Moving technical authors from institutional thinking to network thinking

In this video clip, Ecademy’s Thomas Power talks about how business leaders will have to switch between “institutional thinking” (closed, selective and controlling) and “network thinking” (open, random and supportive).

There’s a similar challenge for technical communicators – between traditional “closed” user documents and collaborative, conversational, “open” online user assistance.

 Thomas claims:

You have to be very selective what you absorb, and the people you connect with..And you have to be in control of everything. Because public policy demands it. Shareholders demand it. Staff demand it. The law demands it. That’s institutional thinking.

Thomas has seen a shift in recent years to a new style of business. This is a  shift has been away from closed institutional thinking, towards a new kind of thinking: network thinking.

When you jump into a network, you have to change all of those things..You have to be open. You have to accept everything that comes at you. You have to be random. The disorder that things arrive in your life. Completely chaotic. And you have to be supportive of everyone around you.

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