We are going to end the year looking forward instead of backwards. Because the truth is that looking back on 2009 is no fun: many people have had a very hard year, they have lost their jobs and they are facing the crisis with a lot of difficulties.
Unfortunately, we have seen many examples of corruption and misconduct by our rulers, with a very negative impact on institutions. We are still recovering from an almost total collapse in the basic gears of our economy. And we still have not made significant progress on the major challenges related to climate change, the environment and the situation of poverty in which a large part of humanity lives.
It is time to abandon the thinking that has kept us anchored to the past to focus our energies on the future, with enthusiasm, motivation and imagination. 2010 is starting and, as we did a year ago at this time, I would like us to write a “Letter to the Three Kings” with our resolutions, wishes and requests for the next 12 months. In the conversation I am going to launch several proposals that, from my point of view, will be key in 2010. I believe that reflecting and working on them will not only help us in our personal and professional growth, but will also allow us to do our bit in the construction of a world that is a little more just and supportive. As it could not be otherwise, I hope to complete my letter with your contributions. Here are my proposals:
1. A new way to organize to collaborate in a network
The traditional model of organization – hierarchy – is not useful for collaborating in the new open and global networks. It is slow and inflexible, and it also limits collaboration, insofar as all orders have their origin at the top of the pyramid. We need a new, agile and flexible model, in which we can all share our talent, and in which the solution emerges naturally as a result of the interaction of all actors. We have called this new organizational model Redarchy. 2010 can be a great year to put into practice in our organizations some of the 2.0 lessons learned from social networks and free software development communities. After all, these new organizations have managed to connect the talent of all their members to generate new solutions that are exceptionally innovative and creative.
2. Transparent organizations designed for people
Despite the uncertainty generated, I am optimistic about the final effects of the crisis. I believe that, in the same way that transparency in markets has generated more efficient markets, transparency in organizations and institutions will lead us to more efficient societies and fairer and more sustainable development models. What the current crisis is showing is precisely that: that we have not yet created a single organization or institution capable of surviving the new demands for transparency imposed by the Age of Collaboration. Hence the fiasco. Nor have we managed to meet the levels of interaction and participation demanded by the new generations of digital natives. Unfortunately, the organizations we have created – both in the public and private spheres – continue to be based, to a large extent, on the opacity of their structures and the ignorance, on the part of their members, of the reality of the organization. We must read it positively: transparency is a force that companies can actively use to build and reinforce the trust of their customers, and to show their value in an increasingly global market. The current financial crisis has sent us a very clear message: in order to rebuild investor confidence and ensure success in a more transparent economy, an increasing number of companies around the world will have to behave more responsibly, and will need to communicate their reality more openly, cultivating transparency and openness as ethical values.
3. Culture 2.0: change a little to change everything
In a world marked by open competition and permanent change, organizations must innovate if they want to survive. But neither can they abandon their daily activity to devote themselves entirely to innovation, because in that case too they would end up disappearing. The key, in 2010, may be to introduce small changes in the DNA of each organization. In other words, the key lies in incorporating changes in the company culture, in the shared way we see, understand and do things. These small changes in significant values will allow us to transform the organization without risking its survival. I propose that we apply the pattern that has made the evolution of species possible: variety, selection and retention. We must launch a wide variety of innovation initiatives. Then, we must select those initiatives that work. Finally, we need the necessary retention capacity to consolidate those successful initiatives as core activities of the organization.
4. New Schools 2.0 to learn, not to teach
The 2.0 revolution – based on the collaboration of all men and women to build collective intelligence – must begin in our schools. Today’s schools were designed as economic engines to supply professionals to an industrial society. But we are no longer in the Industrial Age, but in the Age of Knowledge and Collaboration. That is why we need to make profound changes in the educational system. The role of teachers can no longer be to provide content in a unidirectional way, through uninterrupted monologues of 40 or 50 minutes in length. New students have other skills and other very different needs. They are perfectly capable of accessing all the content and expanding the information on the Internet. Therefore, in order to add value, the role of the teacher must be to manage and facilitate the learning process and the intellectual growth of each of the students, stimulating their creativity and critical sense. Today, the ability to continue learning is much more important than the knowledge “fixed” in our minds. Hopefully, in 2010 we will finally be able to build new digital schools that are more agile, participatory, open and transparent, based on open knowledge and truly student-centred.
5. Let the conversation start between politicians and citizens
Barack Obama was able to take a great leap forward in the election campaign. His team used the full potential of 2.0 tools to mobilise the electorate, and to get them directly involved in the campaign. But now the most important part remains: to enable the necessary means for citizens to participate actively and directly in public affairs. Politicians cannot live oblivious to citizens during the 4, 5, or 6 years between each electoral consultation. In 2010, the uninterrupted “conversation” between citizens and public servants should finally begin. The tools to achieve this are available and operational. Now it is only a matter of will. The result must be transparent and accountable political action, which is in line with the real demands of citizens, and which is constantly accountable to them.
6. An authentic personal brand to contribute to others
Personal branding is a powerful tool that allows us to develop personally and professionally, and that also gives us the opportunity to promote the organization to which we belong and the very society in which we live. Because, after all, our personal brand is what we bring to others when we interact: our knowledge, values, attitudes, skills and abilities. We are not talking about a mere marketing operation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Personal branding must always be based on authenticity. It is simply a matter of using 2.0 tools to echo our authentic value proposition, and to take our message – what we are, what we offer, what we contribute, what we feel – far beyond our traditional borders. In 2010 we may be able to give our personal brand a good boost. That will mean that we are sharing our talent and our knowledge with others in a transparent and effective way.
7. A dose of humility to “learn to be ignorant”
As Nassim Taleb explains, a black swan is an event that exceeds our expectations, an event that we do not expect and that we are not able to foresee or anticipate, but that has a great impact on our lives. There are negative black swans, such as the 9/11 attacks, or the financial debacle that we have recently experienced, but there are also positive black swans, such as the computer revolution or the unstoppable rise of Google. These positive black swans are, in reality, great opportunities for growth that we should not miss. The problem is that many times, in our day-to-day lives, we are too aware of what is “urgent” and do not realize what is really important. This is how we often miss the best opportunities. We need enough humility to understand one of the keys to this new situation: to face the present, the important thing is “what we know”, but to prepare for the future, the most important thing is what “we don’t know”. We must learn to unlearn. Human beings tend to confuse maps (our mental models) with territory (reality). The models and beliefs we use in our daily lives are valid for known events, but we must have the humility to review them when we are faced with black swans. It would be great if in 2010 we were prepared and attentive to make the most of those positive black swans that are undoubtedly going to knock on our door.
8. A hearing aid to listen to our children and discover what the future looks like
The important – and at the same time hopeful – thing for the future is that the true natives of this new digital world are our children. They are the first generation to have been born, raised and lived in a digital and connected world. As digital natives they bring new talent and a new way of being, and they are clear that, to the extent that they share their creativity on a network with millions of people, they can give rise to knowledge that was unattainable until now for previous civilizations. They have grown up with tools such as YouTube, Wikipedia, SMS, iPod, blogs, or the Play Station. And they are prepared to absorb the technologies that come out in the future, because it is no problem for them to adapt to new communication channels and tools. They have fun learning and innovating, and they take a much more active role in the creation, editing and sharing of content. They approach new technologies naturally, without fear of things breaking, with the same naturalness with which we approach the toaster of bread. They have a very different vision of work, justice and social order. With their commitment to freedom and speed, they are transforming all the institutions of modern life: the market, work organizations, the family, politics, education and culture. It is really fortunate that you have a representative of this new generation very close to you, in your family or even in your home. That is why it is important that during 2010 you actively listen to your child: it is the best way to know what the future looks like.
9. A detergent that dissolves the boundary between work and play
The difficulty in maintaining a balance between personal and professional life lies in the fact that, in some way, we understand work as a “non-life”. Many of the people who manage to fulfill most of their desires are those who have dissolved the boundaries between work and play. For them, their professional activity is like a kind of game that they enjoy like children, in the same way that Digital Natives learn by playing. Find out what your dream is and what your ambitions are. During 2010, use your fantasy and develop your hobby to gain a sense of balance. It’s about a state of mind, and not just about organizing your schedule.
10. Passion and energy to shape our dream
“If you want to build a ship, don’t start by looking for wood, cutting planks, or distributing the work. Evoke first in men and women the longing for the free and wide sea.”
Saint-Exupéry was able to explain it in this inspiring way. We often focus almost exclusively on facts, figures and day-to-day tasks. They are undoubtedly important, but we also know that no one gets too far when they are not able to look up. I would like us in this new year to reclaim the power of the leader’s vision, passion and inspiration to change the world. Because a dream can become the most powerful instrument to share with others a certain vision of life. By evoking a dream we can also make the most effective call to action; a call capable of initiating a profound change in reality. In my dream for 2010 I see organizations tailored to people, and not the other way around. Flexible and transparent companies, associations, unions, political parties and NGOs, based on open and participatory structures. Humanistic organizations, in which everyone has the opportunity to participate, to contribute the best of themselves to generate economic and social value. Organizations, in short, in which we have fun, we are passionate, and in which we are able to deploy all our talent and all our creativity.
What are your requests for the new year?
Well, and now it’s your turn. What gift would you ask the Three Wise Men for the Age of Collaboration? What do you think we need to improve and grow at all levels in this new era of shared knowledge? This is an open letter: go ahead and ask them for a gift. You never know…
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