The Psychology of Effective Records and Information Management IRMS Scotland Group, Tues June 11th 2013
Heather Jack HJBS Ltd
Unlocking the value of your information
Definitions Psychology is an academic and applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviours. Psychology has the immediate goal of understanding individuals and groups ….. and by many accounts it ultimately aims to benefit society. Wikipedia
Psychology and Records Management • Records Management is a hard sell – true or false?
“It’s the way [you] tell them”
© 1983 Mirrorpix
Records Management: Why? Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011 S61 RM code of FOI(S)A (other brands are available) Data Protection Act ……. http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passio nate_users/2006/09/motivating_othe.html
The Historical Abuse Systemic Review 1950-1995
“Former residents …are responding to a basic human need to search for family and to better understand what happened during their childhood. They live in a society of people who grew up in family homes, knowing their siblings, parents and extended family. Their lack of such knowledge can make them feel isolated, so records can help them trace their own family connections and develop a common sense of belonging…”
Tom Shaw
Records Management: Why? • NOT a tick box exercise • Driven by need
http://www.guardian.co.uk/healthcarenetwork/2013/may/02/fiona-caldicott-reviewpatient-data
Psycho-tactics ….. A smörgåsbord of first hand and anecdotal experiences from me … and you
The “Template” Approach • One size doesn’t fit all • Ownership – no pain no gain
• Lessons learnt – gonnae* learn those lessons
*gonnae = please would you
Create “light bulb” moments • Access and sharing information – I want to be able to access the info I need to do my job – I don’t see why others need to see the information my team holds
• Common filing structures and naming conventions – I can understand my naming conventions – I cant understand other people’s naming conventions
• Mandatory index fields – It’s a pain in the neck to fill in metadata – I send emails all the time – and fill in metadata to do so even if I don’t realise it
Trust • Local champions • Listen • Manage expectations
Training • Too generic • Not carried out by people who use it themselves • Too soon – training days/weeks before actually rolled out • No follow up • Evaluation too soon • Lack of agreed targets to measure success of training
A stitch in time saves nine • “Uncomfortable change becomes punishing, and rational people don't continue activities that are more painful than they are rewarding”
• http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/20 0210/the-10-rules-change
Challenge Assumptions • Ours – Everyone knows what I know • IT literacy and experience
• Users – – – –
it’s my information IM is something someone else does It’s about IT It’s an admin task
– If we rationalise information, everyone will be able to see everything
Business Therapist?? • In a vacuum of consistent, standardised and workable systems, guidance and support people will revert to: – what they did in their last job – their information personality
• And when presented with change and no support – they will adopt an information change attitude
I have a few people I would like you to meet …
Information Personalities • • • • • •
Claire Chaotic Connie Clear-out Tommy Top-secret Fred Free-for-all Sarah Squirrel Oliver Organised
Information Change Attitudes: • • • • • •
Bertha Bored-out-of-her-head Ivan Irrelevant Scarlet Awfy-scared* Cyd Cynical Caroline Control-freak Edward Enthusiastic
*Awfy = awfully
The Psychology of Effective Records and Information Management
Thank You! Unlocking the value of your information
Heather Jack, HJBS Limited
[email protected] www.hjbs.com @akaIRMbigyin
