In Dave Snowden's view, "everything is fragmented." And, he thinks this is a good thing. But it has some challenging implications for knowledge management generally and law firm knowledge management specifically.Dave sets out his concept of fragmented knowledge in the May 2008 KM World Magazine in which he points to "the shift during the life... Continue Reading →
KM Library: Tools, Techniques and Case Studies
Hat tip to Caroline de Brún at Talking Knowledge Management who found this UK government site sponsored by the Improvement and Development Agency (I&DEA), KM Library: tools, techniques and case studies. It provides overviews on a wide range of KM tools including:- After Action Review- Case Study- Communities of Practice- Gone Well, Not Gone Well-... Continue Reading →
Staffing is a KM Issue
We've been told for years that half of the battle of management (of any sort) is to ensure that you hire the right people for the right jobs. When you do, there's no need to supervise them obsessively or breathe down their necks. This is because they generally know what needs to be done and,... Continue Reading →
Knowledge Management Crash Course
Carla O'Dell at APQC has given us a superb crash course on what in her experience works (and doesn't work) in the world of knowledge management. Her KM Overview should be required reading for all knowledge managers. The key seven lessons she covers are:1. Secure Senior Management Support for KM by building a strong business... Continue Reading →
Top 10 Knowledge Management Myths
In a terrific webinar hosted on Friday by Educause (the higher education IT association), Jean E. Engle, Chief Knowledge Officer at NASA/Johnson Space Center, provided a great overview of her organization and its KM focus. Among the highlights was the list she and her colleague, Dr. Ed Rogers, have created of the Top 10 Knowledge... Continue Reading →
Knowledge Sharing Is Better Than Knowledge Management
For some time, I've been frustrated by the seeming futility of trying to "manage" knowledge. In pursuit of well-managed knowledge many of us have created elaborate systems and databases that require some or all of the following supporting factors: cooperative users, sophisticated search engines, smart profiling tools, and incredibly competent KM professionals who actually understand... Continue Reading →
Knowledge is Addictive
This photo by blmurch sums up the knowledge manager's dilemma: "Knowledge is addictive. The more you have, the more you want." And the more you have, the more you have to manage.While this may lead to full employment for knowledge managers, it also points to the futility of the task we've set ourselves. We're trying... Continue Reading →
Dare to Share: Knowledge Management Toolkit
KM4Dev recently featured Dare to Share's Knowledge Management Toolkit. Beginning in April 2007 and running until December 2008, Dare to Share will highlight one proven KM and/or learning technique per month. Thus far, they have focused on:- After Action Review- Collegial Coaching- Yellow Pages- SWOT- Good Practice- Knowledge Fair- Exit Interview- Storytelling- Experience Capitalization- Mentoring-... Continue Reading →
Knowledge Audits 101
Stan Garfield's Weekly Knowledge Management blog highlights an interesting publication from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the hows and whys of knowledge audits called Auditing the Lessons Architecture. When the ADB embarked on a strategy for building up its knowledge assets and developing a knowledge-sharing culture, it decided to use knowledge audits to(i) identify... Continue Reading →
Pragmatic Knowledge Management
In their MIT Sloan Management Review article, "Putting Ideas to Work," Thomas H. Davenport, Laurence Prusak and Bruce Strong discuss the three critical elements of a knowledge management program: creating knowledge, delivering knowledge and using knowledge. They suggest that only by adopting a management strategy that encompasses all three elements will an organization be able... Continue Reading →
Above and Beyond KM 