Editorial
We're divided by a common language.
As an American working for a UK-based global company for over a decade, I've had plenty of opportunities to reflect on the truth of this statement. The misunderstandings are sometimes hilarious, sometimes painful.
But communicating across the pond is not the only way this truth shows up in our world. Two other examples are top of mind at the moment:
- Buyers and sellers of information products
- Information services professionals and information technology professionals
...all divided by a common language.
Last week I presented a keynote session at the Perfect Information Conference in which these examples were well in evidence. During the session I shared highlights from our research in the Topic Series, "Making Information Visible", and facilitated a panel discussion which included two information managers, a Factiva product manager, and the head of Linex Systems, a vendor of aggregation technology.
My three key takeaways from this session, and from further dialogue with conference delegates throughout the event, are:
- We all want the same things: information in front of end users as and when they need it, plus the ability to understand what they use and why they value it.
- Technology can be both the barrier and the enabler, and we can only solve that challenge by close collaboration.
- We aren't talking frequently enough across departments; this is due to lack of capacity to invest time in these relationships, but also due to the fact that we're divided by a common language.
Every organisation declares its intent to be innovative, efficient and results-driven. These goals can only be achieved when information management is deemed central to strategy.
To get there, we have to develop a common language, and use it to advocate for the vital role of our expertise. And we have to do so in collaboration with our colleagues in IT, with the aid of vendors and in partnership with end users.
No small task, to be sure. But one that FreePint is committed to helping you tackle.
Start with our Content -- highlighted in the latest Subscription Update. Participate in Communities of Practice. Talk with us about Consulting.
We're all about making connections -- with your peers, with your vendors and suppliers, and with your colleagues with other areas of expertise. Join us in developing shared language.
Robin Neidorf
Director of Research, FreePint
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