Mixed-Mode Virtual Team Spaces

Synchronous and asynchronous collaboration are in themselves, not new.  Mixed-mode however, is.  Asynchronous provides the after-hours visitation in the team space while Synchronous involves immersive, live and interactive online meetings. I.M., persistent chat and document sharing also have mixed modalities.

At WebEx, the Connect Ecosystem team meets every week, in person mostly to keep each other up to date on the progress of each sub-group.  The overall group is lead by one of the VP’s and he holds a WebEx online meeting for the remote members of the team.

We thought that what better way to exercise WebEx connect for team spaces then to create one and use it for our cross-functional team.  I set out to create a space called ‘Connect Ecosystem’.  This first screen shot shows the ‘discussions’ tab within the Ecosystem space.    Here, members can leave messages for each other or chat in real time.  The entire conversation is persistent and can be seen by all space members.     

    

 

Connections

Informational, Experiential Connections 

Neural or global, we are talking about networks.  Where do we delineate the boundries?  Recent discoveries of the similarity between human brain and computer data storage have led to a notion of bionic-cybernetic connections already in place today.  Information can originate from either cyber or neural networks. Moving information from neural networks to cybernetworks is trivial.  We input data in our daily lives.  It is either deliberately injected into our computer systems and networks or our behavior is captured by data-gathering activities (Internet, media & consumer behaviours) beyond our control.  Information and knowledge can come to us through diverse media with the last mile being an analog transducer (TV, CD, DVD, Radio, Phone) or a digital computer. 

I/O’s

Right now, devoid of direct computer interfaces to our own neural networks, we are dependant upon sensory i/o’s.  The fidelity of these sensors depends on analog factors having to do with visual, aural and in some cases tactile stimuli, offering a slightly different experience for each individual.  To correct for this ‘error’ requires overhead to calibrate or agree on references to color, tone, meaning and a host of other variations in our experience. With a unified experience, a pure information transfer would take place.

Different Takes

Don’t forget how diverse points of view (object - vantage point - perspective) make for creative scenarios when solving problems.  However, knowledge shared does not always result in a consensus. 

Definition at the outset, offers the potential for a progressive approach to be taken with group input, forward progress, critique, modification, and perfection. By reaching a consensus on the facts, the group can build a complex idea upon a solid foundation.

Interface

Linking of neural with cyber networks is taking place every day.  A user, inputting data from their mind to a digital document on their computer completes the act of interfacing bio and cyber systems. This hybrid network consisting of a conceptual bridge between personal knowledge and Internet Web knowledge is unique for each individual.

Multi-Point Connection of Unique Hybrid Networks  

Linking of personal hybrid networks in a multi-point connection results in scalable group structures.  These structures can map onto various communications models. If for analysis, construction or problem-solving, the group benefits from the combined knowledge and input of the members.  The result is for multiplicative deductive, associative and intuitive degrees of discovery and fulfills the sum-greater-than-parts expectation.

Mapping of Group Structures to a Scalable Communications Model

The individuals join a voice-only teleconference. Each maintains a detached (from each other) connection to their personal computer and network databases.  A roundtable discussion ensues where individuals are calling up private data to expound on the subject at hand.  With tight focus on a topic, google searches pull up the same information for all group members almost simultaneously.  Group knowledge is not improved but a consensus is reached.

Next, the group scribbles notes, and critical feedback on a shared bulletin board. This is done asynchronously and at their leisure.  This develops as an async chat room would. Each return visit to the board will show progressively critical feedback with improvement in consensus. 

At some point an evolutionary concept emerges that was a product of the baseline state.  This could not have emerged without the exercise of perfecting the baseline. 

Finally, the group rolls the board  and all live conference minutes up into a shared workspace or virtual think-tank. Now they can communicate live, capture all interactions and retrieve and share all live, online and archived data sources for all to see.

FlowThrough

Getting conceptual here ..  FlowThrough refers to information and knowledge as they move through the many minds in the world interested in using it.  Sometimes it goes right through without modification or derivation.  Ideas come from bits and pieces of information, concepts and images passing into and out of people’s minds.  One realizes that in a way, this process is self-replicating as in the wider physical universe whereby planets and other heavenly bodies are made up of remnants of exploded stars moving around in a vast space. 

Knowledge and learning are radiant in nature.  Ideas ripple through our consciousness, passing through our minds like a radio transmission. Since humans have the propensity to share, this knowledge is transmitted to anyone interested in receiving it.  Anyone around to listen will get a copy. This also encourages temporary ownership of the orginal data, voluntary modification or expansion, building of new data from the old and eventually, live, realtime colaboration to affirm, extrapolate or nullify new types of ideas. 

In the conditions spoken about earlier, human communication tends to resemble other processes of nature such as the expansion of the cosmos.  With the idea of FlowThrough, we cry for lower resistance to knowledge, easier exchange of information and better understanding of new concepts. 

Alternative View #1 - Task - Solve a complex problem as a group. 

A small number of people, spread around the globe possess as a group, all of the knowledge to solve a particular problem.  Each has a piece of the puzzle.  To foster their creativity and allow the least constrained work environment, they are not brought together in a physical location.  Instead, they create a virtual thinktank

where their ideas, data files, supporting theories and research results are placed for each member of the group to consume.  At key times, individuals draw on a virtual whiteboard, sketches of their ideas.  At future times, others, using different markers draw over previous sketches for others to freely view.  Another member leaves a message for the group that it may be a good time to gather in the tank, live and online to discuss and further develop their ideas.

While together, they can markup drawings, documents and share their computer desktops freely.  All of these interactions can be recorded and perused at their leisure. 

A shared calendar is exposed to the group as well as the member contact info and online status and presence.

This virtual think-tank can be replicated with a template and regenerated for different problems, groups or objectives.  Think of what happens to knowledge in this state:  It gets to flow-through everyone’s computers, the network and ultimately their minds.