Do you know what you know? And, more importantly, do you know how to communicate it effectively to someone else? For far too many of us, the answer to both of these questions is "No." To be fair, we may think we know the extent of our knowledge and may even believe we can be... Continue Reading →
Is KM a Real Force Multiplier?
Is KM a real force multiplier in your firm? That's the challenging question I recently put to 40 senior law firm knowledge management professionals. This led to an interesting hour of honest conversation that was so worthwhile that I'm recounting its highlights here in the hope that my readers might try this exercise in their own organizations.... Continue Reading →
Steve Jobs and Legal KM
The day after Steve Jobs died, a knowledge management colleague at another law firm asked why a man who had such a profound influence on technology had seemingly little influence on legal knowledge management. That stopped conversation for a moment. Tongue firmly in cheek, I countered with the proposition that if Steve Jobs had turned his... Continue Reading →
Is Your IT System Like a Kindle?
Dig deeply enough and you'll find that every knowledge management or IT professional has a story about a deployment gone bad. If you push them hard enough, they might even confess that they were partially responsible for the unsatisfactory results. Of course, the less than honest will blame the vendor or, more often than not,... Continue Reading →
Making Lawyers Behave Nicely With Each Other
The Florida Supreme Court wants lawyers to behave nicely with respect to their opponents. Here's how the court's recent action is described in a press release by the American Board of Trial Advocates: Commenting that `concerns have grown about acts of incivility among members of the legal profession,' the high court noted ABOTA's efforts to stress... Continue Reading →
Are You a Force Multiplier?
On most days, my To Do List seems longer than the Nile River. It contains everything from the quotidien (remember the milk!) to the critical -- tasks that trigger serious consequences. On days when it seems like I add two tasks for every one I complete, it can be tempting to focus on the noisiest... Continue Reading →
What’s Different After 9/11?
It's raining in New York City. In fact it's been raining for days and days with no end in sight. The net result is a subdued, gloomy, sodden town. Although I'd much prefer blue skies and sunny weather, I must admit that the weather is strangely appropriate this week as we prepare for the 10th... Continue Reading →
When Knowledge Management Saves Lives
If there are days when you doubt the value of knowledge management, take a closer look at Project ECHO: it saves lives by sharing specialist knowledge from teaching hospitals with a wide network of primary care physicians in far-flung areas. As a a result, the patients in those areas get the benefit of cutting edge... Continue Reading →
Fighting the Knowledge Hiding Epidemic
A new Canadian study reveals that companies are suffering from a "knowledge hiding" epidemic. Or, as Kimberly Weisul puts it, the $73 billion that companies spent on knowledge management software in 2008 (according to AMR research) might possibly be a complete waste. That's a thought that should strike terror in the heart of every knowledge... Continue Reading →
Counting Pennies
Is your firm or law department still counting its pennies? Or is your firm or company so optimistic about its prospects that you've been given a large budget to spend freely on knowledge and information management projects? The headlines in the legal technology press often feature impressive, state of the art, large-budget projects. However, what... Continue Reading →
Above and Beyond KM 