Delivering on records for the people who care

There is a huge amount of cognitive dissonance in records management.

Regulator - Yes, here is our regulation, we need you to faithfully implement it.

Also regulator -

- We don't believe in enforcement (or, we believe in "advising").

- We won't audit you.

- We won't show up when you need us.

- We will give you different opinions on our regulation based on who you have asked.

Heads of agency - yes, you must implement that regulation, it is important that we comply with the law.

Also heads of agency -

- It's not worth firing someone over.

- We won't give you the funding you need to be effective.

- We won't engage in enforcement activity that makes the policy we approved worth the paper it's written on.

The dissonance comes from their both saying one thing - and then acting completely differently.

It's a reflection of the fact that often the things that we want to care about, or know we should care about are different from the ones that we have the time and money to act as though we care about.

Cognitive dissonance like this means that you've found yourself in a place where what people are expected to do is different from what they want to do or are able to do - and so they do what they want to do.

The most awful thing about this, is that while these groups of people are wasting our time and other people's money, there are people out there that really want help.

Records management comes with a set of super powers.

Records can predict the future.

Records can help people be organised (which they desperately want).

Records can reduce everyone's anxiety and stress levels dramatically.

Records are the gateway to effectiveness for everyone who wants to do things at scale.

The tragedy of records, is that while we spend time on the time wasters, we aren't spending it on the people who really want what we have to offer.

If we spend time on them, eventually the others will get the point.