Your Mother Was Right

"If all the other kids jumped off the bridge, would you do it too?"

Did your mother use this one on you as mine did on me? I've been thinking about this in terms of implementing new technologies or new management schemes into an organization. Just 'cause all the "cool kids" are implementing KM or RSS across the organization (as random examples), does that mean you have to as well?

Before we hoist any change upon others in our organizations, it behooves us managers to take a big step back and ask ourselves, "does this make sense for my organization?" Every organization is unique. Perhaps only parts of a planned change are appropriate. Or perhaps the change isn't necessary at all.

Part of the challenge is determining what is appropriate for YOUR organization. We can only really know what has happened in the past with our organizations. It is difficult to determine what is happening right now, and what will happen in the future that will make our determinations about the changes correct. And then when we make those changes, they will cause a change in the organization themselves.

So, all I'm saying is keep your eyes and ears open and don't just go setting up a blog 'cause it's what all the cool organizations are doing.

You've got to remember what your mother taught you and think for yourself!