Groundswell Transforms!

The Groundswell Transforms attempts to prepare the reader for implications of embracing these new ways of engaging the consumer. A major consideration, and one that organizations are not always prepared for is the notion of giving up control. This is an essential step to truly leverage the power of the Groundswell, but requires a fundamental change throughout the organization.

Another impact to the organization as a whole is the idea of leveraging the tools of the Groundswell inside the company itself. When I worked in CNN, the company provided employees with blogs, wikis and forums to generate internal collaboration. It is not enough, however, to simply make the tools available. Often it is felt that leaders must drive the use of these tools, or they will not be widely adopted. If the company's leadership does not recognize the significance of such relationships or means of engagement, that perception will be perpetuated down the ranks. On the flip-side, however, it is recognized that it's "nearly impossible to force social technologies on organizations from top sown, because by their definition, these technologies require the participation of [the] employees." It's important that everyone in the organization embrace this new way of doing business.

The last chapter, the future of the Groundswell, paints a picture of what the future holds. Again, this is not focused on specific technologies or tools, but rather on how relationships are evolving and how to be prepared for them.

Groundswell is a well-crafted thoughtful book. The book is not a high-level theoretical tome on how organizations must adapt to this new way of business. Rather, it provides guidance, encouragement and plenty of anecdotal evidence to individuals who sense the change, and want to be on the forefront.

Now that I have read the book, I feel even more prepared to actually put these practices in place. This book has provided plenty of evidence showing the benefits of this shift, and hopefully will help accelerate this evolution in how organizations conduct business.