In the first part of this article, we discussed Workplace Change and the Speed of Information. In part two, we complete our discussion with a look at information technology’s effect on Social Systems, Skills Displacement, and the Dynamics of Information Technology.

Social Systems

Questions in the information age have been surfacing, causing rifts in the social system of the organization. Changes in thought are occurring as part of the cultural transformation. Work groups are forming as workers move away from linear processing (assembly lines) and toward other models and dynamics, yet we are glued to the computer more. Social interaction as our parents and grandparents knew it is on the decline. Organizations will be forced to adopt changes in order to survive in the fast-paced information age.

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From its inception, information technology has been changing the way business is done. IT is changing the basis of business from labor and manual skills to knowledge management. The jobs required by information technology, as well as the technology itself, are changing the social system of your organization. Furthermore, information technology is key to a firm’s competitiveness — organizations that are unable to adapt to the rapid pace of technology change will not survive in the marketplace of the future.

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I heard an expression once that rang really true with me. It said, “If an employee is surprised by anything in their performance review, then you are doing a poor job as a manager.” We should all recognize the importance of good communication, but how good are we at executing and employing basic communication principles as managers? If any of your employees come into a performance review unsure of what is going to happen, then you should know you are not doing as well as you could.

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Last week’s article talked about crafting marketing message from your customers’ perspectives. This week we will discuss how a simple visual story can simplify a message complicated with symbols and shapes.

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Part 4 of a four-part series

Last week, we discussed process improvement half-life, or how long it should take to achieve our target objectives. We also introduced what other resources we need to build our action plan. What’s left? In order to achieve your objectives for

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