Notable

Yesterday was the company julebord*.  An enjoyable evening to be sure, it made for a good end to a day that opened with a spirit-defeating meeting. Well into the ribbe* and Shiraz I couldn´t shake the feeling of disenchantment with the state of affairs.  Nagging were questions like: Are the strategic interests of the organization served by how and where I use my time?  Am I helping by participating in all these meetings and forums?  How can we do better?

These are the some of my ahah conclusions as 2009 winds down:

1. 6 is no good
   Representative committees are no good. Of late, truly useful interaction and progress has occurred only when there are 5 or fewer participants in the room.
2. Buck the futility of meetings and the tyranny of the email onslaught
   More gets accomplished through MSN and before/after meetings, than in meetings or through emails. One can save a lot of time by cutting out 90% of emails, and all meetings with more than 6 participants. Show up once in a while, bail on the rest?  (Additional inspiration: HBR – Manage your Time Like Jim Collins)
3. Lay low – Full stop on the meta-discussion
   Leaders across the organization are supposed to care about the how/who/why, but given their every-day they could really not care less. The results should be the focus, and I am sure that good results will win any argument. I should stop trying to get consensus/understanding on the “why” and “how”. Consensus has rarely been achieved, and when it has, it hasn´t gotten us anywhere really. ROI on time invested = .01.
4. A good model seems like a good goal – but it really just looks good on a slide
   What I bring to the table (and the same can be said of my most effective colleagues) probably doesn´t fit nicely into any role, in ANY organizational model that might solve what ails us.  The university is decentralized, and lets not kid ourselves, future centralization efforts won´t be plucking people from among the existing rank and file.  So you are outside of the box, far removed from the politics, you might want to take a second look around.And if one is already outside the box, why try and hop inside it? Maybe misguided craziness?
5. Geeks and nerds will always be a bit rogue
   It is often the uniqueness, the oddities and special talents of those in some of the best teams, not sameness that yields great results. Increasingly  the “odd-man-out ” in every single org model discussed lately, my gut feeling is that maybe I should just stick to participating in the virtual teams and ad-hoc collaborations.  It is even possible to further self-organize without getting anyone´s blessing.  This might also be more fun, in addition to being more effective.

   All we need now  is a secret handshake or a code word, maybe even a lair.
   

6. Fun shouldn´t be tabled for later
   Maslow was right.  Money is not what drives everyone. After my basic needs are met, I work because I want to achieve something more, and I like much of what I do.  We are not all characters in The Office, and it is possible to be too focused sometimes. One´s job can NOT be 150% about the organizations goals. (This can burn people out and that helps no one). Plan for a bit more fun, and few other bits from the top of old Maslow´s hierarchy.
7. If you build it, they won´t necessarily come, but maybe.
   Compelling is: finished products that can be demonstrated; processes that have achieved some results, and systems that are up and running. These are way more compelling that any plan or description.  Example: Installed WordPress and  Joomla, then people started using them. Propose adoption of WordPress MU and we got a institutional skepticism, budget concerns and a report. Propose a video and you get a long discussion. Make a video and you get a video. Develop an interaction yourself an you please your users; request a developer to develop it, and you get a place on their massive todo list.  Choose what is fastest.

It´s not worth blaming anyone, it´s not ideal. It´s not how we want things to be. It´s just how it is. (Unless you are lucky enough to work at Ben & Jerry´s or Google. Lucky, talented, ducks.)

* Translations:

julebord = corporate Christmas party in Norway
ribbe = traditional Norwegian Christmas pork ribs

An “enabler” of the Rector’s recent forray into the world of blogs, I was curious and pleased that the debut sparked a bit of discussion.

Arne Krokan, a Professor of “Technology, communication, organization and society” writes in his post “My rector blogs as well” that:

(Translated from the original Norwegian) Rector at NTNU, Torbjørn Digernes, is following in the footsteps of several of his Danish colleagues, and starting to blog. I consider these “corporate blogs” important, because they play a role in making visible what leaders are concerned with, and they contribute to contemplation of important, organizational and political issues. In this manner more and more academic and political issues come to light, prior to our hearing about them or being “exposed to them” through (channels) the line organization. (Min rektor blogger også – Nov. 4 2008)

Historian and researcher (IDI, SVT), Ola Nordal writes in his post a “A new IT revolution? “:

(Translated from the original Norwegian) Two observances from today: NTNU´s Rector has got himself his own blog, and FAST Search & Transfer´s John M. Lervik has blind faith in the future of the search engine company (it is still streaming from the IT-ovation conference where he presented earlier today). I conclude, first: Something is happening in regards to how people use the Internet. The tools have been there a long time, but it seems that it is only now that their potential is beginning to be utilized. The first key word is “contact interface”… [ ... ] How Digernes is going to use his blog will be exciting to follow; personally I hope it will be somewhat fresher than the “Rector´s column” in the university paper (Universitetsavisa).

A little digression: I notice that the rector is using WordPress as a technology solution. Much smarter and better that what is available for NTNU´s web portal, I would say. NTNU.no is far too large and complex for WordPress, but it should at least be considered by the university newspaper (Universitetsavisa). WordPress for an online newspaper sounds perhaps a little hazardous, but it would be better than the solution they have now. Not least because the Rector´s blog is already in my RSS-reader, while Universitetsavisa is still not. RSS has been available for a while now, and it is soon quite overdue that the news organization at Norway´s technology university acquires it? (En ny IT-revolusjon, – Oct 22, 2008).

An IT-revolution it isn’t, but progress it is indeed, given that the focus remains on content. As a technology enthusiast the form and the trend is interesting to me of course. The larger point however — not lost on these two social commentators — is the impact that direct and unfiltered communication can have on an organization.

• Interested in trends of this nature?
  Blog usage examples from other universities (US/UK).
• Interested in some tips about this form of communication?
  Blogging writing guide
• Bloggers at/from NTNU
  An incomplete list