Pardon the pun, but I couldn't resist it.
Meeting on Monday to brainstorm our initial SWOT. Had a stab at my two-penneth pre-meeting. Hopefully four brains will be better than one.
Friday, 25 March 2011
Prezi
Discovered Prezi today - thanks Jo (and Megan!). Its ace.
Die Powerpoint, die!
Our next presentation will rock - or give the board motion sickness!
Die Powerpoint, die!
Our next presentation will rock - or give the board motion sickness!
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Not quite so raring to go... stuck on the starting line
Had another of our weekly meetings today. Clare couldn't make it due to meeting commitments in Boston. STILL haven't had a brainstorming session over the SWOT analysis and competitor research. Can't seem to get started. The wisdom of letting Clare lead on this with her workload was questioned, but its her specialiality and she's supposed to be the best person to do it. We can't understand why it needs to be brainstormed.
I'm getting frustrated with the lack of progress re. allocating tasks, and I know Jo is too.
Graham has done the Gantt chart at least, but we're still stuck in first gear.
Found out yesterday that there's no role for me in Web Editorial/Digital when DH returns, so had to announce that I was back to not knowing whether I would be around to complete the project again. Morale and motivation low.
I'm getting frustrated with the lack of progress re. allocating tasks, and I know Jo is too.
Graham has done the Gantt chart at least, but we're still stuck in first gear.
Found out yesterday that there's no role for me in Web Editorial/Digital when DH returns, so had to announce that I was back to not knowing whether I would be around to complete the project again. Morale and motivation low.
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Raring to go
We're all raring to go, but Clare is sick and so unable to meet with us today. We want to get weaving, but need Clare to define the parameters and her and our involvement in the task. No one wants to steal her thunder, and she's the key person to undertake the research given her specialism, so we want her to drive on this. Graham took the minutes today, so he's going to circulate them and ask Clare what she wants to do and what (if anything) she wants to delegate. We'll have a better idea of what we are all to do then. Hopefully she'll pick up the e-mail so that we don't have to wait until the next meeting to make further progress.
I looked at project management tools for Graham, who is going to be drawing up the Gantt chart etc. Found the following:
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/11/13/15-useful-project-management-tools/
http://www.webdesignbooth.com/project-management-tools/
and,
http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/project-management-tools.html
http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/project-planning-step-by-step.html
Rather than request Microsoft Project through IT (a potentially fruitless and thankless task), Graham is to look at free online tools, although we may be able to purchase something on a monthly basis through the allocated budget.
I looked at project management tools for Graham, who is going to be drawing up the Gantt chart etc. Found the following:
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/11/13/15-useful-project-management-tools/
http://www.webdesignbooth.com/project-management-tools/
and,
http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/project-management-tools.html
http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/project-planning-step-by-step.html
Rather than request Microsoft Project through IT (a potentially fruitless and thankless task), Graham is to look at free online tools, although we may be able to purchase something on a monthly basis through the allocated budget.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Good CoP/Bad CoP
I precised an article about Communities of Practice this morning. Had some interesting points, and was highly relevant to ASLIB.
Communities of practice are one of the most significant means of fostering knowledge management. They can considerably enhance the exchange of expertise, information, collaboration, and resources within organizations. There are five ways CoPs can improve organizations:
1. through rapid problem solving
2. professional skill development
3. best practice promotion
4. retaining talent, and
5. By guiding strategy.
Creating successful communities of practice
We identified six factors that contributed to the success of the three established CoPs we studied:
1. Dispersal
The dispersal of development and learning practitioners across the state and throughout different organizational divisions creates an obvious need for a CoP. It acts as a way to collaborate over distance and share expertise across divisional boundaries.
2. Awareness of limitations
The identification of limitations indicates that members are enthusiastic about improving their CoP and are committed to its success.
3. One coordinator
If a CoP has the same coordinator throughout its life, then its coordinator has been able to establish recognition and become highly networked.
4. High level sponsor
The acquisition of high-level management support is important to ensure the long-term viability of CoPs, so getting high-ranking officers to act as sponsors is crucial.
5. Pre-existing social capital
The use of pre-existing social networks for the purposeful design of CoPs is highly beneficial. This can overcome isolation and a “silo” mentality, and a support group is in place from the start. This enables newcomers to quickly advance to expert status. The speedy transition of novices to experts is also facilitated by the opportunities for community members to learn through experience, a central feature of learning systems.
6. Core business
A consideration of core business values should be in-built.
Creating successful CoPs is more than a business or managerial concern. Social capital plays an important role, and whilst there are social aspects to learning within organizations, the contribution of social capital to successful CoPs is still not well understood. In line with previous studies cautioning against top-down approaches to CoP design, strategies for fostering social capital among employees could be explored, as it could provide the conditions required for CoPs to emerge. Moreover, CoPs, with their social aspects, could help overcome organizational silos.
Good CoP/bad CoP
A successful CoP is one whose members:
* demonstrate a sense of stake holding or ownership of their CoP topic
* demonstrate a willingness to participate in meetings and in the sharing of expertise
* communicate with members in meetings and between meetings; and
* identify gaps in their knowledge and attempt to fill gaps by, for example, suggesting new topics for meetings.
The concept of enthusiasm is useful as its presence or absence among community members largely determines the success of a CoP.
Practitioners aiming to create a successful community of practice should:
* avoid creating a CoP within an organizational silo
* build on pre-existing social capital among potential members
* use one coordinator throughout the life of the CoP (or have in place a successful method of transferring coordination)
* gain the support of a high-ranking officer embedded in the political life of the organization to act as sponsor
* engage in reflective practice that attempts to overcome the constraints to effective functioning of the CoP; and
* ensure the focus of the CoP reflects the organization's core business.
However, it may be appropriate to step back and consider the strategic organizational context before proceeding. This may reveal a need to:
* build or reveal a discourse of organizational imperative/need
* gain organizational commitment and support structures for the CoP concept, including sponsors, funding, allocation of time, etc)
* foster or facilitate individual motivations to participate in a CoP (enthusiasm, ownership, etc); and
* develop the means to value and communicate individual and organizational benefit from CoP participation (learning, improved delivery on core business, communication, etc).
Communities of practice are one of the most significant means of fostering knowledge management. They can considerably enhance the exchange of expertise, information, collaboration, and resources within organizations. There are five ways CoPs can improve organizations:
1. through rapid problem solving
2. professional skill development
3. best practice promotion
4. retaining talent, and
5. By guiding strategy.
Creating successful communities of practice
We identified six factors that contributed to the success of the three established CoPs we studied:
1. Dispersal
The dispersal of development and learning practitioners across the state and throughout different organizational divisions creates an obvious need for a CoP. It acts as a way to collaborate over distance and share expertise across divisional boundaries.
2. Awareness of limitations
The identification of limitations indicates that members are enthusiastic about improving their CoP and are committed to its success.
3. One coordinator
If a CoP has the same coordinator throughout its life, then its coordinator has been able to establish recognition and become highly networked.
4. High level sponsor
The acquisition of high-level management support is important to ensure the long-term viability of CoPs, so getting high-ranking officers to act as sponsors is crucial.
5. Pre-existing social capital
The use of pre-existing social networks for the purposeful design of CoPs is highly beneficial. This can overcome isolation and a “silo” mentality, and a support group is in place from the start. This enables newcomers to quickly advance to expert status. The speedy transition of novices to experts is also facilitated by the opportunities for community members to learn through experience, a central feature of learning systems.
6. Core business
A consideration of core business values should be in-built.
Creating successful CoPs is more than a business or managerial concern. Social capital plays an important role, and whilst there are social aspects to learning within organizations, the contribution of social capital to successful CoPs is still not well understood. In line with previous studies cautioning against top-down approaches to CoP design, strategies for fostering social capital among employees could be explored, as it could provide the conditions required for CoPs to emerge. Moreover, CoPs, with their social aspects, could help overcome organizational silos.
Good CoP/bad CoP
A successful CoP is one whose members:
* demonstrate a sense of stake holding or ownership of their CoP topic
* demonstrate a willingness to participate in meetings and in the sharing of expertise
* communicate with members in meetings and between meetings; and
* identify gaps in their knowledge and attempt to fill gaps by, for example, suggesting new topics for meetings.
The concept of enthusiasm is useful as its presence or absence among community members largely determines the success of a CoP.
Practitioners aiming to create a successful community of practice should:
* avoid creating a CoP within an organizational silo
* build on pre-existing social capital among potential members
* use one coordinator throughout the life of the CoP (or have in place a successful method of transferring coordination)
* gain the support of a high-ranking officer embedded in the political life of the organization to act as sponsor
* engage in reflective practice that attempts to overcome the constraints to effective functioning of the CoP; and
* ensure the focus of the CoP reflects the organization's core business.
However, it may be appropriate to step back and consider the strategic organizational context before proceeding. This may reveal a need to:
* build or reveal a discourse of organizational imperative/need
* gain organizational commitment and support structures for the CoP concept, including sponsors, funding, allocation of time, etc)
* foster or facilitate individual motivations to participate in a CoP (enthusiasm, ownership, etc); and
* develop the means to value and communicate individual and organizational benefit from CoP participation (learning, improved delivery on core business, communication, etc).
Our niches
We need to ignore the strategic aspects as these are already well in hand. We fill focus on:
Talk to Richard Bevan as our nominated Board Sponsor
Divvy up the job roles and tasks
Draw up our Gantt chart
- USPs
- Friends and competitors
- Must-have content
Talk to Richard Bevan as our nominated Board Sponsor
Divvy up the job roles and tasks
Draw up our Gantt chart
Key points from Graham's meeting notes
Key points from the ASLIB meeting relevant to the Academy project are:
Communication
A Business Awareness Session is scheduled for March 2011.
Taking ASLIB forward
Received a paper from John Peters which was discussed.
Key aims
He listed the key aims of ASLIB within the MCB Group and alongside Emerald as being:
1. Enhance reputation capital
2. Internationalise the membership base
3. Explore different business models
4. Develop a positive revenue line for MCB Group
Broad strategy
- To continue to improve Managing Information in both content and logistics
- Build a voice of authority, particularly in the three strategic focus areas of Data Protection, Intellectual Property Rights and Information Governance
- Continue to build membership benefits including, but not limited to, content enhancements
- A sales and marketing strategy will be created.
Return on Investment
We have set realistic targets for this year but we need to set a determined ROI approach. Sales channels need to be recorded.
Draft Strategic Plan
A draft plan outlining the strategy for 2011-2013, prepared by Rebecca and Eileen, was presented by Eileen and discussed.
Communication
A Business Awareness Session is scheduled for March 2011.
Taking ASLIB forward
Received a paper from John Peters which was discussed.
Key aims
He listed the key aims of ASLIB within the MCB Group and alongside Emerald as being:
1. Enhance reputation capital
2. Internationalise the membership base
3. Explore different business models
4. Develop a positive revenue line for MCB Group
Broad strategy
- To continue to improve Managing Information in both content and logistics
- Build a voice of authority, particularly in the three strategic focus areas of Data Protection, Intellectual Property Rights and Information Governance
- Continue to build membership benefits including, but not limited to, content enhancements
- A sales and marketing strategy will be created.
Return on Investment
We have set realistic targets for this year but we need to set a determined ROI approach. Sales channels need to be recorded.
Draft Strategic Plan
A draft plan outlining the strategy for 2011-2013, prepared by Rebecca and Eileen, was presented by Eileen and discussed.
Kicking off
This is my first post to kick things off. Graham has forwarded the notes from the last ASLIB team meeting after receiving the go-ahead to do so from the ASLIB team. This means that we can analyze the specific requirements from that meeting and see how they fit with our proposal. We can then assign work to the Academy team members accordingly. Once this is done, we can create our PID.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)