Business Tools Blog

By Joe Samsel

AKA Blank Page Syndrome, Blank Canvas Terror and Writers Block.  As I lead my team through the adoption phase of our collaboration tools such as SharePoint, Google Sites/Groups, Wiki’s and the like, I often wonder why it takes so long for people to “get it” – to take the initiative and think about the culture, value and scale these tools help create.  I’m sure some view it as more work, a threat, fear of the unknown – but many times I think it’s simply because people don’t know where to start.

“I assume that “white page syndrome” means psychological paralysis at some early stage of a job. My suggestion is to do something — even something bad.  Then you can look at it and see why it’s bad and do something else and look at it and see why it’s bad and do something else. . . and pretty soon you’re doing something good.”

Gunnar Swanson, University of California at Davis

Something I’ve found helpful during adoption is to not just ask, insist or beg people set up a project page, list or wiki article, but for me to actually take a few short minutes to  create something, a starting point, a building block or foundation from which to grow the creative process.  It’s amazing, once I’ve bloodied the canvas, people seem more motivated than ever to “fix it”, to make it their own – now we’re talking.

So here’s what I say.  If you have an idea, want something done, want that SharePoint Page or Google group set up, don’t just pick up the phone or send an email trying to explain it – do something about it.  You’ll be surprised how badly people want something good, and isn’t this really the essence of collaboration.

Go do something bad….