de Stricker

Where are the information sharing stars?

A simple and intriguing performance evaluation approach asks: "Name the top 5 people in your department or across the organization who in your opinion do a great job of sharing information and knowledge for the benefit of others".  For managers, the results are gold: These named colleagues are the go-to people who have built a reputation for always having something to offer to help a project, support a specific task, or teach a technique. 

We information professionals can learn from that phenomenon.  "Who in your department is generally considered to be the go-to, and why?  I'm asking in the context of setting up some new information services."  Naturally, we want to know what the seekers are looking for -- so that we can assess how we might support the go-tos.

Silobreaking

Silos are for breaking down - let’s make it our business: Much more often than I like to say, I witness employee comments along the lines of "Wish we'd known your team had already tackled X - we are struggling with it now".  The organizational cost of silos is breathtaking, and the emergence of "silobreaking awards" suggest there is hope.  Can information professionals offer a solution?  You bet.  (Expertise and project directories are just the beginning.)  In any culture where silobreaking is desired and rewarded, we can offer effective strategies for managers to endorse.

"Hidden" knowledge in shorthand language

A nugget from Alan Breakspear's presentation at the recent MRIA conference (http://www.mria-arim.com/) made me think of the "durability" of the information we produce and communicate day to day.  Alan asked, in the context of information sharing, what good it would do for us to e.g. capture every email when so much information is communicated "cryptically" between individuals who share a common knowledge environment. Come to think of it ... how often do we use language that would mystify anyone not on the team?  What would a new employee searching a corporate repository for maternity leave extension make of "Peter, I agree that Case 345 calls for a special assessment, certainly in view of EA-11, as the maternity leave extension may apply here" ? The implications for corporate memory policies are intriguing!

If this isn't scary, I don't know what is

From EDUPAGE:

ETS REPORT SAYS STUDENTS NOT INFORMATION LITERATE A new study by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) suggests that although college students appear fluent with technology, many are unable to effectively use computers to solve information problems.
Students are comfortable using technology for leisure and social activities, but the study indicates that they have much more trouble evaluating online material and using technology effectively to find needed information. In the study, which surveyed more than 6,300 college students and high school seniors, fewer than half correctly identified from several choices the Web site that was objective, authoritative, and timely. Irvin Katz, a researcher at ETS, said, "It’s not only in academics but also in the workplace that people don’t have the necessary critical skills to access information."
Inside Higher Ed, 15 November 2006
http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/11/15/infolit

So what can / shall we information professionals do about this well known challenge?

Two solitudes who could get a lot closer

In December 2005, I had the pleasure of delivering a very well received presentation [what happens to market research data once it enters an enterprise] to the inaugural MRIA Business Intelligence Conference (www.mria-arim.com).  Just now, I moderated a panel at the 2006 edition and came away convinced more than ever that the market research / business intelligence community and the special libraries community have so much more in common than they might think.  The speakers reminded me of several "gem insights" I will comment on here shortly.  The key takeaway though:  We would all gain by investigating win-win opportunities to collaborate (starting modestly in our camp by investigating MRIA).  They should not be a solitude, nor should we! 

So what is data mining? Consumers worry

Thanks to Daniel Lee for posting to the SLA Toronto discussion list the MRIA press release (www.mria-arim.com) pointing out that consumers support market research but are leery about data mining.  I just got back from MRIA's most interesting Business Intelligence Conference 2006 (where I had the privilege of moderating a panel); I was riveted when Steve Mossop presented the findings described in the press release.  Consider that "data mining" may be thought of in two ways:  One is the watching for patterns of activity without regard for individual identities (think traffic volumes on a toll road); another could be the tracing of an individual's activities (think when and where did vehicle X enter and exit the toll road).  I suspect respondents to the MRIA study must have had the latter perception - which is unfortunate.

More on schmoozing: Value for the conference dollar

A colleague commented recently "isn't it amazing how people at conferences spend their time lined up for the internet cafe?"  Personally, I'm too busy at professional meetings to get in that line (there are other ways to handle one's mail while out of the office) - but it struck me how bang on that observation was.  Every minute spent NOT getting to know new people at a conference is a precious opportunity lost.  Just the other week (at the Internet Librarian International event in London) I spoke to a stranger across the lunch table who didn't seem to know those around her.  A few sentences later, I knew just who she needed to meet and wasted no time getting that to happen!  As I headed for the airport, I spotted the two of them in the coffee shop, deep in conversation ... how else could this US-European connection have been made?

Oh, I could never take a job in sales!

Those who have been in the audience at one of my "career skills" talks will recognize the message that "Guess what!  Any job in the information profession IS in sales!".  Succeeding after library school is heavily dependent on skills in interpersonal relations, networking, negotiation, committee management, communicating in ways that are appropriate for the target audience, and so on (the shorthand expression is "schmoozing skills"). 

Why are we here?

Professional pride is a powerful driver of on-the-job behavior, appropriately so.  That said, I find it's often helpful to "step back from the brink of perfection" and ask:  Are we here to run the most perfectly managed information centre in the world, for example cataloguing every item to the most stringent standards ... or to help the clients get their jobs done?  The answer is obvious. As always, it's not about doing things right (the way we were taught back at library school) ... it's about doing the right things.  And the "right things" ... are the activities that will make a positive difference to our stakeholders. The choice is one we need to make - and sell - every day.

Social connections

Much attention is being paid in recent times to the phomemon of social networks and their impact on how information and knowledge moves around - or not - within organizations.  It seems some people are natural "distributors" while others aren't. For information professionals, the message would be:  The best favor we can do ourselves in terms of achieving our goals is to understand the social networks in the organizations we serve - and to be well and truly connected to the right nodes!