Connecting Organizational Silos: Taking Knowledge Flow Management to the Next Level with Social Media

Foreword

Frank Leistner and I have similar views. We believe that we will create value through the movement of knowledge around our organization in response to a need. The question is how to get this knowledge flow established across the organization, bypassing the various barriers that we encounter.

In the past, we have done this by organizing in the same physical area those activities that work together. This created silos in the organization, each with its own strong culture that developed over time. Today, as we move more and more to a global arena, it becomes necessary to share knowledge across the entire organization. While email is a big step in this direction, it does not allow for the free flow of ideas and knowledge across the organizational silos in a collaborative format, but rather tends to reinforce the existing structure of silos by speeding up communication between them.

To break through the culture of our existing silo structure, and to facilitate new collaborative ventures across the silos, we have found that enterprise social networks (ESNs) are particularly useful. This book is about how to get an ESN established and functioning in your organization on a global basis.

The detail that Frank Leistner goes into by describing all aspects of setting up and managing an ESN is particularly helpful for those of you that are starting out on this transformation of your collaborative framework in your organization.

And, I confess that I learned a lot about how to enhance ...