My daughter has expressed interest in being helpful around the house.  I welcome this (of course!) but find it takes more effort to demonstrate and explain how to do something than actually doing it myself.  I realize, though, that it is worth the investment, both for her sense of purpose and for my selfish long-term goals.  So, I now have a four year old in charge of electricity (basically entails making sure all the lights are off in the house before we leave).

My daughter is not ready – at the age of four – to take a larger role in household helpfulness.  Is it likely that she could at a future date? Sure.  So – is it worth the time spent explaining, teaching, and nurturing on my part now to move her along? Absolutely!

And all of this because I see a relationship in this experience with my daughter and how the Records and Information Management (RIM) group within an organization relates to and nurtures RIM Networks. 

Effective RIM Networks require planning and effort up front to initiate as well as an ongoing commitment to sustain.  You must assess and analyze your organization – culture, receptivity, history, and current circumstances – to understand the type of network that might be most successful.  For example:

• Do you operate in a collaborative environment? 
• Do you have a history of successful network use, both inside and outside of the RIM organization? 
• Is the RIM organization seen as a partner by other groups?

Once you’ve performed this assessment, you will need to delve into the particular challenge you are trying to solve, defining your goals and objectives and outlining constraints and obstacles.

This effort and commitment is increased for our multinational clients who must overcome geographic, cultural and language barriers and must also understand the different drivers, risk areas and regulatory environments surrounding the RIM program in a specific location.   

Given this, why should you bother?  Can you and should you invest time and effort in establishing and growing your RIM Network?

I feel strongly that you should, especially given the reduced and constrained budgets within the RIM organization and the need to stretch resources across the enterprise to implement programs and provide ongoing operational support.  These challenges are not new but have been heightened by today’s economic conditions. 

It also makes good business sense.  Khan and Blair in Information Nation call for “a permanent infrastructure of committees and individuals with assigned Information Management responsibilities.”  And according to the Sedona Guidelines, “Effective implementation of a reasonable information and records management policy requires the participation of individuals throughout the organization.” 

We will be presenting in depth on this topic at ARMA Houston on April 28^th – join us if you can!