So about a month ago things started to slow down in the office, in part due to the market and a few larger developer projects being put on hold. Inspired by an Office Wiki thread here on archinect, and looking for productive ways to use our time, I started an internally hosted Wiki to try and corral all of those little bits of knowledge. Things like how to get the optimum print settings on each printer, how to customize your cad pallets, create sheet sets, how to adjust your signature in outlook and linking our detail library so that it can search all of the files by project and description. The software and everything is working well and easy to use.
The problem I have run into is the human component. People in the office are very reluctant to add information or use this resource. So far I’m basically the only person who is adding anything which is a shame because the real power of the wiki is that everyone can participate and a joint knowledge database is created. I have received comments like "well if I post everything I know on the wiki and anyone in the office can search it then what good am I?" People seem to want to horde information because they think it makes them more valuable. I suppose there is a deeper issue at work here involving the stability of a small firm but I’m surprised at people’s reluctance to participate in something that I think could dramatically increase production.
How can I motivate people to use this?
Is a 15 person firm to small?
Is your job security really at stake when you share the information you know?
Should I be worried about this kind of mentality?
Reminds me of some studio environments that I've been in...The studios that ended up producing the best work in my opinion were the ones that collaborated and helped each other out. U should find out whos hording the best DPI print settings on your plotters cuase thats hilarious
your idea is great! and this reaction sounds totally crazy! If bosses somehow gained access to being able to mess with printer drivers and outlook sig. settings nobody would have a job... ?!? It's not like you were asking for SS#'s and bonus figures...
mite i ask the general age of your coworkers?
i worked at a firm that had a less cool version of your wiki - a public MS Outlook folder where bits of office "how to's" were posted. It worked pretty well.
well any usefull piece of information really, the great thing about the system is it allows you to search and edit everything so even if someone puts in something wrong or worthless it doesnt really matter.
People just seem less then enthusiastic about sharing what they know for fear that they are giving away the assets they bring to the company. i guess i dont share that feeling because i dont plan on staying here my whole life here so i dont mind leaving what i know behind but other people seem to think if they arent the only one who knows something then they are less valuable.
I was the one who started the "Office Wiki" thread.
Everyone was impressed with the initial presentation of it. They agreed it is visually pleasing, easy to use, secure, fast, etc. But, people are illogical and afraid to try new things. For example, our IT guy (yes, the guy who does INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY) just wrote up a guide for accessing office emails through a web browser. Instead of adding it to the Wiki, he made it into a .pdf and sent it via email and didn't save it anywhere on the network. This is the type of situation that an office wiki is perfect for and choosing not to use it is so illogical it makes my brain hurt. He's now going to have to email this document to every new employee and to all the employees who lose the document or forgot it existed. If someone knows there is a better way to disseminate information and then chooses otherwise, what can you do? It will take their boss giving them an order and i'm not his boss.
However! The beautiful thing about a wiki is that its alive, always growing. Even if its not particularly useful now, information will get layered on until it is.
the firm i used to work for was about 21 people and one of the guys tried to start of an office intranet. He spent a great deal of time putting in all sorts of information on our cad standards, office news, project news, and information on products that our office used often. but most of the firm was an older crowd and no one embraced it. Then he left the firm and the intranet died. It was pretty sad.
I currently work at a much larger firm where we have an incredible wiki. just filled with info on materials and references and drawings and just everything. of course the firm is primarily young people so.... we use it.
Sep 7, 08 7:03 pm ·
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Wiki in a small office
So about a month ago things started to slow down in the office, in part due to the market and a few larger developer projects being put on hold. Inspired by an Office Wiki thread here on archinect, and looking for productive ways to use our time, I started an internally hosted Wiki to try and corral all of those little bits of knowledge. Things like how to get the optimum print settings on each printer, how to customize your cad pallets, create sheet sets, how to adjust your signature in outlook and linking our detail library so that it can search all of the files by project and description. The software and everything is working well and easy to use.
The problem I have run into is the human component. People in the office are very reluctant to add information or use this resource. So far I’m basically the only person who is adding anything which is a shame because the real power of the wiki is that everyone can participate and a joint knowledge database is created. I have received comments like "well if I post everything I know on the wiki and anyone in the office can search it then what good am I?" People seem to want to horde information because they think it makes them more valuable. I suppose there is a deeper issue at work here involving the stability of a small firm but I’m surprised at people’s reluctance to participate in something that I think could dramatically increase production.
How can I motivate people to use this?
Is a 15 person firm to small?
Is your job security really at stake when you share the information you know?
Should I be worried about this kind of mentality?
Reminds me of some studio environments that I've been in...The studios that ended up producing the best work in my opinion were the ones that collaborated and helped each other out. U should find out whos hording the best DPI print settings on your plotters cuase thats hilarious
You can have my flawless CTB files when you pry them from my cold dead fingers!
your idea is great! and this reaction sounds totally crazy! If bosses somehow gained access to being able to mess with printer drivers and outlook sig. settings nobody would have a job... ?!? It's not like you were asking for SS#'s and bonus figures...
mite i ask the general age of your coworkers?
i worked at a firm that had a less cool version of your wiki - a public MS Outlook folder where bits of office "how to's" were posted. It worked pretty well.
so it's just white papers?
well any usefull piece of information really, the great thing about the system is it allows you to search and edit everything so even if someone puts in something wrong or worthless it doesnt really matter.
People just seem less then enthusiastic about sharing what they know for fear that they are giving away the assets they bring to the company. i guess i dont share that feeling because i dont plan on staying here my whole life here so i dont mind leaving what i know behind but other people seem to think if they arent the only one who knows something then they are less valuable.
I was the one who started the "Office Wiki" thread.
Everyone was impressed with the initial presentation of it. They agreed it is visually pleasing, easy to use, secure, fast, etc. But, people are illogical and afraid to try new things. For example, our IT guy (yes, the guy who does INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY) just wrote up a guide for accessing office emails through a web browser. Instead of adding it to the Wiki, he made it into a .pdf and sent it via email and didn't save it anywhere on the network. This is the type of situation that an office wiki is perfect for and choosing not to use it is so illogical it makes my brain hurt. He's now going to have to email this document to every new employee and to all the employees who lose the document or forgot it existed. If someone knows there is a better way to disseminate information and then chooses otherwise, what can you do? It will take their boss giving them an order and i'm not his boss.
However! The beautiful thing about a wiki is that its alive, always growing. Even if its not particularly useful now, information will get layered on until it is.
the firm i used to work for was about 21 people and one of the guys tried to start of an office intranet. He spent a great deal of time putting in all sorts of information on our cad standards, office news, project news, and information on products that our office used often. but most of the firm was an older crowd and no one embraced it. Then he left the firm and the intranet died. It was pretty sad.
I currently work at a much larger firm where we have an incredible wiki. just filled with info on materials and references and drawings and just everything. of course the firm is primarily young people so.... we use it.
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