Student from Calgary, Alberta: I work for a bank in a prairie province in Canada.  I am leading the newly developed ERM department and needed a better understanding of records management for current effectiveness and future developments.

Carl:  When did you get the idea to make AIIM Education part of your training focus and what were the drivers for the decision?

Student from Calgary, Alberta: The technical lead for our ERM system was familiar with AIIM and aware of the training courses that AIIM offered.  The training department recognized that the course would be valuable for members of our various businesses and bringing together staff with similar, and supporting, roles across the businesses and functions, and consolidating our thinking, was very good.

Carl:  What do you see as a benefit for you and future attendees of these programs?

Student from Calgary, Alberta: What really got my attention was the importance of metadata and taxonomy (a classification scheme).  When evaluation our current structure (very new) and adding future business areas, we need to ensure these are used in the best way possible for our business users.  I obtained insights from the course material that I want not have received from any other sources.  I also gained the realization of the importance of both managing emails properly and the impact of social media.  The course material gives me a much broader perspective to the records and information that needs to be properly managed.

Carl:  For the future, how do you see the role of AIIM education evolving in relation to you and/or your customers?

Student from Calgary, Alberta: Our current primary focus is on electronic records management.  The course did provide a lot of information and provoked a lot of thought on the subject.  Once we mature, we certainly will be looking at AIIM’s Taxonomy Practitioner course and its Social Media governance course.  The ERM Master course was very comprehensive in addressing: What is ERM and How you Implement an ERM Environment.  The case (group) exercises allowed us to piece the information we learned in the lectures together.  The many examples that were given were also very valuable

Carl: Is there anything else you might want to share with our readers related to AIIM Training and how it has been of benefit to you and may be of benefit to them?

Student from Calgary, Alberta:  This is excellent training.  We need to focus on getting the business owners aware of this information and getting them educated on the various topics.  The whole idea of information governance is new to us and certainly should be a central theme for anyone working in records management.

Carl: I want to thank you, for taking time to talk with me and for sharing your valuable insights and perspectives with our readers.

I will be speaking at the following events:

1. June 5^th– 8^th, 2012 AIIM ERM Master class in San Francisco, CA
2. June 12^th, 2012 Info360 ECM Practitioner Pre-Con in New York, NY
3. June 19th – 22^nd, 2012 AIIM ECM Master class in Houston, TX

Don’t! Unless you think you need to.

Now that the CIP has been in the field for a little while, it appears that there are three categories of candidates emerging: one containing people who know a lot about a lot of things (or at least think they do), one containing people who know a lot about some things but wish to brush up on others, and one containing people who don't know much about anything (or at least think they don't). Let's take them in order.

1. People who know a lot about a lot of things may well choose to go directly to the exam, without passing ‘Go’ and without spending much time at all, if any, reviewing the material. I know a number of such folk, and though most of them have been able to earn a passing grade, many have mentioned that the test was somewhat more challenging than they anticipated.
    
2. People who know a lot about some things but perhaps less about others may well choose to view the videos relating to the areas they perceive as needing reinforcement. The ability to pick and choose which ones to spend time with is precisely why the series contains so many individual units, and a great many of the candidates I speak with do take this approach before taking the exam.
    
3. People who don't know much about anything frequently appear overwhelmed by the sheer number of videos available and sometimes are unsure about how best to move forward. I increasingly hear about “lunch bunches” and other study groups that convene regularly to watch and discuss a few videos at a time in order to break the task down, and I am also increasingly hearing from managers who want to implement a more formal program of study for groups of their people at a time. This is where the classroom option works especially well.

I have been teaching AIIM certificate classes for more than a year and a half, and if I have learned anything in that time it is how important structure and collaboration is to the learning process. For sure, the videos provide structure, but unless they are viewed in a group setting, the experience they provide is a solitary one in which meaning and interpretation is left up to the individual. This is mitigated somewhat in a broader setting in which people can watch and talk amongst themselves, but the absence of an expert formal facilitator can diminish the depth of the overall education received.

And this, of course, is the whole point of the exercise: not merely to pass a new and important certification exam, but to learn the latest best practices for information management so you can provide a value to your organization and further your professional career.

If you already know a lot about a lot, or are strong in a number of covered areas, then by all means use the videos to your greatest advantage – that's what they're there for! But if you are further to the left on the learning curve, or wish to establish a baseline of knowledge for your employees, channel partners, or what have you, then it likely will be worth investing in an accredited class. The choice is yours, and that, too, is a major part of the point!

Each year, I interview incoming Fellows and other AIIM Award recipients. Frank McGovern was posthumously elected to the AIIM Company of Fellows. I never had the good fortune to meet him. The words of his co-workers and peers – his friends – make me wish I had.

The following are recollections of his life.

From Craig Rhinehart

Frank spent 22 years in the U.S. Air Force and retired as a Lt. Col. after commanding a fighter wing in the first Gulf War, then serving as an aide to Defense Sec. Weinberger and General Colin Powell.  He then served as the Records Officer for the U.S. Air Force staying in the records management profession upon retiring.  During this time, Frank led the development of the first DOD 5015 standard which has become the defacto industry and government standard by which all records management products are measured.

In the private sector, Frank was President of the U. S. operations for Tower Software and their TRIM records management software.  Tower had success under Frank's leadership and even closed the largest known records management deal in partnership with EDS.  A record that may still stand today.  With Tower, Frank also helped the FDIC clean up recordkeeping practices of failed institutions during the savings and loan crisis in the 90s among his many accomplishments.

I knew and respected Frank from the industry and his days at Tower.  When I got the chance to build a team at FileNet, there was only one guy I wanted to build a team around.  I hired Frank at FileNet in 2004 and he was doing demos his very first day on the job (at the MER Conference) the week we launched P8 Records Manager and ZeroClick.  The business, and the team, grew fast.  With Frank's help we achieved market leadership very quickly ... a genuine business success story.  After we were acquired by IBM, he continued lead the records management strategy and marketing efforts.  Frank was integral to the tremendous success of IBM's Enterprise Records ... a business that was literally zero in 2004 and is many millions of dollars today.  Frank also served on the Board of Directors of AIIM International and was a frequent speaker and highly respected industry expert.  Many customers have sought his guidance over the years.  Here is just one example of what our customers think of him from Dr. Stephen Chambers: 

"Frank was a true gentleman in every sense of the word.  When Texas A&M started looking at the Records Manager product back in 2005, it was Frank who made the trip here to speak with us in person and help guide us in our discovery stages.  Through his efforts we were one of the first installations of RM.  It was with Frank’s guidance, deep knowledge, and unending patience that saw through to setting up RM.  For six years we have been running RM and because of Frank’s efforts, Texas A&M has been a reference client to IBM ever since.  I have spoken to many corporations, to many executives, and to many record managers about the capabilities of RM, but it is through Frank’s help that brought us to be in that position and pass the knowledge on to others in the industry"

Frank helped define, change and influence an entire industry, IBM and many customers.

Priscilla Emery -- From her original letter of support for Frank to join the AIIM Board of Directors

I am writing this letter of support for Mr. Frank McGovern, president of Tower Software US. Having attended quite a few AIIM Board meetings as a former AIIM staff member I think I have an appreciation for the kind of person that can provide an added value set to the other members.

Frank would bring to the Board an experienced senior management perspective of how a smaller software enterprise deals with the challenges of growing a business in today’s environment. He also understands how global operations work in a decentralized environment since Tower Software US is a subsidiary that has managed to thrive under the technological direction of an Australian-based parent.

Mr. McGovern now heads one of the more successful records management companies in that market but also has a breadth of knowledge beyond the records management space that would give AIIM the kind of pragmatic vision it needs in this era of continual change. Tower Software’s customer retention rate is at 98%, an enviable statistic for any enterprise. I think that has a lot to do with the company’s communication skills with its clients. Frank is respected by both his clients and his employees as a person who knows how to communicate well, set expectations and follow through with results.

And, lastly, but probably most importantly given some of the interesting discussions that go on during Board meetings, he is a genuinely good guy. Don’t misconstrue this to mean he’s a pushover but he knows how to get things done in an ethical manner. I am writing this not as an industry consultant (since Tower Software does not retain my services and they have not communicated any future plans to do so) but as an AIIM member who has spent some time talking with Frank about records management, knowledge management, the industry and baseball (he’s unfortunately from Boston). Nevertheless, I think he would be a valuable asset to the AIIM Board."

Bill Neale – from his letter of support for Frank’s Fellow nomination

I was first exposed to this amazing individual when he was on the AIIM Board of Directors and then worked with him at IBM and FileNet. During that time I gained a deep respect for Frank as a professional and friend. 

Mr. McGovern was an active member of both AIIM and ARMA, participating in many conferences and chapter meetings over the years. He not only attended, but spoke at them across the country, participated in panel discussions, and as mentioned, served on the AIIM International Board of Directors.  He also provided counsel to me during my term on the Board of Directors, with sound advice and his thoughts on key issues facing the association.  Frank was a strong supporter of standardization of records management best practices, and participated in the initial development of DoD 5015.2, the key standard for records management applications.

Frank was a lecturer and advisor on Records Management to many organizations, both as a mentor and customer advocate. He traveled extensively around the world promoting records management best practices for AIIM, ARMA and his employers.  He opinion and guidance was widely sought after, and he spoke with great credibility and authority with that classic Boston accent.  When he passed away I and others collected a book of tributes from literally around the world that totaled more than 42 pages of accolades from his many admirers.  These consisted of physical letters, emails, blogs and tweets.

Frank was a true gentleman and professional and epitomized the spirit of the Company of Fellows.

Jack Frost – from his letter of support for Frank McGovern’s Fellow nomination

Frank was instrumental in nurturing new technologies in the US marketplace with software companies, prospects, and clients. Frank was responsible for major technology implementations in both the federal government and commercial clients nationwide.

His ongoing support of local chapter operations, training, and support was critical to the early success of the National Capitol Chapter of AIIM.

Bob: Hello, I want to thank you for allowing me to interview you and for the record, can you provide my readers with some insight as to who you work for and with a description of your role?

John: I'm currently a first line manager at Fujitsu Enterprise Business Services. I manage a large team (25+) of senior DBAs and application engineers who support all the relational databases for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, as well as the team that supports BCBSNC's major document, content and imaging systems like Mobius, Filenet and Thunderhead.

Bob: When did you get the idea to make AIIM Education part of your training focus and what were the drivers for the decision?

John: I've relied on AIIM information, white-papers, etc. for a long time in the content management space. As my involvement in enterprise content management increased, both in terms of setting strategy, defining policies, and executing operationally, I wanted to take the next step and get some quality formal training. AIIM was my first choice.

Bob: What do you see as a benefit for you and future attendees of these programs?

John: Well, program curriculum is great but the benefits extend far beyond the classroom. Whether in class or as an AIIM member you get to be a part of a large network of folks who are not just thinking about but doing and going through the same things you are, and that's immensely valuable.

Bob: For the future, how do you see the role of AIIM education evolving in relation to you and/or your customers?

John: From e-discovery to social media, I think AIIM's done a great job of keeping up with changes in the marketplace.  I also appreciate the technology-agnostic approach. Whether it's imaging, content management, or social media, AIIM gets that success is never about the tool or the brand, but the deliberate and thoughtful approach you take in how you establish a program that values and accounts for people and process.

Bob: Is there anything else you might want to share with our readers related to AIIM Training and how it has been of benefit to you and may be of benefit to them?

John: I think I'd like to see more un-conferences, un-meetups, tweetups, etc., greater use of social media, and would like to see AIIM grow its community.  There's a lot of expertise out there, let's look for different ways to share that.

Bob: I want to thank you, for taking time to talk with me and for sharing your valuable insights and perspectives with our readers.

What say you? Do you have a story to tell? What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you have a topic of interest you would like discussed in this forum? Let me know.

Bob Larrivee, Director and Industry Advisor – AIIM

Email me: blarrivee@aiim.org   

Follow me on Twitter – BobLarrivee

www.aiim.org/training