Can the “New Network” break the “9-to-5” mentality, once and for all?

There’s a productivity paradox emerging with the rise of Enterprise 2.0, Web 2.0, and social networking approaches and technologies. That is, the end users that engage in these new ways of working see their productivity occur in “bursts” of activity and innovation, versus a more incremental, plodding progress measured by the time clock.

Harvard’s Andrew McAfee recently expressed concern about the perceptions that may arise around new collaborative information technology: Won’t employees spending time on the Web checking out Web 2.0/Enterprise 2.0 and social networking-related tools and sites be perceived as not spending enough time at their “real” jobs?

This, of course, is a concern that’s permeated every workplace since Thog opened his wheel-making shop back in 10,000 B.C. Employees should look “busy” at all times, even if they aren’t actually delivering value to the organization.

At enlightened, forward-thinking companies, managers understand – or are trained to understand – the connection between learning, innovation, and higher productivity - in fact, employees at these companies may even be encouraged to spend time learning and experimenting with new technologies. Google, for example, has a 20-percent rule, in which employees are encourage to spend 20 percent of their time devoted to pursuing new technologies and ways of working.

But, unfortunately, not everyone works at Google. The rest (alas, probably the majority) are stuck in hidebound, CYA-driven organizations where they probably need to exert just as much effort constantly trying to look “busy” as getting their required work done. Want to learn all this new-fangled stuff? Do it on your own time, not on our dime - you have all weekend off, by gosh! In such organizations, productivity increases may or may not be happening under the covers; management will be clueless about the impact of new collaborative ways of working.

Of course, organizations want the numbers to back up productivity gains, but measuring the success of New Networks and Enterprise 2.0 may be a difficult task. If management is actively engaged in these new technologies and ways of working, it’s likely there will be measurable productivity bumps no matter how or what kinds of activities are launched. The ultimate statement on productivity was made many decades ago, when researchers came up with the so-called “Hawthorne Effect.” Back in the 1920s and 30s, researchers at a Western Electric’s Hawthorne Works plant conducted a series of experiments to test the impact of lighting illumination on worker productivity. They found that when they raised the lighting levels in the plant, worker productivity increased.

However, they also found that when they lowered the lighting levels, productivity still increased.

They concluded that lighting - or other conditions they were testing for - had nothing to do with the productivity increases. Rather, it was the fact that management was paying attention to the workers that resulted in increased production levels. Nothing motivates employees more than 1) feelings of appreciation, and 2) feelings of “ownership” (not necessarily financial ownership).

So, to take the analogy back to modern times, it can be assumed that any and all efforts to promote collaborative information technologies, at least initially, may meet with similar success, simply because end users will have the impression that management is taking an active interest in their productivity and quality of work. The real test will come over time, as these new ways of working transform the organization to one that promotes productivity, entrepreneurial spirit, teamwork, and freedom to fail without repercussions.

That’s still a rare quality these days, and technology often only automates problems, not solves them. But, the message will sink in – once inspired companies that are achieving results with New Network approaches start eating the lunch of their more hidebound competitors. The enhanced competitiveness delivered by New Networks and “bursty” productivity will drive adoption of these new ways of working.

How does bursty productivity that comes with New Networking approaches differ from traditional “busy” styles of management? Anne Zelenka provided this excellent comparison of what it means to be engaged in the “burst” economy versus merely keeping “busy,” old-economy style. Of course, unenlightened managers out there will simply not see the bursty-ness of this new style of working.

Busy: “Show your face during all standard working hours…. The busy economy relies on face time as a proxy measure of real work.”

Burst: “If you produce what you need to, we don’t care when you do it or how long it takes…. The burst economy relies on workstreaming - the flow of output that a worker creates, documented online as automatically as possible.”

Busy: “Immediate response to email required…. The busy expect immediate response to email. They live in their email and they expect you to also.”

Burst: “Use better ways to communicate when available including blogs, wikis, IM, chat rooms, SMS, and RSS…. Bursters realize they don’t need to live in their email or respond immediately because the information will find them in other ways.”

Busy: “Manage the hierarchy inside your company…. The busy prioritize good relations with their boss and their boss’ boss and their boss’ boss’ boss. The busy spend time managing down also, by making sure their subordinates are not slacking off on showing their faces and immediately responding to email requests.”

Burst: “Connect laterally outside your department and company…. Bursters see that opportunities to take 2,000 steps forward in one hyperleap are more likely to happen through connections with people outside the company.’

Busy: “Always available during working hours.”

Burst: Declarative availability…. Bursters don’t hesitate to declare what they’re doing whether it’s personal or professional, because this makes it easier for colleagues to connect, collaborate, and coordinate with them - it makes teams more productive and binds them together on a human level.”

Busy: “Web surfing is bad.”

Burst: “Web surfing fertilizes and seeds the soil of the mind.”

Busy: “Long-term planning rules.”

Burst: “Try agile experimentation and fast failure instead.”