Yesterday I was part of a great session with colleagues from Dudley CVS, Dudley CCG, Dudley Public Health and Paul Webster and Eddie Ryce from Learning Pool. I took a few notes as we chatted, and spent a bit of time after the meeting sorting them in to something which would make sense to colleagues who couldn't make the session. I was about to email the notes when I thought it would make more sense to pop them in a shared Dropbox folder I'd created for our work on online learning. Then is occurred to me that is I was doing that, others could easily add in their own reflections and thoughts to the same set of notes - as the latest version would be accessible to all. So I have invited them to.
I don't have any great expectations that others will add to the notes, it's not the way we do things yet. People tend to take their own notes and keep them as their own. But I hope I'm nudging change by creating the opportunity and putting the idea there. Because I'd cc'd Paul in the email and mentioned the Dropbox folder, he has just asked me on twitter for the link. This is great, as I know Paul may well add to the notes - it is the way he does things! Maybe by seeing it happen this will be another nudge for my colleagues, taking them a step closer to working in this way.
Much as Rachel Botsman says we're 'wired to share', I have to think consciously about doing things this way. Because it wasn't encouraged when we were at school, and it isn't something which the organisations we work for do. It's working with people like Paul which reminds me that I can (and should) do things in a share-y way. When I'm surrounded by people for whom it isn't second nature I slip back in to the old ways of doing things. So I'm grateful that I have contact with people who actively use online tools to facilitate collaborative ways of doing things. It nudges me, which helps me to nudge others.
What helps you to remember to share and create with others? Is it second nature for some people?
Here's a lovely TED Talk about sharing, which makes much more sense than my waffling!
