Social reinforcement can be a powerful tool for encouraging wiki adoption and usage. If a hallway discussion generates a great idea or observation, instead of ending the conversation with “send me email with that,” consider saying, “put that on the wiki so everyone can take a look and comment.” Such an approach removes the email “black hole” where the sender is never sure if the recipient acted on ideas. After someone has posted something useful, verbal feedback, even just a quick “nice wiki post,” can make the poster feel that his or her contributions were read and valued.
It is also important that the people implementing and encouraging the use of the wiki are seen to be active participants. Asking others to use something that you don’t use yourself is a sure recipe for failure. Senior managers who want to promote a wiki must participate themselves. A wiki will only succeed if key stakeholders and sponsors participate.
Wikis are by their nature a social network, and like all social networks they grow and function best through recommendations. Collect stories about how wikis make it easier for people and teams to deliver on their objectives. Encourage people to share those stories. “I found that on the wiki” should become a catch phrase within your community.