There is a change that could make Google+ a more powerful tool for supporting collaboration when it becomes part of Google Apps. That change would be to let circles be objects that can be shared, in much the same way that documents created with Google Docs can be shared.
Google+ is still in beta and not yet available for Google Apps accounts, but Google sources have indicated that this will change in the future. Google+ will be a welcome addition to Apps, providing benefits not just for individual users, but also for organizations.
One of the themes of this blog is that collaboration requires coordination, and coordination is easier to achieve when collaborators have shared knowledge -- especially that type of shared knowledge sometimes referred to as "mutual knowledge." That's where Google+ comes in. Google+ provides a convenient and rich way to share information, ideas, and experiences. This type of sharing provides a foundation of mutual knowledge that will allow people to work together more effectively and more efficiently.
Letting circles be objects would allow an organization using Google Apps to create a circle for each department, and that shared circle could be used by many people while being maintained by just a few. A project manager could create a shared circle for the project team, updating it as new members join the team, thereby making past postings available to that new member, as well as insuring that they will receive new posts shared with the team circle by any team member. This is, of course, applying the concept underlying Google Groups for Business to Google+, but I hope Google will consider making something like this available for all users of Google+ rather than just Business Apps customers.
Letting circles be objects would be useful not just for organizations using Google Apps, but also for those who want to have Google+ circles for clubs or interest groups. Circles have been designed to allow us flexibility in organizing our social networks and the way we communicate with them. Social connections may be asymmetrical. Each person's family circle may be a bit different from that of anyone else. Letting circles be objects would keep the flexibility that's there now, while making social sharing easier for groups who want or need to have everyone in the group define the group in the same way.
