Organizing without organizations – and the future of Organization Development John D. Smith with Susan Goldstein Oregon ODN Chapter – Jun 11, 2008 If today people can do things with social technologies that challenge the viability of organizations in surprising ways – without organizations – what role will there be for organization development?

walmart distribution center www.flickr.com/photos/40954787@N00/1787856

Computing 1.0 Automating accounting leads to larger organizations Large organizations need more OD Life is good (we are (partially) shielded from computers)

Automating accounting leads to larger organizations

Large organizations need more OD

Life is good (we are (partially) shielded from computers)

'747 x 2' www.flickr.com/photos/66578088@N00/1244037939

http://www.flyersrights.com/index.html

'Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition (1911)' www.flickr.com/photos/12037949632@N01/461099066

Wikipedia’s effect on the encyclopedia business http://en.wikipedia.org

Let’s go to the movies! The life around one page on wikipedia: http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/gems/umlaut.html The larger picture (the machine in us): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE

The life around one page on wikipedia: http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/gems/umlaut.html

The larger picture (the machine in us): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE

Small group discussion How might social technologies threaten or benefit the organization you work with?

How might social technologies threaten or benefit the organization you work with?

'red' www.flickr.com/photos/30008272@N00/2402217211

Twitter in the hands of democracy activists Alaa Abd El Fattah and his wife Manal are democracy activists living in Cairo. Twitter keeps their network informed: Going to doky prosecutor judge murad accused me and manal of libel 10:11 AM April 04 Waiting for prosecutors decision might actually spend the night in custody 01:57 PM April 04 We are going to dokky police station 03:31 PM April 04 In police station no senior officers present so we are in limbo 04:29 PM April 04 We will not be released from giza security will have to go back to dokki station 07:59 PM April 04 On our way back to police station 10:25 PM April 04 We are free 11:22 PM April 04

Alaa Abd El Fattah and his wife Manal are democracy activists living in Cairo. Twitter keeps their network informed:

Going to doky prosecutor judge murad accused me and manal of libel 10:11 AM April 04

Waiting for prosecutors decision might actually spend the night in custody 01:57 PM April 04

We are going to dokky police station 03:31 PM April 04

In police station no senior officers present so we are in limbo 04:29 PM April 04

We will not be released from giza security will have to go back to dokki station 07:59 PM April 04

On our way back to police station 10:25 PM April 04

We are free 11:22 PM April 04

How to tweet Post and read in real time Microblogging: 160 characters per post Post by phone, web, blackberry, and other “client software” You choose who to follow

Post and read in real time

Microblogging: 160 characters per post

Post by phone, web, blackberry, and other “client software”

You choose who to follow

Small group discussion What opportunities might social technologies open up for you or yours? OD practitioners are cautious about technology adoption.

What opportunities might social technologies open up for you or yours?

OD practitioners are cautious about technology adoption.

Free conference calls supported on Facebook

What should guide our responses? Social technologies will pervade organizations The issues faced by organizations will change How organizations are formed will change How we participate in the life of organizations will change We can not influence systems without participating We should stay in touch with each other

Social technologies will pervade organizations

The issues faced by organizations will change

How organizations are formed will change

How we participate in the life of organizations will change

We can not influence systems without participating

We should stay in touch with each other

Identity http://twitter.com/smithjd Twitter http://learningalliances.net Blog http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=548231656 Facebook http://technologiesforcommunity.com

http://twitter.com/smithjd Twitter

http://learningalliances.net Blog

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=548231656 Facebook

http://technologiesforcommunity.com