Over Christmas, during a 24 hour pyjamathon, I flicked back through some old issues of Wired Magazine.  An article by Kevin Kelly in the June 09 issue jumped out at me.  I must have missed it the first time; the title of the article was The New Socialism. He talks about how we’re getting more and more connected through things like virtual co-ops, sharing scripts, open source APIs, Wikis as well as social networking and how this is creating a cultural revolution and a new type of socialism.  This short quote sums up the shift that Kelly describes;

“Instead of faceless politburo* we have faceless meritocracies where the only thing that matters is getting things done”

It got me thinking about the quiet army of people we know, who in the last two years, have made the brave leap out of established corporate jobs into the brave new world of digitally connected wiki working. One person we know works from his poorly insulated garage, one from a very compact, very well organised desk space in the corner of his living room and another from a small room above a shop.   Jon has recently converted his attic into an airy and stylish office space, complete with sea view, and last year my third bedroom had a utilitarian make over so when we’re not working in a traditional office we too have somewhere else to pursue our passion.

Alongside our more conventional partners what our growing network of individuals has in common is that they are self motivated to work autonomously and flexibly whilst also relying on each other’s specific skills and know-how to provide the best in communications planning, web development and digital marketing to their clients.

Here’s another wordier quote from the article;

“Digital Socialism is without state. Old school socialism was an era of enforced border, centralised communication and top heavy industrial processes.  The new socialism runs over borderless internet. It is designed to heighten individual autonomy and thwart centralisation. It is decentralisation to the extreme”

With the help of things like Skype calls, instant chat, Google Docs, Dropbox and the project management tools we have developed between us we all feel better connected, better supported and consequently more responsible to each other.   It’s an exciting time to be running your own business. We feel lean and nimble and more than ever we’re enjoying getting things done.

*I checked a thesaurus for the true meaning of politburo – supreme policy-making authority

Tags: digital marketing, digital socialism, organisational change, partners, wiki working

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You know what it’s like.  You go to a conference and you return to work upbeat and enthused about what is possible, all the really interesting things you’ve been talking about and how this is going to make a real difference in your organisation.  There comes the interesting bit  – your organisation – and how to actually make things happen in a ‘real organisation’ with all that entails.  Including the stuff that seems to stand in your way.

Earlier in the year I presented the closing session at the annual IDM/DMA West Digital Marketing Conference. Following the key note ‘The Digital Landscape 2009’ we heard from a range of expert practitioners across search, email, mobile and display.  My session, based on a case study covering our work with Visit Wales dealt with some of the more  practical lessons learnt – the ones we learnt while making digital happen in a real organisation.  Here are some of the big ones.

1. When you are kicking off something new keep a low profile. Ironically big budgets can sometimes work against you. Test and learn. Build your case and present the facts.
2. Doing digital well is still fundamentally about people and being smart rather than technology or media spend. Your team, internal and external, are always going to be your biggest asset.
3. Ensure everyone is working to their strengths. Focus on what you do best and work with others who are doing the same. Yourself, your team, your agencies and suppliers.
4. New models require new ways of working. Managing digital is as much about managing change as it is about managing digital. You need to plan for that change.
5. Ideas rule. But don’t be seduced by ideas. You agency knows how to help you develop your business, but remember – you know your business best. Be challenged but trust your instincts.
6. If you head up digital be prepared to spend some serious time influencing those above you.  Your challenge is to fill that gap between what your team know and what those above know.
7. Keep it simple – never underestimate the power of the fag packet diagram or the lift shaft summary.   But let those above see all the numbers – they will ask silly, difficult and important questions.
8. The list of things to do will never stop getting longer. The way you prioritise that list is critical to your success. Beware the opportunity cost.
9. Don’t let anybody tell you any different. We are all still learning.
10. I’ll let you know …

You can check out the slides I used to illustrate the stuff I mentioned above;

Tags: case study, digital marketing, organisational change, project management

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