Quantum² Highlights
A newsletter of the Dialog leadership development program for information professionals

Dear Quantum² Member...
As business resumes in earnest following the summer months, many colleagues are sharing their experiences of ongoing challenges they face in promoting information services as a strategic asset. At our recently held Dialog Updates in Europe, questions and thoughts focused mainly on proving the value of information, using metrics to prove that value, and most importantly of all, communicating the value in a meaningful way to top management to gain buy-in. A common conclusion is that communicating in a way that gets management attention is an art form, often including succinct wording, a page or less of text, and bullet-point hooks or “grab points”. If you have innovative ideas for how to get management’s attention that you would like to share with colleagues, please e-mail us your ideas.

Spotlight on Quantum² InfoStar
Manuela Colombi

Our featured InfoStar this month is Manuela Colombi of Janssen-Cilag SpA in Italy. InfoStars are individuals who are inspiring examples of creativity and innovation and exhibit leadership qualities that we can all learn from. Read how Manuela and her team have learned to be “magicians”, taking a small piece of data provided by end users and using it to find the most relevant information. You can read her story at http://scientific.thomson.com/quantum/infostars/gallery.

Getting to Know ... Your Quantum² Coach
Ursula Lenschow

Our Quantum² coach this month is Ursula Lenschow from our London Bridge office.

Q: How long have you worked for Dialog?

A: 11 years

Q: How did you come to join Dialog?

A: I was working for Frost & Sullivan, selling the printed market research reports but noticed that my clients were favoring the online version of the reports available through Dialog (back then Knight-Ridder Information). I felt the future for information was in electronic format so I applied for a job at Knight-Ridder and was successful.

Q: What are your key responsibilities?

A: In my role as an application specialist, I work with the sales representatives in helping them understand, identify and position the right content sets for their clients and prospects.

Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

A: When I work with our sales people as a team and we are successful in closing new business or increasing revenues.

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

A: As I support a number of sales people covering every possible industry, I always strive to be as up to date as possible within each of these industries.

Q: How do you balance work and personal life?

A: I try to ensure that when I leave the office, I leave my work behind me and take time to pursue my own interests and spend quality time with my family and friends.

Q: What did you want to be growing up?

A: A news presenter on national television.

Q: What three words would you use to describe yourself today?

A: Outgoing, Persevering and Determined.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: Always try and be happy regardless of which roads I take.

Read more about Ursula on the Quantum² Web site.

Quantum² Topic of the Month
Creating a Knowledge-sharing Culture

One of our newest workshops is about creating a knowledge-sharing culture within organizations. This is quite a challenge whether you work in a private corporation or in the public sector. In April 2005, Dialog was pleased to sponsor the fourth CKO Summit for the public sector at the Bath Priory in the United Kingdom. This series of CKO Summits has been organized jointly with TFPL, a specialist recruitment and consultancy business focused on knowledge, information, records and content management. The theme of the fourth summit was “Towards a common framework – delivering joined up services through better knowledge and information management,” which focused on discussing with industry leaders, how the various government initiatives and legislation as well as the implementation of new technology in the public sector could be harnessed into “joined-up knowledge and information strategies” that enable interoperability and the delivery of joined-up services to the citizen. To read more about the ideas explored and the conclusions reached, see the executive summary of the summit at http://scientific.thomson.com/quantum/media/pdfs/cko_2005.pdf.

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