Enterprise 2.0: One View of Implementation

On this blog, we’ve written many articles about how to implement Web 2.0 to foster collaboration in your enterprise. However, I came across this article by Jay Cross, and he has taken time to interview many experts on Web 2.0, and has written an article detailing exactly how to get your enterprise to buy into the success of how Enterprise 2.0 works.

We all know that people produce better ideas and work when they work together, but getting top management to buy into this new strange system can be difficult. Web 2.0 leads to full email boxes and pages and pages of web browsers with a few paragraphs of relevant information.

To start off the implementation of social software, start small. Begin implementing the tools in a few small departments. Make sure participants will use the software for the same thing, that they see the benefits for themselves of using this software, and the use of the software here will prove that it will be beneficial in other places.

So what are the questions you need to ask in order to show the benefits of the new found collaboration tools?
· What is the goal of the collaboration?
· What’s the current situation?
· What do expect it to be after the project?
· How will this be accomplished?
· What is the business benefit? (In business terms.)
· Who’s going to take part?
· What might go wrong?
· Is this a one-time project or an on-going process?
· Do we have sponsorship high up?
· Who will participate on the team?
· If it’s a one-timer, when will it be completed? What is the kill date?
· Who is the project champion?

Show the answers to this on your new corporate wiki. Then begin to gather people face to face to explain the software. Many times, it is easier to collaborate with people if you know them on an individual basis, because people work better with people they know.
How can you keep the momentum flowing? These are just a few ways that Cross suggests:
· Make the goal and ground rules clear at the outset.
· Structure the initial framework to fit the task.
· Make the online environment attracting and inviting.
· Pre-load templates, background info, and defaults.

How do you find it best that Enterprise 2.0 is implemented? Do you agree or disagree with any of the procedures Jay Cross takes?

UPDATE:

Jay Cross emailed me to clarify that he did extensive research and the article is about how companies implemented Enterprise 2.0. Therefore, these are not recommendations, it is solely the points of view he gathered from interviewing enterprises and how they implemented Enterprise 2.0.