As a bit of a postscript to my last post I wanted to follow up with a few more thoughts about the E2.0 Summit, Germany, and the reason it was so important for me to be there. One of the underlying value statements of the “2.0 philosophy” is that seeking multiple perspectives enhances understanding. This is a belief that I hold dear. It is one of the reasons I’m so attracted to Enterprise 2.0.
I was born and raised in the US, where we are taught to respect other people’s opinions, but that we also have the right to declare our opinions too. We value our freedom of expression and think we’re doing OK when it comes to openness and perspectives. But when you step out of your environment, you can see how others see you too. In Europe I noticed that people view the US as a bit self-focused. True, we respect the right for others to hold an opinion, but we don’t always seek to learn those opinions. In contrast, other cultures feel quite differently about how one should express opinions.
Here’s a general observation made by one person I met this week (who is German, but spent some time working in the US): “Near an election, many Americans display signs on their front yards indicating who they plan to vote for. You don’t see that in Germany. We don’t talk about this in public. Also we are generally more reserved about expressing opinions, whereas Americans seem to want to let the world know what they think.”
As one who is expressive and extroverted, I had to admit that the description was hard to shake. But I reminded my new friend that we must adjust for the availability bias. In other words, we have plenty of shy, introverted Americans — you just don’t hear them (because they are shy and introverted). That said, I did notice that German participants at the E2.0 Summit did not challenge speakers as much as others did. Some of the speakers said things that I think deserved to be challenged — and at the break I learned that participants agreed, but chose to keep quiet and not appear as one who challenges a respected guest.
In a session discussing international cultural issues and collaboration, Mark Masterson (an American living in Germany, working in a multinational company) shared many incredibly profound insights about how this plays out in the Enterprise 2.0 space. One was that German employees favored participation in the discussion forums whereas the US and UK employees liked to blog more. Fascinating. Blogs enable conversation in the comments, just like forums too — but they differ. My blog is mine — my space, my soapbox, my opinions, my assertions. Forums are more egalitarian. Some people will feel more comfortable there.
But how would you know this? It’s very difficult to see what other people see unless you go where they are and see it with them. I assert this practice must be part of the behavior of Enterprise 2.0. (See, I asserted my opinion again.)
Many E2.0 conversations take place discussing the Enterprise 2.0 marketplace from the perspective of US vendors and US clients sharing US case studies. We are a large enough marketplace that there is plenty to fill the space with our own perspective. I feel we need to do better. It was important for me to go to Europe to see E2.0 from their perspective. According to Dion Hinchcliffe, Germany is the #2 marketplace for E2.0 (I did not see the data or know the original source, and am not sure if this was listing countries where US would be #1, or languages where English [e.g., US, Canada, UK, Australia, NZ...] would be #1 — big difference.) And we should not overlook the French market either.
I recently wrote a report on Enterprise 2.0 Adoption. I note that it was very important that I interviewed someone in a UK company, a French company, a multinational (where I spoke to representatives of the same company, one in the US the other in Germany) as well as US companies based in different regions of the country. This multiplicity of perspective is a key ingredient to the value of this report. I encourage you to purchase it and tell me if you agree.
Stepping outside your comfort zone and understanding what others see is a very illuminating exercise. I suggest that those people who do so will be more successful with Enterprise 2.0 adoption. Think of it this way: When you fly to another country, where you don’t know the language or culture, where you feel a bit jetlagged and disoriented, and where you might even have some preconceived impressions — well, you start to understand what it must feel like for the many employees that first start using a new social-software platform. It’s strange. You are unsure and reluctant. You need a little bit of help — and it’s OK.
E2.0 consultants and practitioners need to be reminded how to see the world from the perspective of their clients. My talk at the E2.0 Summit was all about the importance of listening and stepping out of our comfort zone to understand the client. It was a reaction to seeing far too many E2.0 blogs and presentations that asserted an author’s opinions in the form of statements:
- “The most important thing is…”
- “You should first focus on…”,
- “The E2.0 vision is all about…”
It’s about time that we shift the conversation and ask our clients
- “What is most important to you?”
- “What do you seek to accomplish first?”
- “What is the vision for your success?”
After all — we philosophically assert that E2.0 welcomes multiple perspectives. So we must gather those perspectives to truly live up to our message. I’m looking forward to sharing more about what I learn in my travels and I continue to welcome you to respond in the comments — your perspectives are vital to the conversation.
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