I just read a Jack Cheng article on the continuing value of person-to-person communication, published in the Boston Globe. It’s about a group of (wired) scientists on an archeological dig in a remote village who find themselves with no internet. The dig director wanted to determine how tall an eroded pyramid on the site originally stood. The group was at first baffled as to how to solve this complex problem “off line”. By using the collective knowledge of everyone in the room, the team used trigonometry, and cobbled together a formula. Only half way there, they then needed to convert one value to another. How could they do it without Internet tools? Imagine… they turned to “old fashioned” Microsoft Excel.
Jack Cheng coined the term, “The Roomnet” to describe this collaboration. He observed that without the internet, “we begin to figure things out together, a neuron in one person’s head firing and setting off a spark in someone else’s.”
This really hit me as I had just experienced my own “Roomnet” at the Annual HR Shared Services Outsourcing Summit in Orlando. Kym Burke, Iron Mountain, VP of HR Shared Services, hosted a half day “Think Tank” session to discuss Information Management and Governance.
Participants agreed that HR Shared Services information (employee data, policy and process documentation) is not only harder to manage but more difficult to access than ever before. And they also agreed that it is tougher to apply standards across their organizations. With increasing regulations, data privacy concerns and constant organizational changes, most found it a real challenge to meet compliance and business obligations in a timely manner. Often this can impact service delivery as well as the ability to contain costs.
Work Streams Delivered the Value
After some lively debate, the “roomnet” broke into 3 work streams – Accessibility, Standards and Inventory with Governance to be addressed in future sessions. Lively discussion ensued with ideas building, changing, experiences shared, and proven practices identified. It was like being part of improv theatre, where new thinking and creative problem solving is happening right before your eyes. Each team then had an opportunity to share best practices with the group and highlight key areas for future discussion. Everyone benefited from actionable insights they could take back to their organizations. In fact, the group plans to continue this forum both in person and on line.
I think we would all agree with Mr. Cheng that, though there is comfort in having all that knowledge in the World Wide Web at your fingertips, the “Roomnet” is often more valuable, definitely more fun and much more memorable.
For information on solutions to address your Information Management and Governance requirements, check out our Practical Guide to Information Governance paper or see our Human Resources Solutions.
