Finding a hat that fits: RIM professionals have many to choose from.

It comes as no surprise to most records and information management (RIM) professionals that their profession--in this digital age--requires the donning of many hats. Today's RIM professionals must be knowledgeable and able to speak intelligently not only about industry standards and best practices but also about legal issues and technological advances. Their added day-to-day work requirements and training needs can make the constant hat changes a harried activity.

Despite this challenge--or, perhaps, because of it--RIM professionals should be excited about what the future holds and secure in the know]edge of their absolute necessity in today's business environment. To protect their position in the business hierarchy, RIM professionals must not only expertly manage and protect their organizations' information assets, they must promote their profession internally and to the business community. Who can better educate the CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, legal representatives, and IT professionals about the importance of RIM programs? This is why RIM professionals must develop their abilities to communicate and collaborate with individuals from all of their organization's functional areas.

This digital era has made this skill increasingly important as RIM professionals have more frequent opportunities to work with IT. In their article, "Retention and Management of Structured Data: The Next Frontier for Records Managers," Laurie L. Gingrich, CRM, and Brian D. Morris, CPA, write about the need to establish a good working relationship with IT and for each to understand the others' responsibilities. The authors write that RIM professionals have a key role to play: "Records managers can be IT's allies and colleagues in defining the regulatory and risk management justification for applying retention rules to electronic records."

Another role they should be prepared to play is that of project manager. Cheryl L. Strait outlines the methodology and how it can apply to RIM projects in "It's All in the Technique!" She writes, "Even though establishing or refining a records management program is not necessarily considered a temporary endeavor [which is one criterion for a "project"], it does address a significant business need that must be accomplished within a specified time period, and it can be run as a project" Like Gingrich and Morris, she also emphasizes the importance of cooperation and communication--benchmarks of the project management process--in developing or maturing excellent RIM programs.

Developing and sustaining RIM programs is the primary focus of the article, "7 Paths to Developing or Sustaining RIM Programs," by Richard J. Cox, Ph.D. Based on research he did for the ARMA International Educational Foundation, this article identifies seven instigators for either creating or helping sustain RIM programs: anniversaries, champions, standards, legal, administration, crises and disasters, and public relations and marketing. In each case, RIM professionals are at the forefront of the efforts to champion and promote their programs.

The hats may be many, but today's RIM professional knows how to wear them all and wear them well. Collaboration, cooperation, communication, and promotion will not only lead RIM professionals to the top of their field, but they will also help them guide their companies to legal, technical, and financial success.