The Social Workplace

Lately, I have been thinking of an idea where Facebook style social networking technology can be used to reshape the workplace.

Technically, the idea is to put a working copy of Facebook ( or a similar copycat) on a server and put the Facebook server inside the corporate LANs of big multinational companies. By big, I mean MNCs which have employees in thousands. For example, IBM has around 300,000 full time permanent employees working around the world.

Now, how does a MNC which is spread around the globe benefit from such social networking and that too in the workplace? Well, imagine this; how many Googlers have instant access to what their CEO is thinking? How many IBMers can "Like", "Agree", "Disagree", "Share" or "Comment" on what IBM CEO Sam Palmisano thinks or says. It seems that company's like Google and Facebook are already harnessing the power of social network to re-shape the corporate workplace into a social workplace. E.g. Google employees and the general public can read what Larry Page is thinking, reading or sharing at his workplace by simply visiting the the URL below

https://plus.google.com/106189723444098348646/posts/4wkYwTCCgAc

Sergey Brin from Google also has his social networking presence which can be visited by visiting the URL below

https://plus.google.com/109813896768294978296/posts/dwmWyNSoXTh

Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg can be followed on the following URL

https://www.facebook.com/zuck

What if the IBM's CEO can instantaneously share his thoughts with the IBMers across the globe with a "status" update. A status, shared with "friends", "followers" or "subscribers" would spread an idea or an opinion much faster than a corporate email which by the way comes from an anonymous email address with the boring caution "Do not reply to this message as the mailbox is not monitored" at the end of it.

What if IBMers can comment, share and like the status update of their CEO.  News would spread much faster with a status update than it would with a corporate email.  Senior management would be able to gauge the response to a particular proposal by counting the number of "Likes".

What if professional networking is replaced by socio-professional networking. The work place would be a lot more fun to work if I can know who I am working with and how many people share the same interests and hobbies with me.

Social networking has already revolutionarised  our social lives. It can be used to add the human and social touch to our workplace as well.

Main baaghi hoon, written by Dr. Khalid Javed Jan during Zia ul Haq’s tenure

A famous literary master piece written by Dr. Khalid Javed.

is daur k rasm riwaajon se,
in takhton se inn tajoon se,
jo zulm ki kokh se jante hain,
insani khoon se palte hain,
jo nafrat ki bunyadain hain
aur khooni khet ki khadein hain,
main baghi hoon main baghi hoon
jo chahe mujh pe zulm karo

I am a rebel,
From the norms and traditions of the time,
From the thrones and the crowns,
Which are born from the womb of cruelty,
Which feed of the human blood,
Which are the foundations of hate,
And are the fertilisers of the killing fields,
I am a rebel, I am a rebel
Do what ever you may unto me.

wo jin k hont ki jambish se,
wo jin ki aankh ki larzish se,
qanoon badalte rehte hain,
aur mujhrim palte rehte hain,
in choroon k sardaron se
insaaf k pahre daron se
main baghi hoon main baghi hoon
jo chahe mujh pe zulm karo



mazhab k jo byopari hain,
wo sab se bari bemari hain,
wo jin k siwa sab kafir hain,
jo deen ka harf-e-akhir hain,
in jhute aur makkaron se
mazhab k thekedaron se
main baghi hoon main baghi hoon
jo chahe mujh pe zulm karo

mere hath main haq ka jhanda hai,
mere sir pe zulm ka phanda hai,
main marne se kab darti hoon,
main moat ki khatir zinda hoon,
mere khoon ka suraj chamke ga
to bacha bacha bole ga
main baghi hoon, main baghi hoon
jo chahe mujh pe zulm karo