The Peer Pioneers

One of the questions that I am asked as I share information with TSPs about emerging technology opportunities is, "How will this help me build my business?" My response is, "The possibilities are endless." Don Tapscott, in his book Wikinomics, lists several benefits to on-line peer collaboration. The following are two ways to use emerging technology to enhance exsisting business opportunities.

Boosting demand for complementary offerings:

American agricultural producers are currently most familiar with the technical services provided by the government. Never all encompassing, reduced budgets has further curtailed those services. Identifying additional services which enhance existing services will bring additional revenue to the company. In Iowa, Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans are required for livestock producers who participate in the Environmental Quality Incentive Program. These plans consist of nutrient management, manure and wastewater management, land management and feed management components. Many TSPs have a single area of expertise and can not offer all services needed to create a total plan. Collaborating with those entities offering complimentary services can increase the demand for each.

Taking the friction out of collaboration:

At a recent training I facilitated, the participants were long-time technical service providers, and extremely competitive. They were competitive to the point that it was detrimental to the course. No one would participate for fear of sharing proprietary knowledge with what they perceived to be their competitors. As my courses are designed around open communication, I used a training activity change the dynamics of the course. The small group activity forced the participants to rely on each other's knowledge and experience to complete the exercise. I used the group dynamics to decide who was paired with whom, and many of those most openly hostile to each other found themselves on the same team.

What struck me at the time was that, once they were forced to collaborate (the activity), the trainers could barely get a word in edge-wise for the rest of the session. It was amazing. The group had so much to share, and really wanted to share their knowledge, but did not know how to let go of all the ownership issues. That, I believe, will be the key to the success of this new business community. We have to find ways to prioritize areas of importance and let go of the things that are keep us from meeting our full potential.