One thing that has concerned me in business lately is the tunnel vision surrounding blogs. Out in the greater blogosphere, it’s fine to consider blogs mostly a tool of socializing (even while it may be on serious or profit or business concerns). And business (at least my co) seem to only be approaching blogs as a tool of the modern artist – a form of expression that leadership is debating. “Should we allow the rank and file to have blogs? Good gravy – all they’ll do is express themselves unproductively and goof off trading barbs and witticism!”
That’s missing the point. Far beyond the obvious counter argument that having good conversation, even in blog format, is a form of trading knowledge is the potential for blogs to not just be a social tool in an organization.
Has any business (or anyone within my company) stopped to think that blogs might be an excellent tool for projects? They don’t have to be just “bitch forums” for the front line; they don’t have to be reserved solely for the executive communique of leaders; they can be everyday means of leading a project, plain and simple. A project blog can easily provide status update; hash out pending issues; report on lags and constraints from the team members….a dream tool in everyday status and stage gate management of a project!
