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Twitter, Facebook, Orkut, Digg, Linked In ! Include to that services like Skype, MSN, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk ! What about wikis, blogs, forums, podcasts ?

Uff ! Many are the social networks and many are the possibilities and services offered.

What is the problem ?

The concept of “networking” gained a boost by technology, the called Web 2.0. In this new era it is not enough to surf the web but to participate, to share. Collaboration and community are keywords on the subject.

The down side of it has referred as “Social Not Working”.

According to the Urban Dictionary the term is referred as

The practice of spending time unproductively on social-networking websites, especially when one should be working.

What does that mean for Project Management ?

But what does that mean in a project environment when working at the customer site whit a collocated team ?

Some companies take the policy of deny access to any social website and any attempt to do so is a violation of corporate policy. Others have a more liberal view and allow his employees to have free access to social networks.

If you are a Project Manager working for a consulting firm that means that you and your team will much like being monitored not by project performance in general but for individual performance. Most commonly the project team follows the customer policy in this situation.

If a customer policy is not in place it is up to the project manager to establish in cooperation with the customer and project team for the sake of the project and the good team morale.

Inevitable to remember the lack of confidentiality of the social networks which can represent a not affordable tradeoff for most of the commercial projects.

The bright side

Social Networks can be valuable tools for any team, specially for the called new workforce: young workers from early twenties on, those are the tipical users of social toolbox.  According to the writer Don Tappscot (author of Wikinomics; Growing up Digital and Grown up Digital) that is the platform on which they grown up.

Typical applications of the tools could be :

• knowledge exchanging
• research of solutions for common problems between projects
• brainstorming with a broader public than the project team

It is inevitable to say that the social networks are a reality for most of the projects and the PM is required to use his communication and negotiation skills to the edge to balance the project objectives with the personal objectives of his team.

What is your experience on the matter ? Share your experience with the community !

source: leonardonogueira.com