Talk into Action in Cyberspace

A few years ago, I did quite a bit of work on social network theory (and still incorporate elements of social network analysis in my work as a "patternhunter"). We used to some consulting for groups who were struggling with the question "How do we use technology to convert all this fascinating and exciting discussion into some form of concerted action?" We created a simple map of the social software universe (now a bit outdated) that slices social space into three discrete areas: Structureless Exploration (discussion, brainstorming, dialogue, etc. where the primary goals are to share information, find like-minded people and reduce social distance), Purposeful Process (for creating work teams with relatively formal plans), and the Barrier of Selection between the two. (And thinking back on it now, I have come to hate these terms and need to do some serious redesign).

The short story is that we found that many of the social technologies (blogs, discussion groups, chat, IM, etc.) sitting on top of the internet are fantastic for encouraging Structureless Exploration (or what William Gibson called more eloquently "wasting time."). The original version of SecondLife seems to primarily fit into this category.

What makes Purposeful Process work is not the technology itself, but the Selection process. The more clearly defined the goals, action items and accountability, the greater the personal risk of failure and therefore the more challenging it is to get people to "sign up." Also, when those who do commit to the project see what they feel is an unacceptably low barrier to membership (e.g., anyone can join the team and take credit for the result regardless of their commitment, contribution, skills, etc.), the team starts to fall apart.

What I think is really interesting about some of the new developments in SecondLife is that current work teams are starting to extend their presence into virtual environments. Given that conference calls already crossed into similar territory many years earlier, making the leap to SecondLife isn't all that extraordinary. Some of the work I am doing now has to do with figuring out ways to build productive teams that start in cyberspace and may (or may not) extend into the physical world. For now, that means starting with the simple but often unasked questions "What do we want to accomplish?" and "Who can we invite to help that is likely to make significant contributions?"