METAINFORMING
To generate new value information, it is necessary to carry out metainforming process constantly. Let’s consider the process of metainforming at various stages of working with information.
Metainformations at the stage of receiving a task. If you receive a task from the boss (principal), you need to obtain information about it as much as possible. If the task is set in general terms it is necessary to ensure of understanding why the receiver of information will need it, i.e. information about the problem. In the process of receiving task it is necessary to carry out the metainforming asking the questions to the tsk setter (stimulating him to create metainformations): “Do I understand correctly that it is necessary to do this and that…?”.
Based on the common scheme of working with information I distinguish 2 areas of metainforming: the area of creating NVI and the area of evaluating created NVI.
In the field of NVI creating an expert enters into relationships with other experts to obtain useful metainformations. In practice, for the expert it means not being afraid to share the information obtained with those who can generate informations useful for the metainforming. For example, by asking the question: “What do you think about the issue …?”. It is necessary to use reliable sources for the metainforming.
That is how it works. Having worked all my life in organizations where knowledge workers are the core I can say that good (smart) workers when faced with a problem usually go and discuss it with colleagues whom they thrust and whose opinions they value.
In the field of the assessment of the created NVI the expert must use double metainforming (meta-metainforming because the assessment of transmitted information is metainforming itself (the receiver of information compares it with his information requirement or ideal). Double metainforming can be done both by the author of new information after receiving the assessment of the information receiver (metaquestion: “Is this assessment of the information fair?” and by the others knowledge workers (meta-metaquestion: “Is the assessment of the new information by the receiver correct?”. If the assessment is fair and it is negative, it is necessary to resort to metainformation under the question: “How could I do it better?” – “Debriefing or working on mistakes”.
Today’s leading commercial organizations use the methods to stimulate new information generation based on the metainforming. Below are some examples.
Boeing created a group “Project Home Work” to compare the manufacturing and marketing processes of the Boeing 707 and 727 – most successful aircrafts of the company. The group was to compile “lessons learned” for successfully manufacturing and marketing future aircrafts. [17. c.65]
The Boeing project aims to get metainformations that answers to the metaquestion: “What lessons can be learned from the experience?” – Debriefing. Moreover, comparing the introduction of two successful aircrafts to the market, rather than one, allows for generating a lot of valuable information in the form of metainformation.
Xerox studied the process of creating its unsuccessful products to understand why some business initiatives do not bring expected results. [17. c.67]
Xerox study answer the metaquestion: “Does the fact differ from the plan (forecast), why, what are the conclusions?” – “Plan – Fact”.
Many companies use the technology the studying of experience of leading companies in their industry, so-called benchmarking. Benchmarking answer the metaquestion: “How are we doing compared with others?” – “We – Others”.