Information: Who owns it? Who has the skills and who needs them? PI Panel Discussion

When Hamilton Matthews, chair of the Perfect Information panel debate, began the final session of the conference asking us who we thought was high-jacking information from the professionals, you knew it wasn’t going to be a dull session.

Were the main culprits IT teams, outsourcing firms, or the role company intranets play? Is the information centre going to be obsolete? He asked.

“Yes” said fellow panellist, Mark Janssen, a senior consultant with Smartlogic, “You have been hearing for a long time from Outsell reports and the like ‘change or die!’ the information broker will go, yes – but that’s no to say there isn’t a role for information professionals.

Alison Harman, Executive Director, Global Info centre, UBS added that change needs to be embraced. "The information centre seems out of date" she said, adding that in her organisation the information resources sit alongside the bankers, they work with their so-called threats, the IT department, communications and marketing people and that should be seen as an opportunity. ‘It’s a collaborative effort’ Harman said, asking us to consider some points...

1) Don’t bury your head in the sand
2) Don’t be reactive as a researcher
3) Get to the forefront and sell your skills

If that all sound horribly familiar it’s because the issue of the information professional promoting themselves has never adequately been addressed, it’s a challenge that arguably should have been addressed long ago.

Before I get to that, Alun Davies, Head of Knowledge Management at Lovells, explained what he thought was the wider problem, saying “Information professionals are in a difficult position. Are we comfortable with where we are? – no, we are seen as being an obstacle to information, the gatekeepers.” He went on to add that for a long time information professionals prided themselves on being there for the user, now users are searching for their own information, even though they don’t appreciate the complexities involved with what you do. Information professionals can be seen as barriers to information with their logins and licences. It seems rather unjust as these measures are vendor led.

“They don’t help with heavy restrictions on the information – they use old business models,” added Harman, “The Google generation aren’t necessarily aware of the difference in quality of information, often free will do.”

Davies also criticised professional bodies for not raising the bar in terms of skill sets, with universities also not giving enough room to developing the right information courses.

With this in mind the topic got back to information professionals needing to improve ‘selling’ and ‘marketing’ themselves around the organisation. This side of the pond those can be seen as dirty words, maybe more so in the information world.

“Why should we!?” demanded one audience member.

I won’t go into the nitty-gritty of that debate, its been chasing its tail for so long now, suffice to say that the general consensus in the end was that promoting the behind the scenes work and skills of the information professional was a good thing. The question was how.

From the suggestions being kicked around by the panel and audience, which I liked a lot, there was no intention of turning info pros into braying, extrovert monsters.

My favourites include:

 Spot opportunities, explain what you will do to show value (ask how will this affect the client).
 Do this even if it is out of your typical remit
 Bring what you do to the attention of the decision makers, if they know your value they will fight your corner in strategic decision-making
 Get closer to the financial department, they are part of the inner-circle of decision makers but don’t have any research skills – can you help them?
 Tell war stories, let people know the trials and tribulations you overcame. They are a valuable way of promoting your role and importance.

Maybe an altered mindset is what is needed? The final comment of the session came from an audience member who pointed out that information professionals consider themselves support staff rather than executive material. Is there any reason that can’t change?