Janet Clarey at Brandon Hall research posted on the new term used for information worker. The Cloud Worker term was created by Venkatesh Rao at his blog Ribbonfarm.com. Vankatesh works at the Xerox Innovation Group, where he leads technology projects that aim to invent the future of documents and information work. I like this term a lot. It has a bit of the mystical or even an aboriginal theme within it yet it is far more dynamic than “information worker”. The Internet is dynamic, fluid, messy, disruptive and layered every which way with networks so information worker just doesn’t do this new field of work justice. I’ve been looking at job descriptions a bit more closely lately as I take on new projects with organizations interested in using social media tools. This title is the best by far. You can read the full description of the Cloud Workers creed at Venkatesh’s blog.

The cloudworker is the prototypical information worker of tomorrow. He overachieves or coasts remotely, collaborates or backstabs virtually, and delivers his gold or garbage to a shifting long-tail micro-market defined only by his own talents or lack thereof. The cloudworker manages personal microbrand equity and network social capital rather than a career. Over a lifetime, through recessions and bubbles, he navigates fluidly back and forth between traditional paycheck employment, slash-work and full, untethered-to-health-insurance free agency.

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Jay Cross at his Internet Time Blog,  posted about this Wired magazine article written by Kevin Kelly.  The article is an exciting discovery for me because it confirms my decision to enter into the consulting field to help others use social media tools to enhance work and learning. My decision to take this direction was based on the personal benefits that I was experiencing. Applying these tools in my community and capacity building work with my own organization and with the networks I participate in have helped me see the potential for organizations and individuals to further their own development. The article is excellent in that it gives a clear description of what we can look forward to in the coming years. Read the full article at Wired Magazine.

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Barack Obama is a powerful speaker. He has captivated a nation and the world with his passion and oratory. I’ve been following his path to the White House for some time and am thrilled as is millions of others around the world with his message of hope and inspiration.

Social media tools when combined with transformative stories can be a potent force for bringing about change. Story telling is a tool that can be used to bring about significant changes in organizations and in the behaviors of individuals. Barack has a knack for telling stories that are simple, yet highly charged with meaning and purpose. This is one of many video’s of Barack’s speeches however his story telling at the end of the speech is what captivated me and obviously many others as well.

My favourite resource for learning about story telling for organizational change is Anecdote. They do workshops with groups around the world and story telling is one of their main themes. This story, originating from Anecdote’s web site exemplifies the power of story telling to motivate and inspire people. Have a look at Barack’s story of “Fired Up – Ready to Go”.

Brent Uncategorized obama, speech, storytelling