Catherine Howe has worked in technology for nearly 20 years. Her research explores digital civic space and how social media can be used for democratic purposes. She is interested in digital leadership skills and how to work effectively in a networked society. Howe discusses how everything is changing due to factors like technological innovation, aging populations, and climate change. She argues that we need to change how we communicate and organize ourselves. Networks have become the dominant social structure, and citizens are more participatory through sharing, collaborating, and connecting online. Howe believes digital skills are needed for collaboration, co-design, social media use, research, data analysis, and agile project management. There is no single solution, and we must continue learning to work in

1. Digital Survival skills
Solace Masterclass
June 2014
Catherine Howe, Chief Executive Public-i

2. I have worked in technology for nearly 20 years (eek)
My area of interest is in using the social web to do democratic things – my
research explores digital civic space. I also run Public-i where we build some
of these ideas – and webcast A LOT of council meetings.
Increasingly I am interested in digital leadership and the skills we need to
work effectively in the network society
I am also part of the team trying to build NHS Citizen
@curiousc
http://www.public-i.info/blog
Who am I to be telling you this?
Some background

3. Survival: Minimum viable
knowledge

4. Austerity
Everything is changing
+
We need to change
everything
Everything is changing
+
We need to change
everything
Social
Change
Aging
population
Democratic
deficit
Political parties
are shrinking
Climate
change
Technological
innovation
3AM
worries!

5. Is digital an answer?

6. Technological
Determinism?

7. Society not technology

8. Welcome to the Network
Society

9. Networks as the dominant social structure
http://blog.socialflow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/kony-early-network.jpg

10. Networked

11. Participatory Culture: Active citizens
Collaborating
ParticipatingSharing
Creating
Connecting

12. This is the world of
Generation Y: The
millennial generation
The networked
individual

13. Generation Y
-Twenty-somethings, also known as Millenials
-Tech-savvy individuals who are comfortable and confident using technology in daily life
-Achievement focused – confident, competitive and ambitious with high expectations
-Feedback valuing – Gen Y seek reassurance and feedback often
-Often more liberal and politically active than the previous generation

14. What is really going
on?

15. We communicate and organise ourselves
differently

16. Data is huge

17. Context is collapsed

18. Openness is replacing privacy
Private Public

19. Or is it??

20. As is time
Linear Persistent

21. Everything is connected

22. How can we make sense of
this? And lead through it?

23. What do we mean by Digital?

24. And using technology to do it
Social Change Tribe – digital can change the world
Social Innovation Tribe – digital can drive new, socially responsible economics
Big Data Tribe – digital enables us to collect data and analyse trends
Radical Redesign Tribe – digital can help us redesign the system
Digital by Default Tribe – we can make everything better if it’s online
Digital Architecture Tribe – super-fast internet, 4G, cloud-based
Digital Cargo Cult – it’s shiny, and we want it

25. We limit ourselves by simply considering changes
to the way we communicate
So what should we be thinking about?

26. Do we have shared values?

27. Do we even have shared
language?

28. Disintermediation

29. Retail

30. Personalisation

31. Travel

32. A shrinking state

33. An aging population

34. Can we really maintain 4 relationships with the
citizen?
Communications Engagement
Consultation Politcians

35. How do we explore the art of the possible?
Transformation Change the system not the process
How do we create a networked organisation?
Look outside
Many professions are addressing this issue
themselves
Talk to the members This is a democratic issue

36. Our working assumption, explored in this work, is that:
a more networked society will need a more Networked Councillor
- able to represent and respond to people acclimatized to a collaborative and
networked way of decision-making and taking action.
WHAT!!!
Talk to members!!!!

37. Citizens do not need
us to organise them

38. Networks….of
networks

39. Digital Civic Space
Open
Co-
productive
Place defined
by Citizens
Representative
Public

40. Different skills are needed
An understanding of networked
power
Collaboration skills
Co-design skills
Social media ‘social’ skills
An adequate understanding of the
basic lexicon of digital
Horizon scanning and research
Data skills
Digital commissioning
Agile project management
Cultural Practical

41. There is no magic bullet
How do we keep learning?

42. Catherine Howe
catherine.howe@public-i.info
Thank you for your time