7 principles for good intranet governance

An effective governance framework is essential for a well-managed intranet.  It can be the deciding factor between a good user experience, greatly valued, and a poor user experience with little benefit.  Every intranet is different depending on the size, type, and culture of the organisation it supports.  However, there are some key governance principles that are common to their success.

Recently I spoke at Intranatverk about this based on my book  ‘Digital success or digital disaster?‘ which is a practical, experience-based approach to growing and managing a successful intranet.  My slides ‘7 principles of good intranet governance’ are avilable for you to share.

The alternative to governance can be chaotic anarchy.  Posing risks to security and intellectual property provides an awful experience for those who still use your intranet.  Where governance can start to get confusing and difficult is in how it is applied.  Applying these governance principles leads to a good outcome:

1. Know your organisation
2. Define the scope
3. Put people first
4. Use all resources
5. Compare and benchmark
6. Do what you say you will do
7. Keep it legal

Think about how you build a house with the foundations, walls, floors, windows, doors and finally the roof.  It would not make sense for you to have windows, doors, and a roof only.  The same applies to your governance framework.

These principles for good governance are not like a menu that you choose which items to have and leave others alone.  You need to follow all of these to build a strong foundation to improve your intranet and implement your strategy.

Read the introductory chapter of my new governance book to find out more.  A license to share the ebook within your whole organisation is also available.