Column Two

Gardiner Morse has written an article challenging the over-use of circular diagrams by vendors and consulting firms. To quote: The circle below, from a global accounting firm's Web site, is used to illustrate the company's consulting services for owner-managed businesses. It shows the business life cycle "maturity phase" leading, inexplicably, ...

Joann S. Lublin writes about the open inbox policy of corporate CEO's. To quote: Open inboxes appear to be more the rule than the exception at many major corporations. In a survey for The Wall Street Journal conducted last month by the Business Roundtable, a Washington group representing heads of ...

I'll be presenting at the upcoming ActKM conference, to be held in Canberra on 26-27 October 2005. My topic will be "Understanding staff needs", looking at the practical needs analysis techniques that can be used to identify staff needs and issues relating to knowledge. I've been to every ActKM conference, ...

Martin Leith has published a comprehensive list of idea generation methods. To quote: This website lists and explains every idea generation method I've encountered during the past 15 years. It is the result of extensive research; my many sources include books, management journals, websites, academics, consultants and colleagues. [Thanks to ...

David Bartholomew has released a Knowledge Sharing Toolkit, which includes a 49 page how-to manual and a number of case studies. To quote: The 'Knowledge Sharing Toolkit' is the result of a two-year DTI-funded project carried out by innovation consultancy David Bartholomew Associates (DBA) and nine of the UK

Jim McGee has written an article about building your knowledge workshop. To quote: We are at a point in carrying out knowledge work where we would be well-served by setting aside the quest for the one true tool and turning toward the problem of creating and equipping a knowledge workshop ...

Fulvio Iavernaro has written an article on the relationship between GIS and KM. To quote: GIS are universally recognized as decision support systems that help users in problem solving activities related to geo-referenced applications thanks to their ability of organizing and processing information both geographically and logically together with a ...

Michael W. McLaughlin has written an article about the issues with "best practices", from a marketing perspective (but relevant for all). He identifies four main problems: They rarely work It's a follower's strategy Change comes from within They don't come with a manual [Thanks to elearningpost.]

Shawn Callahan has written a blog entry outlining some community of practice principles. To quote: One doesn't implement communities of practice nor create them by management edict. Rather they require the right conditions to grow. Management's role is to make it clear to potential community members that they support this ...

Scott Berkun has written an article, discussing why you must lead or follow. To quote: Something curious happens when we confront things we don't like. Instead of the useful choices of taking action to improve things or accepting things as they are, we often just sit on our asses, point ...

Knowledge management has been around for some time, and while it hasn't gone away, it has yet to really prosper. There is no question that there are very real issues to be solved in organisations, and that these issues are getting only larger. As a whole, however, the KM community (and ...

Martin Dugage has written an article on the 18 commandments of knowledge-conscious managers. To quote: I like the idea that Knowledge Management is really about Knowledge Conscious Management, or to put it differently, Managing in the Knowledge Age as Professor Klaus North puts it. Incidentally, this explains why it is ...

I've been involved in a number of interesting projects recently, so I'm going to make more of an effort to blog a little about these. One recent engagement was with a Federal Government agency, to help them determine a KM strategy. They had been discussing KM internally for some time, and ...

Lynda Moulton has written an article on KM as a framework for managing knowledge assets. To quote: In spite of the mostly negative things we had to say about KM, we did recognize there was a real, identifiable problem that a combination of business practices and processes, with the help ...

Knowledgeboard has pulled together a list of recommended KM journals. To quote: Welcome to our featured recommended journals section. This provides links to some journals that we would like to recommend to our community. All recommended journals have been kind enough to allow us to host a number of their ...

Doblin inc. has summarised the ten types of innovation. They are: business model networks and alliances enabling process core processes product performance product system service channel brand customer experience [Thanks to paper & pencil.]

Joy London has written a blog entry that points to some research into the overlap of knowledge management and risk management, in the context of law firms. To quote: Firms considering KM in the context of matter management process: 25%Firms considering KM in the context of client relationship management: 10%Firms ...

For those in the knowledge management community, the Act-KM list has been a central point for discussion (and dispute). While it's been great to have an active list, it has had a dynamic that has scared away many people, and caused frustration to others. What it has led to, however, ...

Alice Dragoon has written an article on a piecemeal approach to KM projects, instead of the "big bang" approach. To quote: Smaller projects also provide a safer environment for trying out new KM concepts and adapting them to fit your organization. "KM for your company will never be the same ...

David Gurteen (in conjunction with Bizmedia Publishing) have just published the first edition of the Global Knowledge Review. To quote: We are inviting you to join a knowledge conversation. Wherever you are in the world, whatever your occupation or profession you have so much in common with many people across ...

Denham Grey has written a blog entry on knowledge profiles. To quote: A knowledge profile records skills, tools, practices and social networks, it highlights competencies, identifies gaps, helps with learning programs to address deficits, realize opportunities and heighten awareness for the owner and colleagues.

Paul Sloane has written an article on how to ruin a brainstorming session. To quote: The brainstorming session is the most popular group creativity exercise in business. It is quick, easy and it works. But many organizations have become frustrated with brainstorms and have stopped using them. They say ...

Details on the next NSW KM Forum meeting: Thursday 2 SeptemberAri Jacobs on data visualisationAri Jacobs is a Creative Director at Different Solutions in Sydney. Ari has been creating digital media for over 10 years, and "challenges the boundaries of the 2D interface". His favourite projects include next-generation functional prototypes for ...

Joy London has written a blog entry on a KM salary survey in Australian law firms. To quote: Salary ranges for knowledge managers at top tier Australian firms are: National Manager: AUD 120,000 - 250,000 (US $85,660 - 178,459) Manager: AUD 68,000 - 140, 000 (US $48,560 - 99,977) Co-ordinator: 41,000 - 75,000 ...

Chuck Martin has written an article on information sharing within organisations. To quote: In a survey over a base of 2,000 executives and managers nationwide, NFI Research also found that the smaller the company, the more information was shared, and the more relevant it was. [Thanks to Jack Vinson.]

Chuck Frey has written an article on using mind mapping for project management. To quote: Mind mapping software can be a powerful tool for managing your projects, your goals and even your to-do lists. Mind maps are very visually oriented, and enable you to gather, manage and share a large ...

Ren

I thought I would post a quick comment on a trend that I've been seeing in Australian public-sector organisations: knowledge management becoming records management. That is, the "knowledge management initiative" is handed across to the library/records management folk, who then implement projects such as: records management systems document management systems corporate taxonomies/thesaurii While these are ...

Ron Friedmann and Dennis Kennedy write about implementing knowledge management in law firms, from a document management perspective. To quote: I recently participated in a discussion with some CIOs of large law firms about current knowledge management ("KM") developments. I was surprised to learn that many KM projects seemed to ...

Evelyn Clark has written an article on storytelling for leaders. To quote: Storytelling is a powerful communication tool that marketing and advertising professionals use very skillfully to promote their companies' products or services. But did you know that stories are also effective as a leadership tool? [Thanks to elearningpost.]

Denham Grey has written an blog entry on using patterns as part of knowledge management. To quote: Need to capture experience and expertise?, introduce new ideas into your organization?, want a template to document rationale and good practice?, wish to explain and teach novices?, share solutions that have been tested ...

The Centre for Digital Storytelling has published a comprehensive Digital Storytelling Cookbook. To quote: In all communities, in all cultures, stories evolve from the culinary experience. Making media, like making a meal, requires guidance, learning from our friends through the sharing of recipes and from those who spend their professional ...

John Baldoni has written an article on the power of why. To quote: One of the most powerful words in the English language is why. When asked as an interrogatory, why has the power to change assumptions, preconceptions and mindsets. It has the power to initiate change as well as ...

John Jones, DeAnne Aguirre, and Matthew Calderone have written an article on the 10 principles of change management. To quote: Market transparency, labor mobility, global capital flows, and instantaneous communications have blown that comfortable scenario to smithereens. In most industries-- and in almost all companies, from giants on down -- ...

Jeff Potts has posted an excellent comment to my internal blogging post, which asks some questions, and points out some potential issues to consider. I'll try and answer some of these: Internal blogging This has been setup for just our consulting team (3 staff including myself) and our office ...

Colette Woodford has announced the details for the next Act-KM meeting: Session: Private and public memory: the making and collecting of oral historyPresenter: Rosie BlockDate: Tuesday 4th May 2004 Time: 5:30-7pmLocation : National Library of Australia - Main Conference Room 4th floor.$4 donation for wine and cheese.OutlineOral history frequently complements ...

The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) have just published their Good Practice in Knowledge Management guides. To quote: This guide aims to: (a) Provide European readers with a practical introduction to mainstream thinking in KM; (b) Give an indication of some of the emerging new thinking in KM; (c) Stimulate interested readers to ...