Raiders of the Lost Artifact!

No this is not a science fiction story or an adventure story. It is a blog about the lost artifact of a dictionary or glossary for data sets, data inventories or system information. This lost artifact, while lost, is the reason for confusion and frustration in designing electronic information solutions. We are not using the same terms to say the same thing.

This confusion exists beyond just differing professional groups such as Records and Information Management professionals and Information Technology professionals. This lack of common definition starts with the business groups and, dare I say, the legal community? We find words, create words, or use words that make no sense to fit our profession, style or because we want to. So there!

What this lack of common language has done is create confusion and a sense of “power”. “If you are not using my word, then you must not be smart enough to understand.” That is sad. It is important to remember the first axiom of communication, there must be a “sender” and “receiver” in effective communication. In order for true communication to happen, both sides must communicate clearly. The speaker bears the burden of using the terms needed by the listener to understand. We don’t need to use terms that make us sound smarter! Let’s make it a given that we are all smart. We can all “get it” if given the information in terms that we can understand.

Let’s raid the tombs of our ego archives, our professional desires to find the artifact, the shared glossary of terms and definitions that allow us to work together, build strong programs and design technology solutions that meet the needs of the business and allow our companies to be compliant. ERM, DMS and/or ECM are not going to be designed or built by one person or one group. It will take a team. I like to be on winning teams. I like to see my clients happy and change and improve their business. And I like to meet deadlines on time and on target. The target being the end game!

What is your end game? How do you define success? Are you willing to raid the tomb of silo’d terms and languages to achieve bigger goals and success? I am. I am willing to learn your terms and use your definitions to achieve improvement and better information management.