Professional skills and technology education

Most professional records managers work in office environments to support business or government organizations. These office environments generate large amounts of valuable information in both paper and digital formats as a major component or product of daily activities. For this reason, a need for professional competencies in information and records management (and thus records managers) is created within the organization. To the extent that the information and records to be managed exist in computer-based information systems, records managers must have the required computer skills to add value to the management of the information. They must also have sufficient technology education and training to have serious professional credibility within a computing intensive organization.

Contemporary records management professional literature and conferences are full of admonitions that records managers who are still computer illiterate are soon to become virtual dinosaurs in a modern information management jungle. Extinction is at hand for those individuals without the interest and initiative to learn "how to use the computer." This phrase ("how to use the computer") is often heard from insecure individuals who are sure that if only they could master the keyboard, their worries about professional obsolescence would be reduced. What one is to do with "the computer" seems very much secondary to simply learning a new and somehow magical skill. Mastering "the computer" is seen as the answer to long term professional viability and personal job security. As with all magic tricks, however, there needs to be more than smoke and mirrors to captivate and impress an audience (or customer) for long.

What is to be done with the computer? Will it really reduce the paperwork burden? Which computer and software are to be used? How much training is needed before one has enough training to do a particular job? What happens if the rest of the company is using something else or doing things differently? All of these are new and very confusing questions. A properly skilled and educated records manager should have a comfortable answer for all of them.

If having some personal computer skills and a good understanding of technology is important to professional competency and viability, where does one start? The following discussion is intended to provide an orienting road map that can help tame technophobia. Hopefully, by charting a clear path toward a menu of rewarding training alternatives, one can avoid feeling the compulsion to consume a steady diet of technotrivia while gulping down every course in sight.

JOB TRAINING

On-the-job training is one of the best ways to learn about technology and computers. There is an immediate opportunity to make any courses or learning experiences relevant to one's work. An added benefit for those persons able to pursue this approach is that some or all of the time and expense related to the educational process can be subsidized by the organization that will profit from the employee's training. Taking computer classes in isolation on one's own time is an admirable undertaking. However, many individuals have found that they do not retain what was learned without ongoing daily work demands to use the newly acquired skills. It is best to pursue job-related educational experiences first as they are most likely to be retained and used. In addition, job-related computer classes can impart an immediate rise in professional credibility as the visible commitment required to take them is demonstrative of initiative to maintain professional growth.

Look for opportunities where additional or new training can be used to be more productive or produce better quality products. As a simple example, learning to use a word processor or database program to merge a mailing list database with a letter can save some of the time that might normally be required to generate individual headings for letters and individual labels for each envelope. Ask one's employer to support taking an advanced word processing class to learn how to save some of the effort often expended in executing this or similar job tasks for tasks that one does often during work.

Other examples of areas where added training may be immediately relevant to work duties include learning to employ project management software for generating work plans, learning to use PC fax boards to perform after hours fax transmissions, gaining experience with graphics software to create presentations in-house, or studying computer networking before becoming a team member of a corporate information strategy planning committee. The important factor is that all of these professional involvements provide both a supportive setting and supportive people with which to learn technology, making it a more successful and enjoyable undertaking.

ASSOCIATION EDUCATION

ARMA International is an immense resource for technology information and shared learning experiences. Very few ARMA members appreciate the breadth and variety of information that can be obtained through ARMA committees and various Association activities. The ARMA International Annual Conference, seen by many chapter members as the major Association effort of each year, is only one of the activities which offers technology educational experiences.

The Publications Coordination Committee and ARMA Headquarters staff retain authors for books to be published and work with ARMA members to create standards and guidelines, many of which cover computers or technology topics. The ARMA Technical Publications Catalog contains information on numerous books, reports, standards, and professional methodologies that concentrate on technology. Optical disk-based imaging systems, microcomputer records, electronic records, and disaster recovery and planning are only a few of the subject areas for book and report coverage. For a good review of the relevant technology issues facing records managers today, consulting the ARMA Technical Publications Catalog for references resources should be the first place to start.

Other sources of computing technology information within the Association are well known to long term ARMA members. The Information Technology Committee conducts investigations and produces directories and reports specifically informative about technology, as does the Education Committee, and many of the Industry Action Committees. For records managers trying to focus on learning practical and useful computing skills, these committees provide individual contacts for lessons learned and case studies that are not easily found in the commercial computing literature. It is very easy to obtain phone numbers of committee members from ARMA Headquarters to reach potential contacts that may have knowledge or experiences to share. Committee activities are reported regularly in the News Notes and Quotes newsletter. ARMA's professional journal, the Records Management Quarterly, contains many articles and columns that cover state of the art issues and experiences in technology and computing related subjects.

ARMA International Annual Conferences are a gold mine of educational opportunities. Seminars and session speakers focus on issues that should be studied for continuing professional development. Vendor exhibits provide state-of-the-art equipment displays and additional professional contacts for learning about technology. For a regular educational activity that can keep a records manager up-to-date professionally, ARMA International Conferences are without parallel. ARMA members should always be sure that they have not overlooked technology education opportunities that are very close to home.

COMPUTER TRAINING VENDORS

Many cities now have special computer training centers. These are private businesses that offer courses for individuals to learn to use microcomputer hardware and software. Typical computer trainers are often professional educators themselves, with advanced college degrees in teaching and classroom instruction, as well as personal experience with the software to be studied. Standard environmental settings for attendees are classrooms with five to fifteen students and one or two instructors.

These services are very worthwhile when both time and funding are available. A typical class of three to five days may seem long or expensive at $250 to $500 for a single attendee. However, as anyone who has attempted to learn "by the manual" can affirm, they are a bargain. Most computer novices who try to learn to use new software by themselves while on the job will waste both time and labor (money) by floundering around in frustration with manuals or tutorials. It is not worth the cost in lost productivity and morale. Let a professional software trainer lead the way.

Classes are available for most word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, database, and communications software. Training programs should offer a gradation of course levels ranging from beginner to advanced, in order for attendees to be able to select a class based on their present expertise. As hardware and software become more complex, these businesses will thrive. They will become important allies for information professionals who want to avoid training their friends and associates or the depending on friends and associates for guidance and advice. Computer training vendors also satisfy the need to have contact for resolving unusual technological problems that may arise during work with a particular software package. Although most will want to initiate a standard maintenance contract for extensive support, they usually are receptive to a few followup questions after a software course has been taken.

SOFTWARE TUTORIALS AND SUPPORT

Modern software generally comes with hard copy manuals, embedded help files, and tutorials on diskette that can be used at one's leisure. These items are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Many software companies are moving toward eliminating hard copy manuals, preferring instead to distribute software and manuals on CD-ROM, with many users being receptive to this approach. Technical information produced and distributed electronically can be updated more easily, distributed for less cost than paper counterparts, and frequent updates can be made available for downloading from some bulletin board services.

Some disk-based tutorials use hypertext or multimedia sound and video clips that can serve as primary training modules for a variety of users. These users may find it convenient to get their "training" on the same computers that will be running the actual software they will use in performing their job duties. One should be careful to remember that such software demands additional computing resources to run simultaneously with other software and may slow down the overall performance of computer systems that are marginal in their capabilities. Don't expect to use older microcomputers as "trainers" without trying them ahead of time. In addition, the trainer computer may not be available for "real" work.

Tutorials and training modules such as these are extremely useful and are valuable references for computer users. No one should operate under any assumptions that these items are any more bug proof than the software that they are intended to support. Also, it may take some time to learn to use a complex and multi-featured tutorial. For the most part, however, these electronic tutorials are a valuable addition to the technology education options that are available to records managers. Standard films and videotapes can also be economical for in-house training.

Another resource not to be forgotten is the technical support personnel that are maintained by each software (and hardware) vendor. These hardy souls respond for hours each day to frustrated individuals with both simple and complex problems. Each vendor usually publishes help desk phone numbers that are specifically to be used for answers to technical questions about product functioning or failings. Many vendors offer toll free access for a limited period of time, although this is declining as the number of software users needing help is increasing for the whole industry. Persons with computers and modems can often access bulletin board services maintained online at the vendor's headquarters or offered through CompuServe or another similar on-line information service. Some vendors offer direct electronic mail addresses, however, most prefer to operate discussion forums where questions are posted for a response by anyone. Queries about a software problem or module that are posted in this manner, generally receive a response from the system operator or other software users within a day or two. Extensive advice and patches for software bugs can often be downloaded directly from the information service.

PUBLIC LITERATURE

Computing journals and news magazines are an industry unto themselves. PC Week, INFOWORD, Computer Magazine, Computer Shopper, and Byte are but a few of the personal computer-oriented trade magazines and some are available for browsing through on-line information services. These are also obtainable by personal subscription, can be bought on newsstands, and some are free to qualified subscribers. Additional information can be found for larger computer systems and some trade literature focuses on specific technology applications, such as Imaging World. No computing professional can stay well informed without at least scanning a few issues of these resources every other month.

The information contained in these journals will be of most use when considered in comparison to other similar articles in more than one issue or magazine. Each journal contains a particular emphasis on technical innovation, product excellence, or practical implementation, and the reader should learn to recognize this orientation in order to properly assess the value of the information for their own needs. As an example, much of this literature focuses on news about the latest product innovation ahead of the product being available for purchase. (The product is often said to still be in "beta-version testing.") As anyone who has used computer software over the last few years knows, a new product needs to actually be out in the marketplace and be used by buyers before all of the bugs are identified. New and fascinating technology is not always a stable, reliable, and cost effective solution to an everyday business problem.

Even with these cautions, one will find these information resources to be invaluable and interesting. Specific magazines now exist that focus on a particular word processor, database, or other software. Most computer users will need at least a few subscriptions to this body of literature.

TOMORROW'S WORKER

Gone are the days when one became a cook, cobbler, or candlestick maker and could expect to prosper professionally without continuing training and education. Today's office worker is especially inundated with change and the need for new learning experiences that maintain or grow professional skills. New automation systems, changing business requirements, and global competitiveness have created a dynamic world where professionals are expected to be continually increasing their performance and professional capabilities. Without an on-going effort to stay abreast of technology developments that are work related, many records managers will find their job skills less marketable.

By consulting the resources just discussed and assuring that one exerts continual initiatives toward professional growth, it will be much more likely that one's job skills stay current or considered exceptional. Knowing that one is contributing professionally will also reduce personal stress and provide for more enjoyable and satisfying work experiences.

Copyright Association of Records Managers and Administrators Inc. Apr 1995
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