I’m sure you’ve heard the popular line, “Enough about me. So, what you do think about me?” No doubt, it is one of the quintessential self-centred lines of our time. How many of us have been in conversation with someone at a party or on a street corner only to have the other person’s eyes look beyond us, over our head, scanning about in search of someone else, something else, or somewhere else. They are clearly not present. They are not listening. They seem to be interested only in what they need.

This happens all the time, right? How many times have you unintentionally done this? More than you’d like to think, no doubt. Listening is indeed an art. In the world of the web, it has long been a lost art. With links that don’t work, unusable navigation, bombastic blinking tools, flash for flash’s sake, and in general, the invasion of technology that was invented and implemented with little thought to the end user. We still so often visit web sites, only to be bombarded with bells and whistles, and inaccessible content; we are overwhelmed by someone else’s version of what we need or should find important.

Sound familiar?

As Annette Simmons, author of The Story Factor, puts it: “We don’t need more information. We need to know what it means. We need a story that explains what it means and makes us feel like we fit in there somewhere.”

Imagine a web site that is customized to your needs and interests. Imagine an online space where you can connect with others about issues of interest to you. A place where you can contribute your own content, share your photos, your music, create your own campaigns, subscribe to content, collaborate on original documents with others, learn what the most popular searches are, create your own identity, track a project that you have supported, and so much more. Imagine having a real sense of being heard and knowing “where you fit.”

This online experience is fast becoming a reality as organizations begin to embrace a more active and engaged relationship with their constituencies. These organizations are strategically “thinking from the outside…in.” What is driving this is a fundamental paradigm shift in the web – commonly referred to as Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is the next generation of the web and it is rapidly setting new standards for the personalization and sharing of content and the individual customization of your online experience.

One of the key characteristics of this next generation of the web is that users add value. Harnessing this collective intelligence is at the core of Web 2.0. The challenge in moving forward and embracing Web 2.0 rests with the impact of the power of the end user or individual within your organization. If we are really going to engage our audience and listen, then that is a level of relationship that will require a culture and operational shift for many nonprofit organizations.

Web 2.0 is changing the Internet. It is creating expectations within your audience that they will be heard, that they can tailor their relationship with you, and that your organization is listening from the “outside, in.” This has direct implications for all of your organization’s programs, including fundraising, advocacy, education, and communications. There is a real risk if your web site moves into 2.0 but your organization does not. This will set up expectations within your constituencies that can’t be met, or it will push your organization in a direction that fundamentally challenges your mandate or mission. The culture of 2.0 will necessitate a corresponding operational model within your organization.

For a long time now, we have dreamed of an engaged public – a public that is actively connected to our work. Web 2.0 is making this kind of engagement a reality. Is your organization ready to think from the outside in?

Pattie LaCroix has directed marketing and communications programs for nonprofits for over ten years. As vice president of Communicopia, she is passionate about creating online communications strategies for nonprofits that engage their audience and build support for their work. You can contact Pattie through www.communicopia.net.

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