tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985877.post6548417247154187125..comments2023-11-05T01:13:07.928-08:00Comments on Dr. Bonnie Cheuk: What is the future of information professionals? Bonnie Cheukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01003810304718039206noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985877.post-19437487218755995002012-11-02T08:30:03.690-07:002012-11-02T08:30:03.690-07:00Thanks Cheryl for raising the question: should inf...Thanks Cheryl for raising the question: should information professionals get credit for what we offer? <br /><br />Interestingly, i was reading a book by Chip Conley who talks about applying Maslow triangle in managing business. At the lowest level, we get credit for getting recruited and be paid. Then higher up the triangle, we get thank you and recognition. As we move to the top, we get fulfilment because we find "meaning" in our work, because we know we are adding value, innovating, making the world a better place. I would like info professionals to experience all levels in different stages of their career.<br /><br />Let's put the theory aside, having worked one-on-one with senior executives/middle managers, many of them deep down realise they need help understanding how to engage with information (using a variety of tools) in the networked world. They have a lot of questions, and they do not feel comfortable asking in public. Very often, I am invited to meet them for 30 mins, and they start the session with "tell me about (can be anything from twitter, blogging, biz intellgience, social media monitoring, big data, online communication, crowd sourcing, knowledge management) ..... And how should I position myself/my business in this space to achieve my business goals?" This generally lead to a discussion, helping him/her to self reflect on current practices and what the future may look like. It ends with a willingness to rethink and try something small and test the water. (Trust me, not all meetings go well!) When they feel comfortable and when they get there, I have win a friend, and I become the trusted advisor. so what do I get in return? Sometimes not even a thank you, these busy executives are too busy and move onto other priority areas, for me, I get a credit line which i can use in bad times (to get budget, to request for resources, to launch a new program, to have a senior exec on my side in promoting new ways to facilitate information flow).<br /><br />On a day to day information service provision level, our great work do not need to go unnoticed, rather than saying "no problem" and finish an information transaction. Ask those willing users to leave a quote, share a story how the service has added value (close a deal, save time looking for info/connecting with experts, avoid reinventing the wheel, coming up with new innovative solutions). Collect these stories, make them real and business focus, amplify them, share with others, ask the users to blog about them and share with their colleagues in face to face business meetings. This isi the time for info professionals to be confident and be bold in sharing success stories being told by our users (not us!)<br /><br />Perhaps it is my personality, I feel as an information professional, I am here to serve. If people do a great job using/engaging with information, I give them all the credit, I amplify their good work. I think ultimately information has to be used within context. My users deserve the credit to bring information to life in context in ways that info professionals cannot achieve on our own. This is the reason why I feel partnership with business executives/users is important.<br /><br />Our professional is an important one, we need to remember we are part of something bigger, we enable the world to change.... We cannot turn the wheel on own own. Let's co-create future solutions with our users.<br /><br />(On a totally different note, I learn a lot from my blog readers' questions, as you help me to reflect deeper on the subject, Thank you for the exchange. Keep them coming as we collectively define the future of our professional.)<br /><br />Bonnie Cheukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01003810304718039206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985877.post-7504700235343935322012-11-01T06:27:00.997-07:002012-11-01T06:27:00.997-07:00Bonnie,
Overall, I agree with your analysis but h...Bonnie,<br /><br />Overall, I agree with your analysis but have one comment. You state "Be a trsuted advisor in helping senior/middle managers to understand what/how to share information to engage with their team/workforce (and customers) in the networked world?" This is all good and well but then next you ask the question "Can we help them to be successful without taking credit away from them?" Of course they should get the credit for our help but let's not forget that we as the info pro should also receive credit where credit<br />is due. I think for many of us we tend to be too passive about the information services we provide and simply say no problem, rather upon being thanked for helping get the needed information to the requestor as though no effort or skill was involved and that is the end of the interaction. I am not sure how we can actually go about receiving some form of credit beyond the thanks but would love to hear your thoughts re/this.Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01206476723069616789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985877.post-44136265747400260352012-10-30T12:30:20.643-07:002012-10-30T12:30:20.643-07:00Nicola - Tks for pointing this out. No, informatio...Nicola - Tks for pointing this out. No, information professionals should not give up their ideals! It is our dream of what the future could be that will take our profession into the future. To do so, we need to have the competence and the knowledge to do so. What I mean is... don't be perceived as idealistic, work hard to walk our talk, show the results. The results speak stronger than any words. Bonnie Cheukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01003810304718039206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18985877.post-6137632359160234342012-10-30T11:37:33.465-07:002012-10-30T11:37:33.465-07:00Hi Bonnie
Very interesting post, raising some vit...Hi Bonnie<br /><br />Very interesting post, raising some vital questions.<br /><br />I largely agree with your analysis, although I have one small comment. You say 'We need to share examples where it works. We cannot be seen as "idealistic".' and I agree in so far as information professionals cannot afford to be seen to put themselve in an ivory tower or to think themselves superior to their users/patrons.<br /><br />However, I think many info pros would take exception to being told they should not be idealistic, as many see holding ideals (of equality of access to information, for example) to be core to the profession.<br /><br />I hope this is just semantics, not that you are really advocating that info pros should give up their ideals!Nicola Franklinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11997960040794329548noreply@blogger.com