More on Wikinomics

Jeff De Cagna, over at Principled Innovation blog refers to Wikinomics as "probably the most important book for association executives and volunteers to read this year. As organizations across our community grapple with the strategic, cultural and business model implications of Web-enabled mass collaboration on a global scale, there is not a better resource for association leaders who are trying to make sense of it all."

I started reading it a few nights ago and have been struck by several of the statements made by the book's authors in the first chapter, including:

"These changes, among others, are ushering us toward a world where knowledge, power, and productive capability will be more dispersed than at any time in our history - a world where value creation will be fast, fluid, and persistently disruptive. A world where only the connected will survive...Harness the new collaboration or perish. Those who fail to grasp this will find themselves ever more isolated - cut off from the networks that are sharing, adapting, and updating knowledge to create value."

As someone working in an association, that last sentence hits home. We're used to being the creators of knowledge and value. But we'd be wise to recognize that the real power lies outside our walls and that the real value is created when our members share, adapt, and update knowledge. And more and more, you realize members don't really need you as much since they can connect and collaborate without you.

"...firms that cultivate nimble, trust-based relationships with external collaborators are positioned to form vibrant busines ecosystems that create value more efficiently than hierarchically organized businesses."

So even though it may be counterintuitive to some to give up control, the bigger picture points to benefits that outweigh the perception of negative consequences. And I think with more of those relationships with external collaborators you increase your influence, reach and impact.

"(referring to Web 2.0, etc.) We're all participating in the rise of a global, ubiquitous platform for computation and collaboration that is reshaping nearly every aspect of human affairs. While the old Web was about Web sites, clicks and "eyeballs," the new Web is about the communities, participation, and peering. As users and computing power multiply, and easy-to-use tools proliferate, the Internet is evolving into a global, living, networked computer that anyone can program."

That's the exciting part to me. Rather than the Web being a flat, one-way communication medium, technology is finally allowing it to be a many-way, interactive platform. I'd love to see a ton of Web sites move away from being "brochures" and info. repositories and toward being a place to interact.

More thoughts to follow as I continue to read the book. But I wanted to get this down before I forge ahead.