Anecdote: Bring the bulletin board back - find out who knows what, who and how

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2/07/06 |

Bring the bulletin board back - find out who knows what, who and how

By Shawn. Filed in Expertise location.

9908998_36e48a1181 It’s hard to know what your colleagues know unless you ask them. A simple method is to erect a pin board in your department, section or team where people can post questions. Include your name on your question and wait for an answer. You’ll be amazed of who knows what. Sounds simple so why don’t we do it?

In 1978 Ward Christensen and Randy Suess created the first computerised bulletin board and when the computerised version became popular in organisation the physical version seems to disappear. I say we bring them back. And if you want them to be used get the boss to post and answer questions. People need to know that posting is not seen as wasting time.

Ensure you place the pin board somewhere where people loiter a bit such as where you get your morning brew. And a new study suggests that if you place a big picture of two eyes at the top of the pin board people will be less likely to fool around and post inappropriately (perhaps a stretch but I found the idea amusing).