You then start feeling that you did not actually take a week off, you just compressed the work of 2 weeks in one. Several of us are working longer hours, taking work home and shrinking our weekends. We are only half joking when we say that vacation is regular work with a nicer view. Part of the reason this is happening is that our processes and tools at work were developed at a time were work was simpler. would guess that we are not even that lucky in our work lives. Photo credit: hynkle. Is there any way out of this mess? MORE >>

Blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual worlds and social media. In the spring of 2005, IBMers used a wiki to create a set of guidelines for all IBMers who wanted to blog. Whether or not an IBMer chooses to create or participate in a blog, wiki, online social network or any other form of online publishing or discussion is his or her own decision. However, emerging online collaboration platforms are fundamentally changing the way IBMers work and engage with each other, clients and partners. Some bloggers work anonymously, using pseudonyms or false screen names. MORE >>

Employees of the Dutch government are using web-based tools to share offices, conference spaces, and other resources. They rolled it ou,t building by building, and now the system includes more than 53 offices and 554 work spaces across the country. The employees say the net result is a “shift from the focus of individual ‘ownership’ as defined by specific government buildings and offices to a sense of ‘stewardship’ shared across the spectrum of government.”. As they enter the workforce, are they going to change our companies?  Maybe a little of both? MORE >>

IBM is an example of a company that supports initiatives to increase openness, ranging from their early adoption of wikis and blogs to the notion of jams and social network analysis. Cisco, for example, has been doing work in this area for years. However, it does require governance or cross functional thinking to innovate and find new possibilities that wouldn’t happen without multiple perspectives. Community champions within an enterprise can be hard to find. They are far too busy delivering results to wave their own flag. Lauren really knows her stuff. MORE >>

When I work with a lot of social media managers within enterprises, often social media or social business efforts lie on top of their jobs without any KPIs or additional time or resources. Internal process – govern, measure and refine "It is very important to integrate any of the goals and plans with the larger strategicals and plans. This is especially true with internal wikis and knowledge shares, not just external footprints. Because the content is likely to be useful to the members of my community too, Neil gave me the OK to re-post the interview here as well. MORE >>