People are critical thinkers

People are innately very opinionated, we always practice critical thinking. What more now that generation by generation people develop practicing this ability in enhancing knowledge and information. Now all that’s left for organizations is to find ways to help maximize the potential of each generation as well as make use of the available source of ideas.

Like in the article Wiki Workplace, we are now exposed to a new era of collaboration and production, it is necessary that everyone should be open to change in practice and culture. People use the internet to express their thoughts and opinions more often than they do it personally. That is where and when social networking sites play a big part now. This is already a big success for these sites, but how would it help other businesses?

First, organizations use online user collaboration to help in the process of generating new ideas and feedback. They provide forums or sites that would enable users to provide their suggestions and comments about certain products or services. Also it is where you can map the interests of the majority because people’s interest would vary between generations.

But maybe for most organizations plunging into this continuously developing way of engaging other people would take in a lot of effort from the management itself. Fear would still be present since you are expanding your company boundaries to people you don’t know. There is a possibility that if you open an opinion site about your product for all people, it may ruin your reputation as a brand(nobody wants this to happen). So the best thing to do for all organizations would be to start observing this change inside their own organization. And since everyone is entitled to their own opinion and ideas, it would be much easier for organizations to encourage in-house collaboration. Each individual would be able to express their opinions not only regarding their work but other things as well. It is like hitting two birds with one stone, not only do you generate ideas from your own employees(which you would more likely trust than other person since they already know the organization) but also connect employees and management. By improving a way for them to collaborate you also enhance their abilities and potentials without hurting some traditional practices in the organization.

From there, by taking small steps toward this change, organizations would be able to compete in the competitive economy present.

Reflection: Internet Apocalypso

A typical soap opera or koreanovela shown in the Philippines has the “bida” and the “kontrabida”. We sometimes apply the principles displayed in these soap operas that we already make them a part of our lives. In (chapter one of the Cluetrain Manifesto) Internet Apocalypso, Christopher Locke features the “kontrabida-like” role of companies to their employees/consumers. It is when the executives are scared to make their employees completely part of the company. They would limit them to tasks assigned and they were not given the complete freedom to express themselves. Think about giving up the control of what they own (even though they don’t really own their employees) would be really hard for those top execs. Some are perceived to have a profit-oriented, control freak attitude. But still, things had to change. There should be no villain in the real world.

Embracing the new technology that continues to evolve is the only way to survive in an also evolving community. Individuals have their own thoughts regarding so-many things around them, and they become more eager to voice it out. And like now, internet is the first thing that pops into our minds. No one has the right over other people’s thought and action. It’s just right that people have this new way to express their thoughts. It is seen and used in a fight for what you think is right, in a more subtle manner and without really fighting. And this time it’s not done in a rowdy way, rather people also relieve their anger and stress through the help of the internet.

From the history of silencing the voices of people inside organizations came this technology that both solves that problem and improves communication. Since our natural instinct is to communicate and interaction is vital, the internet is such a hit. You don’t have to be silent anymore because you know there are a lot of people that would listen.

The internet brings out the best in people by providing them a place to be themselves and encouraging exercise of choice and freedom. After all the information and persuasion on expressing yourself, at the end of the day that is still your choice to make. “You” (individual or a group) may use internet to either your advantage or disadvantage. Nobody wants to end up regretful, just like what everthing else, you would still be careful on expressing your thoughts (we don’t want other scandals and wars). The internet can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It can also be a source of your happiness or your fear.