Web 2.0 is a Business Initiative, Not an IT Initiative

By Michelle Malay Carter on August 12, 2008 

Warning LabelI often find myself underwhelmed by survey results, responding to survey result reports?with the thought,?well duh!, rather than ah-ha!? You?

McKinsey’s latest, Building the Web 2.0 Enterprise: McKinsey Global Survey Results, had a few well duh’s for me as well.? I thought I’d share.

“A higher level of usage is found at companies that encourage it by using tactics such as integrating the tools into existing workflows, launching Web 2.0 in conjunction with other strategic initiatives, and getting senior managers to act as role models for adoption.”

Well duh!? If Web 2.0’s only use is outside the workflows of the organization, what is it’s purpose?

“These forward-thinking companies seem to be taking a more business-centric approach to the adoption of Web 2.0 as well. Satisfied respondents say that, in large measure, business units rather than IT departments are driving the selection of Web 2.0 technologies.6 Dissatisfied respondents report the reverse: IT units take the lead, choosing the tools and then delivering them to business units (Exhibit 8).7”

Well duh!? We’ve let the tail wag the dog too long.? Support functions are just that, support functions, when they function as such, the business does well.

Thanks to Luc Galoppin for the point to the survey and for his quote that I used as this post’s title.

I’m OK.? You’re OK.? Let’s fix the system.

Filed Under Corporate Values, Organization Design, Requisite Organization, Strategy

Comments

2 Responses to “Web 2.0 is a Business Initiative, Not an IT Initiative”

  1. Organization Structure is a Business Initiative Not an HR Initiative | Mission Minded Management on August 14th, 2008 8:47 am

    […] off a line from yesterday’s post, organization structure is a business initiative, not an HR […]

  2. Owen Jackson on August 10th, 2011 10:02 pm

    I have to interface between the I.T. department and the business customer on a regular basis. It seems that the “business” tends to dictate what I.T. should be doing. Instead, shouldn’t the direction and focus of the technology driving a company be lead by those with the tech knowledge? Only seems logical, yet far too often we see the opposite happening.

    Owen