The document discusses several challenges with fragmented and disconnected information in organizations. It notes that when content processes break down, mismatches between what information people access and the real problems happening become common. The document advocates for an integrated approach to content management where content is seen as a core organizational asset and strategies are developed to better acquire, manage, deliver and engage with content across the enterprise. It emphasizes that content leadership is needed to drive the organizational changes required to implement more holistic content solutions.

1. Joe Gollner
@joegollner

2. Houston, We have a Problem!
@joegollner Gnostyx.com 2

3. Commentary: Fundamental Information Problems
Homer Simpson is quite happy with
the information he is accessing on
his tablet but whatever he is
accessing is disconnected from
the problems that are happening
behind him. When the content
processes in an organization
break down, these types of
mismatches become common.

4. Fragmented Content becomes more Fragmented
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Course Materials
Documentation
Specifications
Collateral
Requirements
Uncoordinated
ContentSilos
Uncoordinated
CustomerExperience
Knowledge Base
Proposals
Training
TechComm
Engineering
Marketing
Product Mgt
Support
Sales

5. Magneto – Control
Control has
become
a primary
concern
…the effects
of which are
ambiguous
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6. Control is a Double-Edged Sword – Cuts Both Ways
Old adage with more than a little truth behind it
You get what you measure
Measurement is a vital management tool
But the danger with measurement is the potential
to become an end in itself & dissociated from
reality including from ongoing changes
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7. Mystique - Misinformation
The truth
can become
an early victim
Spin becomes
the norm
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8. The Truth about Information
 Information
 The meaningful organization of data
that is communicated in a specific context
and for a specific purpose
 It can be mis-information
 Framed with the intent of deceiving an audience
 It is not always an asset
 It can be a liability (e.g., evidence of deception)
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9. CONTENT
INFORMATION
The Truth about Content
Content
Is what we plan, design,
create, reuse & manage
so that we can deliver
effective information
transactions
Content is potential
information (an asset)
Information is a transaction
(an action) that contains &
delivers Content
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10. Trask – Technophilia
Organizations
exhibit a strange
love / hate
relationship with
technology
The silver bullet
typically wins!
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11. Technology as an Addiction
Technology Acquisition
 Is generally a weak point in organizations
 Implementing requirements that are not understood
 Generally hijacked by the most aggressive vendors
 Silver bullets appear to offload responsibility
Failure has a strong fan club
 Information Technology groups find expanded work
 Vendors get to sell replacements
 Consultants get to perform more studies
 People can stick to what they already know
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12. What is to be done? Learn from the Past
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Integrated Content

13. Commentary: Integrated Content
For us, the most important thing
about the early examples of
double-entry book-keeping is
the fact that the balancing entries
are matched with textual
explanations that provide the full
context of the transaction.
Enron would not have survived this
under this accounting approach.

14. Case Study: Content on Top (Lavacon 2013)
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Example of a large
organization that
needed to
re-integrate their
financial data with
explanatory content
so that it would be:
a) valid
b) understandable
c) authoritative
d) legal

15. Professor X – Strategic Vision
It’s the Content…
Content is a
core asset
Like money,
it connects
all business
activities
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16. Approach Content as Content
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Content
Channels Data
Expertise
Goals
Messaging
Audiences
Content is
created by
leveraging
multiple inputs
This is the
daily challenge
for professional
communicators
Content is
therefore a
complex
composite
Artifact
The whole is
greater than
the sum of
its parts

17. There is a Bi-directional Relationship
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Channels Data
Expertise
Goals
Messaging
Audiences
Content
Content
provides the
context that
is typically
missing in
sources
Poor content
points to
poor sources
Content
can change
its sources
for the
better
Poor content
means that
there is no way
for sources to improve

18. Content tells you a lot about an Organization
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CONTENT STRATEGY
Analyzing the
Unconscious
Organization

19. Commentary: Presentation from Confab 2012
This presentation, Content Strategy:
A Dangerous Method, delved into
what happens when you really
start to peel back the information
layers to see where the content
really comes from and what business
drivers it is related to.
As with psychoanalysis, you can run
into more than you bargained for.

20. Content Solutions as a Strategic Response
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Content
Solution
Technology
Resources
Control
Metrics
Knowledge
Domains
Business
Strategy
Product
Branding
Market
Segments
Lack of
integration
is the
central
challenge
of the
modern enterprise
Content
Solutions
offer an
attractive
way to
solve many
integration problems

21. Content Solutions as an Agent of Change
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Technology
Resources
Control
Metrics
Knowledge
Domains
Business
Strategy
Product
Branding
Market
Segments
Content
Solution
Content
Solutions
put the
pieces
back
together
Adds a
vital tool
back into the
enterprise
integration
tool box

22. Storm – Mobilization
Assemble
content specialists
for the hard job
of integrating
data & expertise
into persistent
& reusable assets
- Content
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23. A Content Lifecycle Model
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Content
Acquisition
Content
Management
Content
Delivery
Content
Engagement
How content is created,
converted or licensed
How content is selected,
assembled & published
How content is changed,
controlled & protected
How content is improved
by user feedback

24. Content Strategy: A Plan of Action for Improvement
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Content
Acquisition
Content
Management
Content
Delivery
Content
Engagement
Content
Strategy

25. The Content / Information Feedback Loop
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Content
Acquisition
Content
Management
Content
Engagement
Content
Delivery
Content
Strategy
Information
Product
User
Task
Guidance
Feedback
A managed store of content assets can be used to publish a variety of
highly specific information events that specific users will apply in specific contexts

26. Rogue – Integration
Integration is hard
Very hard
It calls for making
connections across
the enterprise
It is also essential
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27. Reaching Out to Stakeholders
Some Interesting Angles
 The personal dimension
 Relationship building
 The tool dimension
 Working at the same level
 The exchange dimension
 Making win-win deals
 The Customer dimension
 Making a difference to the
product end users
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Content
Team
Information
Technology
Business
Intelligence
Engineering
Sales &
Marketing
Support
Training

28. Content is
special
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Iron Man - Content Technology
Content
Channels Data
Expertise
Goals
Messaging
Audiences
Complex
Composite
Artifact

29. Building Scalable & Sustainable Content Solutions
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Business Requirements
Budget Realities
Political Factors
User Needs
Demonstration Capability
Model Implementation
Production Deployment
Continuous Improvement
Content
Technologies
Content Standards Best Practices
Open Source Tools Commercial Products
Content
Strategy
Lean
Principles
Discover Design Develop Demonstrate Deploy
Lean Content Processes
Process
Step
Process
Step
Content
Rules
Validation & Analysis
Content
Assets
Process
Rules
Anatomy of a
Content Solution

30. Integrated Content Management
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Content
Acquisition
Content
Management
Content
Delivery
Content
Engagement
Content
Strategy
Information
Resources
Web
Content
Management
Enterprise
Content
Management
Learning
Content
Management
Integated Content Management
Would the real Content Management
please stand up?

31. Commentary: Content Technologies
While Content Technologies are only
part of the overall story, they are an
important part.
There are many good content
technologies and most organizations
massively under utilize them.
This means they are
working too hard.

32. Wolverine - Implementation
Touching
content
means
changing many
fundamental things
It’s a bigger change
than we ever expect
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33. Change Management calls for Genuine Leadership
The Fundamental Challenge
 Changing the way an organization creates, manages &
leverages its content hits many organizational nerves
 The responsibility for making these changes falls to
the content team who have never had to deal with
organizational pressures on this scale
 The content team needs to change dramatically
in order to effect the needed organizational changes
This is your challenge
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34. Wolverine – Resilience
Key is the ability
to recover from
set-backs
…and there will
be set-backs
Persistence pays off
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35. Content Leadership
@joegollner Gnostyx.com 35

36. Commentary: Content Leadership
The story about the hard-nosed
US Army Sargent who came to
accept the fresh new Lieutenant
tells us something about the
true nature of leadership.
It tells us that leadership is about
accepting absolute responsibility
and putting both the mission and
the team before yourself.

37. Commentary: Content Leadership
Content Leadership is therefore
about tapping into the unique &
special nature of content to help
organizations do better at what they
do and to serve their customers in
better ways than they have.
Focusing on the content helps
organizations get back in touch
with their real purpose.

38. Making Connections
Joe Gollner
Managing Director
Gnostyx Research Inc.
www.gnostyx.com
jag@gnostyx.com
Twitter: @joegollner
Blog:
The Content Philosopher
www.gollner.ca
@joegollner Gnostyx.com 38