Business practices have evolved into organized efforts to accomplish advancements by self imposed business rules established by the organizational leaders. Rules were designed to keep order in activities with human resrouces for the accomplishment of specific organizational objectives.
Many organizational rules are based on old business theories that followed industrial era thinking which was modeled from military rules for organizing resources for war. Business cultures have told us to regard those who challenge the rules as “radicals who have no respect for authority”. Authority has been used to control people’s activities for the benefit of the organization and many times for the benefit of the few. This dynamic evolved from days gone by and today’s market dynamics are challenging those beliefs.
Social technology is fueling a change in human behavior which is challenging accepted beliefs about how rulers rule people’s behavior and beliefs. The human network is rejecting these beliefs because the subsequent rules infringe on individual freedom to communicate and create. The clash of behavior and beliefs is erupting into a discourse of rules and rights of people vs. organizations to rule people. i.e. social media policies, privacy rights, user data rights etc.
The underlying point is that what was considered normal rules of business as usual are being challenged by radical behavior and ideas fueled by 24/7 communications from the many. Historically organizations have groomed its members into unknowing, most times silent servitude, to serve what is believed to be the best interest of an organization by those who set the rules, rulers. Now the rules of social acceptance are set by the belief of the many that service is represented by what is believed to be the best interest of the people rather than the organization and its rulers.
Rules of Influence Has Changed
Collective thought challenges existing rules of influence, instead of complying with the influence of rulers people would rather collaborate with the unspoken rules of influence.
Rulers have used media to influence the belief of the crowd. Today the rules of influence are being molded by media created, delivered and captured by the crowd. The crowd has rejected the ruler’s media and is using the media of the crowd to create their own rules of influence.
Organizations may understand the power of social technology and the dynamics but unless leaders change how the organization relates to the human network the practices of management to control and rule the network will not change. After all, trying to control and rule can prove to be anti-social.
That is why business rules and ruler’s have to change.