Synthesis Spotlight: Elevating Design Conversations @ Diamond Schmitt and Turner Fleischer

August 27, 2019 Knowledge Architecture

Featured Guests

Michael Leckman, Principal, Diamond Schmitt
Sam Horton, Administrative Assistant to the Principals, Diamond Schmitt

Ellen Bensky, Principal, CEO, CFO, Turner Fleischer
Peter Frost, Manager - Marketing + Communications, Turner Fleischer
Marco Marcoccia, Senior Designer/Technologist, Turner Fleischer

Webinar Summary

This Office Hours featured team members from Diamond Schmitt and Turner Fleischer sharing how they engage their firms in design conversations on their intranets.

Diamond Schmitt's Michael Leckman and Sam Horton shared how they:

Brought offline design conversations online
Achieved 20% growth in Open and Engagement rates within 6 months
Use positive reinforcement to mitigate employee fears about this type of sharing

Turner Fleischer’s Ellen Bensky, Peter Frost, and Marco Marcoccia discussed how they:

Integrated a new Design Director into the firm
Changed the conversation to bring design back to the forefront of their work
Build transparency and understanding through design discussions during a period of change

If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights:

#DesignMatters Within the Office (14:27)
Sharing Design Intent (29:18)

Synthesis Spotlight: Essential Content Reviews @ GRAEF and GMB

July 11, 2019 Knowledge Architecture

Featured Guests

Tony Balistreri, Knowledge Manager, GRAEF
Shelly VandeWege, Marketing, GMB
Stephanie Eiler, Marketing, GMB

Webinar Summary

This Office Hours features short case studies from GRAEF and GMB, two firms that participated in our Essential Content Review (ECR) Beta program.

Keeping intranet content accurate and current can feel like a daunting task. Following a short introduction of the Essential Content Review (ECR) process by Knowledge Architecture, you will hear how GRAEF’s Knowledge Manager, Tony Balistreri, and GMB’s Intranet Champions, Shelly VandeWege & Stephanie Eiler, adapted this process to meet their needs and create value for their organizations.

In this webinar, you’ll learn how each firm:

Tactically implemented a regular cadence of ECRs
Adjusted Knowledge Architecture’s ECR process to meet their firm’s needs
Identified gaps and launched intranet improvement projects to meet those gaps

If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to three highlights:

ECRs Then and Now (18:00)
Discipline Wiki Pages (30:28)
Q: Do you have any advice for other firms to get started? (46:20)

Synthesis Spotlight: Elevating Leadership Communications @ Dewberry

April 11, 2019 Knowledge Architecture

Featured Guests

Kimberly McVicker, Communications Manager

Webinar Summary

We all know that firm leaders have unique and valuable insights to share with the rest of the organization. This is exactly the kind of content you want to see on your intranet! Yet, many leaders are not confident about what to share, how much to share, or where to share.

Last year, Dewberry set out to change the way firm leaders communicate on their intranet, ID. Over the course of 9 months, they increased the number of firm leaders who post on ID by 33% and realized several unplanned benefits along the way.

In this webinar, you’ll learn how Dewberry:

Planned their approach
Delivered sustainable 1:1 coaching
Used analytics to reinforce behavior change

If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights:

Prep: Provide Common Topics, Examples, Potential Posts (09:21)
Lessons Learned and Tips (17:05)

Planning for Essential Content Maintenance

March 13, 2019 Knowledge Architecture

A timeline showing the steps in Knowledge Architecture’s Esssential Content Maintenance Program with step one on the left and step five on the right.

Essential Content comprises the policies, procedures, templates, forms, standards, documentation, how-tos, and FAQs you need to run your AEC firm. Your corporate operating system, if you will.

Getting your essential content on the intranet is a huge feat and generally happens during your implementation process. Keeping your essential content up-to-date is just as important. It is critical that your end users can trust that the content on the intranet reflects the way your firm does business today, not how it did business at some point in the past. “Trust” is the operative word here. Building trust in the quality of your essential content will lay the foundation required to leverage the intranet for a multitude of strategic initiatives outlined on the Intranet Maturity Model.

In this Quick Reference Guide, we offer a systematic approach for ensuring your essential content is always relevant and up-to-date.

Synthesis Spotlight: Using Video for Business, Technical, and Cultural Communications at Dewberry, Diamond Schmitt Architects, and KTGY

February 21, 2019 Knowledge Architecture

Featured Guests

Kimberly McVicker from Dewberry
Emre Goktay from Diamond Schmitt Architects
Donovan Helminiak from KTGY

Webinar Summary

This Office Hours webinar features short case studies with three firms who are using Synthesis Native Video to tell their firm’s story, albeit in very different ways.

Kimberly McVicker from Dewberry, Emre Goktay from Diamond Schmitt Architects, and Donovan Helminiak from KTGY each picked a high-performing video from their Synthesis intranet and took us behind the scenes.

You will learn:

What types of video content these firms produce
How a high-performing video is produced and shared
What each firm considers “high-performing” when it comes to video

If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to one or all of our three featured stories:

Pancake House @ KTGY (06:23)
Rendering Time Lapse @ Diamond Schmitt (14:30)
7-Minute Speed Talks @ Dewberry (25:00)

Building a Firmwide Q+A Program @ Boulder Associates

January 17, 2019 Knowledge Architecture

Featured Guests

Todd Henderson, Principal at Boulder Associates

Webinar Summary

In Spring of 2016, Todd Henderson attended his first KA Connect conference where he heard a talk given by Jim Martin of Shepley Bulfinch on Shepley’s firmwide Q+A program, #AskFinch.

Todd realized that a Q+A Program on Boulder’s intranet, BiscuitNet, was just the knowledge sharing solution his firm needed. With support from Knowledge Architecture and an idea from the community, Todd and his colleagues successfully implemented a firmwide Q+A program, #AskBA.

Today, Boulder Associates has an average of 8 posts per month to the #AskBA hashtag.

In this recorded webinar, you’ll learn how Boulder Associates:

Established its firmwide Q+A program
Engaged top subject matter experts in knowledge sharing
Adapted a best practice to fit their culture

If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Establishing a Firmwide Q+A Program (15:25) and Year One Results (24:39).

Internal Communications for Practice Area, Department, and Firmwide Initiative Leaders

January 3, 2019 Knowledge Architecture

Is improving internal communications by practice area, department, and/or firmwide initiative leaders a priority for your AEC firm? Great! This page is for you.

Our clients told us that firm leaders would like some examples to help visualize the art of the possible. We answered this call by researching three questions:

What are leaders posting about?
What are some best-in-class post examples?
What makes these posts so great?

Our research culminated in the creation of three slide decks. Each slide deck targets a specific type of leader (practice area, department, or firmwide initiative), and shares common topics, along with example posts and tips for creating great posts. You can find each slide deck below.

Practice Leaders

Department Leaders

Initiative Leaders

Want to learn more?

Of course, there is a lot more to supporting internal communications than sharing a few examples. In fact, our Client Success team has devised an entire playbook that shares best practices that have worked at other AEC firms. If you are not already partnering with your Client Success Manager on your internal communications efforts, we encourage you to reach out by emailing support@knowledge-architecture.com.

Synthesis Spotlight: Cross-Office Communication @ Shive-Hattery

December 13, 2018 Knowledge Architecture

Featured Guests

Amy Anderson, Marketing Information Coordinator

Webinar Summary

In 2017, Shive-Hattery’s employee survey turned up an actionable insight: Employees were beginning to feel disconnected from their colleagues due to geographical barriers. Firm leadership saw an opportunity to use Shive-Hattery’s intranet, SHare, to reconnect the offices and help fulfill the firm’s One Firm Vision.

Today, all seven offices are sharing news and announcements on SHare, and 30-60% of employees read 1+ office news post weekly.

In this recorded webinar, you’ll learn how Shive-Hattery:

Created a shared vision for change
Supported change agents with analytics
Incorporated change into firm culture

If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Example Posts that Demonstrate a Range of Office Cultures (6:22) and Communicate the Vision for Buy-In (19:53).

What's the relationship between knowledge management and marketing?

June 14, 2018 Knowledge Architecture

Our own Founder and CEO, Christopher Parsons, was featured on Episode 119 of the PSM Show podcast this week. The topic of the podcast was the relationship between knowledge management and marketing in professional services.

Key Discussion Points

Why should marketers care about knowledge management (KM)?
Are marketers good candidates to lead KM in their firms?
Examples of firms effectively integrating KM with marketing
Tips to persuade the C-Suite to adopt KM
What is Synthesis and how does it help facilitate KM
Why are you a fan of event marketing?
Which marketing initiatives have been effective for your firm?

It was a great discussion and we hope you find a chance to listen to it.

Listen Now

Synthesis Spotlight: Improving Project Management @ CTA Architects Engineers

June 14, 2018 Knowledge Architecture

Featured Guests

Fran Quiram, Project Manager + Architect, CTA Architects Engineers

Webinar Summary

CTA's board set a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) to increase the efficacy of their project management function. Fran and her fellow committee members took this challenge on, and the results have exceeded board expectations.

In this webinar, you'll learn how CTA got from BHAG to results by:

Creating a process for continuous improvement of project management tools
Defining project manager roles and responsibilities
Utilizing Synthesis to help project managers across 14 office learn and grow

If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Accountability + Creating Alignment at (7:05) and Gather, CTA's PM Community on the Intranet, at (16:30).

Synthesis Spotlight: Behind the Scenes of DOWL's Operational Excellence Initiative

April 19, 2018 Knowledge Architecture

Featured Guests

Rachel Steer, Chief Administrative Officer, DOWL
Kristin Folmar, Quality Manager, DOWL

Webinar Summary

In 2016, DOWL launched an Operational Excellence (OpEx) program designed to improve project management, enhance client experience, and establish accountability across their 24 offices. DOWL leveraged their Synthesis intranet, The Point, to engage employees across the business in this critical initiative.

In this webinar, you'll learn how DOWL:

Established The Point as the center for content, communications, resources, and training related to OpEx
Developed a user-friendly home for OpEx which includes a graphical landing page linking to key OpEx resources, an OpEx FAQ, and introductory videos
Supported the launch of the OpEx initiative through a series of posts by key executives and project stakeholders
Continued the dialog through posts about new and updated OpEx resources, early wins, and #OpExStories

If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Origin Story of the Operational Excellence (OpEx) Initiative (6:00) and Intranet Tour: The OpEx Community (16:34).

Launching Synthesis @ RS&H

February 15, 2018 Knowledge Architecture

Featured Guests

Jennifer Stutts, VP of Communications, Marketing & Strategy
Krystal Modigell, Marketing Communications Specialist

Webinar Summary

A couple years ago, RS&H was faced with a communications and information access problem.

Many of their 800 employees were struggling to find the information they needed to be effective and to understand what was happening across the business. At the same time, RS&H was preparing to onboard 200 – 300 employees. The management team knew they needed better infrastructure to support their growing workforce.

Today, they are meeting these fundamental business needs for 1,100 employees with Blaze, their Synthesis Intranet.

In this webinar, you’ll learn how RS&H:

Introduced Blaze as the go-to place for “all RS&H” news and dialog
Kept employee’s user experience at the center of their design
Used SMART goals to maintain alignment with stakeholders

If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: RS&H’s Knowledge Management Objectives (8:50) and Best Practice 2: Focus on the User (18:40).

Synthesis Spotlight: Online + Offline Learning @ Payette

January 25, 2018 Knowledge Architecture

Featured Guests

Hilary Barlow, Architect and Community Manager at Payette

Webinar Summary

Payette is a design firm that specializes in the healthcare, health science, and academic science markets. Maintaining a competitive advantage in rapidly changing markets means that the Payette team must prioritize continuous learning and development. To maintain a competitive edge, team members must engage in a lot of continuous learning.

In her role as Community Manager for Payette’s Big Science Group, Hilary Barlow has answered a difficult question: What does learning look like for highly skilled professionals, many of whom are already experts in their field?

In this webinar, you’ll learn how Hilary:

Identifies hot topics and good teachers
Convenes the Big Science community
Captures key learnings on Synthesis
Engages community members in the process

If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two highlights: Introduction to Payette’s Knowledge Groups (9:00) and Big Science’s Monthly Meetings (14:00).

ENR’s Cover Story: Knowledge Management in the AEC Industry

November 29, 2017 Christopher Parsons

We’re excited to share that ENR’s cover story this week is a broad and interesting overview of how Knowledge Management is impacting the AEC Industry.

The article profiles several AEC firms in the KA Connect community including DLR Group, MSA Professional Services, POWER Engineers, Stantec, and Fluor as well as friends of KA Connect like APQC and Columbia University’s Information and Knowledge Strategy program.

The mission of the annual KA Connect Conference is to “Advance the Practice of Knowledge Management in the AEC Industry.” It is so great to see the AEC KM movement get the visibility it deserves and I think now is a great opportunity for us all to take a moment and reflect on all the progress we’ve made on this journey together.

Thank you to the clients, partners, friends, and employees of Knowledge Architecture who make this community possible.

Here’s to many more years of learning and growing together!

Read the Article

Launching Synthesis @ Fuscoe

January 19, 2017 Knowledge Architecture

Featured Guests

Jeff Stempson, Director of Information Technology
Brandon Norton, Senior Graphic Designer

Webinar Summary

This month’s Office Hours featured an intranet tour of Fuscoe Engineering’s Synthesis intranet, ARC. Launching a Synthesis intranet in the fall of 2016 was an important milestone in Fuscoe’s knowledge management journey. Highlights of the new intranet include:

Analog Communities of Practice got a digital home
Disconnected and siloed key information about employees and projects is now accessible to all employees in a single system
Employees can now find fundamental information about how work is done at Fuscoe via a single, informative toolbox

In this webinar, Jeff and Brandon give a tour of Arc and share their insights on brand alignment and employee engagement. If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to two intranet tour highlights: Engineering CADD Standards (21:40) and #AskARC (38:45).

Streamline Your Operations with the Essential Content Checklist

November 7, 2016 Christopher Parsons

Clients often ask us, “what content is essential to a successful intranet?”

Because we have built over 100 intranets for architecture, engineering, and construction firms over the last seven years using Synthesis, Knowledge Architecture is uniquely positioned to answer this question.

We find that this question typically arises when a firm is either:

Preparing for the launch of a new intranet, or
Conducting a content audit of an existing intranet

Both of these events provide an opportunity to step back and evaluate how your intranet can give employees what they need, when they need it. Our Essential Content Checklist will help you do just that.

Establishing a Firmwide Q+A Program Using Synthesis

July 7, 2016 Susan Strom

In this article you’ll learn…

5 Benefits of a Q+A Program
3 Key Roles in a Q+A Program
9 Steps to Roll Out a Q+A Program at Your Firm

“If you can teach people to help themselves you get an additive effect: they not only help each other; they grow themselves as experts. Essentially, you have little experts pop up left and right and they sort of grow on their own. Over time, you raise people up from basic competency towards expert level.” — Jack Chaffin, LMN Architects.

Four years ago LMN Architects hired Jack Chaffin to lead the firm’s transition from CAD-based MicroStation to Revit. They knew they had an expert to guide the process because he’d led similar transitions twice before. Jack’s expertise met such a critical need that after a short while, Jack found that “help desk issues were taking up an increasingly larger portion of [his] energy; taking focus away from other strategic activities” related to the transition.

When it comes to this problem, LMN is not alone. According to research published by Rob Cross, Reb Rebele, and Adam Grant in HBR, “up to a third of value-added collaborations [in any organization] come from only 3% to 5% of employees.” As a result, often the people who are most in demand (those with the answers) are becoming increasingly over-taxed by the burden of responding to requests for their expertise. The really scary thing is that in most organizations leadership doesn’t even know who their top collaborators are. As many as 50% of an organization’s top collaborators can’t even be identified by the organization.

Enter a Q+A program. Increasingly, we’re seeing more and more firms successfully implement formal Q+A programs inside Synthesis to identify and activate subject matter experts. We’ve learned from firms like LMN, brainstormed what this looks like at previous Synthesis Workshops, and shared some successful programs through our Office Hours webinar series. In this article we’re going to share the benefits of a Q+A program along with some of the roles and steps necessary to roll one out in your firm.

KA Connect – The time has come for a Knowledge Management Tribe in the AEC Industry.

August 23, 2009 Christopher Parsons

Last fall I called Doris Pulsifer after reading “A Case for Knowledge Management in the A/E Industry,” a viewpoint article which Doris wrote for the October, 2008 issue of AECBytes. In the article, Doris comprehensively outlined the state of Knowledge Management (KM) in our industry, addressed the definition and history of Knowledge Management, listed common techniques and systems for managing knowledge, and shared insights into her approach as the leader of the Knowledge Management Department at Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, LLP. (You can read the article here.) Doris and I discussed the need for a Knowledge Management community in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Industry and I agreed that I would look into the next steps of getting one started.

Over the years, I have had similar conversations with others who were equally interested in the idea of starting an AEC Knowledge Management community. We all agreed that while Knowledge Management tends to appear on the agendas of various AEC roundtables and conferences, we could all benefit from a community and/or conference exclusively dedicated to the advancement of the practice.