Control has been an issue of conflict in human nature since the beginning of time. History has shown us that in business, government and society controlling the thoughts, actions and outcomes of the masses has been a method used to create collective results that feed the few and impact the masses.
Much of today's prevailing business minds focus is on the return from investment and the control of labor as well as process.
Today's business managers cannot comprehend the power of a connected world without borders and a web that is open, seamless and free. The power is shifting to the individual self organized into swarms with affinities and influence. No one individual is in control rather the conversational rivers control and ignite the influence.
The power is not self defined rather a phenomena created out of collective relationships and subsequent conversations, a self developed and self organized community. These concepts and phenomena go against all the training and education today's business manager have received from our educational institutions and the on the job training of the past.
Who Has The Experience to Understand What is Going On?
Historical management models have been centered around control. Control of people, processes. media and outcomes. When the outcomes are not what shareholders expected management simply "steps in and makes changes to achieve the end results". This perception of control has been the result of self defined power and controlled organizations as well as controlled conversations. But society has changed, we now have a web of relationships connected to everything, everywhere with influence over markets, conversations and the economy.
This new "connected global virtual society" rejects control rather is self controlled by the conversational transactions that form like rivers and swell with influence, one to one to millions. The lack of control is the very issue that perplexes many business leaders because how can we use, define or understand something we cannot control?
Business leaders are turning to traditional consulting firms for help but most don't understand rather treat this movement as marketing methods enhanced by technological tools. Business leaders are seeking best practices to copy. There isn't any "practice" to copy rather there is a mindset to understand.
An understanding of the dynamics of conversations based on open relationships of affinity in thinking, content, interest and talent. The dynamic is unique and not conventional to traditional business mindsets or cultures aimed at control. Unless there is synergy in mindsets and activity which demonstrates an understanding of the dynamic then the basis of a relationship cannot be formed and subsequently conversations cannot be facilitated effectively.
Traditional consultants with traditional mindsets cannot provide a "practice or a mythology" which provides understanding. Most of today's consultants can provide business with the tools but unless you know how to "build a community of relationships" the tools are useless.
What is a Community?
A community is a social group of organisms sharing an environment, normally with shared interests. In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness.
The word community is derived from the Latin communitas (meaning the same), which is in turn derived from communis, which means common, public, shared by all or many. Communis comes from a combination of the Latin prefix con- (which means "together") and the word munis (which has to do with performing services).
Our personal and professional lives consist of communities we identify and associate with others who share the same "community". At work we give and receive services from internal resources and collectively our entire work community is aimed at providing services to external communities of suppliers and customers. The cohesiveness by which we work together towards common aims creates the effectiveness of the entire communities we have an identity with and influence over. The outcomes of any business is directly correlated to the effectiveness of the inter-related community cohesiveness which then creates the collective identity of the business brand.
The social web is a mashup of people self organizing into communities and the conversations are what create the cohesiveness, one to one to millions. People self organized into virtual communities represent a collective brand of interest and affinities that create the collective identity.
Self organized communities with common identities are in fact becoming a brand of influence. Unlike traditional physical world "brands of business communities" these virtual communities are self governed, and self controlled only by the thread of conversations that create the influence.
The paradigm shift of the social web is centric to understanding the word control. Control is used in a variety of contexts to express "mastery" or "proficiency". The word proficiency reflects ability, skill, competence, and knowledge. Unless one can understand, trust, engage and identify with a community of relationships one cannot expect to be proficient. Thomas Jefferson once said "The power of governance should be taken from the institutions of control and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."
Maybe Mr. Jefferson would be enjoying the power the social web gives to the people, control.
What say you?