You can't make me do it

Euan Semple had an entertaining tweet the other day:

no matter what you are trying to achieve social media adoption happens one person at a time and for their reasons not yours

What does this mean?  It means that if you really want this "social media thing" to be a way of working, then each person needs to pick up the tools and figure out how the tools make sense for THEM.  Sure, you can do training, and introductions, and have the early adopters show others how they use the software.  In the end, though, people have to choose to switch because it makes sense for them.

This sounds rather squishy.  Why is it so important?  The traditional way of thinking in business is that if some change is implemented you need to add measures and rewards/punishments associated with that change.  You force people into the change, willingly or not.  This can't work with the culture that needs to exist for Enterprise 2.0 to work.  This has to be a culture of working together because we want to, particularly when it comes to using the tools.  Forcing me to "share knowledge" doesn't even make sense.  Neither does "you must ask for help."

People have to want to do things differently.  AND they have to know that they are being supported in making that change.  No punishments for small mistakes.  Encouraging the big and little successes.  Leaders engaging in the new way of work - and just as important: stopping the old way of work and the old way of hoarding.

[Photo: "Free hugs" by hien_it]