The Obama administration is doing some interesting online engineering in order to push its health care reform agenda. As detailed in today's post on Greg Sargent's blog, The Plum Line, the White House "is set to launch a massive new online data bank of thousands of health care stories, which will be spread around the country via Obama’s extensive email list . . . "

Sargent adds that this "is perhaps the most ambitious test case yet determining whether the technological apparatus that fueled Obama’s campaign can succeed in driving Obama’s governing agenda."

Politics and issues aside, what the president is doing is democratizing in every sense of the word -- and something that makes the Internet a crucible of information and discussion where the worth of every participant's point of view can have the same weight.

How does this way of thinking translate to the commercial sector? It demands the ability to take a punch, to be sure. Invite this kind of input (feedback from clients on your products and services, for example, or totally transparent access to your solution development cycles) and you're going to make plenty of people nervous. But that anxiety will be counterbalanced, if not eclipsed, by the trust you establish. It's no guarantee that you'll be liked, but at least nobody can fault you for not listening.

In the same sense, you have the power to introduce new ideas and launch conversations with much more control over focus. Many companies still take the "head in the sand" approach when customers begin complaining about a product problem or service shortcoming. But there's no need to sweat it out waiting for criticism when you're already explaining how you plan to address the issue. Following Obama's lead by asking individuals to share specific perspectives, you are suddenly creating empathy around which an audience/community can congeal.

You don't need to worry about ensuring that everyone has the exact same experience. You only need to provide a forum where people can have their say. The outspoken folks will contribute plenty. The less loquacious will be content to endorse the stories that most closely match their experiences or emotions.

Whether or not the Obama approach will have an impact on health care legislation has yet to be determined. Regardless, it will certainly boost people's sense of inclusion and influence. In many ways, that's impact enough.