Yesterday, this morning-challenged blogger told Dux and the Editorial Staff that the only way I was rolling out of bed before 6 am AND driving across the river to Bethesda was if Dux promised to be engaging, exciting, and to teach me something I didn’t already know. To say that Dux did not disappoint (and that I really, REALLY want SharePoint 2013!) is an understatement…

Always the informative – AND entertaining – speaker, Dux’s keynote for this morning focused on the new revolution that is happening in SharePoint, the epidemic spreading across enterprises (and more) that is SharePoint 2013. But what exactly is this epidemic, and what do we mean when we talk about enterprise social?  One of the best definitions out there comes to us courtesy of Gartner: “Enterprise Social… Is an important method for enhancing communication, coordination, and collaboration for business purposes.” So now that we have a better idea of what enterprise social is, and have been clued in that the enterprise revolution is here, what exactly does it all mean? To summarize, we are seeing four major influencers that are framing the revolution:

1. The rise of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device);

2. The Speed of Business;

3. The Need to do Less with More; and

4. Social Collaboration.

Of the four, perhaps the most important and pervasive influencer is social collaboration. Fortunately or unfortunately, business isn’t being run the same way now as it was 20 or even 10 years ago. People are on the move, resources are tight and communication needs to be instantaneous. The key, as Dux noted, to getting business done more efficiently and effectively is to rethink how people work together. Specifically, we need to start looking at and sustainably adopting an enterprise social framework and recognizing the value it brings to an organization, including:

• Employee engagement;
• Team collaboration;
• Business agility; and
• Connected organization.

So now that we know what the revolution is, and the great value it can bring, the next question is simple: How can we lead the social revolution with SharePoint 2013? In his keynote, Dux identified the three cornerstones of successfully leading the social revolution:

1. Collaborate efficiently

2. Manage effectively

3. Win consistently

Let’s start with good, ol’ #1 – Collaborate efficiently. The objective of this cornerstone is simple enough; how do we get everyone on the same page so that we can work better together? With SharePoint 2013, collaboration has never been easier. With its cross-platform, cross-browser capabilities, SharePoint 2013 was developed to allow users to collaborate on their own terms. Whether on a PC at the office or a Mac on the go (as yours truly currently is), SharePoint 2013 empowers its users by offering a wealth of useful features that are available for familiar tools. In addition, its collaborative capabilities ensure that business insights are always there where you need them when you need them. Regardless of whether you are a project team member in the field or an executive in the office, collaborating on projects, following and sharing documents, monitoring projects, and portfolio status, and more has never been easier. As Dux noted, SharePoint 2013 isn’t just about useful features, it’s about delivering solutions so that work gets done faster, cheaper, and sooner.

Now, on to #2 – Manage effectively. To begin, what does it mean to manage more effectively? Simply stated, it’s about being more proactive and less reactive. For IT specifically, the goal is to manage information, not just infrastructure. So how do we accomplish this goal? The most important thing to do is prioritize. It’s no secret that with tight budgets and resources, time and money are at a premium. By prioritizing your SharePoint implementation objectives, you position your organization to reap a series of positive changes and, more importantly, a sustainable SharePoint adoption.

So why sustain and grow SharePoint you may be asking? First and foremost is the focus on the bigger picture and ROI: What are we getting for our investment? When you establish a sustainable adoption within your organization, the benefits are countless and include:

• Drive excitement;
• Facilitate change; and
• Empower and assist.

As we’ve seen time and time again, when you get people excited and engaged, they are more likely to want to jump on board and be open to change. This is increasingly important and best exemplified by a quotation Dux shared from Machiavelli:

It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult… than taking the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.

Now that we’ve looked at how to collaborate efficiently and manage effectively, it’s time to move on to the most important of the three cornerstones: Win consistently. When it comes to the social revolution and SharePoint 2013 adoption, one of the most important objectives should be to build enthusiasm so that you can position your organization to achieve big wins and realize quantifiable business value. If successfully implemented, the wealth of business benefits that can be achieved from a sustainable adoption are countless and include:

• Financial gains;
• Expedite innovation; and
• Facilitate engagement.

So now that the revolution is a real thing and not going anywhere, what can we do to help extend business solutions and drive SharePoint adoption? Aside from being ready, the answer is simple:

Lead the Revolution!

While we all know that SharePoint is a journey, as we travel the road to revolution, it’s important to not forget that, first and foremost, your journey is not going to happen overnight. As fulfilling as taking the journey may be, the most important thing when implementing SharePoint is to remember to keep the destination your goal and focus so that your journey is worth it.

Are you ready to lead the revolution? Learn more by checking out the entire slide deck from Dux’s keynote presentation, courtesy of SlideShare:

Revolutionize Your Organization with SharePoint 2013

Rather see Dux’s presentation in action? The session in its entirety was filmed and can be viewed here:
Revolutionize Your Org with SharePoint 2013 #spfestdc from Dux Raymond

Read our complete coverage of SharePoint Fest D.C.:

• Greetings from SharePoint Fest D.C.!
• Jeremy Thake’s ‘The App Building Playbook for the SharePoint 2013 Marketplace’
• Naomi Moneypenny’s ‘Yamming it Up – Collaboration Beyond SharePoint’
• Dux Raymond Sy Brings Style to SharePoint – Revolutionize Your Organization with SharePoint 2013
• Jeff Willinger Talks SharePoint, Mobility, and the Reach/Rich Spectrum
• Christian Buckley Teaches you Everything you Wanted to Know about SharePoint Reporting but Were too Afraid to Ask