How is an Intranet both Globally Local and Locally Global?

I think I have never explained why I named this blog "Globally Local and Locally Global" so here goes.
For me, those 5 words represent the deepest, most difficult challenge of all global intranets and portals.
And I do mean 5 words, and not 4. The "and" is as important - if not more - than the other 2 sides of the equation!
Here are some questions and answers for each part of the equation:

1. "Globally Local" challenges
Q: How do home pages that are supposed to be the single point of entry for the entire organisation become meaningful to people in the field, in offices far from the centre?
A: By being "Globally Local" in that they successfully blend global and local news from around the organisation, and offer customised versions that "speak to" everyone.

Q: How do global intranet teams define strategies that will really work around the world, that are realistic and doable?
A: By including intranet managers from around the world into the thinking and planning from the beginning.

Q: How can you implement shared models and procedures to bring coherence to a diversified and decentralised  family of intranets?
A: By starting with a true globalisation strategy that passes through the internationalisation phase (building models that take differences into account)  before the localisation phase (where local teams adapt to their needs).

2. "Locally Global" challenges
Q: How can you help people in operations and field units see the big picture, become interested in what is happening across the organisation, see beyond their own local unit?
A:  By bringing global news and services to them in an non intrusive way, through opt-in feeds for example, and by making sure news from operations gets promoted on the intranet. (Too often, news on the home page is limited to sales and marketing accomplishments.)

Q: How can you get more cross organisation information flowing - get people in local units more involved with people in other units and the centre?

A: By implementing light-weight collaboration tools such as blogs and wikis that make it easy for even the smallest units with the least on-site IT support to get involved.

3. And finally, the "and" challenge
Q: How can you ensure that your intranet and portal strategies will meet the needs of all your users?
A: By talking to them and listening before you decide to implement. (All the intranet audits I've conducted for  global organisations - and I've done a lot - have had one thing in common: the people from the small countries or business units respond to the request to be interviewed much faster than people from the big countries and BUs. Why? Because it is relatively rare that the centre asks them what they think, and what their needs are in advance of a new implementation.)

Q: How can you decide what should be standardised globally and what should be left to local preferences?
A: By making sure your standardisation on the intranet keeps pace, but does not move faster than the standardisation of processes within your organisation.
The intranet/portal must be aligned with organisational and business strategies, not behind and not in advance. Being behind pulls the organisation down; being too far ahead makes it unrealistic to achieve.

Note: The 2007 Global Intranet & Portal Strategies Survey (open till Aug 15th) will show us how the balance of decision-making between global and local has evolved in the last year. (Send me an email if you want to join the 2007 survey.)
This chart shows the 2006 results to the question: How are decision-making & responsibilities balanced between the centre and the different entities?