Apps Mirror Organizational Culture

Can your smartphone apps give you insights about organizational culture? How will the ubiquitous nature of the internet continue to change your relationship to your members? How might these tools affect your organization?

In her new insightful book, Mobilized: An Insider’s Guide to the Business and Future of Connected Technology, SC Moatti, a “mobile veteran” from Silicon Valley, tells what makes apps most effective can also be instructive for organizational culture. Moatti tells how the ancient Greek construct “mind, body, spirit” encapsulates what it means to be human. She relates these to mobile technology: “Body: We are guided and motivated by beauty in all pursuits … Great mobile products replicate this beauty and use it to attract us.” For Moatti, beauty translates into elegance and simplicity, as per Pythagoras’ Golden Mean. She continues: “Spirit: We all seek meaning for ourselves and our communities. Our spirit defines us and marks us as individuals. At the same time … we are a part of larger groups. The best mobile products recognize this duality. Mind: Key to our development as humans and our ongoing survival, both individually and collectively, is our ability to learn and adapt … The best mobile products not only help us learn but also learn with us. These three human ­first principles are at the core of great mobile products … We want them to look beautiful, to focus on the things that matter and to constantly adapt to our environment.“