Walk into my workplace and it will soon become apparent why Dilbert is such a popular cartoon character. The best cartoon characters are based on reality. When I first went to work in the NRCS State Office, I felt as though I had walked into the twilight zone. Miles and miles, or so it appeared, of cubicles, for a far as the eye could see. You could sit at your desk for days and come to believe that the workplace consisted of only 3 or 4 other individuals. This is pretty amazing when you consider that over 100 people work there. I had worked there for almost 3 months before I caught sight of the State Conservationist.
I have since found that colaboration is the key to being successful in the State Office. But, as you can see, they don't make it easy. Luckily, people are self-organizing and, for the most part, naturally curious about those around them. You eventually gravitate to those of similiar interests and program areas, and if you are fortunate, you find ways to combine what you know with what they know and can provide better service to your internal and external clients.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Some people smell "extra work" when you approach them about colaborating on a project. Sometimes you are successful in converting them to your cause, often times, not. I suspect that these same closet slackers are not going to be on the cutting edge of the next computer revolution. And certainly my employer is light years behind in computer technology. A Wiki Workplace? I am not sure that is going to happen in my lifetime.
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