Does your intranet solve problems or create them?

If there is one thing that became pointedly clear when I spoke at the J. Boye intranet conference, it’s that we are all experiencing different aspects of what it means to become a world-class corporate (social) intranet.

The typical shelf life of an intranet implementation averages about 18 months. You can easily extend this timeline when you add on the complexities of social layers. So, if you feel that your company has been struggling with not only the correct strategy but also the implementation tactics of a social intranet, don’t feel bad. You are not alone.

And, if the attendees of the intranet track are any indication, you are most certainly in good company.

So what makes the social intranet your company’s holy grail or holy mess? Is it because your company struggles with engaging multiple demographics? Is it because you’re global, but you focus too much on local? Do you lack the infrastructure to support a social intranet? Do you simply not have the manpower or resources?

These are all issues that I hear about frequently, and to be honest, there is no tried and true answer. You can talk with peers who struggle with similar quandaries, but learning by example can only take you so far. At some point, the direction and actions you take must be tailored to your company’s specific needs and goals.