Smithsonian Web and New Media StrategyDrivers, Process, and Execution

…in 15 minutes or less

The Reduced Shakespeare Version

Museum Computer NetworkStrategery [sic]November 13, 2009Portland, OR

Michael EdsonDirector, Web and New Media StrategySmithsonian Institution, Office of the CIOedsonm@si.edu | @mpedson

Preamble• Twitter: @mpedson• http://slideshare.net/edsonm• Join us at http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com

• Beware…The opinions in this presentation are mine, not the official policy/strategy of the Smithsonian…– (My M.O. is to drive change by building a sense of urgency)

• We’re a little bird

What to focus on in 15 minutes?

A lifetime of thought and work went into this, the ideas are complex and nuanced, and I should be

talking about the Smithsonian Commons…

“But Lynrd Skynrd has to play Freebird at every show”

@SI_CTOCarmen Iannacone

Let’s Roll it This Way @ MCN

• The Strategy is online, so read it• The process was pretty unusual• Most of your organizations need to be making

a strategy• So, the thing that will make the most change

in the world is to focus on HOW the strategy was made, so people can go out and build their own

Pain, Fear, or Opportunity

Some kind of process

Some kind of assertion

Some kind of work

How Strategy Goesin a really abstracted way of thinking

Pain/Fear/Opportunity

• Here’s what Pain, Fear, and Opportunitylook like…

Unexpected Rivals in Reach (July – Sept, 2009)

Enchantedlearning.com

si.edu

discoveryeducation.com

ocean.com

Pain/Fear

Pain/Fear

Unexpected Rivals in Reach (July – Sept, 2009)

Enchantedlearning.com

si.edu

discoveryeducation.com

ocean.com

Enchantedlearning.com is a two person team,

with more online reach than the world’s largest museum and research

complex!

Brand Identity

Brandtags.netWe are the 560th of 928 brands

Pain/Fear

Video interviews with visitors

Do you ever use Smithsonian Web sites?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5x4Sga0d1s

No, not really

/Opportunity

A set of resources maintained in the public sphere for the use and benefit of everyone

The Smithsonian Commons

/Opportunity

Focus on innovation/discovery

inside the Institution

Catalyze innovation/discovery

outside the institution

Joy’s Law: no matter who you are, most of The smartest people

work for someone else

/Opportunity

The Web is a bigger megaphone

The Web is a fundamentally new

way of gettingthings done

Many more of these in recent slides on

slideshare.net/edsonm

/Opportunity

The Web is a bigger megaphone

The Web is a fundamentally new

way of gettingthings done

/Opportunity

Four Grand Challenges

(Brand new pan-Institutional strategy!)

/Opportunity

1. Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe

2. Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet

3. Valuing World Cultures4. Understanding the American

Experience

Four Grand Challenges

Pain, Fear, or Opportunity

Some kind of process

Some kind of assertion

Some kind of work

Internal Blog/Wiki/Listserv

152 posts to internal blog

Internal Blog/Wiki/Listserv

Classic blog/wiki playbook

Internal Blog/Wiki/Listserv

Classic blog/wiki/listserv playbook

Internal Blog/Wiki/Listserv

Classic blog/wiki/listserv playbook

Internal Blog/Wiki/Listserv

Classic blog/wiki/listserv playbook

•Build a shared vocabulary•Keep focus on mobile, UX, other subtle things•Celebrate internal experts•Practice skills to be used later on (“you get what you practice”)

Floated idea in internal blog post, 9/23/2008

“What I Heard and What I Told Sr. Management”Reactions/support/advice from internal practitioners: • We like fast• We like transparent• Make it actionable• Thoughtful synthesis is important• (this is your last chance to get it right…)

• Faster than traditional committee-driven process (Time is the enemy)

• Increase size of brain trust (Joy’s Law)• Improve the odds for change• Improve odds for execution (public promises not easily

forgotten) • Outside champions more likely to support “commons” goals

than status-quo insiders• Walking the Talk vis-à-vis crowdsourcing and innovation model• “You get what you practice”

The advantages of public, transparent, and fast

Very important slide!

Smithsonian 2.0

Smithsonian 2.0

Process: Workshops to Wiki

• Http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com

Process: Workshops to Wiki

Process: Workshops to Wiki

Process at-a-glance“The main intent of the workshops is to move relevant

information to the wiki where it can be openly evaluated, sifted, weighed, and considered by all.”

Process: Workshops to Wiki

Process: Workshops to Wiki

Process: Workshops to Wiki

As participants are speaking, what they’re

saying is being typed and saved on a public wiki

Process: Workshops to Wiki

“What I say really matters (because I know it will be

seen/heard after the meeting ends)”

Process: Workshops to Wiki“Not everything that matters will get said in the next hour by the people in this room.

The wiki encourages thoughtful synthesis and new

ideas”

Process: Workshops to Wiki

Highlighting “actions required” and important themes, post workshop.

Process: Workshops to Wiki

Process: Workshops to Wiki

Process: Workshops to Wiki

Outside comments, post workshop. (M. Morgan @ met?)

Public-Facing Wiki

• Improvement/synthesis over timeOriginal

workshop notes

Public-Facing Wiki

• Improvement/synthesis over time

Added highlight, Action Required

Public-Facing Wiki

• Improvement/synthesis over time

Attendee says “wait a minute!”

Public-Facing Wiki

• Improvement/synthesis over timeApology and re-

cast original assertion

Public-Facing Wiki

• Improvement/synthesis over timeAnother user

synthesizes core question: How do

units break out these costs?

YouTube: Voice Your Vision

Twitter: #si20

Risks?

• Of course!• So, what do you do…?• …List them on the Wiki!

Pain, Fear, or Opportunity

Some kind of process

Some kind of assertion

Some kind of work

Web & New Media Strategy Structure

• Three Themes– Update the Smithsonian Digital Experience– Update the Smithsonian Learning Model– Balance Autonomy and Control within SI

• Eight Goals External Mission

BrandLearning

Audience

Internal InterpretationTechnologyBusiness ModelGovernance

Each Goal has specific program, policy, and tactical recommendations

Web & New Media Strategy Structure

• Three Themes– Update the Smithsonian Digital Experience– Update the Smithsonian Learning Model– Balance Autonomy and Control within SI

• Eight Goals External Mission

BrandLearning

Audience

Internal InterpretationTechnologyBusiness ModelGovernance

Each Goal has specific program, policy, and tactical recommendations

Example of a goal. (This one is a doozie - -- just one sentence!)

“Once on the fringe of institutional and public awareness, Web and New Media initiatives are now considered to be a

critical part of the Institution’s core activities and future: They need to be funded and managed according”

Web & New Media Strategy Structure

• Three Themes– Update the Smithsonian Digital Experience– Update the Smithsonian Learning Model– Balance Autonomy and Control within SI

• Eight Goals External Mission

BrandLearning

Audience

Internal InterpretationTechnologyBusiness ModelGovernance

Each Goal has specific program, policy, and tactical recommendations

Example of a goal. (This one is a doozie - -- just one sentence!)

“Once on the fringe of institutional and public awareness, Web and New Media initiatives are now considered to be a

critical part of the Institution’s core activities and future: They need to be funded and managed according”

Web & New Media Strategy Structure

• Three Themes– Update the Smithsonian Digital Experience– Update the Smithsonian Learning Model– Balance Autonomy and Control within SI

• Eight Goals External Mission

BrandLearning

Audience

Internal InterpretationTechnologyBusiness ModelGovernance

Each Goal has specific program, policy, and tactical recommendations

Example of a goal. (This one is a doozie - -- just one sentence!)

“Once on the fringe of institutional and public awareness, Web and New Media initiatives are now considered to be a

critical part of the Institution’s core activities and future: They need to be funded and managed according”

Web & New Media Strategy Structure

• Three Themes– Update the Smithsonian Digital Experience– Update the Smithsonian Learning Model– Balance Autonomy and Control within SI

• Eight Goals External Mission

BrandLearning

Audience

Internal InterpretationTechnologyBusiness ModelGovernance

Each Goal has specific program, policy, and tactical recommendations

Example of a goal. (This one is a doozie - -- just one sentence!)

“Once on the fringe of institutional and public awareness, Web and New Media initiatives are now considered to be a

critical part of the Institution’s core activities and future: They need to be funded and managed according”

Tactical Implementation (#1 of 6):

“Recruit a pan-Institutional Web and New Media leader and give that person the decision-authority and visibility to lead

change”

Smithsonian Institution

The Wiki is the strategy(the PDF is just a convenience download)

http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com

“The impact of online collections can be greatly magnified by highlighting the

knowledge and insight of Smithsonian experts…and a matrix of tools, policies, and

resources that allows our audiences to be our partners in the increase and diffusion of

knowledge.”

Old Learning Model

New Learning Model

“Encourage and provide necessary support for staff to share their work

and ideas directly with visitors though blogging, video, mobile platforms,

geospatial data, and other Web and New Media formats”

“This is not to suggest that the old models of learning are irrelevant or

inoperative, far from it. But the emergence of a new class of learning techniques—built on a foundation of

broad and unrestricted access to information, social sharing, creativity,

play, and participatory learning—supplement those standard protocols and enable vast new audiences to use the Smithsonian as one part of their

lifelong learning journeys. ”

“This is not to suggest that the old models of learning are irrelevant or

inoperative, far from it. But the emergence of a new class of learning techniques—built on a foundation of

broad and unrestricted access to information, social sharing, creativity,

play, and participatory learning—supplement those standard protocols and enable vast new audiences to use the Smithsonian as one part of their

lifelong learning journeys. ”

“This is not to suggest that the old models of learning are irrelevant or

inoperative, far from it. But the emergence of a new class of learning techniques—built on a foundation of

broad and unrestricted access to information, social sharing, creativity,

play, and participatory learning—supplement those standard protocols and enable vast new audiences to use the Smithsonian as one part of their

lifelong learning journeys. ”

“Embrace user-generated content as an important catalyst to engagement and

inquiry, particularly for younger and more Web 2.0 kinds of audiences”

“Governance is the kinetic exercise of management policies related to

decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance

within an organization... ”

“…Successful governance and leadership are the keys to accomplishing any of the

goals in this strategic plan.”

“…a special part of our digital presence dedicated to the free and unrestricted sharing of Smithsonian resources and

encouraging new kinds of learning and creation through interaction with

Smithsonian research, collections, and communities.”

“…a special part of our digital presence dedicated to the free and unrestricted sharing of Smithsonian resources and

encouraging new kinds of learning and creation through interaction with

Smithsonian research, collections, and communities.”

“…a special part of our digital presence dedicated to the free and unrestricted sharing of Smithsonian resources and

encouraging new kinds of learning and creation through interaction with

Smithsonian research, collections, and communities.”

The Smithsonian CommonsA place to begin

More detail about what a commons is and why it matters in the strategy, and via Imagining the Smithsonian Commons:

• Annotated text of "Imagining a Smithsonian Commons" on slideshare

• PowerPoint slides of "Imagining a Smithsonian Commons" on slideshare

• video of the talk at Computers in Libraries, 2009

Pain, Fear, or Opportunity

Some kind of process

Some kind of assertion

Some kind of work

“You know Michael, this strategy is just the part of the iceberg you can see above the water. Everything below the waterline is change management.”

Leo MullenCEO, Navigation Arts

PrototypeWe are creating a prototype to demonstrate the impact of the Smithsonian Commons concept on key audiences. (Prototype will be complete in 10 weeks.)

Is the Smithsonian an organization that’s been preparing to drive change?

?

The Change Model(Borrowed from software and social entrepreneurship)

1. Think big, start small, move fast2. Focus on doing things that matters (via Tim O’Reilly)3. Cultural institutions exist to do work in the culture4. Drive change through building A Sense of Urgency

(John. P. Kotter)

Museum Computer NetworkStrategery [sic]November 13, 2009Portland, OR

Michael EdsonDirector, Web and New Media StrategySmithsonian Institution, Office of the CIOedsonm@si.edu | @mpedson

The Change Model(Borrowed from software and social entrepreneurship)

1. Think big, start small, move fast2. Focus on doing things that matters (via Tim O’Reilly)3. Cultural institutions exist to do work in the culture4. Drive change through building A Sense of Urgency

(John. P. Kotter)

Museum Computer NetworkStrategery [sic]November 13, 2009Portland, OR

Michael EdsonDirector, Web and New Media StrategySmithsonian Institution, Office of the CIOedsonm@si.edu | @mpedson