The Global Human Capital Journal

Knowledge Economy Unfolds via All Things Digital-Social—Wearing Passion and Personality on Your Sleeve

Discerning Web 2.0 from Web 1.0—Ron May Gets Comeuppance as Happy and Successful

Web 2.0 entrepreneurs, financiers and professional services folk descended on Loyola University Chicago's Lewis Hall 29 May 2008 for "Tech Conference," TechCocktail's first ever day-long educational event. Founders Frank Gruber and Eric Olson served an effervescent yet heady elixir of heart-to-heart war stories, lessons learned and strategies by entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, lawyers, accountants and an executive coach.

Since attending TechCocktail 1 in July 2006, I have promoted the periodic TechCocktail "meetups" to everyone who will listen as the place to learn about and connect with Web 2.0 players and technology in Chicago (elsewhere now, too). Frank and Eric have created one of the most worthwhile groups and communities in the city and were recognized in the ITA's Citylights this year. Their first conference was both high value and quintessentially Web 2.0: speakers were open about what had worked and what hadn't. The program was well balanced, organized and entertaining. There were considerable lessons for Web 2.0 entrepreneurs and their providers to take away.

Leveraging B2C "Social" Networks for Real Enterprise Advantage—Flashbacks to Web 1.0—People in Bars

Pan in, circa 1998, and enterprises were beginning to doubt the conventional wisdom that had prevailed during the past three years, namely that "the Internet" was a Silicon Valley fad that would blow over with nary a whimper. It was "for kids," it didn't merit adult attention—none of these "businesses" were making money anyway. You can't be serious, how could a money-losing online bookstore affect GM? It looks silly to read these words today, but that's only because we know what happened. Here I will suggest that we are on the cusp of a similar shift with Web 2.0 and social networks, I'll outline an approach you can use to consider your adoption strategy, and I will recommend tactical things you can do right now to leverage LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Del.icio.us and others.

Since 2006, my consulting work has encompassed strategic and tactical sides of Web 2.0 and social networks and, in 2008, I launched a tactically-focused service, the Executive's Guide to LinkedIn, which helps global enterprises to use LinkedIn for process innovation. This has provided the opportunity to deep dive into applying these tools to enterprise processes.

A New Synthesis in the Knowledge Economy—Fast Forward to the Past—Plus, The Fire

Noodles are largely driven by intuition and holistic mental doodling, and this one has been simmering a long time*. I believe that there is profound meaning in virtual and literal "mobility," and I'll explore its significance in terms geography and human relationships. Geography has always had a profound impact on how humans have lived and the organizations in which we have lived, and when its meaning shifts, our lives are transformed. This is of paramount importance because human relationships are currently transitioning from geography-based to interest-based. Many governments and businesses harbor business rules that assume geography-based relationships, and, unless they appreciate the shift to interest-based relationships, they will experience disruption's spin cycle. Lose a turn. Don't pass go ,^)

Before exploring how these things will unfold in Part II, let's review three geographies and four economies here in Part I...

"What? I can't go to the grocery store! My bank's automated teller machine refuses to dispense cash, and I'm planning a big cook-out tonight!" What's an avatar to do?

It turns out that an inworld bank failure this summer cost residents about $750,000 USD and led to a run on Second Life banks, which eventually precipitated intervention by the highest authority available, the virtual world's creator, Linden Labs. But the root cause may well have been LL's earlier intervention in the economy by banning gambling on the site. According to Second Thoughts, gambling was a very lucrative business that offered jobs to newbies, Second Life's version of immigrants who are a vital part of the economy. Read more about this engaging story, "Cheer Up, Ben: Your Economy Isn't As Bad as This One," (23 January 2008, The Wall Street Journal).

Editor's Choice of the Global Human Capital Journal

As I reflect on 2007 and create strategy for 2008, several macro-trends come into sharp relief, and I believe that some of them might be helpful to you as you conduct your own planning. As always, I focus on emerging phenomena because they are areas in which disruption and discontinuous change are acting on markets, thereby elevating threats and opportunities. Helping leaders to create strategy to manage the risk of unusual market developments is the focus of my consulting practice.

In 2007 it became clear to me that we were entering a profound social transformation that would produce an unimaginable degree of change. Unlike the technology-precipitated change that I've been helping people with since the 1990s, technology is shifting to the background now, and pervasive social change is taking the stage. Look for disruption in all areas affected by how people connect, communicate, purchase and collaborate: business, politics, community and leisure. Moreover, these changes are completely global with all the variations that engenders.

I can't tell you how many acts this opera has, but 2007's themes can provide you enough clarity, at a minimum, to notice that the water is getting warmer. I have also included among the links some prescriptive market advisories I wrote this year. They give explicit advice and action steps to maneuver your organization so that you can become stronger as these changes unfold.

Thank you for your readership and support, and best regards as the curtain rises on the first act!

Geeky Session Explains How a Potent Mix of "People Like Me" Navigation and Digital Leverage Can Drive Sales and Profits

The Secret to Emerging Markets?

The Global Human Capital Journal's coverage of the Forrester Consumer Forum 2007 continues with this session on social tagging. Before your eyes glaze over, bear with me and learn how this simple, revolutionary social technology can help your customers to help your business. Forrester's Sarah Rotman Epps moderated a discussion with Brian Rosenblat, Online Retail Industry Lead, Endeca Technologies and Jay Shaffer, Vice President Marketing, PowerReviews, who represented companies that offer social tagging solutions, and they all shared numerous examples.

This was one of the most "actionable opportunity" sessions of the conference: tagging is a relatively unknown, simple, yet transformational Web 2.0 phenomenon that will gain traction in 2008 and explode in 2009. If you aren't doing it, you will be at a significant disadvantage to your competitors who do.

The Global Human Capital Journal published the overall conference wrap as well as in-depth coverage of several sessions. Access all through the link to the conference logo (right).

A Paradoxical Proposition, Are People More Real Where They Live Their Dreams?—Zapped by Conventional Thinking

Gaming and virtual worlds like Second Life have been a hot topic due to their novelty and, where gaming is concerned, their Gen X and Gen Y demographics. However, early adopter marketers who have flocked to virtual worlds to create presences there have often been disappointed. Forrester's Paul Jackson is a long-time follower of gaming and virtual worlds, and he gave a fascinating and valuable session on the status and best practices for how marketers can approach this new medium. He also gave a rough ROI picture of investing. Just like anything, if you approach virtual worlds with appropriate goals, you can benefit significantly.

Case Studies Presage Imminent Adoption of Social Technologies—Emerging Markets Prize In Balance

A who's who of global marketing executives convened on the Hilton Chicago October 11-12, 2007 for two days of cramming on social networks, emerging technology and transformation. It certainly felt like an inflection point: analysts' insights and technology pioneers' zeal were tempered by corporate stories in the trenches. Based on my experience with previous adoption curves, I predict a significant jump in Web 2.0 adoption by c