Book Review: Decoding Evolutionary Roots of Human Social Behavior

Digital social networks give front row seats in many aspects of human dramas, but few companies or individuals have the understanding of human behavior to appreciate fully what they are seeing. Many executives of commercial and government enterprises perceive “social” behavior as frivolous and discourage employees’ activity in social networks. This exceptional book shows that the separation of “work” and “social” is dangerously out of place today because collaboration produces the lion’s share of business value. To succeed, leaders need to appreciate the importance of social activity in collaboration and productivity, and how digital social networks can increase productivity. […]

President Bill Clinton Asks IIT Alumni to Join in Crusade Against Inequality

President Bill Clinton challenged IIT alumni to use their ingenuity in the service to mankind: “Being a good citizen no longer means paying your taxes and depending on your government. We can use innovation to help the less fortunate directly.” His message fell on ready ears and was deeply appreciated by 2,500 graduates of the Indian Institutes of Technology at PanIIT, their annual global conference, which was held in Chicago, Illinois. […]

Preview: PanIIT Enterprise Social Networking Panel

Sneak preview: the only social networking panel at 2009’s PanIIT, featuring insights from executives from Alcatel-Lucent, Allstate and Experian as well as two enterprise social networking consultants. […]

PricewaterhouseCoopers Social Business Case Study

Salvatore Reina shares insights about PricewaterhouseCoopers’ global social networking initiatives.. highlights of internal projects and client engagements […]

Social Networks and the Relationship Life Cycle: Myths and Realities

Digital social networks are transforming every field of human endeavor because they change the economics of how people discover, develop and maintain relationships. Therefore, social networks propose a revolution in communication is similar in scope to Ford’s invention of the assembly line for fabrication but executives don’t understand it. This post […]

Economic Disruption: How to Benefit Your Company and Career

Why 2009’s economic disruption will prove more pervasive and protracted than many experts think—and how you can guide you company. Guidance on using social networks to become more competitive and enhance your survival. […]

Realizing Value: The Social Network Life Cycle Model

Life cycle model for social networks provides a blueprint for investment, along with goals, activities and milestones for each stage. A plan of action for creating value from enterprise social networking initiatives. […]

Web 2.0 Investment Strategy: Outperform Rivals by Using Adoption Cycle

Web 2.0 investment strategy uses a new adoption model to prepare for the Web 2.0 boom and bust by understanding and managing risks of applying social networks to business and government […]

Social Networks Reach Puberty: 2009 Miami Social Networking Conference Shows Broad Enterprise Case Studies

Twitter and Facebook Top of Mind | #snc2009 | Awaiting Discovery: The Nascent Power of Weak Ties and Small Touches

Design 4What a difference a year makes! The Social Networking Conference debuted several years ago as a forum for social networking sites and vendors, with enterprise clients few and far between. Miami 2009 took place January 22-23, 2009 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, and it was a veritable enterprise 2.0 conference. Many of the presenters hailed from enterprise-focused high technology vendors, but they spoke as social networking practitioners. The good practices they shared reflected the maturation of social networks. Don’t get me wrong, we are still in early days, but it was obvious to see that social networks would be completely mainstream this year. Enterprise-focused vendors provided additional evidence by explaining some of the new social network features in their offerings.

Social Networking Watch’s Mark Brooks gave an overview of key trends, while jetBlue’s Morgan Johnston and IBM’s Adam Christensen drove home the message that companies could be rewarded for trusting their customers in social networks. Ford’s Scott Monty, Sun’s Lou Ordorica and Microsoft’s Marty Collins shared how they were […]

2009 Predictions and Recommendations for Web 2.0 and Social Networks

Volatility, Uncertainly and Opportunity—Move Crisply while Competitors Are in Disarray

2008_PredctNow that the Year in Review 2008 has summarized key trends, we are in excellent position for 2009 prognostications, so welcome to Part II. As all experienced executives know, risk and reward are inseparable twins, and periods of disruption elevate both, so you will have much more opportunity to produce uncommon value than normal.

This is a high-stakes year in which we can expect surprises. Web 2.0 and social networks can help because they increase flexibility and adaptiveness. Alas, those who succeed will have to challenge conventional thinking considerably, which is not a trivial exercise in normal times. The volatility that many businesses face will make it more difficult because many of their clients and/or employees will be distracted. It will also make it easier because some of them will perceive that extensive change is afoot, and Web 2.0 will blend in with the cacaphony. Disruption produces unusual changes in markets, and the people that perceive the new patterns and react appropriately emerge as new leaders.

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