There’s a story about the demise of Facebook in the Washington Post: Worldwide ebb for Facebook.
I like the logic–when a company’s been around long enough for someone to make a movie out of it, then it’s probably on the downhill slide, even if they do get Justin Timberlake.
That people are interested in something new shouldn’t be surprising to anyone in business, marketing or evolutionary psychology. Same ol’, same ol’ won’t cut it, especially in a world where expectations about the speed of change have reached new highs. But rather than speculate on trends and following the migration across social media tools of whoever’s cool, it’s time to revisit some words of wisdom from the original management guru, Peter Drucker.
Organizations must be organized for innovation. Using economist Joseph Schumpeter’s term “creative destruction,” Drucker said companies should be:
organized for the systematic abandonment of whatever is established, customary, family and comfortable, whether that is a product, service, or process; a set of skills; human and social relationships; or the organization itself. In short, itmust be organized for constant change. The organization’s function is to put knowledge to work–on tools, products, and processes; on the design of work; on knowledge itself. it is the nature of knowledge that it changes fast and that today’s certainties always become tomorrow’s absurdities.” (Drucker, 2006, p. 140)
Just because companies like Facebook, Twitter, and all the rest are using new technologies and breaking new ground, doesn’t mean they aren’t subject to the same needs for good management practices that cultivate innovation. It will be up to Facebook’s management, not a few trendsetters, if Facebook is to stay prosperous and viable.
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Drucker, P. (2006) Classic Drucker: Wisdom from Peter Drucker from the Pages of Harvard Business Review. Cambridge, Harvard Business Press.
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I liked it. So much useful material. I read with great interest.
Thanks for this concise overview on the importance of change within an organisation. My lil company is undergoing changes this month.
I think not just companies can take this message on board, I am hoping the uni and college students I share this article with are able to see how “creative destruction” can help them with their productivity in the personal, academic and social lives.
I look forward to reading the Harvard Review article, thx too for sharing a link to that resource.
A Collection of Student Resources | PSI Tutor:Mentor // Oct 20, 2009 at 12:04 am
[...] article Drucker and Facebook- Organizing for Change focuses on Drucker’s insights about organisations emphasizing innovation. Students too can [...]
Peter Drucker was an extraordinary man; I was lucky enough to know him personally as a friend and student. I wish he were around to comment on the new media environment. Univesities would do well to use a little management thinking in their planning and managing. I don’t think the Ivory Towers will remain protected in the new environment with free information flows. (Check out the free lectures online at MIT!) Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Drucker is a very advanced thinker. I interpret his notions on constant change as an inevitable part of the fast moving state of technological improvements across a number of fields.
But TV didn’t put radio out of business, as YouTube didn’t bring cableTV down. There may be new forms of social media yet to be created, but Facebook is super popular for a reason. I don’t think it’s going anywhere.
I read a few topics. I respect your work and added blog to favorites.
Hello from Russia!
Can I quote a post in your blog with the link to you?