Comments on: Is IT Collaboration an Unnatural Act?

By: Dennis Kennedy’ Links of the Week - April 20, 2008 IP Down Under

Dennis Kennedy’ Links of the Week - April 20, 2008 IP Down Under — Sun, 18 May 2008 05:16:36 +0000

[...] Is IT Collaboration an Unnatural Act? [...]

By: Is IT Collaboration an Unnatural Act: Part 3 « IT Organization Circa 2017

Is IT Collaboration an Unnatural Act: Part 3 « IT Organization Circa 2017 — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:01:13 +0000

[...] itorganization2017 I started discussing the organizational change implications of collaboration a couple of posts back, then introduced a specific case study in the last post. Now I want to pick up that case study [...]

By: Is IT Collaboration an Unnatural Act: Part 2 « IT Organization Circa 2017

Is IT Collaboration an Unnatural Act: Part 2 « IT Organization Circa 2017 — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:09:03 +0000

[...] – a helpful lens for the future?The “Unwritten Rules” of Project, Program and Portfolio ManagementIs IT Collaboration an Unnatural Act?Re-thinking Business-IT MaturityProject vs. Program vs. Portfolio [...]

By: itorganization2017

itorganization2017 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:57:27 +0000

Whoaaa! This particular thread may be taking on larger proportions – I like where this is going! Thanks, Russ!

By: Russ Aebig

Russ Aebig — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:17:32 +0000

I love the idea of a social layer on top of ITIL.

A similar concept would be a social layer on top of CoBIT or similar “standardized frameworks.” This collaboration which will enhance the value of the framework when adapted to a specific industry, company, or department.

Russ

By: itorganization2017

itorganization2017 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:49:10 +0000

Hmmm.. “craft a social layer on top of ITIL Service Management” I love it! You always had a great talent for taking ideas to new places with great impact – I know you will figure this one out! Sounds like you’re onto something! Let me know how it plays out.

By: Bob Landstrom

Bob Landstrom — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:14:11 +0000

Excellent insight. Loops as spirals.

My first application of this is toward IT Service Management. I think the opportunity for this is amplified by the sort of mash up that ITIL v3 has caused in the roles involved in Service Management. I’m hopeful that I can craft a social layer on top of ITIL Service Management to help with this issue.

Thanks much for the tip.

By: itorganization2017

itorganization2017 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:05:09 +0000

Interesting point, Bob! I think that one of the reasons to collaborate in the business process space is to get to a more fluid, agile capability, and , as you say, to “more immediacy.” You can think of that as a risk of creating a “circular” loop, as you warn, or of can opportunity to create a “spiral” – a rapid, iterative convergence towards an ideal state. Clearly, the latter is as desirable as the former is undesirable, so it is down to the process owners and facilitators to ensure rapid iterative convergence, and to prevent circular “thrashing.”

By: boblandstrom

boblandstrom — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:46:08 +0000

Hello Vaughan.

I think you’ve mapped Kenneth Crow’s framework very well into the behavior one typically encounters in an IT organization. Good work.

Your post on this subject is timely for me, because it causes me to reflect on an idea for which I’ve been collaborating (there’s that word again) with a few other like-minded individuals. In particular, the application of Web 2.0 technologies to IT/Business Processes.

Your point #5 is appropriate here. You mentioned SDLC framework. That is a candidate for what I’ve been working on, as are certain ITIL processes in the Service Management context. The idea is to facilitate the process as a whole by facilitating more immediacy in the components of the process that touch stakeholders.

So, the thought you bring to mind for me is whether there’s a risk of a circular loop in applying collaboration to business processes, which because of the environment in which they operate, may be inherently challenged by collaboration to begin with.

I’ll need a few moments to digest that.

Thanks for the food for thought.

Bob