Social media in the enterprise is an anti de-motivator (not that I give a damn these days)

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Image: Graffitti: “Don’t Care, Won’t Explain” – photo by spanaut

Reasons for organisations to set their people free (to organise themselves) are outlined in an excellent post by Rex Lee called 5 Social Computing Benefits that Adoption Rates Don’t Show.

My favourite section is based on lessons from a favourite business book, Good to Great, by Jim Collins:

…Jim explains that the role of leadership is NOT to motivate. If you have to motivate and convince people to do something, you’re already starting in a bad position. Instead, if you have the right people and the right opportunity they will be “self-motivated”. The role of leadership then becomes making sure you don’t let people become “de-motivated”. Jim goes on to explain the importance of making sure you find the right people. But how do you do this?

One way is to leverage the power of self-organization.

Via social’s new slim-line high priest, Euan Semple… Cheers as ever, Mr S…

…And yes the sub-headline is in the irony font…

5 responses to “Social media in the enterprise is an anti de-motivator (not that I give a damn these days)”

  1. Hi, Antony. I’m trying keep in touch with you but I dont know how. I didnt know your blog, congratulations. Thanks for your comments. Did you see our new website?: http://www.bestiario.org.
    Best

  2. Excellent excerpt from a great book. Thanks for the reminder!

  3. Apparently Napolean said:

    ‘The role of the leader is to define reality and provide hope’

    That works, doesn’t it?

  4. Yes, Tom – that definitely does work… About as concise a defnition of leadership as I’ve seen.

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