Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum Blog

One big company represented at our table is developing internal facebook-type application. Intranet should be where you can do your job. Facebook would be a 'who's who' on steroids.

Social networks a good way to see who has the expertise in the organisation and to find mentors and connections across the globe, which helps with developing innovation.

Governance: there are guidelines, enough to let people know what they can and can't do but still enough freedom and trust.

Another company: biggest issue is culture. Company has a very dispersed set of expertises and different cultures. How do people with different backgrounds connect with each other. Operating in a lot of remote areas with poor technology links. Committed to it but how?

People can bring issues and ideas to the table. Put aside pride and say this is something I have to solve can anyone help?

Time is a problem too: when people in Australia want to collaborate the rest of the world is asleep.

Another participant: tried private facebook but it failed because people just wanted to talk face to face. Small office situation. No substitute for face to face; works best when there dispersed workforce.

Face to face also provides a lot of opportunities for pleasant time-wasting eg talking about footy which people are very attached to.

Feeling of 'ambient intimacy' develops overtime through social networking get to know stuff about people their families what they are thinking about. Important to have free flow for that to happen.

Facebook is about what you are doing, not what you are thinking and the latter is more important. Facebook as what I am doing is a fad and just creates a false sense of knowing someone.

Productivity benefits: knowing where knowledge lies great for customer relationships,

Always had social networking, 2.0 is just new ways of doing it. Need to look at how it works and how it can be used.

Not Gen Ys using these technologies: don't use IM for instance.

People are not searching differently between generations everyone wants everything straight away

Social networking makes it easier to work from home and feel part of the business.

Encourages people to be more innovative and put ideas forward but that depends on the organisation's culture

Can take a while to 'get' the power of blogging, slows down implementation

Very few people in organisations are aware and or positive about social networking

Lots of good stuff but also lots of noise generated; can be overcomed by search

Sometimes twittering is fun and other its intrusive; be good to have a volume button and just turn it down and just get the important stuff

Someone is experimenting with just using social networking not email. Down from receiving 40 emails today to forty a week