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."
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3 comments:
Good post. It amazes me how many intranets are built by a handful of techies or managers in an organization - involve your staff, they are the ones using it!!
Follow the specification before you download any best practice software to avoid trouble as you go with your endeavor.
cool
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