As explained in some of our conferences, the expectations of new employees reflect the social environment of the web. It is when “4i” new behavior “(Individualism, Interconnection, and Inventiveness Impatience) meet the” 4 Cs of “web of life” (Community, Collaboration, Conversation and Customization). Gary Hamel, a management guru and author of “The Future of Management”, looks back at the new professional expectations of what he calls the “Facebook generation”.
Gary has collected 12 characteristics of this online life to help managers of Fortune 500 “to reflect on the directions given to their management practices and to overcome their bureaucratic tendencies:
1. All ideas are comparable on an equal footing
On the Web, each idea has a chance to gain a following - or not and no one has the power to kill off a subversive idea or stifle an embarrassing debate. Ideas gain traction on the basis of merit rather than the perceived political power of their sponsors.
2. Contributions are more than references
When you post a video on YouTube, no one asks you what film school you graduated from. When you write a blog, nobody cares about whether you are a journalist. Status, title and degree; all of these usual status differentiators factors carry much weight online. On the internet, what counts is not your CV, but what you contribute to the party.
3. Hierarchies are natural, non-prescribed
In a forum, there are some individuals who command more respect and attention than others – and have the influence as a consequence. Critically though, these individuals have not been appointed by a higher authority. Instead, their clout reflects the approval of their peers. On the web, authority trickles up, not down.
4. Leaders serve, they do not lead
On the Web, every leader is a servant. Nobody has the power to command or sanction. Credible arguments, proven expertise and selfless behaviour are the only levers for getting things done through other people. Forget this online and your followers will soon abandon you.
5. The tasks are chosen, not assigned
The Web is an opt-in economy. Whether it is to contribute to a blog, participate in an open source project or sharing advice in a forum, people choose to work on things that interest them. Everyone is an independent contractor and everyone scratches their own itch.
6. The groups define themselves and organize themselves
On the internet, you get to choose your compatriots. In any online community you have the freedom to link up with some individuals and ignore the rest. You can share deeply with some folks and not at all with others. Just as no one can assign tedious tasks or work with dull colleagues.
7. Resources are attracted, not affected.
In large organizations, resources are allocated from the top-down, sometimes in a politicised Soviet-style budget dispute. On the web, human efforts are directed towards the ideas and the projects that are the most attractive (and fun), and away from those that are not. In this sense, the Web is a market economy in which millions of people can decide - at any time - how to spend their most precious resources, time and attention.
8. The power comes from the sharing of information, not its retention.
The Web is also a gift economy, the era of freenomic. To gain influence, you must give away expertise and provide content. And you must do so quickly or someone else will do so for you and garner the credit that might have been yours!
9. Opinions are made and decisions are reviewed by peers
On the internet truly smart ideas spread quickly, no matter how disruptive they may be. The Web is a near perfect media for this famous aggregate ‘crowd wisdom’. Whether it is in formally organized debates or in relaxed discussions, once assembled, the voice of the masses can be used as a sounding board to challenge the entrenched interests and institutions of the off-line world.
10. The user can veto political decisions
Like many Internet moguls have learned to their sorrow, online users are opinionated and vociferous – and will quickly attack any decision or policy change that seems to be contrary to the interests of the community. The only way to keep users loyal is give them substantial say in key decisions. You may have built the community, but in reality it will be the users that really own it.
11. The intrinsic rewards matter most
Think of all the articles contributed to Wikipedia, all the open source software created, all the advice freely given – add up all the the number of volunteer time involved to create it all and it is obvious that human beings give generously when they’re given the chance to contribute to something that they care about. Money is important but not as much as the recognition and sense of accomplishment.
12. The Hackers are heroes
Large organisations tend to make life uncomfortable for activists and rabble rousers however constructive they may be. In contrast, the virtual online communities frequently embrace those with strong anti-authoritarian. Views. On the Web, muckraking malcontents are frequently celebrated as champions of the Internet’s democratic - particularly if they have managed to hack a piece of code that has been interfering with what others regard as their inalienable digital rights.
These features of the web of life “are part of the DNA of social culture 2.0/comportement Y / Facebook generation but are mostly ignored by large companies. Certainly, there are many people looking for a job right now but are they really ready to work in cubicle land?
Translated from our French article
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