More on the Myth of Control

Whoowee! The Blogoclump is all abuzz with talk about the "myth of control", or the fear that associations seem to have (as I saw first hand at the Technology Conference and also at the Great Ideas Conference in Florida) about losing control - over their content, their communications, their marketing, you name it - if they were to embrace collaborative social media technologies.

Check out the conversation here, here,and here, for a start.

I also read a great post by Jay Deragon on SMT on this issue - I wouldn't normally quote this much but this really resonated with me. His emphasis.

"Today’s business managers cannot comprehend the power of a connected world without borders and a web that is open, seamless and free. The power is shifting to the individual self organized into swarms with affinities and influence. No one individual is in control rather the conversational rivers control and ignite the influence.

The power is not self defined rather a phenomena created out of collective relationships and subsequent conversations, a self developed and self organized community. These concepts and phenomena go against all the training and education today’s business manager have received from our educational institutions and the on the job training of the past.

Who Has The Experience to Understand What is Going On?

Historical management models have been centered around control. Control of people, processes, media and outcomes. When the outcomes are not what shareholders expected management simply “steps in and makes changes to achieve the end results”. This perception of control has been the result of self defined power and controlled organizations as well as controlled conversations. But society has changed, we now have a web of relationships connected to everything, everywhere with influence over markets, conversations and the economy.

This new “connected global virtual society” rejects control rather is self controlled by the conversational transactions that form like rivers and swell with influence, one to one to millions. The lack of control is the very issue that perplexes many business leaders because how can we use, define or understand something we cannot control?

Business leaders are turning to traditional consulting firms for help but most don’t understand rather treat this movement as marketing methods enhanced by technological tools. Business leaders are seeking best practices to copy. There isn’t any “practice” to copy rather there is a mindset to understand.

An understanding of the dynamics of conversations based on open relationships of affinity in thinking, content, interest and talent. The dynamic is unique and not conventional to traditional business mindsets or cultures aimed at control. Unless there is synergy in mindsets and activity which demonstrates an understanding of the dynamic then the basis of a relationship cannot be formed and subsequently conversations cannot be facilitated effectively.

Traditional consultants with traditional mindsets cannot provide a “practice or a mythology” which provides understanding. Most of today’s consultants can provide business with the tools but unless you know how to “build a community of relationships” the tools are useless.

I think this is very true. I think there are, on the one hand, enthusiasts, first adopters, 1%ers and 10%ers, beta testers and the like who are very much in favor of trying these new technologies out and reporting back on the successes and failures. And on the other hand, there are the old guard, the traditionalists, who view all of this stuff with suspicion, who fear the loss of control.

But what I think we are sorely lacking in is a new group in the middle, a group of consultants, perhaps, or mid-level leaders, who can actually show people how to jump from one side of the divide to the next in a mission-driven way. Who can show the old guard exactly how to leverage these new technologies, these social communities and this peer-produced content, in such a way as to show that they can create value for their associations and that the perceived "loss of control" is actually (or will soon be) irrelevant.