As the Director of Business Development at SLA, I recently attended the SIIA’s Global Information Industry Summit (GIIS) in London. I was able to network with executives in the content community and discuss the importance of our members as well as their products and services.
I have attended a number of events like this over the last few years, and I always walk away from them having learned about new and different tools in the software and content world, and I always pick up interesting facts about the content industry and how our members fit into the big picture.
I thought that a good way to share my experience would be to discuss the statement that hit me the hardest and resonated most throughout my entire time at GIIS. The general view that was shared between both vendors and information professionals was “quality is king.”
This was said on the first day by the opening keynote, Hugo Dixon, the editor-in-chief and chairman of breakingviews.com, a website which features UK and European financial information. This phrase was repeated more than once over the course of the conference and it made me think of SLA members. Our members ARE the “Kings of Quality” and this is why information professionals are vital to most organizations. You are there to provide top-of-the-line quality information needed to make the crucial business decisions.
So, what does that mean for you on a daily basis? Well, I would say that the moral of this particular story, is that you can’t take for granted that your boss understands just how good and important your work (product) is. To remain a valuable asset within your organization, you must regularly stress the importance of high quality product. This is what will keep the CEOs and decision makers invested in the value that you provide to organizations. Better yet, demonstrate it for them! Make sure your employer knows that the product YOU provide is of “royal” quality!
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