Knowledge Management Morsels

Intranet: Maximizing Your Technology

2008-05-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

I’m going to go in a different direction than you might think here. Think of maximizing as “making the best use of.” Sure, more and more intranet delivery systems are capable of supporting a plethora of shiny, sparkly tools and features—and there’s nothing wrong with using any (or all) of them, provided you have a business case or need to support their use. However, technology is not always the silver bullet.

Many of your intranet users might be what I’ve heard termed “digital immigrants”—users who are being either pushed or pulled, oftentimes reluctantly, into the online world. If your users can’t easily figure out how to use the fancy tools you’ve provide them with, they’ll revert back to their familiar hammer and nail. Making the best use of your technology means starting with a business goal and then presenting the right tool to your users in such a way that they clearly see the benefit of embracing it. It’s shiny. It’s new. And people use it.

Intranet: Plan for Usefulness

2008-01-29T17:09:00.000-08:00

The intranet must be useful in order to bring value to employees. If you know why people go to your site and what they are looking for, the next logical step is to ensure that they can accomplish this as quickly as possible. Ideally, you should perform usability studies BEFORE you launch your intranet. Okay, so most of you already have an intranet up and running. It is not too late to test what you have. Observe users, measure how long it takes for users to complete common tasks, count clicks. Establish metrics; measure where people are going, how long it takes to download or access information, etc.

Intranet: Target Your Audience

2008-01-18T08:17:00.001-08:00

Yes, the intranet has an obvious audience of internal employees. However, in order to provide maximum usability, efficiency, and effectiveness, you need to target your site to various groups within your company. Talk to the various departments and divisions; customize their areas to meet their needs. Why do they go to the intranet? What information do they need? How can this site help them do their jobs better? Find out what is going to make your intranet valuable to employees so that they will use it regularly.

Making Your Intranet Successful

2008-01-15T10:01:00.000-08:00

We all want quick hits on our intranet to show return on investment and usability. How do we balance content and functionality in order to increase efficiency and the bottom line?

My next several posts will look at revolutionizing your intranet to meet your company’s needs including: targeting your audience, planning for usefulness, maximizing your technology, and measuring value.

Disconnect between Give and Take

2008-01-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

I was at a knowledge fair recently and it struck me how attendees viewed getting information versus giving back information--mutually exclusive. Most people at the fair were there to get information. They wanted to learn more about the various internal workings and offerings the company had available. The thought of contributing to the intellectual property of the company was foreign. As promoters and facilitators of knowledge management, it is important to always preach the sharing of best practices, collaborating across teams, and transferring wisdom to those around you. Yes, there are intentional knowledge hoarders...but there are also plenty of other people that simply don't think to post their plan, schedule, checklist, or template where others may benefit. So, go, show, and tell.

Time Magazine's Top 50 Web Sites

2007-12-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

Check it out! 50 Best Web Sites 2007

Nostalgia for Home or Curious for National Headlines

2007-12-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

Check out your hometown headlines at the Newseum Web site: http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/.

Paperless Boarding Passes

2007-12-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

Continental Airlines has teamed with the Transportation Security Administration to offer encrypted bar codes that passengers present at the gate on their cell phones. The pilot program is currently only offered to passengers departing the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, Texas. Will this eliminate paper boarding passes? Although cell phones seem ubiquitous these days, I doubt this transition will happen quickly. And, I don't know about you, but my crackberry has failed me in times of need plenty; I'd be hard pressed to rely solely upon it to board a plane.

Check out the Houston Chronicle story.

Organizing Information for the Holidays

2007-11-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was fantastic. I happened upon my sister’s great organization system for the holidays. She has a three-ring binder with tabbed sections for events attended, parties given, Thanksgiving meals, gifts given, etc. Each year, she attends with her husband various holiday parties. For each party she records what she wore (multiple corporation parties require different outfits) and the host gift; information is filed chronologically by year. Parties she has given she records the guest list, RSVPs, menu, and copy of the invitation. For each Thanksgiving, she records the menu and copies of pertinent recipes. You get the idea—she has a system in place to keep everything organized and sane. Happy Holidays! Thanks, Laura.

Finding Information: Inspired by a Renovation

2007-11-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

In the midst of a renovation project… Where do you find information to make your decisions? 1) Subject matter expert: my father is consulted many times before, during, and after all projects; his knowledge and experience outweigh all other sources. 2) Literature: I checked out every single design book on bathrooms from the library. 3) Friends and family: Many gave opinions, suggestions, and some lessons learned. 4) Manufacturer’s Web site: Surprisingly, this turned out to be a great resource—one I wish I had found before starting the project. They aren’t just selling their products, they are selling the dream of your perfect life with their products (more on that later) and they’re willing to help you plan, design, and execute.

You need to ensure that employees know how to find the knowledge within your company. Subject matter experts should be visible and well-known. Maybe you need an intranet that connects employees or maybe you’d benefit from a social network analysis. Ensure any tangible resource guides, books, and manuals are accessible and easily shared. If employees cannot find the knowledge, then you need to work on getting others to share, transfer, and publicize it. Finally, outside sources of information are necessary and can be very helpful. Do you have a place to share these sources with other employees?

New Student vs. New Employee

2007-11-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

When my daughter started a new middle school, we were overwhelmed and impressed by the communication, organization, and knowledge sharing. They had a system in place that worked! I was expecting to feel like a fish out of water, the new kid on the block, but they started including our family in their community soon after Julia was accepted. Activities included, a pizza party to meet your “peer pal,” dinner with your “peer family,” and a new student breakfast—all before the first day of school. Additional outreach came from the future room parents, admissions director, principal, and welcome committee. Although I thought at first it might be overkill, at every single opportunity we learned more about the school and felt more a part of the school—all the while accomplishing the greater goal of making my daughter feel comfortable and ready to hit the ground running.

This made me think about new employees that join our company. How are we inviting them to be part of the community? Are they being shown the ropes from various perspectives? Beyond HR, what knowledge are we sharing with them? How long does it take them to feel like part of the community? Are we doing everything to ensure the new employee is comfortable and ready to excel in his or her job?

KM Paranoia

2007-10-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

Has anyone read Paranoia by Joseph Finder? Great book, especially if espionage and intellectual property pique your interest, not to mention knowledge sharing and transfer. More business-minded recommendations to come…stay tuned.

Applying the Basics

2007-10-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Where does a company start? You cannot throw together communities of practice, team sites, and document sharing spaces and call it KM. If you are new to KM or considering a new KM initiative, check out my article, KM: Applying the Basics on PM Boulevard.

KM Morsel Introduction

2007-10-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

This blog was created to share my passion for information science, knowledge management, and usability. I hope we can explore interesting ideas, concepts, experiences, and lessons learned. Please contribute, interact, and suggest!