Becoming a Change Agent

Not attending IA Summit? Get a redux of an IA Summit talk by Carrie Hane Dennison, Web Director at the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Businesses want return on their web investment. To do that, IAs need to step out from behind the screen, take a seat at the table, balance user and business needs, and create a positive environment for change. Armed with an approach Carrie calls “strategic nagging,” this is the story of how she became a change agent using IA and content strategy to transform the 160-year-old American Society of Civil Engineers for a digital-first world.

When she became ASCE’s Web Director in January 2013, she thought she’d tinker with some content management issues, help rewrite some content, and provide governance guidance. Little did she know that she would use change management tactics disguised as web strategy, design, and development to get them to adopt an overarching digital strategy to better reach its members, grow revenue, and start to make stuff that really matters. ASCE is reaching a pivotal moment, and this is the story so far.

Things you’ll learn:

• How to introduce digital content culture into a traditional business

• How to manage change up, down, and sideways

• Why you’ll need forgiveness, not permission, to be a catalyst for change

Special thanks to our hosts: UberOffices

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UberOffices (http://uberoffices.com/) fosters collaborative coworking communities for small business & startups. Providing cutting-edge work spaces, superior amenities, & service above and beyond.