Wikis

Overview – Wikis

Wiki is publishing software that allows many users to simultaneously create, revise, add to and edit online content directly from their browser in real-time (‘wiki’ is Hawaiian for ‘quick’). Wikis facilitate the free flow of information through voluntary contribution of employees’ knowledge. Wikis provide a simple and flexible repository for information sharing and collaboration across a large number of individuals or employee groups. Wikis enable both the content, and the organisation of that content, to be edited without fear of losing old information or over-writing good information. An example of wiki publishing software includes Google documents and Confluence.

This tactic is useful for:

✓ Sharing knowledge across business divisions, units or teams that previously resided in discrete systems or in individual files.
✓ Communicating best practices, guidelines, resources, tools, research, case studies, post-implementation reviews and methodologies.
✓ Enabling collaboration across dispersed teams through access to, and editing of, shared information.
✓ Managing large and complex projects.
✓ Organising information and archiving contributions.
✓ Information sharing during a crisis or other fast-changing situation.

Things to consider:

⇒ Establish the business needs by asking employees what problems a wiki could help them with.
⇒ Decide who can create or contribute to a wiki article and who will be responsible for managing the wiki.
⇒ Consider the implications if wiki content is not correct or up to date and set permission controls and notification settings accordingly.
⇒ Define the terms of use and publishing standards for the different types of content e.g. company policies vs news content.
⇒ Maximise a wiki’s value to the organisation by encouraging a broad spectrum of employees to add and edit content.
⇒ Encourage the free-flow and serendipitous nature of wikis by allowing the content to grow in unexpected directions with participants organising the content and navigation.
⇒ Publicise positive results from wiki collaboration to foster ongoing and greater use by employees.

Helpful tip:

Plan and execute strategies to drive adoption beyond the early adopters. Ensure that wikis are ‘find-able’ with search and that the latest content is visible.
Check out www.wiki.com for general information about wikis, including tools and search information.
Category: Electronic