mapping internal policy to the hype cycle
TRANSCRIPT
Mapping
Internal Policy
to Gartner’s
Hype Cycle
nick charney
cpsrenewal.ca
by nick charney http://cpsrenewal.ca
2
The Hype Cycle
The hype cycle is a graphic representation of the maturity, adoption and social application of specific technologies. The term was coined by Gartner, Inc. - Wikipedia
Five Phases
1. Technology Trigger Product launch or other event that generates significant press and interest.
2. Peak of Inflated Expectations A frenzy of publicity typically generates over-enthusiasm and unrealistic expectations. There may be some successful applications of a technology, but there are typically more failures.
3. Trough of Disillusionment Technologies fail to meet expectations and quickly become unfashionable. Less attention is paid to the topic and technology.
4. Slope of Enlightenment: Despite lack of attention, some users remain and continue to experiment chasing the benefits and practical application of the technology.
5. Plateau of Productivity Benefits become widely demonstrated and accepted. The technology becomes increasingly stable and evolves in second and third generations.
by nick charney http://cpsrenewal.ca
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The Policy Response to the Hype Cycle
by nick charney http://cpsrenewal.ca
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If we map the policy response to the Hype Cycle we see that there are a number of points where the two intersect to create some interesting spaces.
Policy Lever
Legend
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Mapping Internal Policy
1
2 3
4
A
B
C
D
Policy Lever Appropriation Vacuum Max Risk Threshold Recession Turning Point Resurgence Culture of Acceptable Use Diminishing Returns
Legend
1 A
B 2
3
4
C
D
to the Hype Cycle
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Stage 1: Vacuum
1
2 3
4
A
B
C
D
E
As the visibility of employees appropriating new technologies for their own uses mounts, organizations perceive new and rising risks. Once visibility drives the organization to its maximum risk threshold it triggers a policy response which initiates the next phase in the cycle.
Policy Lever Appropriation Vacuum Max Risk Threshold
Legend
1 A
B
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Stage 2: Recession
1
2 3
4
A
B
C
D
Policy Lever Appropriation Vacuum Max Risk Threshold Recession Turning Point
Legend
1 A
B 2 C
Users pull back as the implications of the new policy are unclear. Education and outreach become necessary on the part Policy owners in order to encourage and/or assure business lines that the policy is permissive not restrictive. This happens regardless of how permissive the policy may appear.
by nick charney http://cpsrenewal.ca
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Stage 3: Resurgence
1
2 3
A
B
C
D
Policy Lever Appropriation Vacuum Max Risk Threshold Recession Turning Point Resurgence Culture of Acceptable Use
Legend
1 A
B 2
3
C
D
Clarification on the applicability of the policy via education and outreach eventually reaches a critical mass and usage resumes in a policy compliant manner.
by nick charney http://cpsrenewal.ca
9
Stage 4: Diminishing Returns
1
2 3
4
A
B
C
D
E
Policy Lever Appropriation Vacuum Max Risk Threshold Recession Turning Point Resurgence Culture of Acceptable Use Diminishing Returns
Legend
1 A
B 2
3
4
C
D
Behaviours prescribed by the policy are sufficiently entrenched in the culture that the policy starts to decline in value as the policy’s raison d’être is replaced by a normative culture acceptable behaviour within the medium. This does not occur until the technology in question is universally accessible (e.g. email).
Recap (1/3)
A. Appropriation of New Technologies The point where employees start to use new technologies in novel ways. These uses are both unofficial and unsanctioned and while they may be innovative they carry a degree of risk that scales along side usage.
1. Policy Vacuum (Trigger to Peak) As the visibility of employees appropriating new technologies for their own uses mounts, organizations perceive new and rising risks. Once visibility drives the organization to its maximum risk threshold it triggers a policy response which initiates the next phase in the cycle.
B. Maximum Risk Threshold The point where organizational concerns about the use of new technology need to be satiated by an overarching policy framework. This policy, regardless of orientation, will always have a chilling effect on users because of lack of initial clarity, the introduction of new rules, and variances in opinion.
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Recap (2/3)
2. Receding Use after Policy Comes to Force (Peak to Trough) Users pull back as the implications of the new policy are unclear. Education and outreach become necessary on the part Policy owners in order to encourage and/or assure business lines that the policy is permissive not restrictive. This happens regardless of how permissive the policy may appear.
C. Turning Point The point where education and outreach around the new policy reaches critical mass (that is to say the policy is sufficiently socialized) and business lines and employees feel comfortable re-engaging using these new technologies.
3. Slow Resurgence of Use after Outreach and Education (Trough to Slope) Clarification on the applicability of the policy via education and outreach eventually reaches a critical mass and usage resumes in a policy compliant manner.
by nick charney http://cpsrenewal.ca
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Recap (3/3)
D. Culture of Acceptable use The point where there is a common understanding of how to use and not use the technology in question. By this point the technology is no longer new, in fact it is so diffuse as to be universally accessible to everyone in the organization (e.g. present day email).
4. Diminishing Returns on Investment (Slope to Plateau) At this point the behaviours prescribed by the policy are sufficiently entrenched in the culture that the policy itself starts to decline in operational value. In other words, the policy’s raison d’etre is replaced by normative culture of what constitutes acceptable behaviour with that particular technological medium. This does not occur until the technology in question is universally accessible (e.g. email).
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Implications
Internal policies are born out of a short shadow of the future Organizations issue a permanent policies to mitigate temporary risk; that is to say that policy decisions in this regard are front loaded and focus on the here and now rather than considering the logical end point of a completely diffused technology (e.g. culture of acceptable use).
Policy shapes the emergent culture of acceptable use That said, internal policies provide organizations an early opportunity to shape the emerging culture of acceptable use within the given medium. This allows them to minimize the immediate risks but the return on investment declines significantly over time as use becomes ubiquitous (e.g. what would be the present day value of a policy to govern the use of a boardroom?)
Organizational risk declines with widespread use Monitoring compliance in a world of widespread use is practically impossible, most internal policies are self-governing in that they simply penetrate the ethos of day to day operations through osmosis and or are regulated socially by peers or through ad hoc inquiries. (e.g. whistleblowing)
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