Mimi: This is great stuff; thanks so much for sharing it.
--Lee
-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Mimi Dionne
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 8:24 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [RM] Inquiry re: Records Management Start-Ups
I would hardly qualify myself as an "experienced" RIMgr--I have much
to learn--but I have worked for more traditional companies in the past,
and today I am the Records Manager for a start-up company. It is the
most joyous professional experience I have ever had.
Pros:
Marketing. The sky's the limit. The perception of the RIM department
is entirely up to me and my Director. We market the benefits of an EDMS
like crazy--and there's no precedent for it at Cheniere--only the
records management behaviors that colleagues remember in their former
jobs. Adele is poetry in motion when it comes to marketing--she could
convince Eskimos to buy ice for the right reasons--and to watch her in
marketing action is magical. I do not mean that in an unflattering way;
I mean it sincerely. She does all the right things for the right
reasons--she has 27 years of experience, after all. She fights for the
legitimacy of the Records Department with a PMP slant that
is...remarkable to see.
Imaging. We did not choose our EDMS product to implement--IT chose it
before either of us arrived--but we've been able to make it work as best
we can and the scanning operation is one of the hooks that we use to
convince our colleagues to drink the Kool-Aid and use the EDMS to store
the images.
Excellence. It's all up to me. I can make of my experience what I
want. I just posted a narrative to the company's intranet pages (in my
own, tongue-in-cheek kind of way) and I got lucky--colleagues at
Cheniere liked it. It could have turned out quite the opposite. The
October 30, 2006 edition of Forbes recently interviewed 10 people of
different industries who are highly thought of. It turns out that, when
interviewed, it came to light that all ten surmised that they've spent
over ten years of practice getting to where they are today. I took a
couple of quotes from the article that I've placed on the wall in my
office. Whenever I get REALLY tired, I look at those quotes to keep me
motivated...and I forget it's not about me. I do my best to check my
ego at the door.
RRS. We're implementing it with no legal holds. We destroyed 150+
boxes a month ago. As soon as we've imaged and qc'ed records, we
destroy the hardcopy in two weeks of the rescans. We're 95% electronic.
IT. I love my IT side of the house. Here's a real opportunity to
become equals with the IT lads and lassies whose eyes glaze over with
boredom if you whisper the word, "retention". At a startup, they glaze
over momentarily, but you can win them back to the dark side; in a more
traditional company, they roll their eyes and stop paying attention.
Teamwork. At Cheniere, we're all invested in the terminals. I love
the attitude of a startup--I'm quite spoiled. It feels very special
(not in a snobby kind of way--quite the opposite, actually. Everyone is
in the game and even in the corporate foodchain we all feel quite equal.
I call the COO by his first name.) I have never experienced such a
sense of teamwork. This is the first time I've gotten up in the morning
and felt as if I can't wait to go in to work--and I left at ten pm the
night before.
Cons:
Schedule. I left last night at ten pm. And the night prior. And the
night prior to that. In fact, Memorial Day weekend was the first time
since June of 2006 I took three days off in a row with NOTHING
records-related to do. I think I spent all my time at the movies and
I'm pretty sure I slept through Pirates of the Caribbean. You've got to
be willing to get in there, roll up your sleeves, and do your own
copying.
The Corporate Foodchain. As more money is made, we'll become the
"traditional" company. Hopefully, I got in early enough that I will be
considered one of the "oldies but goodies". Maybe.
Colleagues. We've grown so fast that I don't know everyone anymore.
I hate that.
Continuing Education. It takes extra effort, because as more money
comes in, and we become more traditional, I'll need the job skills to
stay at the top. In the last year, I obtained my CRM and CDIA. I'm
working on the CA, PMP, and my Accounting certificate at a local
university (so I have something to fall back on if this doesn't pan
out).
EDMS. My EDMS system requires constant upkeep...it's what you might
call a pain.
This has been a singular experience that I am SO lucky to have
had--but with each passing day the glow of the startup slips away to the
more traditional company. *shrug* That's what happens. I wouldn't
change this experience for the world, though.
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