Do you know that expression? I was reminded of that sentence when I participated in the AIIM Conference 2022 in Denver during the last week of April. A three-day conference where I got to work on the power of collective learning. Such as gaining knowledge, researching and sharing. Together with the global community of Information Management professionals.
AIIM Conference 2022
My first 3D event in real life since the 2019 pandemic outbreak. Not again Zoom or Teams. It was surrogate: without feeling and without personal interaction. This conference was first and foremost as ever, with the interpersonal contact. Action and response. Moreover, look each other in the eye. Emotion. Feeling. Real conversations. And here and there another typical American hug. Didn’t think I would miss this so much.
The trammel of making the trip there again was something I had not missed. To illustrate, first, the chaos at Schiphol Airport. Second, the paperwork. And finally, the last-minute test of being allowed to enter the U.S. at all. In addition, it was surprising that during my stay in Denver, a long-known difference between the Netherlands and the US was also noticeable in the hotel:
- Doing business with as much safety for society as possible or
- Within the safe society trying to do business.
What’s number one?
It will be the typical Dutch trading spirit to go for option A.
AIIM, the Information Management community
Before I tell more about the conference. First, a brief introduction to AIIM. Because not every reader will be familiar with this organization. AIIM is the Association for Intelligent Information Management. They have been around since 1943 and reinvent themselves with regularity. After all, the world of information is also constantly changing. This association brings professionals in the industry both physically and virtually together. To help each other implement and use information management. Mainly on a functional level. No technical discussions, but substantive issues. For example, on policies, retention periods, destruction, or the (non)sense of a magic quadrant for Content Services. Which, in the perception of many, is filled with apples and oranges.
Program AIIM Conference 2022
Once a year they organize a conference. In which this motley tribe comes together and learns from each other. Through presentations and sharing of experiences. Following this, participants discuss the challenges in groups. This time Denver was the “place to be. Next year it will be New Orleans.
The program of AIIM Conference 2022 included a number of interesting presentations. Especially since they discussed less than before topics that were deeply embedded with information management. The common thread was Future of Work.
Decisive information management
Peggy Winton, CEO of AIIM, opened by sharing recent research findings. For example, the realization, now also penetrating in the US, that Information Management does not work if it is based only on avoiding risk and complying with all laws and regulations. Success does come to those companies that are able to link information management to the optimal customer experience. Among other things, by using Customer Journey Mapping. Known from marketing and now a tool also used in our field.
Dr. Karen Hardy, author of Flip This Risk for Enterprise Security and guest speaker, shared a quote from Scott Sonenshein, professor at Rice University. That one was about expectations as we try to get back to work in a “business as usual” setting. That “obviousness” is not what it was before. For example, employees no longer have the same mindset, mentality, needs and priorities. As a result, there is a great reset.
A presentation by Chris McNulty (Microsoft) also covered extensive research that also showed this. With the striking fact that much of senior management is still too unaware of this. In addition, Chris’ story featured the 2022 work trend index.
Key themes according to AIIM conference 2022
The contents of the 2022 work trend index:
- Employees have a new “is it worth it” balance sheet;
- Managers feel a split between management and employee expectations;
- Leaders need to give reasons why being in the office is worth the commute;
- Flexible working does not translate into being “always on.”
- Rebuilding social capital in an organization looks different in a hybrid world.
The latter is especially true from the perspective that working hybrid, forced by corona, need not produce worse results. Especially not in organizations where working in an office has been the norm for the past several years.
Another fun fact Chris shared: by 2025 we will collectively have 130,0000,000,000,000 GB (130 trillion!) of unstructured information. In about 65 quadrillion (65 and then 24 zeros…) documents and images. Somewhere in there will undoubtedly be chaos.
High demand for skills
Finally, I want to share an excerpt from the presentation by Kelly Palmer, author of The Expertise Economy. She is a thought leader on the future of work, learning and career development. Kelly is part of Degreed’s executive team as Chief Learning & Talent Officer.
Within the ICT world, it is commonplace: continuous learning. This will also become more and more prevalent within the business. Because knowledge is one, experience and skills the other. The latter will crumble faster and faster. For example, within ICT, 50% of the value of your skills is done after 2 years.
Within Information Management, Kelly explained, research from Degreed shows that the skills listed below are critical to a successful career:
- Knowledge Management & Curation
- Data analysis/visualization
- Machine Learning/AI
- Process automation
- Cybersecurity
- Agile/DevOps methodology.
Now at first glance, this seems like a list mostly for techies. Nothing is less true. The user organizations we at Informed Group work with increasingly need this knowledge. For corporate departments. Not even so much as to collaborate with ICT. Much more so because they are the only ones who can usefully and efficiently harness the value of the data and information available to the organization. Because this is necessary for the achievement of business goals. Where there is a grasp of what technology can do combined with knowing what data is there. So that in the end this gives both a commercial and also a social benefit.
Renewal of intelligent information management
Furthermore, it was immensely nice to be “among people” again. Having a bite to eat together. Raising a glass and having a tasty laugh at what’s going on. In short, I look forward to the next 3D meeting in real life! And in the meantime I will keep you informed of all the facts and developments in the field of Information Management. Because, as Informed Group, we are the knowledge center and the driver of innovation for intelligent information management for a reason.
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