Engaging Gen Xers at Work

In my white paper about the theory of business and getting work done I made a small case for how collaborative co-creation could be very important for a young generation of workers (called millennials) as a way to engage them at a deeper level then traditional work/jobs.

The following article makes a pretty good case for engaging Gen Xers at a deeper level. Collaborative co-creation has the capability to do that. It has the potential to bring out entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, and a strong feeling of ownership - which I believe most workers will want if they don't already.  

One of the concepts included in sustainability is the concept of a triple bottom line - economic benefit, ecological benefit, and social benefit. Collaborative co-creation can contribute to all three of these but it can surely make significant contributions to the people side - the social side - of sustainability. 

The challenges facing business today are complex and finding ways to engage everyone in an organization in finding sufficient solutions is of primary importance. Collaborative co-creation is a methodology that can engage an entire work force in thriving in 'these interesting times.' 

Ten Reasons Gen Xers Are Unhappy at Work
Corporations really need folks in their 30s to early 40s, but there is a tentative relationship at best between that cohort and Corporate America

Theory of Business, Complexity and Getting Work Done

I've just completed a new white paper about the theory of business, complexity and getting work done. The paper posits that the theory of business in use by anyone involved in business (anyone for that matter) will preclude certain responses to the conditions in the environment and hence will preclude certain ways of organizing to get work done. 

Here's a quick summary of the paper:

1. Everyone is using a theory of business whether they are aware of it or not
2. The dominant theory of business is no longer suited for the environment we are in - which is characterized by increasing levels of complexity
3. New ways of working are required to be successful in this complex environment
4. Changing the theory of business will allow leaders and managers to 'see' new ways of working
5. Collaborative Co-Creation is a new and viable way of working that is suited for this time
6. Without changing our theory of business it would be hard for managers and leaders to take advantage of the benefits that an approach like collaborative co-creation can offer

If you are interested in reading the whole story you can download the white paper here.

Crowdsourcing

You've heard of outsourcing. You've heard of the concept of opensource for things like software development (the browser - Firefox - and the operating system I'm using - OSX - to write this post are both opensource). Now, there is a developing movement called Crowdsourcing (which is still emerging and being defined). The general idea is that a 'crowd' of generalists can make better decisions than a single expert.

Some companies are using crowdsourcing as a way to engage large groups of people in the innovation process.

The following model is being developed by Sami Viitamaki from Finland. It is an attempt to explain the idea of crowdsourcing from the point of view of a company that wants to engage in collaboration with customers or customer collectives.


Most of the models evolving around crowdsourcing involve digital and/or virtual interactions - to engage people from disparate parts of the world in what we call 'different time, different place' collaboration. A good example of a company doing this is Cambrian House. Cambrian House defines Crowdsourcing as:

Crowdsourcing is when people gather via the Internet to create something and share in the profit – often without ever meeting each other in person. The products of these collaborations are referred to as crowdsourced.

In our work we still recommend and use 'same time, same place' collaboration for groups of up to 100s of people. This intensive, face-to-face collaboration can accelerate the interactions and solutions generated by a group.

In Sami's model he refers to the need for specific facilities where the collaboration can takes place. He is referring to virtual facilities. We also see the need for specific facilities where collaboration can take place. The following is an example of a physical environment designed specifically for high level collaboration.

If we combine the power of the internet and virtual collaboration with the power of live, face-to-face collaboration in specifically designed interactions and engagements the potential for developing breakthrough products and services is enormous.

To read about Sami's model in more detail click here.