Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom (PDF)

"If you want to understand why Wikipedia is changing the world,
this book is a must read."

-Jimmy Wales, Founder, Wikipedia

"This book is a must read for all - social activists,
politicians or managers - who have an interest in understanding how
our society is morphing."

-Professor C.K. Prahalad, #1 Management Guru and
author of Competing for the Future

Synopsis

The rise of social networks like Facebook, MySpace and Bebo is
changing the way we see ourselves, how we interact with each other,
how we work and how we do business on a daily basis. Throwing
Sheep in the Boardroom explores the powerful forces driving the
social networking revolution, the impact of these profound changes,
and the far reaching consequences of social networking.

Detailing the way social networks affects both individuals and
societies as a whole, the book offers a detailed focus on the ways
social networking affects the world of business and work. The
generation entering the workforce today - and entering boardrooms
everywhere - is fully engaged with social networking and its
uses. Rather than feeling threatened and paranoid, today's business
leaders need to understand this phenomenon, accept that it won't go
away, and embrace its power in the world of business.

Excerpts from Throwing Sheep in the
Boardroom:

"Your next CEO's most impressive job credential might be
status as an online gladiator, honing valuable leadership skills
mercilessly slaying mortal enemies on World of Warcraft. Why not,
the skills necessary to hack your way to the top levels of virtual
games - especially a killer instinct - are excellent
pre-requisites for managing complex organisations."

"Many senior managers mistakenly believe Enterprise 2.0 is a
product, like the latest Microsoft office suite. They don't
realise that Enterprise 2.0 is not a cost centre, but a
"state of mind" - a revolutionary new way of
managing companies and conducting business.

Web 2.0 tools have no regard for "organisational
boundaries, hierarchies, or job titles". Try telling a senior
executive that, henceforth, there will be no job titles, reporting
lines, and organisational boundaries in the company - and
watch the reaction closely."

"When someone calls a meeting, he or she is asserting authority
over those who are invited to attend. Meetings are exclusive and
closed. In most corporations, who gets invited to a meeting -
and who does not - sends a signal about who's 'in
the loop'. Meetings are a form of social grooming inside
organisations. Meetings impose vertical authority. They establish
status hierarchies. The Enterprise 2.0 model is feared in
corporations because it threatens status hierarchies."

"Harnessing the dynamism of horizontal networks, Web 2.0 social
media are bypassing institutional forms of social organisation and
directly empowering people. This book has attempted to tell that
story with illustrations, which, we hope, have offered intriguing
and instructive insights into the powerful transformations we
described. What has interested us most, indeed, is the
transformative impact - or "e-ruptions" -
of Web 2.0 social media on the three dynamics that gave this book
its structure: identity, status and power."