Knowledge Management

Important thoughts, though I think it is still rarely done very well.

Lauren Trees identifies trends in enterprise knowledge sharing and collaboration, researches cutting-edge ways to improve knowledge flow, and shares the findings with APQC’s members and the knowledge management community at large.

A knowledge management strategy is useful because it gives your KM effort a concrete purpose and target to work toward. Many organizations set well-meaning but elusive goals for KM such as “to break down siloes” or “to build a more collaborative culture.” These are good intentions, but they’re too vague to craft a meaningful initiative around—after all, what does it really mean to have a collaborative culture, and how do you know when you have one? A KM strategy makes you document the step-by-step actions that will help the organization achieve its expansive KM vision, along with the inputs required and the measures that will indicate success.

Given the volatility we’re currently experiencing, you may be tempted to throw up your hands in despair with it comes to plans and targets. What’s the point, when everything will just change again anyway? But ironically, a well-defined KM strategy is more important than ever.  ... " 

If you articulate what you want to achieve with KM, you’re less likely to get blown off course by every storm. You simply adjust your tools and tactics in line with current reality while chipping away at your established goals. For example, if your communities of practice must transition to all-virtual operations, their overarching mission hasn’t changed—they’re just using different means to get to the same end. And even if communities need to assume new duties, having the strategy laid out makes it easier to shift gears without losing focus.    ... "