In a recent conversation with Patrick Lambe and Dave Snowden, Larry Prusak described the three stages of knowledge management:- content collecting, organizing and searching- collaboration- ad hoc development tailored to the needs of a specific organizationBut how do you move systematically from one stage to the next?For people new to Knowledge Management, there are any... Continue Reading →
Use Gender Advantage: Recruit Women
In an earlier post, Building a Great Knowledge Management Team, I discussed key factors in recruiting and retaining a KM team that consistently outperforms the competition. One of the cautions emerging from the study I cited was that it wasn't enough to simply recruit "stars" since many stars are incapable of reproducing their success in... Continue Reading →
The Problem with Low-Hanging Fruit
When I first started in the knowledge management business, I asked a group of senior New York law firm knowledge management experts what advice they would give me. One extremely pragmatic colleague said: "Collect the Low-Hanging Fruit."Nearly a decade later, I still find I keep an eye out for low-hanging fruit. However, now I have... Continue Reading →
KM 2.0: Working Smarter
Dave Pollard has published a thought-provoking post on what's next in knowledge management entitled Working Smarter. In it he describes the core competencies (requiring Skills, Tools and Processes) that knowledge workers are going to need in the 21st century:1. Personal Content Management (in lieu of large, centralized repositories)2. Simple Virtual Presence and Enabling Conversations (to... Continue Reading →
Walk on the Wild Side
How do you get a conservative Baby Boomer manager or a conservative law firm to take a walk on the wild side? That's the challenge for law firm knowledge managers looking for ways to introduce social media tools into their array of knowledge management offerings. The first question most conservatives will ask is: what are... Continue Reading →
Managing Social Media
One of my favorite 40-somethings told me yesterday that he had created a Facebook page for himself. Upon further questioning, I learned that the page actually had been created by the teenage summer intern working in his office. (Nonetheless, I gave the 40-something full credit for finding a low tech way of dealing with what... Continue Reading →
E-Mail Addiction
New York City's Daily Post reported recently that residents of the Big Apple, Washington D.C. and Atlanta tend to check e-mail more than residents of any other place. And, apparently, more women admit to e-mail addiction than men. (Although, based on what I've observed, I can't help wondering if this is more a reflection of... Continue Reading →
The Credible Alternative to Work
Sitting on my desk is a mug with the inscription: "Meetings -- The Credible Alternative to Work."We've all had the experience of being trapped in a never-ending meeting that doesn't appear to be accomplishing anything useful. Meetings can be hijacked by poor preparation, inadequate leadership, reluctant participants and bad conference room food, among other things.... Continue Reading →
Are You Creating Problems or Solutions?
The enormous enthusiasm of web 2.0 boosters is enough to make even a Luddite wonder if maybe web 2.0 is the answer to everything that ails you. Before you indulge that line of thinking too much, take a look at Mark Shead's interesting description of The Two Types of Technology Users:I noticed that some people... Continue Reading →
Freedom and Social Media within the Enterprise
One of the great strengths of social media tools is that they present very low barriers to entry in terms of ease and scope of use. As a result, users around the world have found them a relatively simple and effective way to connect with each other socially and to exercise their creative expression within... Continue Reading →
Above and Beyond KM 