This isn't
really my thing. It has been so long since I last blogged here, I think my last
entry pre-dates the archive. Possibly the web also. When sites go live, others
do the press releases and perhaps also the blog thing. Others are better at it.
Today, however, the gears of an internal project are finally getting in motion.
If I do not blog about it, no-one will. I even think its quite cool.
Basically, I have been wanting to set up what I call "Working Groups"
for some time now. At Chameleon we like to think of ourselves as a fairly
creative, cutting edge bunch. We like to play with new technology. We like to
keep an eye on the trends on the web. Its just what we do. When we were a
smaller, it did not take a great deal of effort to integrate this into our day
to day work, nor to spread ideas around the company.
Now we are bigger. Our self image is much the same. We still like to play with
and keep an eye on the same things. However, as one grows, what is agility in a
small company can become anarchy in a larger one. Processes for managing more
people on teams for larger projects makes it harder for that grassroots
innovation to bubble up from the most junior developer to the most senior, or
even from the developers to to the sales team. Increased specialisation either
across technologies or in internal processes makes it tougher to contribute
across boundaries at a timely point in the project process.
Fortunately, this is not yet a major problem for us. Within client projects we
deal with this in a number of ways and continually look to safe-guard this
aspect of our company culture: Innovation is what we do. It is what we, all of
us, wish to continue to do. Only left alone will it become a problem.
So this is where "working groups" comes in: outside the realm of
client projects. Here I don't just mean the non-billable realm where thumbs
twiddle and FaceBook get the majority of their hits. Such time is rare anyway -
unless a company has other problems. Despite wider economic events, we are
doing ok.
Instead, I
mean time set aside outside of billable client time in order to retain our
skills and expand our skills into new areas of expertise. Not just training;
but research, playing, getting experience.
The idea is to be able to have small teams of 'chameleons' continually
investigating and toying with new technologies and trends that interest them.
Such teams will have clear deliverables in order to keep things focused; but
the drive should come from them. Not quite the infamous "Google 20%
time" (Google=bigger than us), but a similar idea. Google are also doing
ok.
Our model is of course different. For us, such efforts will then feed into our company
as whole: skills, ideas, practical experience. It will make us better
consultants, designers, and developers.
For our staff, hopefully it also keeps them motivated and interested, and most
importantly, involved - even as we continue to expand. Every political party
knows to safeguard its grassroots. To remain innovative, as we grow we must do
the same.
Over the coming months I hope to see it start to effect this blog too, as our
working groups begin to blog their ongoing findings. We're putting our
grassroots online. Perhaps you should worry after all...
As a taster, our first working group looks to be the "Mobile Websites
Working Group" tasked "to look at and investigate the ways to make
engaging and intuitive websites for mobile phones and devices." Not
exciting to you? Well it is to those involved. They really want to build a cool
mobile website - not just a widget on a phone; but a proper website - and they
know they can, given half a chance. That (hopefully) will be why it works out.
If not, lessons will be learnt along the way - and you will learn them along
with us. That is after all the point.
I guess this blogging lark isn't so bad. Will leave it to the pros though. My
sentences have gone all staccato. Wierd.