Why is it that there are 20 or 30 poorly performing e-commerce initiatives for every standout success?  Obvious and well-touted explanations include inadequate understandings of required technologies, lousy site designs, and "bricks and mortar" mindsets brought to a new world of "clicks and hits".  And yet, alone, these answers are only part of the picture.  Chances are, the organization also failed to take full advantage of engaging employees in the initiative.

Too often, organizations get caught up in the technology aspects of e-commerce, failing to involve employees --- especially those you think are not impacted --- in the strategy development and implementation.  Says organizational change expert Robert "Jake" Jacobs, "Employees must be engaged on a daily basis in all decisions that affect them.  They must believe they are impacting e-commerce, rather than e-commerce impacting them, so that they feel and do influence their destiny.  Too many companies are getting caught up - and trapped - by the seductiveness of the technology and missing huge leverage points for successful e-commerce initiatives. "

Jacobs suggests that effective e-commerce implementation be compared to a three-legged stool.  If one of the legs fails, the stool falls.  The same can be said about an e-commerce initiative --- here the legs are:

(1) A clear, considered e-commerce strategy

(2) Alignment/synergy with the business strategy

(3) Support and commitment of employees

There are natural tensions between each of these elements --- between the technical and human focus, between the strategic and cultural focus, and between the existing business strategy and the e-commerce strategy focus.  Without conscious management of these tensions, the initiative will fail.  "In all e-commerce initiatives these tensions exist, and the organization is typically unable to pinpoint why.  Nobody within the organization is asking the question: What would happen if the corporation engaged everyone in the e-commerce strategy? They do not know how they could gain more because they don´t even know what they are losing.  Though it´s too early for solid research in this particular arena, there are volumes of studies proving the value of engaging people in organizations in quality, strategy and work design efforts.  It´s not tough to see that those who get on the bandwagon of e-commerce inclusion early stand to gain the most."

The Unintended Consequences Of e-Commerce

These lost opportunities have a profound effect on what Jacobs calls the "unintended consequences of e-commerce."  By looking at e-commerce through an employee lens --- rather than focusing solely on technology --- organizations will improve the success of their e-commerce initiatives and positively impact the organization as a whole.

1.      The speed of e-commerce changes the way individuals look at career development.  Because technology is changing so fast, employees now look at career development in terms of months, rather than in years.  This new mindset greatly affects retention because employees are re-evaluating the kind of experience they want (and need) to get from their jobs.

2.      While employees have become more adept at managing change, adapting effectively and efficiently is imperative in the fast-paced e-commerce world. Every organization needs people who can tolerate risk and ambiguity, and who can be productive in chaotic and rapidly changing environments. It is a sought after competency.

By the same token, employees are realizing that managing change is a skill --- and a portable one at that --- that must be added to their personal toolboxes.  Knowing how to excel in a changing work environment makes them feel more secure, and gives them the confidence to take the initiative to make a difference at work.  It gives them the ammunition to face the next hurdle.

3.      Involvement equals communication and communication equals commitment.  The more employees know about the organization´s e-commerce strategy and what their role is in achieving it, the more they can bring to bear on the problem. Information is power, and employees want and need to be empowered with the information they need to know to do their jobs better and more effectively. As employees are involved in the e-commerce strategy development, you increase their commitment and accelerate the pace of implementing e-commerce.

2000 Robert W. Jacobs Consulting, Inc.