How can I “know who knows” None of us can personally know extra than around 250 men and women, however we want our businesses to be intelligent, studying organisations where it’s straightforward to find the suitable person to speak to. This is why numerous organisations generate “yellow pages” applications, which enable employees to discover and speak to other employees with particular expertise and skills. Even so, these systems can be fraught with difficulty in their implementation, and frequently finish up as out-of-date, glorified intranet telephone directories. This short article, drawn from a most effective-selling understanding management fieldbook by its author, identifies ten crucial measures involved in producing and sustaining a profitable, employee-owned yellow pages system.
The recommendations below are drawn from the book “Mastering to Fly – Sensible information management from top and finding out organisations” (Chris Collison and Geoff Parcell), and sets out ten important steps to generating a yellow pages systems which really functions, and has the constructive purchase-in of its user neighborhood – that is to say, its shoppers.
1 Sustain a clear and distinctive vision. Be clear about what you are trying to reach and stay away from compromise. Beware of becoming “all items to all men” – especially these in the HR and IT departments! Absolutely everyone will want a slice of the action – never shed sight of the overarching aim of your program – making it uncomplicated to discover folks that you do not already know.
two Strive for private ownership and upkeep. Create a course of action whereby only the individuals concerned can produce and update their entries. This will drive a far deeper sense of ownership across the population.
3 Strike a balance between informal and formal content material. Encourage people today to share non-function details about themselves in addition to important organization information. Take into consideration prompting for this with “fun” questions such as: “what was the 1st single that you purchased?”, “what is your favourite film?”, or even “what makes you satisfied?”.
four Support the photographs wherever possible. Practically nothing is a lot more strong and personal than a photograph. It speaks volumes about the particular person, raises the interest levels of others and generates private ownership of the content. If probable encourage men and women to include things like an informal photograph. The security-pass-rabbit-in-the-headlights shots seldom show persons in their finest light! Far better to have a photograph which says additional about the individual and what motivates them.
5 Make certain that your product design is flexible and inclusive. Recognize that distinct individuals relate to templates, prompts and structure in distinctive approaches. Use concentrate Knowledge Management System to test opinion.
six Start off with a client-facing pilot. Essential mass is all vital, so start out with a group of persons who have a organic have to have to be visible to internal clients. This might include supporting functions, existing networks or communities, or even company places with new leadership.
7 Deliver by means of local enthusiasts. Centrally-driven push isn?t generally the finest way to engage the workforce. Tap into nearby enthusiasts and champions if probable ? they will know how best to “sell” the concept locally.
eight Use accomplishment stories as a marketing tool. Reinforce the usefulness of the understanding directory at just about every opportunity. Publicize any examples or successes extensively, and early, to reinforce your project. This is a culture change project, and culture transform occurs 1 story at a time!
9 Encourage use, but lead by example rather than edict. Stay away from mandating the population and use of the knowledge directory. Persons will provide better top quality content material if they feel that they are volunteering the information and facts. At the end of the day, you can?t ever conscript information – you can only ever volunteer it.
And let?s face it, there’s little point in getting the one particular person with experience or encounter that you will need, if when you get in touch with them on the phone, they are unwilling to speak!
10 Embed into people today processes. Look for approach and intranet “hooks” that could initiate and sustain the use of your understanding directory (e.g. recruitment or induction of new employees, the launch of new networks, any reference on an intranet site which mentions a person’s name can grow to be hyperlink to their private web page.
Conclusion
Producing and advertising and marketing a yellow pages technique inside an organisation is a very rewarding project – seize the opportunity with both hands. You will want a network of champions, the cooperation of the IT and HR functions, tenacity and some marketng flair. The measures outlined above need to help you on your way. Bon voyage!
Chris Collison Chris Collison is a renowned professional in expertise management and an experienced practitioner in the leadership and implementation of organisational alter from a men and women perspective.