Taking your intranet from local to global - key lessons and learnings

1. Taking your intranet from local to global
6 key lessons and learnings
May 2013

2. About us – who is Parsons Brinckerhoff?

3. • Global consulting firm
• Founded in New York in 1885
• Public and private clients
• 14,000 staff globally – approx 2000 in Australia New
Zealand
• A mixed staff profile (office and site based)
• Parent company – Balfour Beatty plc
About Parsons Brinckerhoff

4. About Me
4

5. • Collaboration Systems Leader
• My role
• Where I fit in
About Me
5

6. Things I’ve done this year that have scared me:
• An open water swim
• Jumped out of a plane
• Spoken at a conference…..
About Me cont’d
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7. Intranets at Parsons Brinckerhoff
About Parsons Brinckerhoff

8. Where we started
The sordid history
Who the key players were
The journey to now (evolution)
Intranets at Parsons Brinckerhoff
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9. Our Intranet history
• IT owned the intranet
• SharePoint 2003 to 2007
• Lacked consistent
navigation, branding or
governance
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10. Our Intranet history
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11. Toward the future
• New operating
company in 2010
• A portal with multiple
entry points
• Culture change
• Purchase by Balfour
Beatty
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12. Toward the future
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13. Present day – global 360
• New intranet for all
employees
• Separate team sites
• Common navigation
and branding across
globe
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14. Present day
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15. The key lessons
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16. Key Lesson #1
Bring people with you

17. • Engage people with what could be
• Set a vision
# 1 – Bring people with you

18. • What’s in it for me?
• Recruit a charismatic champion
#1 – Bring people with you
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19. Key Lesson #2:
Participation > Governance
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20. • Participation may be greater than governance*
• If you build it, they won’t come
• Tiered governance, based on content
• It’s everyone’s intranet
#2 – Participation > Governance
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21. • When participation goes bad…
• The upside of participation
• Reuse, recycle, rejoice!
#2 – Participation > Governance
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22. Key Lesson #3
Hold their hands AND teach them to fish
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23. • Don’t be a publishing house
• Knowledge breeds champions
#3 – Hold their hands & teach them to fish
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24. • Keep training short and sweet
• Be available, but maintain your ‘mystique’
#3 – Hold their hands & teach them to fish
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25. Key Lesson #4
Maintain cultural awareness, but don’t be afraid of
it
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26. • Find the hidden power structures
• Organisational culture
• Watch for duplication – not just online
#4 – Maintain cultural awareness
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27. • The flip side of integration
• Don’t be afraid of the sacred cows
• Use organisational change to your advantage
#4 – Maintain cultural awareness
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28. Key Lesson #5
Know your stuff…and your people
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29. • Understand your environment
• Know when to tap out
• Get the technical team on board
#5 – Know your stuff and your people
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30. Key Lesson #6
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
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31. • One person can’t do it all
• Recruit help!
#6 – Don’t be afraid to ask for help
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32. • Bring people with you
• Encourage participation first
• Teach staff to be self sufficient
• Be aware of your culture, but not bound by it
• Know your stuff, and your people
• Ask for help
Recap
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Twitter: @bridiemarie
LinkedIn: Bridie Sampson
Email: bsampson@pb.com.au
Contact Me