When the first Sinatra Duets album was released in 1993, I was completely surprised. Frank Sinatra and his producers had taken some of his classics and given them a new twist by pairing Sinatra with a curious group of artists, several of whom had little or no experience with the American Songbook. The result was a commercial success. It was a brilliant way of bringing Sinatra’s talents to a new audience.
Taking a page out of Sinatra’s songbook, maybe it’s time for your knowledge management team to try a new gig. An inspired duet or two might provide law firm knowledge management with a great second act, an opportunity to bring the best of what we’ve learned to other disciplines within our firms.
What duets would be productive in your law firm? Marketing and KM? Professional Development and KM? Human Resources and KM? General Administration and KM? Think about which of your colleagues in other departments are most open to this type of cross-pollination and then start a conversation. At a minimum, it will give you an opportunity to know each other better and to learn from each other. And, if you’re lucky, it might breathe new life into your firm’s perception of knowledge management.
As the video below demonstrates with great charm, it’s never too late to try a duet.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI-l0tK8Ok0&feature=player_embedded
[Fran & Marlo Cowan (married 62 years) playing an impromptu recital together in the atrium of the Mayo Clinic. He turned 90 in February.]
Above and Beyond KM 