EMEA Reporter: Julian Stodd on the Rise of Social Authority

Co-creation, democratized communication, co-written stories—andmore.  All of these are concepts Julian Stodd, co-captainof SeaSalt Learning uses to describe the new ecosystem he believes is theSocial Age. Julian’s mission inlife is to facilitate meaning and understanding in a new enterprise world. Hesees a world where many, if not most, of the paradigms that used to shape andregulate the workplace have become redundant, overtaken by a new, fluid, andunexpected environment.

Figure 1:Julian Stodd

So, “Why SeaSalt?” I askedJulian. He says, “The simple answeris that weall live by the sea,but it’s far more than that. SeaSalt  is about exploration, questing, questioning, and curiosity in theSocial Age. Our new world is global, and the concepts of ports and harbors atstopping points on the journey provide great illumination of the changingworld. We are not a hierarchy, we are a community, sailing together—a true crew,dependent on each other for performance and insight.”

So what is this new paradigm that Julian perceives? “Learning issituated in the workplace. Tribal knowledge is owned by the community. Even inthe case of a formal learning program or a cycle of an online blended approach(such as an on-boarding campaign), evolution occurs through communityinteraction. Tobe engaging in this space, we have to revisit our core approaches to design,moving towards more scaffolded, co-creative approaches.”

That idea fundamentally challenges our traditional views of organizations,governed and regulated through hierarchy, structures, rules, and a fundamentaldirection of the enterprise through organizational power. The social authority that Julian now sees as the norm is contextual andconsensual: granted and moderated by the community, not a hierarchy of power. It isfundamentally about reputation—createdthrough humility, storytelling, and sharing. ”Knowledge is power” is an extinctidea. Life now is about doing something meaningful with the knowledge freelyavailable and curated in our communities.

Trends Julian perceives in learning are rooted in the removal of aseparation of learning from work. The dismantling of the “geo” barriers aswe are able to access learning 24/7, and the dispersal of knowledge fromcentralized corporate repositories into multiple portals, platforms, and globalwarehouses is responding to the workplace imperative of seemingly alwaysneeding to do things differently tomorrow.

But our enterprises still predominantly retain their traditional shape—even SeaSalthas aCaptain! So how does this work? Julian believes that social leaders have a needto add to the traditional skill set, recognizing that their power comes fromembracing the behaviors demanded by a community-driven culture. There is a needin leadership to embody both formal and social authority.

Surely this breakdown of the power of the hierarchy is threatening to manyleaders? Julian: “Yes, ofcourse there are anxieties about the implications of sharing and openness, butI am finding that leaders are now recognizing the social conversations that aregoing on both within their organizations and also with the wider world—regardlessof whether they are engaged or not. Remaining isolated is a failure that willlead to extinction.”

Julian has a model of change and engagement that is centered aroundco-creation of the story of the enterprise. “The NET model (narrative,engagement, and technology) has the space to carry a more ‘traditional’ topleadership with it for those who have invested in change and the status quo.”For those showing authenticity in the light of the enterprise community, the “magneticalignment” of theenterprise, evolved into a community of social authority, provides a realopportunity for leaders to develop a new power and authority that is communitybased.

Julian asserts, “Socialauthority, by its speed, fluidity, and acceptance of peer knowledge, subvertsslower moving, unresponsive hierarchical authority. Not being engaged is not anoption. The challenge is trying to sub-contract the story throughout the organization—creating anew and authentic story.”

“Surely the change that you now see as pervasive is simply a matter ofthe changing of the generations in leadership?” I asked Julian. He said, “I disagree! The ecosystem we live inhas changed. The response to the new environmental pressures must be feltthroughout the height and breadth of the organization. It is about co-createdand co-owned change at every level. People will be loyal if we earn thatloyalty. People will engage if we make learning engaging. People will stay withus if we are fair and kind.”

Challengingstuff!

You can follow JulianStodd at www.julianstodd.wordpress.com.