Technology Confined Collaboration?
by Volker Weber
I have seen a large number of collaboration installations. Never, had I seen an environment that thrived as much as this one. Every division was using web collaboration products to further the corporate mission. I had to ask the question: "So, how many of these virtual web places do you have running?" -- Pause -- "Today, or yesterday?", came the reply. "Pick the high water mark from the last 6 months," I replied.
"Four...", said the IT person.
After the CIO picked himself up off the floor, we spent the next 15 minutes talking about why so few. It wasn't culture. It wasn't anticipated reciprocity. The IT lady summed it up best when she said, "web collaboration doesn't work the way people do."
