Rubber bands. Everywhere.

It feels like we're in changing times. Uncertainty is everywhere. Planning horizons are incredibly short. Confidence flips between fervent zeal and paralysing doubt in the time it takes to transition a powerpoint slide. The precarious economy is clearly a significant contributor to the change we're experiencing, causing us to question much of what we previously held to be self evident. But the void of uncertainty is being filled with new perspectives driving real changes in the way we work, the way we live.

Through technology, the way we work is becoming more social. This is a fact that is no longer denied (even in the conservative corporate world in which Tim and I spend much of our lives). It's encouraging that conversations in most boardrooms are now way beyond the 'Shall we be social?' stage. It's all about 'How are we being social?' And the speed at which this is happening within the glacial dynamics of corporate life is truly terrifying. 'Rubber bands' of change are everywhere, with pioneers earnestly thrusting out into the unknown restrained by the wary majority, held back by an unmet need to know where they are going and how to get there.

Managing these rubber bands is complex, so complex that Tim and I feel it's time to create a forum for sharing these observations. Through this blog and a companion magazine we curate on Flipboard we want to share experiences and ideas from those on the front line of social businesses. Socially, of course. What better way to release the tension in those rubber bands and get your organisation moving?

photo:  Larry Rosenstein