On occasion, while we are helping a new customer roll out their new BrainKeeper Enterprise Wiki,
one of our client's employees will ask the question, "What's in it for
me?". It might not be asked quite this directly, but ultimately, this
is the question that they are asking.
The initial response is always the same: It depends on what you put into it.
Since wikis are social in nature, those who actively participate in
creating, editing and improving the content are the ones who get the
most reward. Ultimately, you will be seen as an expert in the subject
areas where you contribute most, allowing other team members to develop
trust and a reliance on your expertise. This also has the added
benefit of raising your perceived (and actual) value within the
organization, since everyone is able to clearly identify what you are
knowledgeable about- and you are willing to share that knowledge with
everyone in the company.
In addition to these social and professional rewards, there are also
personal rewards that go along with actively participating in a Wiki.
For example, satisfying your natural instinct to make things better
when you contribute to existing knowledge or the satisfaction of
creating and maintaining information that you really care about will
give you a sense of personal satisfaction. These natural tendencies
are part of the reason why Wikipedia thrives, and will play a part in
the success of the Wiki within your organization.
This is not to say that passive users, those who simply use the wiki to
answer questions or find information, get nothing. In fact, they get a
great deal out of the Wiki too. For example: getting answers to
questions without having to wait for an emailed response, or the
ability to determine who is an expert on specific subjects, are both
great ways for information consumers to get value out of your Wiki.
So, instead of asking what you are going to get out of it, simply make a conscious effort to help others through the wiki- and they will help you.
