I recently had the pleasure of talking to Dan Forman, the Director of Partners & Alliances for Rally. At the time I was trying to get him to buy a small startup that combines code repository hosting, team collaboration and social project management. His response was essentially that Rally already has code repository hosting, team collaboration and a social network… so why would they want to combine all three in one tool?

There are several basic advantages for using a tool with an incorporated social network:

1. Data security. Keeps all communication between team members under lock and key… no messy emails and unfortunate leaks onto “shadow” IT like mobile phones… outside accounts etc.
2. Onboarding acceleration. If you join a new team and all the files and systems are tied into the social network user management module, it is a lot faster for new team members to figure out what is what and who is who.
3. Improved communication. All the coffee breaks in the world will not build communication in a company. Seeing who you actually have to talk to to get work on a project? Much more effective.

Seriously though, the social networking tools have set up a method of collaboration and information distribution that is entirely different from the top-down heavy project management solutions and practices of large companies. As new graduates enter the workforce and make purchasing decisions, they will inevitably look for solutions that seem like a “natural fit”. What feels natural to them are products that distribute information and let them work with others the way that they do with the networks they grew up on.

So how do we as a project management community learn to adapt our communication and organizational processes to incorporate the cultural shift of social networking on our projects?