1. It's Not (Just) SharePoint. Successful knowledge management activities focus equally on people, process and technology. There is an important and necessary culture-shift that creates an environment where collaboration and information sharing are natural and integrated in the way we work. Modernized processes help capture, organize and share critical information. These activities are enabled by technology (like SharePoint) but not primarily focused on it.
2. It's Actually More About Knowledge Flow than Management. When it comes to KM, "connecting" is even more important than "collecting". Creating and managing those connections enables the natural flow of information when and where it needs to go. We do this by:
3. Connecting People to People. Tools and activities like expertise locators, communities of practice, microblogging, and discussion forums are just a few ways that people can connect across traditional organizational boundaries. These connections provide access to best practices, deliver greater insight and help avoid duplicated efforts.
4. Connecting People to Content. It's important to store content that people want where they need it most. It must be findable and accessible. Role-based portals, enterprise wikis, document ratings and best practice libraries are some of the ways we can accomplish this.
5. The Best Solutions Are Often Grass-Roots & Community-Developed. The most effective techniques for better knowledge flow and access are typically formed at the point where critical information is created or where it resides. Effective methods for capturing and sharing that information often start at the same point. We can better leverage those solutions by incorporating top-level support, resources and processes.
6. It Requires Everyone's Participation. Really! As a social norm and organizational value, reciprocity contributes to people's willingness to share what they know. This means we can't expect to only consume information without contributing it in return and still be effective as an organization. We need to share what we know and make that activity as simple and easy as possible.
7. Don't Wait For It, Do It Now. Effective KM won't arrive in your inbox one day. It takes initiative and action to get started. Start implementing ways to capture and share critical information on your team. Connect with others and collaborate on a common interest or topic. Capture your own best practices, lessons learned and insight and make them available online so others can benefit from them. The KM team can provide support, guidance and assistance to help get that key initiative or great idea off the ground!