Communications Technology and Virtual Organisation
Magnitude. The magnitude of change, momentum, and human impact of new communication technology and virtual organisation should not be underestimated. The ability to move organisation and work to where the people are marks the beginning of an industrial revolution. It is a moment as revolutionary as when irrigation brought the water to the people. It is just as revolutionary as the phenomenal communications infrastructure that enabled large scale industry and the modern city to grow by bringing the people to where the work was. Now virtual organisation can bring the work to where the people are, the product and services to the customer, and the business to the online global market.
Momentum. Momentum is being built through a powerful combination of drivers focused on enabling an increasingly mobile and connected workforce and market. Rapid technological development, coupled with the decreasing cost of international telecommunications, is making global communication very affordable. The private individual has the economic power to purchase a PC, modem, and the services of a well equipped Internet Presence Provider to have enough technological capability to create a global organisation. Similarly, for the same cost, corporate infrastructure can extend workspace into the homes of employees.
Human Impact. These represent complex changes in the way that we work and can have a significant human impact. A major consequence is that growing numbers of individuals will become increasingly responsible for self-managing and organising their time, work and learning across a range of contexts. The significance of the individual, and small teams of individuals, now having the technology to create global organisation and corporate capability means that the individual already has the scope to function as the fundamental corporate unit. Corporate and personal transformation meet face to face.
Ramifications. This has organisational ramifications not only for the independent but also for the large organisation. As Cliff Hakim says "We are all self-employed". What is meant by this is that, if you are a professional and manager, to survive in the future organisation, you will need to learn how to function as a self-employed person. Despite being an employee, you will need to develop as an independent business unit and market your services. You will also need to be able to relate to your employer as client. This is likely to become the primary mode by which you develop your career.
The Crux of the Matter. A large part of success, and the extent to which we can exploit the technology will depend not on technological power but on how well we manage the personal impact of these changes. The general move towards a mobile workforce, virtual organisation and flexible ways of working is placing a whole new set of stresses and strains on the:
individual
The Individual. In a situation that calls for increased responsiveness, flexibility and agility, the pressure to be organisationally and commercially adept falls more and more on the shoulders of the individual. This is especially the case for people in leadership roles, where the pressure on becoming an effective self-manager is intensifying. It is up to the individual to adapt to managing the personal and organisational impact of continuous change.
It requires a certain kind of skill to respond to sudden demands to be more flexible, cope with higher levels of ambiguity and uncertainty and do so under growing levels of pressure. This is a new kind of skill because it actually requires us to make a change in ourselves, our attitudes and our behaviour to adapt to new ways of working. To succeed in the future organisation will require growing numbers of people to become highly effective self-managers and the skills of self-management and personal leadership which will be at a premium.
Strategic Portfolio Careers offers a personalised programme for corporate and individual clients that is specifically designed to address these issues and develop the necessary capabilities:
Personal Leadership Coaching is included in both programmes and Individual Work Counselling is also available on request.
For the individual wanting to build an internet business and develop virtual organisation there is:
All these facilities also form part of the resource for the The Strategic Portfolio Career Programme.
The Team. The mobile workforce and virtual team need to learn how to use the technology effectively. This means a lot more than simply knowing the technicalities of how to operate it. The technology is only as useful as its user’s ability to communicate through it and organise with it. To communicate effectively through the technology requires:
The acid test of the effective individual and virtual team is how they balance and strategically deploy the range of media available to heighten the productivity of eventual face-to-face meetings.
DJR Consultancy specialises in Consultancy in Human Relations, Virtual Organisation and Teams and Adaptation Ltd and Policy Publications Ltd have a knowledge base in New Ways of Organising, Working and Learning.
The personalised programmes, facilities and resources outlined above in the section on individuals are also available for work with groups and teams.
Organisation. With the new technology individuals are equipped to take a greater and greater role in designing their own organisation and are become less and less dependent on existing organisational structures. At the same time the scope to automate administrative operations is growing day by day. This change can have quite complex organisational consequences that need to be managed - both from a corporate and individual point of view.
We offer an integrated approach to this by teaming communication technology and human relation consultants and coaches. Specialists in Virtual Office Services and Call Centres and communication technology consultants, are teamed with human relation consultants to address the technological, business and human issues together.
Again, the raft of personalised programmes, facilities and resources already outlined are available as part of the toolkit.
The Business. Through the strategic use of Virtual Office Services and Call Centres an infrastructure can be created, using virtual organisation, that provides a communication system which allows corporate communication levels from a home base.
The Range of Virtual Organisation. The capability to create such an infrastructure enables virtual organisation to be developed across a range of organisations:
Applications. Communication technology and the scope to create electronic networks bring opportunity to completely re-define supply and value chains and re-engineer business processes. Through the call centre and intranet it is possible for a company to create a low cost global communications infrastructure. With virtual organisation it is possible to automate tracts of administrative process, whilst re-designing other aspects of operation around the most beneficial form of contact with the customer. Design can focus on creating the low cost high revenue organisation in which more people are spending more time on high value activities.
Resources. Virtual Office Services and Call Centres are supplied by colleagues whose core capability is in designing low cost high revenue organisation. The Networking Firm can offer considerable expertise in Corporate Learning, Renewal and Transformation Support Network.
In conjunction with this the crucial people dimension is serviced through Consultancy in Human Relations, Virtual Organisation and Teams .
There is deep expertise in Executive, Director and Board Development and in Internationalisation. In the case of many SMEs this can be a crucial area of development.
There are a wide range of one-to-one services available to ensure a good fit with precise requirements. These include:
Our independent career programmes are designed both for the portfolio career and managers and professionals employed by large organisations:
The programme is underpinned by Personal Leadership Coaching which focuses on the wider issues surrounding taking full charge and responsibility for our life and livelihood. It is used for establishing a personal mission with which to guide and balance the alignment of professional, organisational, business and career goals.
Individual Work Counselling is also available, if required, as a resource for support in working through some of the more acute aspects of transition.
A One-Stop Shop Consultancy for Corporate and Personal Transformation. We have the capability to select and assemble comprehensive and complementary services to specifically meet your requirements. Through creating a high calibre one-stop shop consultancy team we have the resources to design organisation, install infrastucture and coach individuals, teams and organisations in making the necessary changes to be able to realise the tremendous potential technology brings. Our aim is to establish with you how best to support and equip you, the organisation and the business for corporate and personal transformation that will lead to improved performance, greater customer value and fulfilling careers.
