Organisation Theory
It may at one time have been enough to be a techie, to understand the subtleties of mark-up languages and other coding. But the reality is the days of amazing flash animations are almost over. There may be a few designers doing this stuff but it is not what most organisations need. Arguably, you will find knowledge of organisation theory more helpful than website development.
You see, only a few years ago web design was peripheral to most organisations. A website was an extra something you had because … well everyone else had one. Whilst many organisations, especially in the third sector, haven’t understood the revolution happening around them, the trend is relentless and anyone who doesn’t get it will lose out.
Why You Need Organisation Theory to Explain Why Websites Don’t Work!
The fact is, if you are not going to take your organisation’s web presence seriously you are better off not being online at all. For many groups that may be the best solution. Why waste time and effort maintaining some online system that you don’t really need?
I know of many organisations whose performance would be enhanced without their current online presence. There are various reasons for this. May be:
- they don’t have a need for it,
- decisions made years ago have lumbered them with an unsustainable system,
- the time they devote to the work would be better directed elsewhere, or
- they’re investing time in a system that isn’t right for them and never will be right for them.
Pulling out of a significant investment of time and money can be difficult even if it is in the organisation’s best interests.
Many groups don’t understand what websites can do for them and perhaps experience websites as millstones around their necks; websites as burdensome creators of unnecessary work and not as helpful tools.
This sequence will look at how your web presence shares in planning your organisation’s purpose. I shall explain why technical skills are less important than organisational skills in future posts.
So, what’s most important? Web skills or understanding your organisation?