FreePint Newsletter 197 - FreePint Survey, Management and Competitive Intelligence
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FreePint
"Helping 76,000 people use the Web for their work"
http://www.freepint.com/
ISSN 1460-7239 5th January 2006 No.197
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IN THIS ISSUE
-------------
EDITORIAL
MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Theresa Welch
FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
JINFO :: JOBS IN INFORMATION
Business Information Researcher
Manager of Documentation and Records
Senior Librarian - Maternity Cover
Research Partner
TIPS ARTICLE
"Seven Deadly Sins (and Desirable Strategies) for Library Managers"
By Rachel Singer Gordon
REVIEW
"The Search"
Reviewed by Tim Houghton
FEATURE ARTICLE
"Competitive intelligence: an introduction"
By Vernon Prior
EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
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*** Compare pay-as-you-go services in VIP ***
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EDITORIAL
By William Hann
We all have favourites. Favourite restaurant, favourite pastime,
favourite relative. We're human: we can't help having favourites.
One of my favourite parts of the FreePint Newsletter is 'My Favourite
Tipples'. Readers always mention it to me whenever they talk about
which bits of the FreePint newsletter and site they enjoy most.
We are asking about your favourite parts of FreePint in our project to
better understand FreePint as an online community. Please take two
minutes to complete our survey, which will help us create a 'snapshot'
of FreePint and identify those members who might like to participate
in a follow-up survey or focus group:
'Understanding the FreePint Community' Survey:
Sometimes it's best not to have favourites. If you have siblings
yourself then you'll know all about 'favourites', and how things never
seemed 'fair' as a child. As a parent of two, I'm learning all about
the similarities between parenthood and managing employees.
A particular favourite author and information professional of mine is
Rachel Singer Gordon, and Rachel writes today about the undesirable
sins and desirable qualities of managers of all types. Anyone who has
ever been 'managed' will agree with many of the findings:
"This goes back to playing favorites, and also encompasses managers
unwilling to listen to different options ... who ignore opinions
that differ from theirs, or those who ask for input, then announce
their pre-made decision, simply court disaster."
Having favourites can therefore be counter-productive, but expressing
them sometimes promotes healthy competition. Thank you to everyone who
expressed a preference for their favourite information vendor for the
FreePint Customer Service Team Award, won by Bureau van Dijk
Electronic Publishing (BvDEP). Special thanks go to Olivia Freeman for
helping us judge the award and writing last month's editorial.
Finally, please join me in thanking FreePint's advertisers and
sponsors, who make it possible to provide FreePint to you for free.
Today's issue is supported by Factiva, BvDEP, Silobreaker and CILIP,
whose adverts can be seen below and in the full-colour fully-formatted
version of FreePint at .
Happy new year to all FreePinters, and here's to making 2006 a
favourite year in all our memories.
William Hann
Managing Editor and Founder, FreePint
e: william.hann@freepint.com
t: 0870 141 7474
i: +44 870 141 7474
FreePint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2006
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MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Theresa Welch
* 10x10 shows what's happening in
the news all over the world as one large patchwork image. Links
directly to news stories. Updated hourly.
* Furl is a free service that saves a personal
copy of pages you find on the Web, and lets you find them again by
searching your archive of pages.
* Newseum shows today's
front pages of 300+ international newspapers online. I like the map
view where you choose a country and then choose specific papers to
view.
* I love reading but care about the environment too, so use
GreenMetropolis to buy second hand
books, recycle my used books, and save trees in the process.
* Yotophoto , a search engine for finding
free-to-use stock photographs and images. There are different
licenses with different restrictions, but all images are free.
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Theresa Welch is an E-learning Adviser. She runs Ace:UK
, a weblog providing free e-learning
news, resources and reviews to the Adult and Community Learning
sector.
Submit your top five favourite Web sites. See the guidelines at
.
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*** In-depth information management reports from FreePint ***
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FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
Happy New Year to everyone.
The Bar has been busy with the usual mixed bag of postings. Can you
help with these computer-related problems:
"When searching in Google using the INURL: function, it only displays
100 results and the next page comes up with an error message
. This FreePinter is having
problems cropping images inserted into Word or PowerPoint files using
Office 2003 .
Can you redirect a PDF document on a website?
. Or do you know of an FTP
programme that can be downloaded for free?
.
These postings are bound to get you thinking:
Do you know where to find information on the number of manufacturing
jobs worldwide? . How about a list
of sources that will give information on future trends in the UK?
.
Do you have any advice on making the transition from information
officer into academic or public library work?
.
Here is an interesting posting all about researching on the web. Where
do search engines fall short, or what do they do well at? "There are a
number of steps to true research including searching primary and
secondary sources, aggregating, comparing, consolidating information
etc. How do you do this with web information? How do children, say
between 10-16 in age, do their research for school projects on the
internet? If so, what challenges do they face in doing this?"
.
The Student Bar has also been busy. This FreePinter is searching for
information "concerning the English situation towards the
accessibility of digital (historical) archive via the internet or
intranet of a Archival Institution"
. Are you brand loyal or perhaps you
are an online grocery shopper - would you be able to complete these
short questionnaires? ,
.
FreePint needs your help with researching the FreePint community so we
can understand better the composition and needs of the community? We
ask you to fill out a short online survey which should only take a
couple of minutes to complete .
And finally, the complete index to all articles appearing in the
FreePint Newsletter (1997-2005) is now available
and the latest edition of the
Jinfo Newsletter has been published which includes an article on
"What salary should you be getting?" and is available online
.
Penny Hann
Production Editor, FreePint
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The FreePint Bar is where you can get free help with your tricky
research questions
Help with study for information-related courses is available at the
FreePint Student Bar .
Subscribe to the twice-weekly email digests at
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Public and private financial company information
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JINFO :: JOBS IN INFORMATION
The Jinfo service enables you to search and advertise
information-related job vacancies.
The Jinfo Newsletter is published free every two weeks, and contains a
list of the latest vacancies along with job-seeking advice. The latest
article is entitled "What salary should you be getting?". Read
it online and subscribe free at .
Here are some of the latest featured jobs:
Business Information Researcher
Team player required for a one year contract providing research,
current awareness and KM at a government agency.
Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment
Manager of Documentation and Records
The post holder will be responsible for maintaining records of the
museum's collections, and its current and archive documents.
Recruiter: Science Museum, London
Senior Librarian - Maternity Cover
A global law firm requires a senior librarian to provide a
comprehensive know-how service and enhance its training programmes.
Recruiter: Intelligent Resources
Research Partner
Executive search research experience? New start-up role for dynamic
person at senior level for niche consultancy in Central London.
Recruiter: Glen Recruitment
[The above jobs are paid listings]
NB: There are 17 other jobs in the current edition of the Jinfo
Newsletter and over 100 in the
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Jinfo -- the best place for information-related job vacancies.
* JOB SEARCHING? -- Free search and sign up to the Jinfo Newsletter.
* RECRUITING? -- Complete the form and advertise a vacancy for
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TIPS ARTICLE
"Seven Deadly Sins (and Desirable Strategies) for Library Managers"
By Rachel Singer Gordon
During our recruitment and retention discussions, long-term managers
often give upcoming generations advice on how to lead. What, though,
are effective management strategies and styles in 21st-Century
libraries? Focusing on upper management in larger institutions drowns
out voices from smaller libraries, middle managers, and frontline
staff. Talking to working library staffers and up-and-coming managers
reveals some disconnection between received wisdom and what staff
actually need.
In Spring 2004, 343 library staff members responded to an online
survey on their managers' qualities and effectiveness. [The survey and
discussion can be found in The Accidental Library Manager
]. Seventy-one per cent of respondents
possessed an MLS or equivalent; Seventy-eight per cent worked in a
"professional" position; job titles ranged from secretary to
department head. The following "sins" and "strategies" contain
comments from respondents' descriptions of their best and worst
managers and qualities they believe today's library managers need.
The Seven Deadly Sins
=====================
Micromanagement
---------------
"She could not let go of any project and had to second-guess me every
step of the way ... She did not trust her employees to do anything but
the most mundane tasks without her direct supervision."
Micromanagement is employees' most common complaint. Twenty-five
per cent of survey respondents used some variation of the word; others
described bosses' micromanagerial tendencies. People often become
supervisors by excelling at frontline tasks -- a whiz cataloguer given
technicians to supervise, a superb reference librarian promoted to
department head. They naturally want others to live up to their
standards; many have trouble delegating. New managers have special
concerns about being "graded" on others' work.
Lack of communication
---------------------
"The worst library manager I ever had was a very poor communicator ...
I often didn't have the information I needed to do my job well or at
all. I often just couldn't understand her. I often wasn't sure what
she expected of me."
Managers usually fail to communicate because they assume people
already know what they need to know, believe knowledge is power (so
hoard as much as possible!), or want to avoid giving unpleasant news.
There is a line between micromanaging and a lack of guidance and
goals. People need information to do their jobs, guidance, and
feedback.
Fostering divisiveness
----------------------
"The worst library manager I ever had did not respect my years of
service and my capabilities because I did not have a master's degree.
She did not include me in discussions, and ... ostracized me from my
Youth Services team."
Differing treatment of MLS and non-MLS staff is librarianship's dirty
little secret. Divisiveness also occurs when managers show favoritism
to individuals, or play departments against one another. Managers
often do this unconsciously, but staff note any sign of unfair
treatment. Rather than treating staff like clones, respecting
everyone's contribution means recognizing everyone's work is
important, and letting them work to potential.
Abusiveness
-----------
"This person routinely treated staff as if they were idiots, ignoring
staff opinions and sometimes actually yelling at staff in front of
others."
Insecure managers often overreact, needing to think about the
impression they make and the way relationships change when moving into
management. I found my most sarcastic manager amusing, but a co-worker
felt perpetually persecuted -- differing communication styles! When
communication problems occur, managers need to step back and look at
how their behavior is perceived.
Failure to listen
-----------------
"She did not listen to all sides of a story before passing judgments,
a bit like 'Simon' on American Idol."
This goes back to playing favorites, and also encompasses managers
unwilling to listen to different options and opinions, or unwilling to
be flexible. Managers who ignore opinions that differ from theirs, or
those who ask for input, then announce their pre-made decision, simply
court disaster.
Avoiding conflict
-----------------
"Avoided confrontation to the point of destruction of teamwork and
morale, staff fell apart."
One of the worst things a manager can do is ignore problems and let
them fester. Conflict avoidance ranges from failure to back up staff
following library policy, to ignoring personnel conflicts. Further,
staff members who feel their managers are unwilling to deal with
problems fail to speak up; those unaware of issues are unable to
resolve them.
Taking credit for others' work
------------------------------
"Before you even opened your mouth, her answer was 'no.' And then two
days later this was 'her' idea and it was implemented."
Managers may take credit unconsciously, and need to be careful to note
ideas' origin. This goes back to avoiding micromanagement; managers
who give people responsibility and the ability to run with projects
instil a sense of ownership. People are motivated by recognition of
their contributions -- and most libraries could use more non-monetary
motivating factors!
The Seven Desirable Strategies
==============================
Encouraging growth
------------------
"I am encouraged to think outside the box and am always given the
benefit of her guidance when I need it, her advice when I want it, and
her support when the best-laid plans go awry. I grow every day under
her tutelage."
People enter librarianship expecting to continue growing and learning.
While individuals are responsible for their own learning, supportive
management fosters professional development. Managers who encourage
development, rather than making easy cuts, are better able to retain
staff -- especially new generations of librarians that prize lifelong
learning. Managers that fail to foster growth instead foster a burned-
out staff, less capable of dealing with change in an evolving library.
Providing autonomy
------------------
"I most appreciate a manager who treats employees like adults --
assumes that we're all professionals, and we will get the job done,
although some of us have different styles."
Autonomy, of course, is the opposite of micromanagement. Managers who
trust people to do their work, effectively delegate responsibility,
and provide support without constant observation help develop people's
independence, self-confidence, and leadership skills. Encouraging
autonomy requires recognizing that people generally rise to
expectations, and (when given sufficient time, training, and support)
can accomplish amazing things.
Looking out for staff
---------------------
"He looked out for us as his number one priority. He always defended
us and our workload/workflow with the administration.
Most of us have encountered managers who fear conflict, failing to
back up their staff. Why, then, would staff back up managers who fail
to look out for them? Managers should understand their personal stake
in their staff's success, getting to know and care about them as
people.
Respecting everyone's contribution
----------------------------------
"They should most definitely praise good work when they see it, as
this helps to motivate the team. Lack of appreciation can be very
demoralizing."
The need for recognition is universal. Respect for the contributions
of every staff member -- regardless of job title, degree status, or
duties -- helps keep up morale and keep people engaged in their work.
Respecting multiple contributions also reduces homogeneity and
groupthink, keeping us from getting stuck in a rut.
Leading by example
------------------
"Even though she was management, she still worked the desk right
alongside us and helped out when staff was short. She was a great
reference librarian and kept up her research skills."
Leading by example involves both keeping a hand in frontline duties
and acting as an example in other areas -- ranging from dealing with
change to coming in on time. Survey respondents were very negative
about the "do as I say, not as I do" syndrome. Managers who spend even
short amounts of time on the front lines and pitch in when needed
impress frontline staff.
Communicating and listening
---------------------------
"The best manager that I worked for allowed for open communication,
even of difficult issues. She was open and honest and made herself
available to employees to discuss whatever might come up in the
workplace."
Again, the flip side of the previous "sin". Organizations where
information flows freely simply work better. People who understand the
reasons behind decisions are more likely to get on board; staff who
understand and know policy are less likely to be embarrassed in front
of patrons. Managers that treasure the free flow of information when
it comes to patrons also need to understand its value for staff.
Providing leadership and vision
-------------------------------
"The need for a leader with clear articulated goals is so vital. The
ability to make the vision a reality and make staff excited to be a
part of it."
Managers in today's libraries must be able to articulate a vision of
change, and to lead their people through. Staff with a stake in the
organization and autonomy in their work are more likely to get on
board with change. Managers who are enthusiastic about where their
libraries are going are able to convey this, and bring others along.
Remember, most of us entered this profession because we are excited
about where it is headed!
These all come back to the importance of common sense, treating people
fairly, and recognizing the importance of every staff member. Managers
who look out for their people know that their staff will look out for
them. They turn a skeptical ear to pronouncements of what they need to
lead -- they are already leading!
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Rachel Singer Gordon (rachel@lisjobs.com) is former Head of Computer
Services at the Franklin Park Public Library, Illinois, Consulting
Editor, ITI Books, and webmaster of the library careers site
Lisjobs.com . Rachel presents and writes
frequently on career and professional development issues for
librarians, and co-authors the weblog Beyond the Job
. She is the author of The
Librarian's Guide to Writing for Publication (Scarecrow, 2004), The
Accidental Library Manager (ITI, 2005), and The NextGen Librarian's
Survival Guide (ITI, 2006, forthcoming).
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Related FreePint links:
* 'Information and Libraries' articles in the FreePint Portal
* Post a message to the author, Rachel Singer Gordon, or suggest
further resources at the FreePint Bar
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
* Access the entire archive of FreePint content
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REVIEW
"The Search"
Written by John Battelle
Reviewed by Tim Houghton
I'm a big fan of John Batelle's "Searchblog"
, it is almost required reading for anyone
with an interest in Internet search. Partly because he's a bright guy
who writes well and partly because he has access to leading players in
the field. These include Yahoo! founders David Filo and Jerry Yang and
Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google. The combination of
access, intelligence and the informality of the blog medium make for a
stimulating read.
Hence I awaited his book "The Search" eagerly. The book is about
Internet search, tracing the story of web search from Archie --
probably the first Internet search tool back in 1990 -- to current
innovators like Blinkx and Technorati. At 260 pages with decent
footnotes it is a solid tome and it is an extremely interesting book,
adding depth and structure to the ideas (or memes as it has become
fashionable to call them) outlined on John's blog.
But to use a piece of economics jargon the outcome is sub-optimal or
(as my old geography teacher used to say) he hasn't quite done himself
justice. My objections are three-fold. One is the tone; OK, so it is an
American book, but John's easy informal style which works well on his
blog does jar a little in print. Perhaps a few too many "I figured's"
and over-use of fashionable jargon like 'grok' and 'meme'.
Second is that the book hasn't quite decided what it is: a history of
Google, or a history of search. In Chapter 1 the author explicitly
states that he is not writing a history of Google but as the book goes
on, Google figures so heavily that one isn't quite sure. There is a
great deal of detail on Google's rise, especially in the early days.
Maybe this is justified; maybe Google does account for the majority of
the interesting developments in the history of search, but I can't help
feeling that the author is too caught up in the excitement of the
moment to deliver a well-rounded perspective.
My final objection is that the book is extremely US-centric and indeed
Silicon Valley--centric. The only companies discussed in any detail
are based there, and even then Yahoo! and Google predominate. IBM's
Websphere, a huge technological effort, merits only a brief mention
for example. This is not to say that Silicon Valley is not very
important, perhaps dominant in the development of search, but shouldn't
search companies such as Autonomy (UK) and Fast Search & Transfer
(Norway) have got a look-in?
Overall this is still a fascinating and stimulating book, one I am
glad I read. But it is not by any means the definitive history of
'search'. I look forward to a second version.
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Tim Houghton is founder and MD of New Media Intelligence, a web
monitoring or web clipping firm. The firm monitors all types of new
media including blogs, media sites and activist web pages. To try
NMI's monitoring services for free just visit
.
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Related FreePint links:
* Find out more about this book online at the FreePint Bookshelf
* Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk
or Amazon.com
* "The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business
and Transformed Our Culture" ISBN 1857883616, published by Nicholas
Brealey Publishing Ltd.
* Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the FreePint
Bookshelf at
* Read about other Internet Strategy books on the FreePint Bookshelf
To propose an information-related book for review, send details
to .
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*** New: FreePint Index 1997-2005 ***
The FreePint Index is a handy quick-reference to all articles
appearing in FreePint since 1997. Listings are by topic, and
three editions are available (text, HTML and fully-formatted PDF):
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FEATURE ARTICLE
"Competitive intelligence: an introduction"
By Vernon Prior
The most important distinguishing feature of successful companies is
how they monitor and respond to events and conditions in the
environment in which they operate. Unless you notice what is
happening, you will blunder along in the dark, not knowing where you
are going, what your competitors are doing, or what business
opportunities are passing you by.
Enter competitive intelligence: a systematic and ethical programme for
gathering, analysing, and managing information about your business
environment that can affect your company's plans, decisions, and
operations.
The potential benefits of implementing a CI programme are many. Timely
intelligence will help you to anticipate and minimise risk, identify
business opportunities and new markets, make sound decisions,
innovate, improve your strategic planning, and allocate your resources
more effectively. Intelligence operations are not a form of spying;
they may (indeed, should) be conducted both legally and ethically.
They can be set up with little cost, carry little risk, and are easily
concealed.
Successful intelligence operations call for some familiarity with many
disciplines. These include:
* business management
* communication
* ethics,
* financial management
* information science
* information technology,
* journalism
* knowledge management
* law
* librarianship
* marketin
* organisational behaviour
* planning
* project management
* psychology, research methods
* risk analysis
* science and technology.
Because of the broad reach and potential of CI, involvement in
intelligence activities can provide first-class training for potential
senior executives. In fact, an increasing number of leading companies
insist that their senior people spend some time in intelligence
operations prior to promotion to the highest ranks. For ambitious
information professionals, developing CI skills and experience create
excellent career opportunities.
Intelligence activities are based on the intelligence cycle. The
intelligence cycle involves accurately identifying your information
needs, collecting relevant information, analysing it, communicating
the results to the people who need it, and taking rapid and
appropriate action.
What should you look for?
-------------------------
The usual request from senior executives is for all information about
a particular topic, one hundred per cent accurate, and due yesterday -
an imprecise and expensive approach! More realistic (and effective) is
an intelligence operation that systematically focuses on the factors
that are critical to success or that enable you to make sound
decisions. Hence the first step is to clearly identify decision
makers' real information needs. This can be difficult when, quite
often, they are not aware themselves of what those needs are. But
there are some very sensible starting points.
For instance, many information professionals will be familiar with
Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI), or its modern equivalent
- push technology - and how to compile the associated profiles. These
profiles, together with an awareness of the company's critical success
factors and an accurate picture of what business you are in (not
always obvious), should allow you to focus on the most profitable
sources. Routine, published information is rarely of any intelligence
value. What you should be looking for are signs of change, the
unusual, or the unexpected.
Consider, for example, the experience of Jack Pickworth, a Goulburn
Valley (Australia) cherry farmer. He noted something unusual in the
global market for his produce: a delay in the South American harvest
had left London undersupplied with cherries. Based on this
information, he immediately contacted the UK distributors (via the
Internet), who ordered 20 containers of his produce. In the domestic
market, Jack normally receives USDA5 per kilogram, but received USDA34
from the UK due to the shortage. Even with airfreight at USD14 per
kilogram, Jack made a substantial profit. Having identified the
opportunity, Jack decided what action to take and wasted no time in
exploiting it.
Similarly, a senior executive with a Japanese trading company learned
from his agent in Santiago (who had overheard it in the course of a
conversation) that the duty on cars imported into Chile with an engine
capacity greater than 1000cc was about to be increased to 100 per
cent. The duty on smaller cars would remain at 10 per cent. Just a few
days earlier the Japanese executive had read in a business magazine
that a major car manufacturer in Japan intended to cease production of
cars with an engine capacity of 800cc. He immediately contacted the
manufacturer's head office and advised them to continue production.
His company then established a distribution network in Chile. They
sold 44,000 units (worth USD400 million) in the first year of
operation.
In-house sources and systems
----------------------------
The most useful tool for conducting research, for assisting with
analysis, and for guidance in disseminating useful information within
an organisation is a knowledge map. Typically, a knowledge map helps
to locate people possessing, or having access to, specific knowledge
or expertise. It should be a guide to, not a repository of, that
knowledge. And it can range from a very simple, orderly arrangement of
business cards to a very sophisticated and comprehensive expertise
database. Whatever the form, its value depends much more on the
accuracy and quality of its content, and its ease of use, than on the
capacity or sophistication of the system or software used. Bear in
mind that the most important field, and the one most frequently
neglected, is that of expertise.
A knowledge map is often incorporated into an intranet, together with
some form of vocabulary control, such as a taxonomy or thesaurus, and
a glossary of terms. Many information professionals would be capable
of compiling such an invaluable set of tools (see References).
Gathering 'soft' information
----------------------------
Clearly, the sort of information that will put you ahead often comes
directly from people (the major source of soft information) and
includes expertise, ideas, intentions, aspirations, rumour,
suggestion, opinion, gossip, hints, and speculation. Because it is
usually the first evidence of impending change, soft information
represents the more colourful and significant parts of the
intelligence puzzle. It is highly regarded by senior executives.
How do you collect soft information? One of the key methods is to be
present at trade shows and exhibitions. Your competitors often use
these events to announce major changes in their operations (such as
acquisitions and mergers, introduction of new products, significant
contracts won, and so on). Much of this news may not have been made
public before the event. Hence, trade shows offer an ideal opportunity
to examine a wide range of competitor products, ask pertinent
questions, and conduct highly concentrated research.
Properly organised, a competent, well-briefed team should be able to
gather more useful information in a few days at a trade show than they
could ever hope to collect from other sources in a full year. To
prepare properly for intelligence gathering, however, the team needs
to be fully aware of imminent events. Information professionals will
know how to locate details of such events, and should be able to
identify associated literature offering useful tips and hints (see
References).
Analysis
--------
Many software solutions organise information as an aid to analysis,
but their usefulness is limited to organisation. Skilled analysis
involves awareness of executives' information needs (briefly described
earlier), as well as their aims, dreams, and aspirations. Thus,
analysis is best completed by a few smart, imaginative people, with a
modicum of common sense, asking some very simple questions:
* What?
* So what?
* Now what?
These questions are not difficult to ask but can have a huge effect on
company action. For example, consider the case of a CIA agent who
noticed a seemingly unimportant item in a Russian newspaper - a local
football team suddenly became very successful following a protracted
series of disasters. In order to satisfy his curiosity, the agent
arranged for satellite reconnaissance to be carried out. Photographs
revealed a recently built and carefully camouflaged nuclear power
plant. The influx of new employees in the area had enabled the team's
coach to replace some poorly performing players with a few more
talented members. The agent spotted something unusual, prompting him
to ask "What?"; "So what?" required a bit more digging. And with the
new intelligence, he was in a position to ask "Now what?".
Communicating the results
-------------------------
The resulting intelligence must be passed to decision makers in a
timely manner, and in a style and format that will encourage them to
take appropriate action. Intelligence reports and briefings should
aim, above all, for clarity and brevity, and should provide the
decision maker with suggestions or recommendations for action. In
other words: What? So what? Now what?. Because of their ability to
produce abstracts or summaries, communication of intelligence results
is an area where information professionals have a great deal to offer.
Judy Leavitt, Manager of CI Services at Rockwell Collins, tells us
that she and her team send their executives a one-page summary of the
key actions by their major and emerging competitors before 10am
every Monday. She reports that her CEO once said that senior
executives would rather give up their front-door parking places than
do without the Competitor Alert.
Who should be involved?
-----------------------
The most suitable people to conduct intelligence activities are a
company's own employees; they know the business best. Obviously, those
individuals who are already engaged in some form of information
handling are usually more suitable as members of an intelligence team.
They might include intelligence specialists, librarians, information
scientists, market researchers, knowledge managers, linguists, and
analysts. Also very promising for this sort of activity are
individuals with a background in investigative reporting, military or
government intelligence operations, planning, psychological profiling,
or private investigation. Bear in mind, too, that it is easier - and
considerably cheaper - to teach people about intelligence operations
than it is to provide them with years of experience in a specific
industry.
Executives have a major part to play in ensuring the success of your
intelligence activities. Among other things, they must offer
commitment, involvement, and support. A practical measure that
executives might like to consider is to invite appropriate company
experts (perhaps using the knowledge map) to management meetings where
their expertise relates to the matters to be discussed. It also makes
a great deal of sense to introduce every significant meeting with an
intelligence briefing concerning the topic(s) under discussion. This
presents an ideal opportunity for information professionals to become
known in the higher echelons of the company. Carpe diem!
References
----------
Compiled by the author, The Language of Business Intelligence, a
comprehensive glossary of terms is available on the Society of
Competitive Intelligence Professionals website at
under CI Resources: Language of BI, and on the
Knowledge Board website at under
Library.
Also available on the SCIP site are the following articles:
Prior, Vernon; Trade shows and exhibitions: the intelligence
gatherer's cornucopia; Competitive Intelligence Review, Vol 7(4), pp
77-78 (under: Publications/CI Archive/Trade shows and conferences -
free of charge to SCIP members, otherwise US$15 for the complete
volume).
Prior, Vernon; Contacts database: your most useful intelligence tool;
Competitive Intelligence Review, Vol 7(3), pp 75-77 (under:
Publications/CI Review/publications store/Vol 7(3) - cost US$10 for
members, US$15 for non-members).
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Vernon has a Postgraduate Diploma in Librarianship and Information
Science. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of
the Arts, manufactures and commerce (FRSA), and a Fellow of the
Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (FSCIP). He is also
a member of the Caterpillar Club. More information may be found at
.
Over the past 15 years, Vernon Prior has presented seminars on
competitive intelligence and knowledge management throughout Asia,
Australasia, the Middle East, and South America. He is the author of
Smart Company: Finding and Managing Business Intelligence, and has had
more than 200 articles published internationally in newspapers,
magazines, and on the Internet.
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