Selling and Educating Your Organizations Records Management Program to Your Users. October 15, 2010

Transcription

1 Whining About Records Wendy Bauer Township of Langley 1 The ideas and opinions about to be expressed are Wendy Bauer s and should not be blamed on the Township of Langley, ARMA or anyone else in the universe, it is all my fault. The ideas and opinions about to be expressed are nothing new. I just want you to think about them again and think about them differently. 2 1

2 Wendy Bauer, BA, DPSM, CRM, ECP P Currently Records Coordinator and the Privacy and Information Coordinator for the Township of Langley Previously the Records Coordinator at the City of Richmond Middle Aged, Mid Life 2 Kids 1 Husband 1 Dog And a Mortgage 3 Some people need to know. The analytical, technical type people have now wondered if they should have gone to SharePoint or slept in. The Message: You have to communicate to every kind of learner, even when it is not your style. 4 2

3 No, I do not do kids parties. Allows for a few minutes for the late people to come in. Start on time, show people you value their time. Makes people wonder what you are doing. The Message: Start on time with something the late comer won t miss. 5 Things to consider when communicating or teaching adults. Marketing inside and outside the meeting rooms and class rooms. Cheap ideas to be seen. 6 3

4 You can t teach everyone the same. 7 Many different theories of the different styles of learning. I like David Kolb s Learning Style Inventory. It has colour 8 4

5 The Decision Makers. Focus on the problems. The unemotional group. They want to work on the things, not deal with the people. They don t want group work, holding hands, ice breakers, roll playing... 9 The Creators Good at brainstorming. See multiple views and multiple solutions to problems. They want to know you. Please let me do roll playing, group work, I want to hear your ideas. 10 5

6 The Planners. Create the theory and it must be logical or it is re-examine or tossed out. Not so much worried application of the theory. They set to goals. Not roll play kind of people. 11 The Do-ers. They want new experience, they like change. They want to apply the theory. Intuitive and Lets Try. Roll playing and group work works, because they get to try stuff. 12 6

7 When you get them in the classroom, don t just teach to your style. Roll playing may not work for Records Management, but fit in some group work. Create work that will help analyze something you are showing. The Message: Don t just lecture. Look for different ways to communicate. 13 We re Special 14 7

8 You can t tell them to learn records management like you tell kids to eat their vegetables. You can t really tell them to do anything. Think of it as a teenager with authority. You can direct, request, cajole, plead and beg, but you can not demand. 15 Possible motivators that made them show up in training: External Expectations Social Welfare Personal Advancement Cognitive Interest (okay, maybe not this one). How can you use that? 16 8

9 They expect you to know Records Management. They expect you to be organized. They expect to be boring. Work to keep them entertained. They expect you to be interested in Records Management. They expect you to look at them, smile at them, acknowledge they exist. 17 Almost All Have an agenda / plan. Any handouts need to be clean and neat. (Don t use photocopies of photocopies.) Point out the goal of records management is to structure the unstructured. 18 9

10 Most people think Records Management is boring. They think they can not leave their desk for a half day and they won t do it for records management. Keep training short, about an hour. Make a series of short courses. Records Management - Introduction Records Management - For the Advanced People Records Management Classifying is not a Medieval Torture Device 19 Find out what is really causing the records pain in their jobs. Searching for records Classifying Copies of copies, which is the record How can you use Records Management to be their friend and help with the work life problems

11 They are busy at work. They are often the sandwich generation at home. Don t just stand there and recite facts. They have stuff on their mind and it will wonder and a list of facts is dull If something is really important. Tell them to Pay Attention Now. Get them out on time (or even early if you want friends). 21 Stay on topic, and the topic is Records Management. If you have someone asking off topic questions, try to steer things back. Big challenges that are one person can be discussed after. Even boring stuff is better with relevant pictures

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14 What Scares Them? Things that cost money. Things that look bad in the press. Things that lead to Litigation. of a BP Employee regarding the Deepwater Horizon Rig construction. 27 Pay Attention to the News Think beyond what the reporter is telling you. Do a Little Cloud Surfing ARMA Newswire ARMA Information Overload Blog Municipal Information Network Linked In ARMA and ICRM groups Save the stories when you see them. Select the relevant ones for the group you are working with

15 29 Talking with the Public Works or Engineering Group 30 15

16 Talking to any group about 31 Talking to your executive group about what they type in their s 32 16

17 You must respect these people as adults. They are busy, so make sure the time you have is: As short as possible, Somewhat entertaining, And relevant. And if nothing else works, find a way to scare them into submission. 33 Some Days You May Check Your Pride At The Door 34 17

18 You are selling the idea of Records Management, so use some basic marketing ideas. 35 Selling your RM program is not about sitting at your desk working on the file plan, or about just telling people how to use it. Inside and outside the classroom, you have to sell the idea. Volunteer for seemingly unrelated stuff. RECORDS 36 18

19 Go to them, all the time and every time. Go to other work sites when you have something new or they need help. Pick a topic and get yourself invited to the staff meeting for a brief 5 or 10 minute talk. Try to get invited to the Big People meeting for a very brief program update. It is all about the top down approach. 37 Meet Ricky Records 38 19

20 Have them and have them ready. 3 sets of five or less words that sum up what you can do for the world or why you need something: With an EDRMS, I could answer that Records are really cool I can help find stuff 39 In thirty seconds sum up what your program does that helps your organization. Protect from litigation Save money Help the environment Protect the past Prepare for the future Make other people s jobs easier because they can find what they need when they need it 40 20

21 Spend a few minutes on the intranet for marketing ideas. Be seen. Brand it. Have something to promote your program right at the tip of your tongue. 41 Low Budget Ideas so People Will See Your Program 42 21

22 43 Try writing simple, basic brochures. Keep them specific to one issue. Keep them short And in cute facts. Follow corporate standards and don t forget your branding

23 Name the mascot. Find the record. Name the classification. Get prizes from the vendors. Inexpensive prizes (face it, food is always good). 45 Certificates for winning the prize or finishing the whole hour of a course. Badges for when someone does something that really helps the program out. Records Management Appreciation Sticker Ricky Records Says: 46 23

24 Pens with stickers. Small chocolate bars or snacks with labels you make. Stickers Note pads with Records Management tips on the front (don t forget your mascot). 47 I make cookies for the key records group once a year. Do a quick PowerPoint on anything new I need them to know 48 24

25 Use resources like the intranet. Contests don t have to be complicated. Prizes don t have to be big, elaborate or expensive. A certificate on PowerPoint does not cost much, but people love them. Be your own publicity person. 49 You are always teaching records management. You are always marketing records management. You need to be creative at more then the file plan. You don t need to spend a lot of money to be seen

26 Tell People How Good You And The Program Are If you get a compliment or a thank you, tell your Manager. Print it out, put it on your cubical wall. 51 Whining About Records Wendy Bauer Township of Langley wbauer@tol.ca 52 26