I’ve been doing a lot of catching up on my blog reading over the past few days and just came across a great article on the Acronym Blog. Jen Miller has a great write-up on how Associations can use Wikis. I found the post really well written and chocked full of some really solid suggestions. I want to use Jen’s write-up as an impetus to expand on the idea and move from the what to the how.

Trailing below are the first 12, of 25, tips for effectively implementing wikis in an organization based on recommendations from a recent article from eWeek. If you are considering trying to implement a Wiki within your association these tips are for you!

1. Form follows function

The use of Web 2.0 tools requires imposing some, but not too much, administrative structure on the collaboration environment. Too much structure inhibits innovation and interaction. Too little structure can devolve into purely social interactions, engender conflict and produce little valuable knowledge.

2. Establish ground rules early to avoid problems later

As the collaborative environment is being established, people are looking for cues for how to interact. Establishing appropriate cues early sets the tone for interactions to follow. It is much easier to start on the right foot than to correct problems later.

3. Recognize people for what they contribute

Web 2.0 tools provide the opportunity to identify extremely valuable knowledge held by the “crowd.” When members of the crowd do contribute valuable knowledge or insight, reward them for it.

4. Harness peer power

Allow colleagues to evaluate one another’s contributions, even relying on them to distribute many of the rewards mentioned previously. Peers are often in the best position to evaluate a contribution and the work that went into it.

5. Find something that works and stick with it

Effective use of Web 2.0 tools for collaboration depends on both the tools and the community that uses them. New Web 2.0 capabilities are being introduced daily, and it can be difficult for even a tech-savvy community to learn to use them all effectively. In most companies, the goal is effective collaboration, not developing the most cutting-edge IT platform.

6. Look for the diamonds in the rough

Don’t be discouraged if 90 percent of what the collaborative environment produces is not valuable to you or your business. The goal is to find the 10 percent that is truly valuable and that you wouldn’t have found any other way. These are the ideas that are worth the time, trouble and effort of learning the new tools.

7. Find at least one wiki champion

The wiki champion(s) will be responsible for creating awareness of the wiki and reminding others how easy it is to use. See BMart’s post on Acronym for how you can find your Social Media Superstars.

8. Cost does not equal guaranteed success

For most organizations implementing a wiki is a big deal, but it doesn’t have to cost a lot. There are a lot of low-cost packages available for use that are easy to implement and use. Success is never guaranteed and failure can be an inexpensive option.

9. Use the right tools for the right job

Capture information in wiki pages and send URLs by email instead of trying to collaborate with email. Too much great information gets lost or trapped by not using the right tools for the job.

10. Keep it simple.

An rigid structure makes it difficult and intimidating to add new content.

11. Provide a variety of ways to participate.

Remember what it is like to be an outsider and how challenging/frustrating it is to learn something that is completely new to you. Provide users with a variety of ways to participate. A user who only feels comfortable commenting on content at first may evolve into one of your most prolific contributors.

12. Make keeping up easy to do.

Provide tools for users to subscribe to the RSS feed of the wiki. Nothing encourages participation like visible activity.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this series where I share a bakers dozen of additional tips.

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Among the many challenges that I encounter when discussing different aspects of Web 2.0 technology is explaining how and why things work in a way that truly conveys their true possibilities and power while not overwhelming the individual I am explaining it to. Not an easy task - even for a trained educator - at least until now. It appears that the creative geniuses (Lee & Sachi LeFever) responsible for the video RSS in Plain English have produced another on Wikis.

All that I can say is: simply awesome! One of the most complicated topics to explain to someone regardless of how much time you have broken into a common sense example in a little under 4 minutes!

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