SYNTHESIS SPOTLIGHT | Fostering Community at Ballinger, LMN, and Shive-Hattery
Featured Guests
Christine Larsen, Director of Marketing at Ballinger
Kristen Riley, Employee Experience Manager at LMN Architects
Amy Anderson, Marketing Information Systems at Shive-Hattery
Summary
In this Synthesis Spotlight, you’ll hear from two intranet champions who are fundamentally reorganizing their firm’s intranet to better support business needs.
Featured Guests
Christine Larsen, Director of Marketing at Ballinger
Kristen Riley, Employee Experience Manager at LMN Architects
Amy Anderson, Marketing Information Systems at Shive-Hattery
Webinar Summary
In this Synthesis Spotlight, you’ll hear from intranet champions who are using their Synthesis intranet to foster community in a variety of ways.
Webinar Timeline
00:09 Introductions
00:51 Christine Larsen - B-Engaged at Ballinger
01:40 About Ballinger
02:29 Main Programs: SPARK, Community Design Collaborative, Habitat for Humanity
05:46 How it Works
06:47 Promoting In-Person Events
07:41 Promoting Virtual Events
08:53 2020 Thanksgiving Cookbook
10:02 Social Responsibility + Professional Growth
11:22 Kristen Riley - DEI at LMN Architects
12:24 About LMN
13:09 DEI as a Community
14:53 Adjusting to Work from Home
16:25 Staff Engagement on Current Events
17:13 DEI Resources on the Intranet
18:24 #CommunityCaresSeries
20:21 Posts from Multiple Authors
20:56 Amy Anderson - Growth Summit at Shive-Hattery
21:47 About Shive-Hattery
22:00 Growth Summit Introduced
22:51 Shifting + Expanding into a Virtual Summit
24:14 Selecting Your Session
25:47 Session Agendas Using the Strategic Choice Cascade format
26:35 Ground Rules for Sessions
27:24 The Session Experience + Feedback
28:42 Looking Forward
29:52 Q+A
30:14 Are employees being paid for their time participating in B:Engaged events? (Christine)
31:36 How does the DEI group vet communications? (Kristen)
32:24 Was your entire event setup and conducted in Synthesis? (Amy)
32:58 Was there resistance on grounds of ‘Zoom Fatigue’? (Amy)
33:40 How large is Ballinger? (Christine)
34:02 Concern over having not enough or too many people participating in sessions? (Amy)
34:48 How was the event promoted on the intranet? (Amy)
35:26 What DEI conversations have gained the most traction? (Kristen)
36:38 How are new employees introduced to B-Engaged? (Christine)
37:13 Are there talks of evolving your ‘swarming’ events with practice groups? (Amy)
39:04 How do you mentor younger staff interested in the Community Design Collaborative? (Christine)
39:57 Is formal DEI training still happening? (Kristen)
41:03 Have you changed the way your intranet supports future events + goals based on what you’ve learned? (All)
42:49 What are your thoughts on confirmation emails w/.ics files vs. downloading an .ics file for selecting + joining events? (Amy)
45:06 Where do you see your intranets + these initiatives in 5 years time? (All)
47:15 Does your staff use the Synthesis Mobile app? (All)
48:26 What’s your advice for someone starting community building today? (All)
50:16 What’s the most fun part of community work? (All)
51:21 What did you learn about community work during the pandemic that you didn’t know coming in? (All)
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Sarah, Chris, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
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Synthesis Spotlight: Intranet Reorganizations at Lochner and BWBR
Featured Guests
Hillary Schlehuber, Senior Associate and Marketing Communications Manager at Lochner
Stefnee Trzpuc, Principal and Operations Leader at BWBR
Summary
In this Synthesis Spotlight, you’ll hear from two intranet champions who are fundamentally reorganizing their firm’s intranet to better support business needs.
Featured Guests
Hillary Schlehuber, Senior Associate and Marketing Communications Manager at Lochner
Stefnee Trzpuc, Principal and Operations Leader at BWBR
Webinar Summary
In this Synthesis Spotlight, you’ll hear from two intranet champions who are fundamentally reorganizing their firm’s intranet to better support business needs.
Webinar Timeline
02:12 Hillary Schlehuber - Lochner
03:04 Renovating LochNET
03:34 Background on Lochner
04:17 5 years of LochNET
04:49 Why a renovation?
05:41 Getting going and goals
06:25 Content ownership structure shift
07:04 Key Points in the Journey
07:14 … Acknowledging the baseline
09:04 … Recalibrating expectations
10:34 … Inventory + Renovation
12:11 HR Center Renovation
12:30 … Acknowledging the baseline
15:05 … Content inventory
16:10 … A user friendly information architecture
17:47 … The new HR Center
19:15 … How we did it
19:51 Content Spotlight: Client Managers
20:14 Content Spotlight: “For Marketers”
20:44 How renovations were rolled out
21:50 What users are saying
23:05 Hillary’s professional growth
25:17 Stefnee Trzpuc - BWBR
26:22 BWBR’s intranet history
28:00 Redesign goals
30:06 The organizational accountability chart
30:42 … Business units
31:32 … Key components of each unit
32:10 … Integrating the employee experience
32:50 … What happens in the business
33:18 Connecting the organizational strategy to the intranet
33:32 Rebranding: BHive
34:18 … Communicating to staff
34:45 … Restructuring communities
35:40 … Elevating Technology resources
36:17 … Reclaiming the Office community
36:40 … Communities = Colonies
37:01 … Homepage + left hand navigation
37:52 … Activity stream simplification
38:58 … Colony navigation
39:39 … Content pages with hashtag stream links
40:13 Restructuring BHive
40:18 Styling + branding toolkit
41:50 Results
42:00 … Posts and engagement
42:30 … Content usage
42:54 Observations
45:00 The journey continues
Q+A
46:44 Q: What's the plan for keeping content current? Who's involved?
48:07 Q: What methods did you use for user feedback? Did you do any Beta Testing?
50:11 Q: What questions did you ask in user feedback and how did you make that conversation work?
53:05 Q: How did practice areas respond to the homepage-only stream + hashtags?
54:13 Q: How does governance of hashtags work for you?
56:32 Q: Can you show us the People/HR dropdown in top navigation?
57:27 Q: Are the breadcrumbs manually managed?
58:26 Q: Are people searching less because navigation is easier?
59:43 Q: What was your experience shortening the left hand navigation?
61:20 Q: Are people frustrated with the hybrid (renovated + legacy structure) intranet?
63:28 Q: What's next with your intranet renovation?
64:51 Thank you Stefnee and Hillary!
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Sarah, Chris, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
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Synthesis Spotlight: Firmwide Learning @ Turner Fleischer
Featured Guests
Ellen Bensky, CEO of Turner Fleischer Architects
Webinar Summary
This Office Hours recording features Ellen Bensky, CEO of Turner Fleischer Architects, sharing how their intranet, Newton, supports firmwide learning through Turner Fleischer Academy.
Six years ago, Turner Fleischer recognized it needed a way to accelerate learning in order to bridge knowledge gaps between new graduates and experienced staff.
Three years ago, they launched Newton, their knowledge management platform.
Today, they have a robust firm university program administered through Newton to provide ongoing training and continuing education opportunities.
In this recorded webinar, you’ll learn how Turner Fleischer:
Accelerates learning in a digital age
Supports teachers with instructor resources
Fosters a more collaborative and engaged workforce
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights:
Transition to Remote Learning (10:00)
Using Synthesis to maintain culture and connection in WFH status (37:50)
Featured Guests
Ellen Bensky, CEO of Turner Fleischer Architects
Webinar Summary
This Office Hours recording features Ellen Bensky, CEO of Turner Fleischer Architects, sharing how their intranet, Newton, supports firmwide learning through Turner Fleischer Academy.
Six years ago, Turner Fleischer recognized it needed a way to accelerate learning in order to bridge knowledge gaps between new graduates and experienced staff.
Three years ago, they launched Newton, their knowledge management platform.
Today, they have a robust firm university program administered through Newton to provide ongoing training and continuing education opportunities.
In this recorded webinar, you’ll learn how Turner Fleischer:
Accelerates learning in a digital age
Supports teachers with instructor resources
Fosters a more collaborative and engaged workforce
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights:
Transition to Remote Learning (10:00)
Using Synthesis to maintain culture and connection in WFH status (37:50)
Webinar Timeline
Announcements
01:28 KA Connect 2020: The Art of Change
03:15 Community 2020: Sharing Ideas + Connecting People
04:36 What’s Next?
05:11 April 2020 Agenda
07:37 Spring Product Update
08:16 Call for Ideas
09:26 Introduction: Ellen Bensky @ Turner Fleischer
Firmwide Learning at Turner Fleischer
10:00 Transition to Remote Learning
10:48 Introduction to TF
11:52 Why a Culture of Learning?
TF Academy
14:05 TF Academy Learning Page
15:10 Winter 2020 Class List
16:16 Sessions Breakdown
17:02 Learning Calendar
17:20 Who is Teaching?
18:10 Supporting TF Academy Teachers
19:20 Content Preparation & Review
20:06 Scheduling
20:33 Promotion and Launch
21:05 Promoting Class Registration
21:30 Teaching and Feedback Survey
22:10 Work Shadowing
23:29 #Jeremy+1
24:23 #LessonsLearned
Q+A
26:00 Q: How has the feedback form changed over time?
27:40 Q: How did you decide on the right number of classes to offer?
28:18 Q: What is the review process for content and how long does that typically take?
29:42 Q: Do you record sessions and make them available after the fact?
30:36 Q: Do you archive lessons learned posts for later retrieval?
32:45 Q: How do you address staff hesitation for teaching or taking classes?
33:49 Q: How do you measure hours committed to learning?
35:28 Q: How do you select who gets into each class?
36:50 Q: How much time does the team commit to TF Academy administration?
37:50 Q: What ways are you using Newton to maintain culture and connection in WFH status?
43:30 Q: How do you watch a movie together remotely?
44:08 Virtual Bike Rides with Zwift
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Chris, Sarah, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
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Synthesis Spotlight: Streamlining Business Processes with Online Forms at Schmidt, RCH, and ESA
Featured Guests
Libby Budack, Data Specialist at Schmidt Associates
Matt Richmond, Chief Technology Officer at RCH Studios
Eric Klotz, Principal at ESa
Webinar Summary
In this month’s Office Hours, team members from Schmidt Associates, RCH Studios, and ESa shared how they are using Synthesis to improve information flow across the firm with online forms.
Schmidt Associates’ Libby Budack shared how they gather internal employee recognition nominations with formstack.
RCH Studios’ Matt Richmond shared how they engage employees in employee & project information maintenance with Microsoft Forms in Office 365.
ESa’s Eric Klotz shared how they use a Smartsheet form to streamline the process of starting up new projects.
In this webinar, you’ll:
Understand several common business processes that can be automated using online forms
Learn about a variety of online form technologies that can integrate with Synthesis
See how forms are displayed on Synthesis
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to three highlights:
The Starfish Award Form (10:13)
Office 365 Forms Tutorial (16:07)
New Project Request Form (28:28)
Featured Guests
Libby Budack, Data Specialist at Schmidt Associates
Matt Richmond, Chief Technology Officer at RCH Studios
Eric Klotz, Principal at ESa
Webinar Summary
In this month’s Office Hours, team members from Schmidt Associates, RCH Studios, and ESa shared how they are using Synthesis to improve information flow across the firm with online forms.
Schmidt Associates’ Libby Budack shared how they gather internal employee recognition nominations with formstack.
RCH Studios’ Matt Richmond shared how they engage employees in employee & project information maintenance with Microsoft Forms in Office 365.
ESa’s Eric Klotz shared how they use a Smartsheet form to streamline the process of starting up new projects.
In this webinar, you’ll:
Understand several common business processes that can be automated using online forms
Learn about a variety of online form technologies that can integrate with Synthesis
See how forms are displayed on Synthesis
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to three highlights:
The Starfish Award Form (10:13)
Office 365 Forms Tutorial (16:07)
New Project Request Form (28:28)
Webinar Timeline
Announcements
01:17 KA Connect 2020 Speakers Announced
01:45 Synthesis Workshop San Francisco 2020
03:20 New Support Article: Publish a Form on Synthesis
Schmidt Associates: formstack
04:30 Introduction to Schmidt Associates
05:58 Synthesis Implementation (KAL)
06:28 formstack Introduction
06:42 Pre-form Challenges
07:20 Benefits of Forms
07:50 The Starfish Award
09:00 Award Examples
10:13 The Starfish Award Form
11:00 Automated Workflows
11:30 Other Forms
RCH Studios: Office 365 Forms + PowerAutomate
13:48 Introduction to RCH Studios
14:25 Synthesis Implementation (Loop)
14:35 Deltek Data Correction Form
16:07 Office 365 Forms Tutorial
17:35 Automate with Microsoft PowerAutomate
19:05 Improving the Data Correction Form
ESa: Smartsheet
22:02 Introduction to ESa
22:55 Where it Started: Project Scheduling
23:50 Smartsheet Introduction
24:50 Additional Features: Project Data Collection
25:22 Project Dashboards
26:10 Project Tracking, Meeting Notes, Team Members
27:00 Project Managers Meeting
27:23 Integrating Forms with Synthesis (SLATE)
28:28 New Project Request Form
29:12 Active Project Management Process (Workflow)
30:02 Principal Intake Request Data Review
30:55 Smartsheet Dashboards and Reports
32:28 Next Steps: Smartsheet and Deltek Data Synchronization
Q+A
33:00 Q: Has anyone come up against the issue of validating the data that is coming in from these forms, and have there been any challenges expressed from the people that are entering that data into Deltek from the forms?
35:35 Q: Is Microsoft PowerAutomate part of Microsoft Office 365?
35:37 Q: Is Smartsheet being used as your Project Management solution?
37:19 Q: Is Smartsheet helping to create and customize those dashboards?
38:30 Q: What has the response been from staff who are receiving and processing the information from forms?
41:08 Q: Have any of you observed any hesitation on adoption?
43:05 Q: With the project initiation form, is that the only way you will accept a new project?
43:58 Q: Where do you house the emails/information generated from request forms?
46:18 Q: What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about integrating forms?
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Chris, Sarah, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
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Synthesis Spotlight: Employee Onboarding @ Parkhill, Smith & Cooper
Featured Guests
Dawn Moore, Corporate Director of HR at PSC
Webinar Summary
Using their firm’s recent growth as a catalyst for change, Parkhill, Smith & Cooper (PSC) revamped their employee onboarding experience to be more efficient and to connect more deeply with each new team member.
The new employee onboarding process starts with in-person storytelling on key topics such as firm culture and strategy and continues with just-in-time digital resources hosted on their intranet, RED, throughout the first year. PSC has successfully onboarded 70+ employees in the new program and is seeing improvements to new employee engagement on and off the intranet.
In this office hours, Dawn Moore, Corporate Director of HR at PSC, takes you behind the scenes of their revamped employee onboarding program.
You’ll learn how PSC:
Kicks off employee onboarding with an interactive session using the intranet
Orients new employees into firm culture and builds community from day one
Collects feedback from new employees and integrates this into the onboarding process
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights:
Onboarding After Red (11:33)
myPSC Community (17:07)
Featured Guests
Dawn Moore, Corporate Director of HR at PSC
Webinar Summary
Using their firm’s recent growth as a catalyst for change, Parkhill, Smith & Cooper (PSC) revamped their employee onboarding experience to be more efficient and to connect more deeply with each new team member.
The new employee onboarding process starts with in-person storytelling on key topics such as firm culture and strategy and continues with just-in-time digital resources hosted on their intranet, RED, throughout the first year. PSC has successfully onboarded 70+ employees in the new program and is seeing improvements to new employee engagement on and off the intranet.
In this office hours, Dawn Moore, Corporate Director of HR at PSC, takes you behind the scenes of their revamped employee onboarding program.
You’ll learn how PSC:
Kicks off employee onboarding with an interactive session using the intranet
Orients new employees into firm culture and builds community from day one
Collects feedback from new employees and integrates this into the onboarding process
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights:
Onboarding After Red (11:33)
myPSC Community (17:07)
Webinar Timeline
Announcements
01:20 Synthesis Workshop: Chicago Program
06:10 KA Connect 2020 Registration Open
06:38 Q: Do we need to have a laptop for the whole program or just the intranet tours?
07:40 Speaker Introduction
Orientation and Onboarding @ PSC
08:25 Introduction to PSC
09:08 Launch of Synthesis
09:36 Orientation and Onboarding Process
09:52 Onboarding Before RED
10:51 New Employee Orientation Presentation
11:33 Onboarding After Red
Orientation Slides
12:44 Our Mission: Building Community
13:58 Disciplines & Sectors
14:26 PSC Leadership
14:45 Rules & Legal Requirements
15:19 Office Expectations
15:44 Benefits
Intranet Tour
16:05 Home Page
16:23 RED 101
16:53 Purpose and Strategy?
17:07 myPSC Community
17:50 Employee Handbook
18:12 Q: Do new employees enroll in benefits online on their own?19:16 Accounting Resources
19:40 IT Support
20:07 PSC Apparel
20:25 Building Community Investment
21:34 Team PSC Awards
22:02 Volunteering
22:25 PSC University
22:58 Employee Directory
23:49 Personal Profile
24:17 Office Directory
24:43 Project Directory
25:25 Design Community
Post-Orientation
26:11 Post-Orientation Follow Up
26:53 Outcomes
27:43 Summary
Q+A
28:25 Q: As an HR person, what made you want to get more involved in the intranet?
29:48 Q: What types of survey questions do you ask in your follow-up?
30:24 Q: Do you have employees sign to show that they’ve received the employee manual?
31:07 Q: What is the role of supervisors and managers in the onboarding process?
32:06 Q: How has leadership embraced the use of your intranet?
32:43 Q: Are you onboarding any employees remotely?
34:12 Q: Are you seeing any trends in the kinds of questions employees ask during onboarding?
35:01 Q: How has the process changed since you started this onboarding program?
36:03 Q: How do you share feedback and make improvements with other HR team members?
36:45 Q: Do you have any advice for IT or Marketing intranet champions who would like to involve their HR leaders?
38:26 Q: Is there anything you’ve stopped doing since you started this process?
39:22 Q: What advice would Dawn today give Dawn a year ago?
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Sarah, Chris, Zucu, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
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Synthesis Spotlight: Elevating Design Conversations @ Diamond Schmitt and Turner Fleischer
Featured Guests
Michael Leckman, Principal, Diamond Schmitt
Sam Horton, Administrative Assistant to the Principals, Diamond Schmitt
Ellen Bensky, Principal, CEO, CFO, Turner Fleischer
Peter Frost, Manager - Marketing + Communications, Turner Fleischer
Marco Marcoccia, Senior Designer/Technologist, Turner Fleischer
Webinar Summary
This Office Hours featured team members from Diamond Schmitt and Turner Fleischer sharing how they engage their firms in design conversations on their intranets.
Diamond Schmitt's Michael Leckman and Sam Horton shared how they:
Brought offline design conversations online
Achieved 20% growth in Open and Engagement rates within 6 months
Use positive reinforcement to mitigate employee fears about this type of sharing
Turner Fleischer’s Ellen Bensky, Peter Frost, and Marco Marcoccia discussed how they:
Integrated a new Design Director into the firm
Changed the conversation to bring design back to the forefront of their work
Build transparency and understanding through design discussions during a period of change
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights:
#DesignMatters Within the Office (14:27)
Sharing Design Intent (29:18)
Featured Guests
Michael Leckman, Principal, Diamond Schmitt
Sam Horton, Administrative Assistant to the Principals, Diamond Schmitt
Ellen Bensky, Principal, CEO, CFO, Turner Fleischer
Peter Frost, Manager - Marketing + Communications, Turner Fleischer
Marco Marcoccia, Senior Designer/Technologist, Turner Fleischer
Webinar Summary
This Office Hours featured team members from Diamond Schmitt and Turner Fleischer sharing how they engage their firms in design conversations on their intranets.
Diamond Schmitt's Michael Leckman and Sam Horton shared how they:
Brought offline design conversations online
Achieved 20% growth in Open and Engagement rates within 6 months
Use positive reinforcement to mitigate employee fears about this type of sharing
Turner Fleischer’s Ellen Bensky, Peter Frost, and Marco Marcoccia discussed how they:
Integrated a new Design Director into the firm
Changed the conversation to bring design back to the forefront of their work
Build transparency and understanding through design discussions during a period of change
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights:
#DesignMatters Within the Office (14:27)
Sharing Design Intent (29:18)
Webinar Timeline
Announcements
01:13 Synthesis Workshop: Chicago
03:10 KA Connect 2020 Registration Open
04:25 Speaker Introduction
INSPIRING A DESIGN CONVERSATION ONLINE @ DIAMOND SCHMITT
06:06 Introduction
07:32 Why We Started This Initiative
09:12 How We Developed This Approach
10:18 #DesignMatters Initiative
11:06 Engagement & Encouragement
12:38 Engagement Back-Channels: Instagram
13:33 #DesignMatters Outside the Office
14:27 #DesignMatters Within the Office
15:20 Example pdf
16:11 Make it Repeatable
16:55 Analytics
17:50 Evolution: Increased Engagement and Momentum
19:36 Engagement by Level
20:45 Next Steps
DESIGN CONVERSATIONS ON NEWTON @ TURNER FLEISCHER
Design Director + #DesignDesign (Ellen Bensky)
22:47 Design Director + #DesignDesign
23:11 Design Director Position
24:04 PIN UP: Design Concept Post
25:38 Design Director Activity
26:36 Live Monthly Pin Up
27:12 #DesignDesign Initiative
27:47 #DesignDesign Post (Example)
28:28 #DesignDesign Wiki Page
Enhancing Design Conversations (Peter Frost)
29:18 Sharing Design Intent (Example)
31:08 #design+inspiration (Example)
Design Analytics (Marco Marcoccia)
33:25 #design+inspiration
33:58 #pinup
Q+A
35:14 Q: What is Diamond Schmitt’s process for creating the #DesignMatters pdfs?
38:19 Q: What kind of support and onboarding did the Design Director need to create content?
41:00 Q: What have you learned about creating a comfortable space that fosters engagement?
44:53 Q: How do you encourage leadership to contribute and engage?
50:39 Q: How has the online design conversation impacted offline design conversations?
53:55 Q: How has internal online design conversation impacted external design conversations?
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Sarah, Chris, Zucu, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
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Synthesis Spotlight: Essential Content Reviews @ GRAEF and GMB
Featured Guests
Tony Balistreri, Knowledge Manager, GRAEF
Shelly VandeWege, Marketing, GMB
Stephanie Eiler, Marketing, GMB
Webinar Summary
This Office Hours features short case studies from GRAEF and GMB, two firms that participated in our Essential Content Review (ECR) Beta program.
Keeping intranet content accurate and current can feel like a daunting task. Following a short introduction of the Essential Content Review (ECR) process by Knowledge Architecture, you will hear how GRAEF’s Knowledge Manager, Tony Balistreri, and GMB’s Intranet Champions, Shelly VandeWege & Stephanie Eiler, adapted this process to meet their needs and create value for their organizations.
In this webinar, you’ll learn how each firm:
Tactically implemented a regular cadence of ECRs
Adjusted Knowledge Architecture’s ECR process to meet their firm’s needs
Identified gaps and launched intranet improvement projects to meet those gaps
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to three highlights:
ECRs Then and Now (18:00)
Discipline Wiki Pages (30:28)
Q: Do you have any advice for other firms to get started? (46:20)
Featured Guests
Tony Balistreri, Knowledge Manager, GRAEF
Shelly VandeWege, Marketing, GMB
Stephanie Eiler, Marketing, GMB
Webinar Summary
This Office Hours features short case studies from GRAEF and GMB, two firms that participated in our Essential Content Review (ECR) Beta program.
Keeping intranet content accurate and current can feel like a daunting task. Following a short introduction of the ECR process by Knowledge Architecture, you will hear how GRAEF’s Knowledge Manager, Tony Balistreri, and GMB’s Intranet Champions, Shelly VandeWege & Stephanie Eiler, adapted this process to meet their needs and create value for their organizations.
In this webinar, you’ll learn how each firm:
Tactically implemented a regular cadence of ECRs
Adjusted Knowledge Architecture’s ECR process to meet their firm’s needs
Identified gaps and launched intranet improvement projects to meet those gaps
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to three highlights:
ECRs Then and Now (18:00)
Discipline Wiki Pages (30:28)
Q: Do you have any advice for other firms to get started? (46:20)
Webinar Timeline
Announcements
00:58 Synthesis Workshop: Chicago
01:31 KA Connect 2019 Talks Now Available
02:00 KA Connect 2020 Registration Open
02:41 Spring 2019 Product Update
02:55 Idea Lab for Synthesis 6 Pages
03:52 Synthesis Workshop Chicago: Synthesis 6 Demo Day 2
Introduction to ECR Process
04:42 Definition and Importance of Essential Content
06:14 Talk: A Sustainable Approach to Technical Content Management
07:01 Article: Planning for Essential Content Maintenance
07:20 The Five Step Process
08:00 Beta Testing the ECR Process
08:37 Introduction: Tony Balistreri, Shelly VandeWege, and Stephanie Eiler
ECRs @ GRAEF
09:50 About GRAEF
11:12 Launching “The Vine”
11:47 Initial Challenges
13:45 Areas for Improvement
14:25 The (Too) Big Improvement Project
14:58 Roadblocks to Improvement
15:56 ECR Process Reboot
18:00 ECRs Then and Now
19:06 Emerging Communities
19:49 Current ECR Status
20:34 Outcomes
21:00 Q: What are some examples of smaller “bite-size” milestones?
ECRs @ GMB
22:40 About GMB
23:04 Launching “DORP”
23:56 Site Layout & Communities
24:12 Culture ECR
25:04 Practice ECR: Managing a Complex Community
27:30 Discipline-Specific Documents and Links
28:35 Shifting to User Centered Design
30:28 Discipline Wiki Pages
30:44 Example: Electrical Engineering Wiki Page
32:21 Tailoring the ECR Process
33:28 Tracking the ECR Process
34:18 What’s Next?
Q+A
34:58 Q: How were community managers selected?
37:08 Q: Do you feel like there’s a finish line?
38:07 Q: How do you use analytics in your meetings?
42:10 Q: How do you manage your time and energy with ECRs?
45:13 Q: How do you keep track of the process?
46:20 Q: Do you have any advice for other firms to get started?
48:32 Q: Do you provide guidance for content managers to help gather the initial content, if so how do they mine for their teams information?
51:30 Added Benefit of ECRs: Learning about your firm through immersion in the essential content.
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Sarah, Chris, Zucu, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
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Synthesis Spotlight: Elevating Leadership Communications @ Dewberry
Featured Guests
Kimberly McVicker, Communications Manager
Webinar Summary
We all know that firm leaders have unique and valuable insights to share with the rest of the organization. This is exactly the kind of content you want to see on your intranet! Yet, many leaders are not confident about what to share, how much to share, or where to share.
Last year, Dewberry set out to change the way firm leaders communicate on their intranet, ID. Over the course of 9 months, they increased the number of firm leaders who post on ID by 33% and realized several unplanned benefits along the way.
In this webinar, you’ll learn how Dewberry:
Planned their approach
Delivered sustainable 1:1 coaching
Used analytics to reinforce behavior change
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights:
Prep: Provide Common Topics, Examples, Potential Posts (09:21)
Lessons Learned and Tips (17:05)
Featured Guests
Kimberly McVicker, Communications Manager
Webinar Summary
We all know that firm leaders have unique and valuable insights to share with the rest of the organization. This is exactly the kind of content you want to see on your intranet! Yet many leaders are not confident about what to share, how much to share, or where to share.
Last year, Dewberry set out to change the way firm leaders communicate on their intranet, ID. Over the course of 9 months, they increased the number of firm leaders who post on ID by 33% and realized several unplanned benefits along the way.
In this webinar, you’ll learn how Dewberry:
Planned their approach
Delivered sustainable 1:1 coaching
Used analytics to reinforce behavior change
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights:
Prep: Provide Common Topics, Examples, Potential Posts (09:21)
Lessons Learned and Tips (17:05)
Webinar Timeline
Announcements
01:00 KA Connect 2019: Elevating the Employee Experience
01:35 Knowledge Week
03:50 Synthesis Workshop: Chicago
05:05 Speaker Introduction
Elevating Leadership Communications @ Dewberry
06:10 Dewberry and Launching ID
07:12 Goal: Increase Leadership Engagement
08:22 Theory: Manager Posts Would Increase Engagement
08:51 Plan: 1:1 Training for Business Unit Managers
09:21 Prep: Provide Common Topics, Examples, Potential Posts
11:13 Q: The example posts are pretty short, was that intentional?
12:00 30-Minute Agenda for Meeting 1:1
13:51 Q: Did some of the reasons you provided resonate more than others?
14:31 Example Post
15:12 Making it Stick: Quarterly Post Analytics
16:25 Q: Is the audience all of Dewberry or a subset?
17:05 Lessons Learned and Tips
18:26 Q: When you went from 60 minute to 30 minute meetings, what did you cut?
Outcomes
19:32 Increased Leadership Posts
19:58 Leadership Advocates Created
22:27 Q: Do these kinds of posts roll up to the home page?
22:48 Q: Do you talk about promoting posts in these trainings?
23:37 Increased Post Quality (example)
Q+A
25:20 Q: Can you give a sense of how much time you invest in the training program?
26:57 Q: Do you continue to research new stories and pitch ideas?
27:33 Q: How do you help leadership overcome the hurdle of “a perfect post?”
28:21 Q: How many people take you up on the offer to review their posts?
28:44 Q: In your training meetings are there any common questions that come up?
29:50 Q: What’s different about coaching to write for internal vs external communications?
30:40 Q: What is your advice for working with a targeted group to increase sharing?
31:38 Q: Do you plan to work with all business unit managers eventually?
32:18 Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your work with the business unit managers?
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Sarah, Chris, Zucu, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
More Office Hours Webinars
Register for our next Office Hours Webinar
Synthesis Spotlight: Using Video for Business, Technical, and Cultural Communications at Dewberry, Diamond Schmitt Architects, and KTGY
Featured Guests
Kimberly McVicker from Dewberry
Emre Goktay from Diamond Schmitt Architects
Donovan Helminiak from KTGY
Webinar Summary
This Office Hours webinar features short case studies with three firms who are using Synthesis Native Video to tell their firm’s story, albeit in very different ways.
Kimberly McVicker from Dewberry, Emre Goktay from Diamond Schmitt Architects, and Donovan Helminiak from KTGY each picked a high-performing video from their Synthesis intranet and took us behind the scenes.
You will learn:
What types of video content these firms produce
How a high-performing video is produced and shared
What each firm considers “high-performing” when it comes to video
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to one or all of our three featured stories:
Pancake House @ KTGY (06:23)
Rendering Time Lapse @ Diamond Schmitt (14:30)
7-Minute Speed Talks @ Dewberry (25:00)
Featured Guests
Kimberly McVicker from Dewberry
Emre Goktay from Diamond Schmitt Architects
Donovan Helminiak from KTGY
Webinar Summary
This Office Hours webinar features short case studies with three firms who are using Synthesis Native Video to tell their firm’s story, albeit in very different ways.
Kimberly McVicker from Dewberry, Emre Goktay from Diamond Schmitt Architects, and Donovan Helminiak from KTGY each picked a high-performing video from their Synthesis intranet and took us behind the scenes.
You will learn:
What types of video content these firms produce
How a high-performing video is produced and shared
What each firm considers “high-performing” when it comes to video
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to one or all of our three featured stories:
Pancake House @ KTGY (06:23)
Rendering Time Lapse @ Diamond Schmitt (14:30)
7-Minute Speed Talks @ Dewberry (25:00)
Webinar Timeline
Announcements
01:15 KA Connect 2019: Elevating the Employee Experience
02:45 Knowledge Week
05:21 Introduction: Using Video for Business, Technical, and Cultural Communications
Pancake House @ KTGY
06:23 Donovan Helminiak, Knowledge Manager
07:34 Culture Posts with Video
08:06 Video: Principals Pancake House
09:00 Purpose(s) for Posting Pancake House
10:28 Performance & Outcome
13:20 Q: Is there anything you would do differently for the next Pancake House post?
Rendering Time Lapse @ Diamond Schmitt
14:30 Emre Goktay, Architectural Staff
15:24 Visualization Department at Diamond Schmitt
16:04 Video: Time Lapse for Render
16:43 Behind the scenes:
17:14 ...screen recording
18:02 ...image editing
18:30 ...video editing
19:13 ...publishing on DSX
20:00 Q: What were your thoughts behind not including narration?
20:55 Visualization Team Video Goals
21:55 Performance & Outcome
23:04 Q: Is there anything you would do differently for the next visualization team post?
23:55 Q: Why did you choose to keep it so short?
24:30 Q for Donovan: Did you edit your videos before posting?
7-Minute Speed Talks @ Dewberry
25:00 Kimberly McVicker, Communications Manager
25:35 Growth Initiatives
26:00 Video: Energy Infrastructure Initiative
26:40 How: Shooting, Editing, and Posting
27:22 Aligning Posts with a Broader Video Campaign
28:40 Performance & Outcome: Generic Video Library Post vs Embedded Video
29:38 Q: Is your videographer a full time staff member at Dewberry?
30:08 Q: Is your videographer working on any other initiatives for ID?
31:48 Q: Is there anything you would do differently for video posts next year?
Q+A
32:35 Q: What are your thoughts about video length?
34:18 Q: What are your long term goals for using video on Synthesis? What do you think is attainable and what are your aspirations?
36:24 Q: How do you put parameters around cultural sharing to keep it from becoming a free-for-all?
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Sarah, Chris, Zucu, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
More Office Hours Webinars
Register for our next Office Hours Webinar
Building a Firmwide Q+A Program @ Boulder Associates
Featured Guests
Todd Henderson, Principal at Boulder Associates
Webinar Summary
In Spring of 2016, Todd Henderson attended his first KA Connect conference where he heard a talk given by Jim Martin of Shepley Bulfinch on Shepley’s firmwide Q+A program, #AskFinch.
Todd realized that a Q+A Program on Boulder’s intranet, BiscuitNet, was just the knowledge sharing solution his firm needed. With support from Knowledge Architecture and an idea from the community, Todd and his colleagues successfully implemented a firmwide Q+A program, #AskBA.
Today, Boulder Associates has an average of 8 posts per month to the #AskBA hashtag.
In this recorded webinar, you’ll learn how Boulder Associates:
Established its firmwide Q+A program
Engaged top subject matter experts in knowledge sharing
Adapted a best practice to fit their culture
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Establishing a Firmwide Q+A Program (15:25) and Year One Results (24:39).
Featured Guests
Todd Henderson, Principal at Boulder Associates
Webinar Summary
In Spring of 2016, Todd Henderson attended his first KA Connect conference where he heard a talk given by Jim Martin of Shepley Bulfinch on Shepley’s firmwide Q+A program, #AskFinch.
Todd realized that a Q+A Program on Boulder’s intranet, BiscuitNet, was just the knowledge sharing solution his firm needed. With support from Knowledge Architecture and an idea from the community, Todd and his colleagues successfully implemented a firmwide Q+A program, #AskBA.
Today, Boulder Associates has an average of 8 posts per month to the #AskBA hashtag.
In this recorded webinar, you’ll learn how Boulder Associates:
Established its firmwide Q+A program
Engaged top subject matter experts in knowledge sharing
Adapted a best practice to fit their culture
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights:
Establishing a Firmwide Q+A Program (15:25)
Year One Results (24:39).
Webinar Timeline
Announcements
01:00 KA Connect 2019: Elevating the Employee Experience
01:42 Announcing our Speaker Lineup
02:32 Knowledge Week
03:35 KA Advance LinkedIn Group Highlight: How does your firm handle searching for technical staff based on their skills?
Introductions
04:50 Todd Henderson, Principal
05:45 Boulder Associates
06:50 Todd’s Profile & KM Role
Intranet Show & Tell: BiscuitNet
08:20 Communities & Essential Content: A Work in Progress
10:20 Posts: A Rich Stream of Content
11:00 Post Analytics
#askBA Preparation & Rollout
12:21 Discovering Knowledge Management at KA Connect
14:25 An Allegory: We Tried Baseball and it Didn’t Work
15:25 “Establishing a Firmwide Q+A Program Using Synthesis” Blog Post
16:10 9 Step Plan / What We Did
20:00 First Responders: A Firm Cross-Section
20:55 Presentation to the Firm: BiscuitNet’s #askBA Goals
22:15 Question Guidelines
23:30 Question Example Breakdown
24:39 Year One Results
26:48 ...Technical Knowledge Questions
27:20 ...Specific Expertise Questions
28:00 ...Finding a Resource Questions
28:20 ...Other Questions
29:18 Deeper Data Analysis: Is There a Pattern?
30:22 When Do We Ask and Answer Questions?
32:25 Unanswered Questions
35:50 Polling Questions
37:21 Feedback: A Method for Showing What You Know
38:44 Feedback: One Question Askers
What’s Next
39:30 Stabilize and Maintain
41:00 Refocus, Go Deeper, Identify Themes
Q+A
43:15 Q: Did you establish rules of engagement for answers?
44:50 Q: What impact has #askBA had on information exchange at Boulder?
47:41 Q: How did you sell the idea of being a first responder?
49:15 Q: Has your list of first responders changed in the past year?
51:08 Q: Did your personal brand / being a Principal have any impact on the initiative’s success?
52:42 Q: What has been the most rewarding part of the #askBA journey?
54:33 Thank you Todd...
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Sarah, Chris, Zucu, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
More Office Hours Webinars
Register for our next Office Hours Webinar
Synthesis Spotlight: Cross-Office Communication @ Shive-Hattery
Featured Guests
Amy Anderson, Marketing Information Coordinator
Webinar Summary
In 2017, Shive-Hattery’s employee survey turned up an actionable insight: Employees were beginning to feel disconnected from their colleagues due to geographical barriers. Firm leadership saw an opportunity to use Shive-Hattery’s intranet, SHare, to reconnect the offices and help fulfill the firm’s One Firm Vision.
Today, all seven offices are sharing news and announcements on SHare, and 30-60% of employees read 1+ office news post weekly.
In this recorded webinar, you’ll learn how Shive-Hattery:
Created a shared vision for change
Supported change agents with analytics
Incorporated change into firm culture
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Example Posts that Demonstrate a Range of Office Cultures (6:22) and Communicate the Vision for Buy-In (19:53).
Featured Guests
Amy Anderson, Marketing Information Coordinator
Webinar Summary
In 2017, Shive-Hattery’s employee survey turned up an actionable insight: Employees were beginning to feel disconnected from their colleagues due to geographical barriers. Firm leadership saw an opportunity to use Shive-Hattery’s intranet, SHare, to reconnect the offices and help fulfill the firm’s One Firm Vision.
Today, all seven offices are sharing news and announcements on SHare, and 30-60% of employees read 1+ office news post weekly.
In this recorded webinar, you’ll learn how Shive-Hattery:
Created a shared vision for change
Supported change agents with analytics
Incorporated change into firm culture
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Example Posts that Demonstrate a Range of Office Cultures (6:22) and Communicate the Vision for Buy-In (19:53).
Webinar Timeline
Announcements
01:20 KA Connect 2019: Elevating the Employee Experience
02:06 Announcing our Keynote Speakers
03:20 Knowledge Week
Introductions
05:04 Amy Anderson
06:00 Shive-Hattery
Cross-Office Communications @ Shive-Hattery
06:22 Example Posts that Demonstrate a Range of Office Cultures
09:55 Using the Employee Engagement Survey to Set Business Priorities
10:30 Identifying Areas for Improvement
Leading/Working Through Change
12:20 Kotter’s 8 Step Model
12:44 STEP 1: Create a Sense of Urgency
13:50 STEP 2: Create a Guiding Coalition
15:25 ...Getting Buy-in, Tying It to Business Value
16:54 ...Establishing Metrics
17:20 STEP 3: Develop a Change Vision
17:37 ...Post Examples (Introductions, Involvement, Kudos)
19:15 ...Hashtag Examples and Additions
19:53 STEP 4: Communicate the Vision for Buy-In
20:09 ...Overview of Responsibilities
21:12 ...Content Standards
22:36 ...Metrics
24:15 STEP 5: Empower Broad-Based Action
24:55 STEP 6: Generate Short Term Wins
25:40 ...Using Post Analytics to Evaluate Metrics
26:18 ...Sharing Post Analytics Results
27:00 Q: Did you have to prod people or did it happen naturally?
27:52 STEP 7: Never Let Up
29:26 ...Why the Initiative was Successful: Ownership, Recognition, Social Momentum
31:17 TEP 8: Incorporate Change into Culture (Communication Protocol)
What’s Next
32:10 Focus on Exciting Project Updates & Firm Initiative/Leadership Updates
33:00 Increase the Culture of Support and Recognition
34:40 Q: Will you continue to distribute the monthly metrics spreadsheet?
Q&A
36:00 Creating a Shared Vision: Did it really happen in just one 30 minute meeting?
37:45 What would you do differently next time?
38:57 Was there a concern that the platform would be overwhelmed with social content?
41:07 What did you enjoy most about this process?
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Sarah, Chris, Zucu, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
More Office Hours Webinars
Register for our next Office Hours Webinar
Synthesis Spotlight: Improving Project Management @ CTA Architects Engineers
Featured Guests
Fran Quiram, Project Manager + Architect, CTA Architects Engineers
Webinar Summary
CTA's board set a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) to increase the efficacy of their project management function. Fran and her fellow committee members took this challenge on, and the results have exceeded board expectations.
In this webinar, you'll learn how CTA got from BHAG to results by:
Creating a process for continuous improvement of project management tools
Defining project manager roles and responsibilities
Utilizing Synthesis to help project managers across 14 office learn and grow
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Accountability + Creating Alignment at (7:05) and Gather, CTA's PM Community on the Intranet, at (16:30).
Featured Guests
Fran Quiram, Project Manager + Architect, CTA Architects Engineers
Webinar Summary
CTA's board set a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) to increase the efficacy of their project management function. Fran and her fellow committee members took this challenge on, and the results have exceeded board expectations.
In this webinar, you'll learn how CTA got from BHAG to results by:
Creating a process for continuous improvement of project management tools
Defining project manager roles and responsibilities
Utilizing Synthesis to help project managers across 14 office learn and grow
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Accountability + Creating Alignment at (7:05) and Gather, CTA's PM Community on the Intranet, at (16:30).
Webinar Timeline
01:20 Update on KA Connect 2018 Talks
01:50 Synthesis Workshop Registration
02:30 Introduction: Fran Quiram @ CTA
03:40 Brief History of Project Management at CTA
04:55 The BHAG that Started It All
05:38 Support - The Importance of Executive Sponsorship and Best Practices
06:00 Energy - Building the Team and Identifying Improvements
07:05 Accountability - Creating Alignment
08:55 … Project Manager Scorecard
10:45 … What problem was CTA trying to solve by reducing the number of project managers?
12:05 Repetition - Monthly Project Manager Training
13:10 … How do you prioritize training topics?
14:15 … How do you select trainers? Do you bring in outside trainers?
16:30 Gather - The PM Community on the Intranet
17:50 … PM Roadmap Resources
19:13 … Onboarding New Project Managers
20:10 … What technology do you use to conduct monthly trainings?
21:35 Continuity - Continuous Improvement
22:50 How Is It Working?
22:50 … New Project Manager Request Process
25:00 … Folder Structure Improvements
26:50 Results
26:50 … Resource Adoption
27:50 … How did you build engagement, traction, and get Project Managers accustomed to using these new resources?
30:05 … Reporting to Our Board
32:21 6 Steps to Rebuilding the Culture
35:00 What is it about this project that excites you?
36:00 Did it create confusion for clients if their primary contact isn’t a Project Manager?
37:40 How were conversations managed for the 100+ people who would no longer be Project Managers?
39:05 Did CTA re-engineer your career path because of these changes?
40:00 How do you collect the data for the scorecard?
42:20 Did you have a culture of metrics and goals before the BHAG exercise?
43:15 Do the BHAG committee members have an expected amount of time to participate? Is there a plan to change members overtime?
44:00 Have revenue & profitability increased since implementing the program
45:00 Are there any incentives for PMs to participate in the program?
46:00 What has been the most rewarding part of this process for you personally?
47:37 What's next?
49:33 How long did it take for everyone to adopt Deltek Vision Resource Planning?
50:40 What have you learned through this process about Project Manager and how has this made you a better Project Manager?
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Chris, Zucu, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
More Office Hours Webinars
Register for our next Office Hours Webinar
Synthesis Spotlight: Behind the Scenes of DOWL's Operational Excellence Initiative
Featured Guests
Rachel Steer, Chief Administrative Officer, DOWL
Kristin Folmar, Quality Manager, DOWL
Webinar Summary
In 2016, DOWL launched an Operational Excellence (OpEx) program designed to improve project management, enhance client experience, and establish accountability across their 24 offices. DOWL leveraged their Synthesis intranet, The Point, to engage employees across the business in this critical initiative.
In this webinar, you'll learn how DOWL:
Established The Point as the center for content, communications, resources, and training related to OpEx
Developed a user-friendly home for OpEx which includes a graphical landing page linking to key OpEx resources, an OpEx FAQ, and introductory videos
Supported the launch of the OpEx initiative through a series of posts by key executives and project stakeholders
Continued the dialog through posts about new and updated OpEx resources, early wins, and #OpExStories
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Origin Story of the Operational Excellence (OpEx) Initiative (6:00) and Intranet Tour: The OpEx Community (16:34).
Featured Guests
Rachel Steer, Chief Administrative Officer, DOWL
Kristin Folmar, Quality Manager, DOWL
Webinar Summary
In 2016, DOWL launched an Operational Excellence (OpEx) program designed to improve project management, enhance client experience, and establish accountability across their 24 offices. DOWL leveraged their Synthesis intranet, The Point, to engage employees across the business in this critical initiative.
In this webinar, you'll learn how DOWL:
Established The Point as the center for content, communications, resources, and training related to OpEx
Developed a user-friendly home for OpEx which includes a graphical landing page linking to key OpEx resources, an OpEx FAQ, and introductory videos
Supported the launch of the OpEx initiative through a series of posts by key executives and project stakeholders
Continued the dialog through posts about new and updated OpEx resources, early wins, and #OpExStories
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Origin Story of the Operational Excellence (OpEx) Initiative (6:00) and Intranet Tour: The OpEx Community (16:34).
Webinar Timeline
01:20 KA Connect 2018 & Synthesis Workshop San Francisco Registration
03:25 Introduction: Rachel Steer & Kristin Folmar @DOWL
04:45 DOWL Background
06:00 Origin Story of the Operational Excellence (OpEx) Initiative
08:18 DOWL’s Five Year Plan
09:10 Leveraging their Synthesis intranet, The Point, to roll out OpEx Initiative
10:15 Implementing OpEx Initiative - Who is on the OpEx team?
10:50 What is OpEx?
12:26 OpEx Timeline & Phases
15:00 Launching OpEx
16:34 Intranet Tour: The OpEx Community
19:42 How is OpEx content used by employees on The Point?
22:32 #OpExStories Campaign: Sharing Wins and Lessons Learned on The Point
26:52 Current OpEx Priorities
29:29 Lessons Learned
31:45 Have we been successful?
33:10 How did you decide which content in the OpEx community would be considered Essential Content?
35:26 Were there bumps in the road while implementing OpEx - specific to senior leadership - and how did you overcome those challenges?
38:54 What is the OpEx audit process and what kind of information do you receive?
40:56 Do you fill out all forms/checklists electronically, or do you use hard copies for OpEx documentation?
43:15 What is your favorite part about leading the OpEx initiative?
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Chris, Zucu, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.
More Office Hours Webinars
Register for our next Office Hours Webinar
Synthesis Spotlight: Online + Offline Learning @ Payette
Featured Guests
Hilary Barlow, Architect and Community Manager at Payette
Webinar Summary
Payette is a design firm that specializes in the healthcare, health science, and academic science markets. Maintaining a competitive advantage in rapidly changing markets means that the Payette team must prioritize continuous learning and development. To maintain a competitive edge, team members must engage in a lot of continuous learning.
In her role as Community Manager for Payette’s Big Science Group, Hilary Barlow has answered a difficult question: What does learning look like for highly skilled professionals, many of whom are already experts in their field?
In this webinar, you’ll learn how Hilary:
- Identifies hot topics and good teachers
- Convenes the Big Science community
- Captures key learnings on Synthesis
- Engages community members in the process
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Introduction to Payette’s Knowledge Groups (9:00) and Big Science’s Monthly Meetings (14:00).
Featured Guests
Hilary Barlow, Architect and Community Manager at Payette
Webinar Summary
Payette is a design firm that specializes in the healthcare, health science, and academic science markets. Maintaining a competitive advantage in rapidly changing markets means that the Payette team must prioritize continuous learning and development. To maintain a competitive edge, team members must engage in a lot of continuous learning.
In her role as Community Manager for Payette’s Big Science Group, Hilary Barlow has answered a difficult question: What does learning look like for highly skilled professionals, many of whom are already experts in their field?
In this webinar, you’ll learn how Hilary:
- Identifies hot topics and good teachers
- Convenes the Big Science community
- Captures key learnings on Synthesis
- Engages community members in the process
If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Introduction to Payette’s Knowledge Groups (9:00) and Big Science’s Monthly Meetings (14:00).
Webinar Timeline
02:00 KA Connect 2018 & Synthesis Workshop San Francisco Registration
05:00 KA Advance LinkedIn Group Highlights
06:45 Online and Offline Learning @ Payette
09:00 Introduction to Payette’s Knowledge Groups
12:00 Knowledge Groups: Roles & Responsibilities
13:00 Hilary’s Background and Role
13:45 Big Science Knowledge Group
14:00 Big Science’s Monthly Meetings
19:10 Meeting Preparation
22:50 Meeting Day-of Activities
23:50 Meeting Follow Up
25:10 Example: Clean Room Design Presentation
30:05 Example: Project Tour
32:10 Engaging Members In Authoring Follow-up Posts
33:15 Do event attendees earn AIA credits?
33:50 Who does the event recording and editing? How sophisticated is the editing?
35:30 Community Management Tips
37:40 What is the benefit to having all firm events in one Synthesis calendar?
39:10 How do you identify & ask colleagues to do event write-ups?
41:30 What were your 2017 “biggest winner” events?
42:55 How is your time split between community management duties and the rest of your job?
43:45 What are the most time intensive parts of putting on an event?
44:50 How does the firm leadership support event participation while regulating the draw on billable time?
46:20 What is your average event attendance?
47:00 For the videos that you record, have you looked at the analytics to see who is watching them or how long they are watched?
47:30 What advice would you give someone who is embarking on their journey as a community manager?
49:05 What is next for Big Science’s events and knowledge asset development?
50:10 How do you onboard new community members?
50:50 Do you imagine that you’ll repeat sessions?
About Office Hours
Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Chris, Zucu, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.