HR pros in general, and especially forward thinking ones, need to get on Google Wave ASAP.
WHY??
- It’s a great tool for collaboration. In just a short time there’s been some great Waves set-up by people such as Karla Porter, Franny O. and others. Serious ideas are being discussed and a body of work is being produced by multiple contributors from around the world.
- It’s way better than chat forums for discussing and sharing ideas, thoughts, media, etc. For example, I’ve already seen blog posts created as a direct result of conversations that begun in Google Wave.
- There’s room to grow. Everyone has a blog and there’s only so many “thought leaders” that’s worth paying attention to. Early adopters are going to use the platform to enhance their current offerings (like Steve Boese and his HR Happy Hour related Waves) or create new ones.
- We can shape it’s development. Being such a new and open-ended platform gives us, yes US, an opportunity to mold a potentially cutting edge tool. Our voices have an impact on Twitter and Facebook, so imagine what could happen if we leverage Google Wave before it goes live.
- It’s a more inclusive community. Now I know that sounds weird since it’s currently by invitation only. However, unlike most other platforms, Google Wave allows multiple parties to interact at once. The Twitter and Facebook method of streaming information has its drawbacks because only so many voices can be heard. This is why hashtags are so important and why they’re not necessary in the Wave.
It’s far from perfect but Google Wave has a lot of great potential that would be a great benefit to HR. Think I’m full of it? Shoot me an e-mail and I’ll send you an invite.
