PLEASE NOTE THE CORRECTED DATE. THIS WEBINAR IS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2006.

A successful intranet requires a lot of smart work, hard work, planning and technology. Verizon is a company with an intranet that embodies this success, but not at the expense of innovation.

The giant U.S. communications company has a cutting-edge “technology digital workplace” that allows its geographically dispersed employee base to access corporate news, information and other important work tools via multiple online channels, including:

·    a voice-recognition portal that allows employees to get news, find out about jobs and send/hear emails over the telephone;

·    collaborative web conferencing;

·    and employee-managed forums, blogs and wikis.

The Verizon intranet

The new intranet or “workplace” has evolved well beyond a traditional intranet where employees click and pull information. Verizon’s Digital Workplace offers multiple access points to make it easier for employees to meet and do business. It's a place where access to information is unprecedented and geographic boundaries are eliminated. Verizon’s Digital Workplace is the total environment where employees create, innovate and communicate on all aspects of the business without the limitations imposed by divergent resources, face-to-face interaction and four walls.

If you’d like to learn more about Verizon’s success and its leading-edge innovation then tune into the next Intranet Insider World Tour: Verizon, Digital Workplace from Communitelligence.com and hosted by Verizon’s intranet guru Donna Itzoe and myself as the facilitator.

Intranet Insider World Tour: Verizon, Digital Workplace

Thursday, November 2

2-3:15 pm Eastern

• Find out about how Verizon provides multiple online gateways to access to applications and systems, news, project information and other tools that employees need to do their jobs.
• Learn how employees use a voice-recognition portal, instant messaging, blogs, wikis, text messaging, email and, of course, authenticated and unauthenticated web sites to collaborate and communicate real-time.
• Discover how Verizon breaks down the internal digital divide using by integrating new technologies integrated with innovative communication techniques

Reserve your spot on this key 75-minute Webinar: Intranet Insider World Tour: Verizon, Digital Workplace

Are there any geeks out there that can recite most of the scenes from Life of Brian? No I didn’t think so...

Most of us North Americans will always liken British humor to Monty Python (or FaultyTowers). Of course Yes Minister and The Office certainly have their fans, but Python continues to be the standard bearer of British humor from our western colonial perches.

Preceding my keynote address (Building sustainable leadership support) at this year’s IBF LIVE 2006 were a couple of actors who did a four minute ditty on intranets in that classic Monty Python-esque chat amongst chaps. There were only polite snickers from the all-European audience, but I thought it was funny... but what do I know? I’m just a slow-witted Canadian (with an American-Irish lineage and influence).

Here’s an outtake (which I imagine is John Cleese and Graham Chapman so I’m going to call them as such):

John C: I didn’t even know you had an intranet?!?

Graham C: Oh god yeah, our intranet is HUUUGE! Yes, in fact, we like to call it an intranet portal.

John C: Ahhh yeah.... right. *deadpan* What’s that then?

Graham C: *pause* What is it?!

John C: Yeah.

Graham C: Well it’s quite complex to explain really... it’s like an intranet, but it’s got more... sort of... you know, stuff.

Graham C: Right. You mean it’s a BIG intranet?!?!

John C: *proudly* Oh you could say that! Yeah, Yeah. And you?

Graham C: Oh yes, yes, we’ve got an intranet as well.

John C: Big?!

Graham C: Enormous!

John C: I should say huge actually... ours is actually GIGANTIC!

Graham C: Well, ours is humongous, really. *deadpan* You can’t really buy a bigger one.

And so on...

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If you’d like to hear this bit and the entire first hour including my entire keynote address (where I also lamely poke fun at Canadians, Americans (my kin! please don’t flame me!), George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Microsoft and techies).

The entire MP3 which includes:

• Two chaps comparing their intranets (00:00 – 4 minutes)
• Conference day overview by IBF LIVE Chair Paul Miller
• Conference notes by Paul Levy
• Keynote speaker introduction by Paul Miller
• Keynote speech by Toby Ward (begins at about 13:30)

Download the entire MP3 here: http://www.mediamemory.co.uk/IBF06Part3TonyWard.mp3  

(LONDON, UK – Appended from “Building Sustainable Sponsorship” keynote address by Toby Ward, IBF LIVE 2006) 

In organizations with successful intranets, the intranet champion is a c-level executive. In other words, a senior executive that reports directly to the CEO. This could be the CIO, the CFO, the COO or perhaps the SVP for communications or human resources.

The greatest barrier to an intranet’s potential is politics. Technology and budget are secondary barriers. The intranet is a political football and you need an executive linebacker on your team.

Unfortunately, most intranets don’t grab the attention of executives. The intranet is left to middle managers in communications and IT with limited budget and power; conflict ensues and the intranet stalls – often for years.

If communications tries to take the leadership helm, other stakeholders are often suspicious of a ‘power play’. The same can be said for IT and HR. If budget allows, everyone respects an experienced and capable mediator. Ultimately, though, breaking this political limbo and ensuring enduring conflict resolution requires senior management support, intervention, and funding.

Tearing down the political barrier often requires an executive with the power to change. Sometimes this support can be coaxed and augmented by a third-party consultant with lots of expertise and no political axe to grind, but an arsenal full of best practices. But the buck stops at the c-level office suite.

Determining which executive makes the best champion in your organization depends on the executive and their power and influence within the ranks. Firstly, your executive champion should understand the value of the intranet and the potential it can deliver. Secondly, your executive champion needs to be involved. Not on a day-to-day basis, but when a decision needs to be made or funding is required. As far as a time commitment, your champion need only attend an occasional meeting (perhaps twice per year).

Often, executives don’t know much about intranets. In fact, most think of the intranet as a cost center. You need to educate them.

Education comes in the form of:

• Best practices and case studies (see Know the leaders and the competition)
• Employee research
• Business case with ROI

Developing a complete business case with all of the above will convince just about any executive of the need for a high value intranet. Most understand that it takes money to make money – and they want you to “show me the money.”

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