Our thanks to David Brown, Information Manager at the Faculty of Advocates (www.advocates.org.uk), who kindly accepted to review the SLA event in Edinburgh that took place earlier this month.
Information is our business: why businesses need information managers, a talk by Katharine Schopflin on behalf of SLA Europe: 18th November 2014
SLA Europe presented Katharine Schopflin at the Main Library of the University of Edinburgh to give a talk on the necessity of information managers in business.
Katharine gave her view of the flow data-to-wisdom diagram (DATA –> Information –> Knowledge –> Wisdom) as outmoded. In organisations, each element does not necessarily follow the other, nor is one always set in the hierarchy. In modern corporate thinking, it is best concentrate on company wide “Good Information” across all levels.
Katharine defined “Good Information” as:
- Appropriate to the business needs
- Findable and accessible
- Authoritative
- Secure
Good information is a business asset. Good information provides data and statistics with a dynamic business role. Good information can reveal productivity, can suggest trends and be used to inform the business and staff. Good information is a route toward clear channels of communication. Good Information improves business.
Katharine provided many solutions, which an information manager can bring to maintaining and increasing the value of business information.
Talk to all staff levels
* Find out what information they create
* Find out what information they require
2. Make friends with IT
* IT should meet the needs of the staff, not only the IT dept.
* Don’t let IT “own” a project, even if it comes from their budget
3. Asses the information solutions
* Is their a quick fix? A weekly bulletin e-mail to solve communication?
* Is it achievable?
* What are the risks? Risk can be used to scare people to better habits
* How quickly can it be introduced?
* Does it require new expertise?
* Is it easy for staff to comply?
4. Add consistency
* Explain the value of information being consistent in what is stored and how it is found and accessed
* Ensure all departments and staff follow the system
* Re-assure staff of the worth of adding meta data or filing in a certain way
Katharine talked about some experience of practical examples, which can help alter a mind-set. She has experienced many organisational intranets where one department believes other departments are not making accessible pertinent information on them. The answer is to communicate this belief. She, also, tells of organisations where emails of files cannot be opened because they were password protected and the employee has left their employ taking their password with them. An appropriate question at an exit interview would mitigate this.
Katharine also revealed other situations such as finding computer filing systems for documents marked to be ignored and unread and of an occasion where an employee had kept every email sent and received (numbering +50,000). These human habits can be difficult to break but can be worked through to a positive change for improved information management.
There is a word of warning for the information manager. Don’t allow yourself to be thought of as the ‘Magic Bullet’. You are not there to solve all their communication and information troubles at once. Instead move towards a better system using your expert practice techniques and take the company along with you. Often this does not involve throwing money and new technology at the problems. By not making change for change sake you will be more accepted in your role.
Finally, Katharine ended on a positive note. Always remember people want their information managed well and most people will happily go along with procedures when they see the worth in them.
As you can hopefully see, the talk was interesting. Katharine was a very knowledgeable speaker. It is no surprise, considering her bio of 18 years experience in the field and a recent PhD in information science. She was a clear and passionate activist for information professionals taking a more immersive role in companies and organisations. Katharine spoke with good sense and a humour on a level, which was engaging and relatable. The talk was enhanced with slides, which added more points and notes to take home.
Questions from the body of the hall were dealt with thoroughly and empathised with the issues being described. After the formal talk, Katharine was happy to discuss things further (and in other directions) with attendees who stayed for the informal networking period, which was admirably supplied with refreshments by SLA Europe.