Achieving Engagement and Enthusiasm.
The differences between a good intranet and a great intranet might be subtle, but it is measurable as all 'great' intranets will share key characteristics and features.
When it comes to delivering Employee Engagement a great intranet will exceed its objectives because it has involved it's audience.
There are three things you can do to help your intranet perform to its optimum.
Seek feedback – regularly
Schedule frequent employee (user) surveys, but don’t restrict it to an electronic, intranet based survey. (If you have someone who doesn't use the intranet they won’t see the survey, so there’s small chance of them completing it.) Get out and have face to face meetings with the audience; individuals, user groups, departments, locations.
Be specific in the feedback you want, don't ask a general question such as "What do you think of the Intranet." Define your questions so that they are specific ~ you'll then get quality feedback that you can do something with. Ask questions like "What do you think of the design", "What do you think to the layout?", "How would you change the structure?", "Describe a time when you struggled to find what you needed."
But – don’t ask too many questions at the same time. See if you can pick 5 key questions.
Conduct Usability Testing - regularly.
Don’t assume it’s all going smoothly or because it works for you it works for all. If you designed it and structured it then you will know your way around it. Increase the objectivity of the exercise by involving others. For instance, if a new starter joins, sit with them to see how they use it and how it performs. Such an opportunity to see through fresh eyes and get a different perspective is invaluable. As far as is practically possible test new additions or enhancements amongst a control group before things go live to a wider audience. Spring clean your Intranet – fix or clean up dead links, edit jargon, check labels and tags are user friendly – understandable and useful.
Act on the feedback you got and the testing performed.
Simple.
Monday, 20 April 2009
Friday, 27 February 2009
Contribution and Connection
The success of an intranet is dependant on the people that use it and create it. A 21st Century Intranet shouldn't restrict active involvement to a small team, it should look to encourage all users to upgrade their participation from reader to contributor.
A key factor in an individuals enthusiasm towards an intranet is the degree of contribution they can make to it, and therefore connection they feel towards it.
The ability to interact with the intranet and to share information, not just seek it is likely to increase a users day-to-day involvement. This can be achieved very simply and need not be restricted to content editors.
One way that this could be achieved is by giving a reader the chance to contribute to existing content. When reading a document written by someone else they might have some information that can update it. Providing an easy and direct means by which they could submit their feedback, and see it acted on, (with the document being updated to reflect their input) would foster a sense of connection and feeling involved.
Via a forum, a user might be add a "Help me" thread in which they could ask a question, their query may then be seen by other users who may have the answer. This exposure to a pool of "on-site" subject matter experts could speed up problem-solving and productivity. It would also help further connect people and knowledge.
These are just two examples of how contribution could be encouraged; by facilitating the opportunities to contribute the way in which the intranet is viewed would shift from it being "an intranet," to "my intranet."
A key factor in an individuals enthusiasm towards an intranet is the degree of contribution they can make to it, and therefore connection they feel towards it.
The ability to interact with the intranet and to share information, not just seek it is likely to increase a users day-to-day involvement. This can be achieved very simply and need not be restricted to content editors.
One way that this could be achieved is by giving a reader the chance to contribute to existing content. When reading a document written by someone else they might have some information that can update it. Providing an easy and direct means by which they could submit their feedback, and see it acted on, (with the document being updated to reflect their input) would foster a sense of connection and feeling involved.
Via a forum, a user might be add a "Help me" thread in which they could ask a question, their query may then be seen by other users who may have the answer. This exposure to a pool of "on-site" subject matter experts could speed up problem-solving and productivity. It would also help further connect people and knowledge.
These are just two examples of how contribution could be encouraged; by facilitating the opportunities to contribute the way in which the intranet is viewed would shift from it being "an intranet," to "my intranet."
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Certainty and Variety
Intranets exist as a tool for us to use, therefore I thought it might be of interest to think about how we think and what are our expectations and needs are when we use an intranet. To help me talk about our behaviour when using intranets I'm going to refer to the Human Needs Theory as proposed by Tony Robbins. In his theory he suggests that all of us have six needs that effect our behaviour and influence the choices we make. Two components of this theory are Certainty and Variety, each of these being located at opposing ends of the same spectrum.
We will all have a comfort zone that exists somewhere between these two absolutes, some people will focus on achieving high levels of Certainty and the comfort that they will get from security and stability, others will pursue greater Variety and the excitement and challenge it will give them.
So, how can the Certainty and Variety be applied to an Intranet?
Certainty - this can be explained quite simply; when a user accesses an intranet they expect it to work, to be accessible and functioning. This is such a basic expectation it is hardly one we are aware of. Technical errors that mean we will have to 'try again', or come back later will do nothing for their confidence or enthusiasm for the intranet.
Once 'in' they would then expect to have confidence in the information they see, and to be able to trust that it is accurate and up to date. The certainty that they have will be assisted by familiarity - a consistent navigation and universal layout will make their visit easier.
Structural changes should be kept to a minimum and introduced in a way to minimise disruption. (Think about the last time one of your favourite Internet sites was redesigned, how uncomfortable did you feel on your first visit after the redesign? For a non-web comparison think about when you have visited a supermarket to find they have moved things around and knocked you out of your comfort zone!)
To a greater or lesser extent we all crave a degree of stability and security. An Intranet should think about delivering this.
Variety - It is a bit of a paradox but at the same time we desire certainty we also need enough 'uncertainty' to provide some spice and interest. The word 'enough' is key here. The key requirement of intranet content is that it should remain fresh and not stale. Therefore it will need to change. It doesn't mean that everything should change every week, but intranet content shouldn't become wallpaper. A degree of content will need to change in order to promote interest.
To a greater or lesser extent we all crave a degree of change and interest. An Intranet should think about delivering this.
So how can an Intranet achieve balance between these two requirements? An intranet can appeal to our need for Certainty by being structured in a consistent and reliable way. This structure can then be used as the framework for content, that is fresh and is presented to us in a visually appealing, but easy to understand format.
An intranet homepage can provide both Certainty and Variety. A homepage should have some consistent elements to appeal to the need for Certainty; simultaneously it should have some elements that promote Variety. This might be something as simple as the latest information (news) or a weekly blog by the Chief Exec. The wider content should have review dates, or limited publication periods, so that it 'disappears' from view before it becomes outdated.
We will all have a comfort zone that exists somewhere between these two absolutes, some people will focus on achieving high levels of Certainty and the comfort that they will get from security and stability, others will pursue greater Variety and the excitement and challenge it will give them.
So, how can the Certainty and Variety be applied to an Intranet?
Certainty - this can be explained quite simply; when a user accesses an intranet they expect it to work, to be accessible and functioning. This is such a basic expectation it is hardly one we are aware of. Technical errors that mean we will have to 'try again', or come back later will do nothing for their confidence or enthusiasm for the intranet.
Once 'in' they would then expect to have confidence in the information they see, and to be able to trust that it is accurate and up to date. The certainty that they have will be assisted by familiarity - a consistent navigation and universal layout will make their visit easier.
Structural changes should be kept to a minimum and introduced in a way to minimise disruption. (Think about the last time one of your favourite Internet sites was redesigned, how uncomfortable did you feel on your first visit after the redesign? For a non-web comparison think about when you have visited a supermarket to find they have moved things around and knocked you out of your comfort zone!)
To a greater or lesser extent we all crave a degree of stability and security. An Intranet should think about delivering this.
Variety - It is a bit of a paradox but at the same time we desire certainty we also need enough 'uncertainty' to provide some spice and interest. The word 'enough' is key here. The key requirement of intranet content is that it should remain fresh and not stale. Therefore it will need to change. It doesn't mean that everything should change every week, but intranet content shouldn't become wallpaper. A degree of content will need to change in order to promote interest.
To a greater or lesser extent we all crave a degree of change and interest. An Intranet should think about delivering this.
So how can an Intranet achieve balance between these two requirements? An intranet can appeal to our need for Certainty by being structured in a consistent and reliable way. This structure can then be used as the framework for content, that is fresh and is presented to us in a visually appealing, but easy to understand format.
An intranet homepage can provide both Certainty and Variety. A homepage should have some consistent elements to appeal to the need for Certainty; simultaneously it should have some elements that promote Variety. This might be something as simple as the latest information (news) or a weekly blog by the Chief Exec. The wider content should have review dates, or limited publication periods, so that it 'disappears' from view before it becomes outdated.
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Intranets are Integral
One of the conclusions from the recent “"Intranet Design Annual 2009” was the evidence of how integral intranets are to a company’s performance and growth. Intranets are no longer an “add-on” to other company systems, increasingly they have critical importance as the systems hub and are a fundamental business requirement, “...the top intranets have evolved well beyond simply hosting HR manuals and now play a recognised, strategic role in supporting work processes and increasing business efficiencies," (Kara Pernice, MD of Nielsen Norman Group.
Effectively structured and managed Intranets are now proving their worth in providing a competitive advantage and delivering a healthy return on investment. In the Intranet Design Annual 2009 is a case study that shows how after an Intranet redesign users can now complete tasks in an average time of 54 seconds, compared with a previous time of 1 minute 52 seconds. Consider their productivity over an hour - it is possible that they could do twice as many tasks as before!
Compare that with taking over 3 hours to find a document, thats the scenario one customer faced when they had to search through a series of public folders to find a document he needed to show a colleague. Their current system of publically accessible shared drives clearly wasn't working; hence their desire for a structured and efficient Intranet. There is one user who is looking forward to getting an Intranet that will save him at least 179 minutes!
Simply, the aim of an Intranet should be to help people do their jobs better and more efficiently. An Intranet can assist employee performance by delivering improvements in, communication, collaboration and business processes. The key is how to connect people to the information they need.
Intranets should be structured to support and encourage self-service so that users can get relevant, accurate and useable information quickly. There should be connections between content, connection between users to aid collaboration, collaborative tools to encourage user connection to the Intranet, connection between users and systems and processes, connections between users and company performance and objectives.
Effectively structured and managed Intranets are now proving their worth in providing a competitive advantage and delivering a healthy return on investment. In the Intranet Design Annual 2009 is a case study that shows how after an Intranet redesign users can now complete tasks in an average time of 54 seconds, compared with a previous time of 1 minute 52 seconds. Consider their productivity over an hour - it is possible that they could do twice as many tasks as before!
Compare that with taking over 3 hours to find a document, thats the scenario one customer faced when they had to search through a series of public folders to find a document he needed to show a colleague. Their current system of publically accessible shared drives clearly wasn't working; hence their desire for a structured and efficient Intranet. There is one user who is looking forward to getting an Intranet that will save him at least 179 minutes!
Simply, the aim of an Intranet should be to help people do their jobs better and more efficiently. An Intranet can assist employee performance by delivering improvements in, communication, collaboration and business processes. The key is how to connect people to the information they need.
Intranets should be structured to support and encourage self-service so that users can get relevant, accurate and useable information quickly. There should be connections between content, connection between users to aid collaboration, collaborative tools to encourage user connection to the Intranet, connection between users and systems and processes, connections between users and company performance and objectives.
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