Insight 2 from Research Focus on excellence - six characteristics of team excellence
Jinfo Blog

By Robin Neidorf

Abstract

The most important characteristics for an Information Centre of Excellence to embody are defined here. Better yet, they're achievable with support from Jinfo's bevy of resources in this Research Focus.

Item

The most important characteristics for an Information Centre of Excellence to embody in its team are these:

• Proactive
• Consultative
• Evolving
• Optimised
• Customer-focused
• Technology-enabled.

These qualities need to inform every task the team performs because they describe the "how" of your activities and services, regardless of the specifics of what you deliver and to whom. Without these attributes, even the smartest information professionals struggle to maintain visibility and relevance.

These skills aren't taught in master's programmes. They're hard to screen for in job interviews and can be even harder to instil in team members for whom they don't come naturally.

But to meet the demands of the future, they're essential for an Information Centre of Excellence to embody in its team because they impact on: 

• Vendor relationships (especially partnerships), collaboration and negotiations
• In-depth knowledge of customer needs and stakeholder goals
• Cross-departmental projects involving, for example, IT or HR
• Creating effective online visibility and service delivery
• Implementing continuous improvement procedures and orientation.

Start with an evaluation of your current team and better understand how they already embody these characteristics and where they could use development. Even if you're a team of one, you want to start with a clear-eyed view of your strengths.

Then turn to the resources we developed for the Research Focus, "Creating an Information Centre of Excellence", to consider ways of further nurturing these characteristics and success.

Resources relating to this insight:

Articles

• Pros and cons of being a leader vs a follower in tech adoption
• How a competency framework can help define and articulate your areas of expertise
• Vendor customer relationships - improving conversations with vendors
• Q&A with Steve Bynghall - the evolution of the digital workplace
• Q&A with Andy Tattersall - a hybrid role for the future information professional
• How info pros can develop and improve their negotiating skills
• How to develop and improve your presentation skills
• Jinfo survey on developing an Information Centre of Excellence (part 3 - success characteristics)

Reports

• Market landscape - online learning providers
• Jinfo model - maturity model on team characteristics

Community sessions

• Attributes of an Information Centre of Excellence, 20th June

Or contact us about Jinfo Consulting. Start with a benchmarking-based needs assessment, then consider your options for nurturing the characteristics you need for the next phase of your evolution as an Information Centre of Excellence.

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