<I have long agreed with Dwight that the tactic of selling RM via fear
is ultimately self defeating.>

I also agree with this.  My personal definition of records management
(for the past 35 or so years) is "getting rid of the clutter."  It is
easier to show true benefits - budget and otherwise - when one is
discussing organizing information and discarding costly obsolete or
duplicate information rather than the need for avoiding risk.  WE know
risk avoidance and compliance is part of the formula - and WE know that
when poor record keeping habits come back to bite the organization in
the butt we can say WE TOLD YOU SO.  But the C level is not interested
in what might go wrong unless it is eminent and factual and proven to be
immediately detrimental to the bottom line.

Ginny Jones
(Virginia A. Jones, CRM, FAI)
Records Manager
Information Technology Division
Newport News Dept. of Public Utilities
Newport News, VA
[log in to unmask]

List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance