experts at your fingertips
DESCRIPTION
Utilizing Web 2.0 and social networking analysis tools to add experts to virtual teams as needed; IBM example. Marsha Frady presentationTRANSCRIPT
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Experts at your Fingertips – Expanding Team Boundaries
Marsha FradyIBM
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Session Objectives
Be able to outline online support potential for adding expertise to teams worldwide
Understand how employee skill profiles and the Internet can be utilized to increase collaboration
Be able to minimize obstacles to sharing expertise across team boundaries
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Wish you could have the most knowledgeable person on every team – but not enough experts to go around?
Does your organization know…
– Where the experts are within the company?
– What they specialize in?
– How to engage them to contribute without impacting them negatively?
– How to leverage the knowledge of those in the “Baby Boomer” age range before they retire?
Why do you care?
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
What’s involved?
Connecting people worldwide
Making it easy to identify experts
Including features and feedback to attract participation and enhance collaboration
To succeed:
Must produce positive business results Must not interfere with primary job Must be easy to communicate
How does IBM do it?
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Step One – Build and Display Profile
Connecting people worldwide
– Internet network infrastructure
– On-line directories with names, numbers and IDs
– Expand with profiles re: specializations, experience, skills, languages, etc.
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Expanding Profile – Two Approaches
Self Reporting
– Build template with initial directory and category tabs
– Encourage everyone to fill in to show online
– Self/team regulating
– Management validated
System Assisted or Enhanced
– Expert tagging based on skills assessments, testing, knowledge communities, wikis, etc.
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Step Two – Add Search
Provide search capability against the profile information
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Data Mining tools can be used to expand search results
Reach – shows interconnecting contacts
Selecting a person will show:
– Formal Organization
– Informal Organizations
• Communities• Forums• Blogs• Wikis• Bookmarks (Dogear)• Other Web 2.0 options
Results example from IBM’s Small Blue
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Viewing the experts’ social networks based on this data mining may provide additional input for selecting the most appropriate individual for the team
Results example from IBM’s Small Blue
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Step Three – Add Expert Display to Related Websites
Provide information from and on experts to the users, within the application they are using, so that they can:
– Read information from experts and who these experts are on a topic on the web page, course, or application they are using
– Have instant access via chat or email to designated experts right from the page or application if they have further questions
– See other information about the experts (such as links to their directory profile, their title, their department, phone number, etc.) to help the user choose the best expert to contact.
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Example
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
How it works at IBM – the workflow follows a typical learner’s question/answer flow – online in a chat
A user is searching their web application for information or using their site for their daily work
The system matches the right experts to the user based on the taxonomy of the application and the experts’ schedule
The experts who are available show as ‘green’ , ‘yellow’ , ‘in a meeting’ , or ‘mobile device’ (experts who are on ‘do not disturb’ do not show up at all)
The user establishes the chat with the expert
At the conclusion of the chat, the user and expert decide whether the information should be saved for later reuse
The user is asked after the chat has concluded to rate the value of the exchange.
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
What’s in it for them, the Experts who volunteer to participate?
Ability to:
Schedule their availability using “office hours” or use ‘active’ instant messaging client
Designate how many instant messaging windows they would to have going like at any given time
Decide (along with the user) whether to save the chat for future FAQ use or other publication
Automatically record and report time spent in collaboration with users, and how they rated the value provided
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
What if cost recovery is required for expertise?
Programs can be structured to include credit for expert’s time
– Inter-department cost recovery
– Shared team awards
– “Giveback” credit for mentoring or professional certification programs
Formal “on demand course” can be set up
– Expert’s time is charged through tuition as instructor
– Advance planning required to put in learning directory
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
What’s in it for the organization?
Users of applications get instant help when they need it, and are assured that the experts they contact know the subject on which they have questions
Experts will be able to publish easily, using chats they have had with learners as the basis for an FAQ or small learning module that can be passed on to others to share their knowledge.
Expertise can be captured online before senior members of the organization retire
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Program success depends on partnership between project management, IT and HR
Assess RequirementsDesign ProgramGet Executive Buy-In Manage BudgetPlan CommunicationsMeasure Business Impact
Partner with on ProgramAnalyze Infrastructure for Elements to Build OnSize and Cost Development
Enlist Assistance“Seed” Program with ExpertsReward Participation
IT HR
PM
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Common Steps for All
Lay out design of program to fit requirements of organization
Enlist assistance of both HR and IT
Analyze infrastructure to determine elements in place that can be built on
Size cost and time required to develop and deploy program
Get executive buy-in on benefits to business of leveraging existing expertise internally versus buying short term assistance or more hiring
“Seed” program with some easily identified experts prior to Announcement
Reward participation as implement program
Monitor and publicize business impact results, both to show return on investment and to maintain enthusiasm for participation
© 2006 IBM Corporation
IBM Learning
Questions?
Or Phone: Marsha Frady at 1-254-485-4584