‘A funny thing happened to me on the way to bank…’
Well that should be re-phrased as a ‘funny thing happened to me on the way to a cross-industry workshop’. They (the corporate big wigs) sat up and listened.
BT held a cross-industry workshop designed to identify what the industry sector leaders need to promote and uphold for a successful set of ‘modern’ working practices. Or to re-phrase; the ways in which new technology and new media offer opportunities for working practices that put new demands on employers. And so what is the best way(s) that they can meet these needs?
Some really interesting issues came through from the discussions that included representatives from Unilever, Reuters, Shell, RBS and of course BT. These I thought pertinent to share with Girly Geekdom, not least as these represent some of the potential work environments that Girly Geeks are already, and are to be, a part of.
So how to take advantage of the next generation of ‘savvy’ and ‘innovative’ users of new media that are the current networked and highly digitised social arenas? The skills that demarcate us as ‘geeks’, that perhaps were even once seen as ‘futile’, are now seen as opportunities that are essential to the recruitment and successful training of future employees.
Most encouragingly discussion was not about short-term profit margins, but the identification of the real issues and most importantly the possible solutions, or rather prospects, that companies should be taking advantage. One key factor is that there is a ‘time lag’ between the highly savvy and technology immersed ‘geeks’ that we are, used to dealing with high volumes of information and content, compared to the inner workings of many industries. Corporations are yet to catch up, or even to catch on, to the expectations and new sets of skills and protocols that this generation of workers have.
Much of this is to do with a ‘re-jigging’ of the corporate hierarchy. From the old Top-Down model of boss, to executives, to workers; to a more equal and horizontal working practice that could be seen as a ‘ecosystem’ of a new kind of corporate community. Take the Girly Geek 2nd Anniversary Dinner at SKYPE offices, with their bean bags, bar, foosball, PS3’s chill out areas, sofas etc you don’t get much more collaborative, ‘friendly’ and appealing a work environment than that! Score One for Geek creativity!
So two important points to note: First, industry leaders, corporations and business need to change how they approach new technology and the users of technology as potential employees. IBM failed to embrace the potential openings of social networks when they first emerged, and it is no mistake that they now actively encourage their workforce to merge their social networks with work contacts and this is seen as part of the ‘normal’ working day. Not time wasted, rather this is business realising that the skills of interactions, communication and management of a highly complex set of social links (work or other wise) make for a useful set of corporate expertise.
Second the employee is now a ‘consumer’ of working culture, who has specific demands that need to met. No longer is it about ‘what can I offer to X company?’; instead ‘what should X company be offering to me?’ In terms of Girly Geeks this points rather positively in the direction of collaboration and a movement away from the old hierarchal and Top Down managerial model that was a part and parcel of a typically male-centric organisation.
As Girly Geeks what we need to ensure is that we continue to promote the very skills that we take for granted. The next time you log into your Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr account(s) etc note that what in fact you are doing is a high skill set and a part of highly desired and commercially rich tools for business – that for once put the power dynamic is firmly on our footing.
As Girly Geeks we are already at the cutting edge of not only geekdom, but business too! Peachy!
About Dr Mariann Hardey
I hold the position of Lecturer in Social Media Marketing at Durham Business School. I also spend too much time enjoying social technologies, media+ stuff. That'll make me a Geek then. And a gal.
