Tribes.

So, I was happy to read an interview with him from Copyblogger.

from the introduction:

If not, Tribes is all about leadership in a post-geography world. The Internet allows anyone to become a leader of a tribe big or small, with members from across the planet. And people want you to lead them in all sorts of contexts.

quotes from the interview:
Well, everyone is a member of a tribe. A community tribe, perhaps, or a spiritual one. The time to go start your own tribe is when you realize the obligation you have to contribute your leadership and when you are passionate enough about a goal that you will make the commitment the tribe demands to get there.

In other words, do it when you care.

If you don’t care, don’t whine, don’t complain. But if there’s change you want to make happen (business change, social change, any change) then this is the way to do it.

Read the full interview here, and find the book on Amazon. This is the path to Seth Godin's blog.

I really love this book because it is about my two current themes: Passion and Responsibility. I believe the world and any subset of it, like organizations could be places, if we drive on passion and sustainability. Like the Open Space Cooking we had yesterday (but this will be the topic of another blog post).

The New Change Management Toolbook is Live!

After a long time of development, we are proud to announce: The new version of the Change Management Toolbook, the oldest and richest web resource on Change Management has been released yesterday.

The Change Management Toolbook is a premium resource for all change management related information, a place to network with other change practitioners (over 14,300 registered users), tap into and contribute to a growing resource base, and market your products and services.



The new version is designed as an interactive and self-organizing learning platform, where the user – that’s you – is firmly in the driving seat.

Find out yourself - while we are celebrating.

Diagoal published an Interview with Me on Change Management

Dialgoal, a great new blog on using dialogue for change has published an interview with me on Change Management, Change Facilitation, Realpolitik, and life in general. A few quotes (of myself):

The complexity of many change processes calls for an approach that respects the emergent character of change. Coming back to your original question, a lot of what we do is actually creating room for dialogue in an attempt to – as Patricia Shaw has coined it – “changing conversations in organizations”. We do that by asking questions and by creating space for people to express their passion and consequently take responsibility for what they care for.


...

As a system thinker I believe that all political and social change happens – as Bernard Mohr has coined it – “at the speed of imagination”, i.e. if we can anticipate change it is already there. I hope that the work of Otto Scharmer and his Presencing Institute will give us new tools that will help us to see the future as it emerges.

...

Enjoy the change, ride the waves, protect your loved ones but don’t be overprotective, do good to yourself and to the world. Enjoy traditions that survive because they make sense to people. Appreciate that some people are conservative – they take care of good things not being lost. Appreciate that other people are progressive; they bring new ideas to the world. Trust that the person working next to you (whether it is your boss or your report) wants to do a good work as much you want. Use your natural facilitation skills; help your teams to be more productive. Believe in solutions for urgent problems can only be co-created. Learn, not because somebody talks about the need for live long learning but because you enjoy to stretch your mind. Tomorrow will be different, for sure. Assume that 95% of people are good, and the other 5% cannot rule the world if you don’t let them. Be an agent of change.

Read the full interview here.