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Succeeding With Web 2.0

McKinsey reports on a study of 50 early Web 2.0 adopters;
"To date, as many survey respondents are dissatisfied with their use of Web 2.0 technologies as are satisfied. Many of the dissenters cite impediments such as organizational structure, the inability of managers to understand the new levers of change, and a lack of understanding about how value is created using Web 2.0 tools. We have found that, unless a number of success factors are present, Web 2.0 efforts often fail to launch or to reach expected heights of usage. Executives who are suspicious or uncomfortable with perceived changes or risks often call off these efforts. Others fail because managers simply don’t know how to encourage the type of participation that will produce meaningful results."
Six factors appear to be critical:
  • Visible support from the top.
  • Best uses coming from users.
  • Incorporation into daily workflow.
  • Appropriate rewards, including ego-gratification.
  • Targeting technology-savvy opinion leaders.
  • Setting appropriate policies yet getting comfortable with self-organization.
It's a whole new world - the democratizing of information and influence.


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