How is Collaboration related to GETTING THE BIG PICTURE ???
To assimilate information is to get the big picture
Getting the BIG PICTURE from a single blog is expecting too much - but then that's the purpose of all the linking & postings that are related to other postings - a Blogger gets the chance to put things in perspective for others by using this medium. And a BLOGEE ( reader ) gets value from the network created thru this process. If people link to others blogs they are essentially giving people a way to begin their research & learning process - the process of GETTING the BIG PICTURE.
The ultimate thing though is - do people WANT the BIG PICTURE? That is to say - are they willing & able - have the time to - do the learning necessary to do so. Well - it becomes so much easier with tools like Radio & all the other tools that are add-ins to it - not to mention Google - my search engine of choice.
SO - like my CoP on Effective Collaboration is attempting to do - look for Communities that deal in the area - it's likely that there is a broad set of users in a Community - that they are "democratic" in the sense that every opinion is allowed to be expressed. Then it can be discussed, validated, rebutted & maybe even used to change the landscape – or ignored – that’s the way it all works, isn’t it?. When this process is "allowed" & encouraged, then the result is an effective way to GET THE BIG PICTURE.
Hearing - or reading - all the various perspectives - gets a user in the position of weighing them to draw conclusions & develop their own opinions - or assume the position of others they respect - others who have been in the area for a long time. They tend to develop TRUST in the opinions of others.
Now THAT'S the issue these days isn't it - whose opinions & "facts" can I TRUST. Who is taking a stand just to facilitate their objectives?
We ALL do that - but then - we all KNOW that is happening too - so we have the chance to objectively view the discussion & weigh in on the motivations of others involved in the processes we decide to get involved in.
Now, how can "technology" help me see who the experts are? There are lots of solutions out there that were built in the OLD KM days - that ranked the contributions of others - actually knew when a certain piece of knowledge was used to create another piece of knowledge - etc. The process is done today on the net with lots of things too - like page ranking in Google - like looking at hits on a blog site to see who is getting a larger number of "hits" than another. That shows who people are “going to” for their knowledge, research & opinions – and if that person is an “integrating” type of person – then their site networks into the community as well – expanding the perspectives – including the value of other’s contributions – or commenting on them.
But we are BACK to the community issue - for example Radio & Userland have a RCS - Radio Community Server. One of the benefits of that is the ranking of blogs - the ability to see who is getting the "hits".
So the moral is - look for that capability in the communities you "join" that are focused on specific domains you are interested in. Make sure that you weigh the opinions of others based on some criteria you are comfortable with.
But then we have the "issue" of - "How do I get to see what other people are thinking about this subject?". And, "How do I GET the Big Picture?" This translates into getting into the groove - no pun intended - although an endorsement could be derived from that comment :). At least for Collaborative Tools that stretch the envelope – test the waters – expand the horizon – “raise the bar” on solutions in the market.
Use tools for your own communities that makes this "BIG PICTURE" process - learning that is - a focal point of the offering - something that is embraced by the community - something that is easy to do & falls out of the solution in front of you - at your feet so to speak.
What we are REALLY talking about here is COLLABORATION – raw, process driven work that gives people the tools they need – the features that challenge them to step up to the table – belly up to the bar – make a difference – lay down the gauntlet – challenge the participants to “Do their BEST” & contribute beyond the norm, when the communities you get involved with allow true, effective collaboration - you will learn - you will be heard - you will have a chance to excel.
So the Get Involved - Make a Difference thing can WORK these days - it's all up to YOU. You decide.
If you think that Collaboration (the word, the process, the solutions) has become a mis-used & abused word or concept - is a confusing topic - is overly simplified in the market place - then speak up - get involved - join the CoP on Effective Collaboration - just click here - or on the left - to get access to the Document Library - actually it's a lot more than that - it's the beginnings of a full-blown CoP. There are discussion boards there.! J
