Kristina Podnar

In countless organizations, I have seen efforts poured into documenting policies and standards only to have them saved to the Intranet as a multi-page PDF document. Not only is the PDF format one of the most unfriendly web-based file formats, but there is a significant assumption that staff creating and producing digital will print the PDF and use it as a reference handbook. While this may seem like a good idea, it is a poor… Continue Reading Making the Digital Repository into a Governance Resource

Organizations have historically relied on IT for technical systems execution and, with the rise of websites and associated digital operations, that norm continued. Aspects and whole policy areas have been delegated to IT under the guise of requiring technical expertise. In reality, business goals and requirements ought to drive both policy and execution. It is unlikely that IT will understand the digital customer user experience needs well enough to be able to drive system requirements… Continue Reading Why Can’t IT Own Digital Policies?

Policies—which are your organization’s high-level statements of beliefs, goals, and objectives to comply with laws, manage risk, or drive competitive advantage—are not new and have likely been around since you began operating. Your human resources department has created policy on how employees will be evaluated, promoted or rewarded; your facilities department has created a policy on how to physically secure the office building so random people off the street cannot walk in and steal your… Continue Reading How Should We Start Developing Policies?

Frequently I hear from organizations that they have created a set of standards but they can’t get digital content authors and producers to focus on their adoption and implementation. As we often say, unless you have been delegated authority to drive standards into the organization, you may not be able to get people to listen to you. While obtaining authority is the first aspect of digital standards that you should focus on, it is only… Continue Reading I’ve Written My Standards, But Nobody Follows Them

Over the past several weeks there has been a lot of discussion around digital privacy, most notably with Congress voting to erase broadband privacy protections and Google Home introducing ads to unsuspecting consumers. The demise of online privacy and the dwindling of personal data protections are nothing new, as many businesses increasingly push the boundaries in search of additional marketplace. However, in the process of attempting to gain a competitive advantage through the use of… Continue Reading Sound Data Collection Practices for Respecting Consumer Privacy

One of my all-time favorite questions is “When is the best time to start developing standards?” The idea that you need to tie standards development to a redesign or any other milestone or event is untrue. While a redesign, a change in technology or business strategy may prompt you to revisit your standards and consider drafting new ones, in reality, the best time to start developing standards is now! Standards allow your organizations to produce… Continue Reading The Best Time to Document Standards

Those of us working in digital often have an opinion on how something should be done, especially if we have observed a repetitive activity and recognize an effective and efficient way to get it done. So should you write standards or guidelines, and does it really matter? If you have the standards authority, i.e., it is part of your official job function or you have been formally recognized in the organization as having that responsibility,… Continue Reading Standards vs. Guidelines and Does it Matter?