April 2011
Can you believe it - 4 months have already passed. The ones that say time flies when you are having fun are so right. April showers were no where to be found so I'm still hoping that May flowers will be blooming right quick. April was a busy month for me personally and professionally. At work April is what is considered to be RIM Month - Records and Information Management Month - you spend the entire month celebrating, participating and sharing with others the great things about Records and Information. Well I did that with a passion as you know that is "my forte". INFORMATION I love it - love it. But, you know there's a but - there are many ways to share information and we should remember when and where is the best way. Keep reading I'll explain a bit more as my blog...goes on. I got posters 18x24 - I gave them out to whoever wanted. I so wish I could show you but maybe if I describe it to you you will get it just the same.
#1 money flowing out of a laptop with the phrase "you waste $5, 251 each year" Manage your e-mail and Documents and Save "employees spend 3.5 hours per week every year searching for information they can't find.
#2: a guys head bent over head down on his laptop with big capital letters TMI? - we're here to help - Too Much Information? Not here. We manage information because it's what drives business. When we work hard at it, we get better - more compliant and more competitive. When it hits your inbox, make sure your information works hard.
Poster #3: Two hands and inside the hands "is there a GAP in your information governance. Information is one of the vital, strategic assets organizations possess. Untilize the GARP (Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles) to help fill your organization's gaps in government. I could share with you that there is 8 principles but unless you are an information junkie like me - you don't care, really do you.
So on with the celebrations. I began with emailing a Question of the Week every Monday and the Answer and prize was awarded to a lucky individual on the Friday, To who - well who do you think? We currently have 3000+ staff in the Ministry with currently 110 worksites throughout the province and everyone from the CEO to the Admin Staff have email. Should everyone be told. The IT guy said why don't you post it on our website. I said sure I could do that. I didn't send to all 3000 but I did sent it to 300 maybe which is the entire building which has IT, IM, The Deputy Minister, (see below) Communications, Legal, Finance, the Program Areas (dealing with the children and youth). I sent out a word search and all the words were based on RECORDS and INFORMATION. I attended an E-discovery breakfast and being in my position it was quite relevant as let's just say we are always having to defend ourselves in court. We are currently involved in a class action law suit so the information that we currently collect can't be destroyed for 100 years. Well with the class action that it happening we have information between 1966-and Feb 2008 that we need to keep until the class action is settled. So I'm thinking that my experience with how fast courts run it's going to be a "cold day in hell" before I see the end nevermind the 12 other Litigations that are waiting in the wings.
Received an email from the Deputy Minister said Thank you for taking the time to write and share this information with me. I appreciate the opportunity to recognize the important work that you and your team do in supporting Children and Youth Services. The safe storage and disposal of documents is important to all Albertans, particularly children and families in crisis and I appreciate you providing us with the benefit of your knowledge in this area. As well, it is vital that we are able to retrieve the right information at the right time and I know that your team is instrumental in this as well. The events calendar you reference is complied from staff submissions and is focused mainly on community-led efforts that assist children and families. We also use this page to note when and where the Minister of Children and Youth Services, is speaking. I have asked the web team to add your entry to our events page. Thanks again for writing.
Good news I completed the last of my F2F (Face to Face) Leadership course (it has been 2 days in the months of Jan-Apr) and it was so empowering to be in a group of future leaders who share a passion, are focussed and embrace the change in Government, ourselves and our future, exciting times are ahead.
I attended the last home game of the hockey season with my friend Sandy, attended a union meeting as we are lucky enough to be in a round of negotiating for our next 3 year contract. I spent a few evenings babysitting little miss dare devil while Amanda had a few hair appointments. Easter weekend was so nice this year besides enjoying the first beautiful long long weekend - we enjoyed a weekend at my sister's greenhouse and enjoyed seeing the little ones playing outside in the raincoats, rubber boots and mud puddles. I also shared some time in the greenhouse helping my sister sort tags...hmmm again right in my element.
I have also had an ephipany (have to check the spelling on that word) but I think you get the jist. I'm going to write a letter, several letters actually to each member of my family to share some things with them that I'm not sure if I have ever in my life. I have come to realize that after 45 years life could end and I don't want the people that mean the world to me, wondering or thinking, or not knowing what they truly mean to me. I have come to realize a few things about myself that I don't know if it's the surroundings, what others have shared with me or the fact that I'm a self sufficient, independant single woman that has joy, love, peace and contentment in her life but, yes there is always a but, there are things that I want to do, see and enjoy before I die and want to share with others what my dreams, aspirations and maybe even the deep dark secrets that I haven't shared. I guess that's why I decided to blog. My original thought was I just wanted to write - but than you think about what you write (big mistake) you should just write cause you are writing for yourself right, not for others. It's the feedback that you receive from others though that further your inspiration to write more or the quash to not write anymore. My sisters, mother and daughter inspire me. I don't know if it's a girl thing or if we have similar and not so similar qualities that sometimes we think alike and sometimes we wonder why are thinking like that. I will talk about that more next month as I have a Mother's Day trip to Moosejaw with them and am so looking forward to sharing special moments with each of them. I got the car up to working order - new tires, oil change, and some chips fixed on my windshield so am good to go.
To wrap up I enjoyed an evening with the Information and Privacy Commisioner - a Q and A with the Commish was held to wrap up RIM month and it was again so enlightening when you get to hear what is happening in the world of investigations, orders and decisions in the information world. He was telling us a story about how some bars are now scanning driving licenses as you enter their establishments, he thought this was quite amusing when out for an evening celebrating a birthday that a young lady asked to scan his licence and he took one look at her and said I don't freakin think so, she almost wet herself and said but sir, the big bouncer standing in the wings waved him through prior to her beginning to shed a few tears. He went on to mention that another call to the Alberta Liquor commission to explain to them 1 more time that they need to stop doing this. hahahah what do you think the chances of that will happen? For our wrap up as well as to celebrate Admin Professional day my daughter made cupcakes. I brought waffle bowls and toppings to make ice cream sundaes and we enjoyed an afternoon of laughs to celebrate the dedicated admin staff that work in my office. So I hope this blog has offerred you some INFORMATION to inspire you to embrace life, love, and your email.
#1 money flowing out of a laptop with the phrase "you waste $5, 251 each year" Manage your e-mail and Documents and Save "employees spend 3.5 hours per week every year searching for information they can't find.
#2: a guys head bent over head down on his laptop with big capital letters TMI? - we're here to help - Too Much Information? Not here. We manage information because it's what drives business. When we work hard at it, we get better - more compliant and more competitive. When it hits your inbox, make sure your information works hard.
Poster #3: Two hands and inside the hands "is there a GAP in your information governance. Information is one of the vital, strategic assets organizations possess. Untilize the GARP (Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles) to help fill your organization's gaps in government. I could share with you that there is 8 principles but unless you are an information junkie like me - you don't care, really do you.
So on with the celebrations. I began with emailing a Question of the Week every Monday and the Answer and prize was awarded to a lucky individual on the Friday, To who - well who do you think? We currently have 3000+ staff in the Ministry with currently 110 worksites throughout the province and everyone from the CEO to the Admin Staff have email. Should everyone be told. The IT guy said why don't you post it on our website. I said sure I could do that. I didn't send to all 3000 but I did sent it to 300 maybe which is the entire building which has IT, IM, The Deputy Minister, (see below) Communications, Legal, Finance, the Program Areas (dealing with the children and youth). I sent out a word search and all the words were based on RECORDS and INFORMATION. I attended an E-discovery breakfast and being in my position it was quite relevant as let's just say we are always having to defend ourselves in court. We are currently involved in a class action law suit so the information that we currently collect can't be destroyed for 100 years. Well with the class action that it happening we have information between 1966-and Feb 2008 that we need to keep until the class action is settled. So I'm thinking that my experience with how fast courts run it's going to be a "cold day in hell" before I see the end nevermind the 12 other Litigations that are waiting in the wings.
Received an email from the Deputy Minister said Thank you for taking the time to write and share this information with me. I appreciate the opportunity to recognize the important work that you and your team do in supporting Children and Youth Services. The safe storage and disposal of documents is important to all Albertans, particularly children and families in crisis and I appreciate you providing us with the benefit of your knowledge in this area. As well, it is vital that we are able to retrieve the right information at the right time and I know that your team is instrumental in this as well. The events calendar you reference is complied from staff submissions and is focused mainly on community-led efforts that assist children and families. We also use this page to note when and where the Minister of Children and Youth Services, is speaking. I have asked the web team to add your entry to our events page. Thanks again for writing.
Good news I completed the last of my F2F (Face to Face) Leadership course (it has been 2 days in the months of Jan-Apr) and it was so empowering to be in a group of future leaders who share a passion, are focussed and embrace the change in Government, ourselves and our future, exciting times are ahead.
I attended the last home game of the hockey season with my friend Sandy, attended a union meeting as we are lucky enough to be in a round of negotiating for our next 3 year contract. I spent a few evenings babysitting little miss dare devil while Amanda had a few hair appointments. Easter weekend was so nice this year besides enjoying the first beautiful long long weekend - we enjoyed a weekend at my sister's greenhouse and enjoyed seeing the little ones playing outside in the raincoats, rubber boots and mud puddles. I also shared some time in the greenhouse helping my sister sort tags...hmmm again right in my element.
I have also had an ephipany (have to check the spelling on that word) but I think you get the jist. I'm going to write a letter, several letters actually to each member of my family to share some things with them that I'm not sure if I have ever in my life. I have come to realize that after 45 years life could end and I don't want the people that mean the world to me, wondering or thinking, or not knowing what they truly mean to me. I have come to realize a few things about myself that I don't know if it's the surroundings, what others have shared with me or the fact that I'm a self sufficient, independant single woman that has joy, love, peace and contentment in her life but, yes there is always a but, there are things that I want to do, see and enjoy before I die and want to share with others what my dreams, aspirations and maybe even the deep dark secrets that I haven't shared. I guess that's why I decided to blog. My original thought was I just wanted to write - but than you think about what you write (big mistake) you should just write cause you are writing for yourself right, not for others. It's the feedback that you receive from others though that further your inspiration to write more or the quash to not write anymore. My sisters, mother and daughter inspire me. I don't know if it's a girl thing or if we have similar and not so similar qualities that sometimes we think alike and sometimes we wonder why are thinking like that. I will talk about that more next month as I have a Mother's Day trip to Moosejaw with them and am so looking forward to sharing special moments with each of them. I got the car up to working order - new tires, oil change, and some chips fixed on my windshield so am good to go.
To wrap up I enjoyed an evening with the Information and Privacy Commisioner - a Q and A with the Commish was held to wrap up RIM month and it was again so enlightening when you get to hear what is happening in the world of investigations, orders and decisions in the information world. He was telling us a story about how some bars are now scanning driving licenses as you enter their establishments, he thought this was quite amusing when out for an evening celebrating a birthday that a young lady asked to scan his licence and he took one look at her and said I don't freakin think so, she almost wet herself and said but sir, the big bouncer standing in the wings waved him through prior to her beginning to shed a few tears. He went on to mention that another call to the Alberta Liquor commission to explain to them 1 more time that they need to stop doing this. hahahah what do you think the chances of that will happen? For our wrap up as well as to celebrate Admin Professional day my daughter made cupcakes. I brought waffle bowls and toppings to make ice cream sundaes and we enjoyed an afternoon of laughs to celebrate the dedicated admin staff that work in my office. So I hope this blog has offerred you some INFORMATION to inspire you to embrace life, love, and your email.
WOW! THIS has got to be your best blog post yet!! And also so timely I've been thinking very much the same very things....information overload, how to manage information, what information I get that is important and what is not - how much time I spend managing information etc., You've given me even more to think about.
ReplyDeleteAlso I think the letter thing is such a good idea and have often thought of doing that myself. I think sometimes the people who are closest to us don't know us as well as we think they do. A letter is a great way to do this.
And you know secrets are not good things - secrets shared can be made to empower yourself and others. I think as a society we keep too many secrets and they become burdens instead of power to help others.
I also have to agree about the writing - that's how I found blogging too - you just start writing, and then you think about what you are writing and what you want to share and what you "can't" share.....writing is good - you've inspired me now to write more than just "surface stuff".
GREAT blog post Sis! Love you!!!!