Blogging for Knowledge Exchange
Darlene FichterData Library Coordinator
University of Saskatchewan Library
Internet Librarian 2002
Knowledge Management
KM is an umbrella term for a collection of disciplines, methods and tools that support creation and sharing of intellectual assets to achieve business/organization goals
Often use information infrastructure
Patti Anklam, Social Network Analysis, KMWorld2002
Intranets & KM
Formally or informally, intranets support KM by: Encoding Storing Transmitting information
Typically projects focus on: Knowledge bases provide information
to support staff Communities of practice
Driving Forces
Need to innovate and adapt more quickly
Improve business processes Succession planning
Smarter Faster Better
Fifty percent of faculty at our university will retire within 5 years.
The KM Promise
Instant sharing and flow of strategic information and knowledge
Seamlessly everywhere throughout the organization
Ensuring a well informed workforce Respond to the vagaries of the new
economy A way to “capture” what senior staff
know
KM Modes of Knowledge Transfer
Explicit knowledge is definable and objective; easily documented and transferred
KM Modes of Knowledge Transfer
Tacit knowledge lives in people’s heads and their practices; used every day but you see it only when it’s used.
“Know – how” Most difficult and elusive
Tapping into Tacit Knowledge
You can influence and encourage Storytelling and coaching are two
effective techniques
Organizational Challenges
KM is a great concept Many KM solutions are complex
Workflow, software, implementation Highly structured Mega projects
In short, they are overwhelming
Employee Challenges
Employees are reluctant to share My knowledge is what makes me
valuable to my employee, if I share it my value diminishes
“What’s in it for me?” How will I be valuable if I share all
my “know-how”? Cynicism about the hype and words
Librarians are knowledge-brokers
From Blogs to K-Logs*
Blogs K-Logs
Firewall
*John Robb, President of Userland is the originator of the concept k-logs.
Klogging – Another Definition
Dave Gurteen described the “purpose of a klog is to write about, comment or point to web resources on a particular topic.”
Blogs
Light weight content management tools
Post with a web form, bookmarklet or windows client
Quick and easy to set up Simple for employees to contribute
to corporate intranet/knowledge base
KISS
Teams
Capture the facts Plans Steps in the process Best new web resources Lessons learned Tips Where to look
Collaborative content
Unlock Tacit Knowledge
Stories are a good framework for sharing information, meaning and knowledge (Nichani/Rajamanickam)
Blogs encourage story telling Fosters understanding because they
usually offer context Good stores resonate, so do good
blogs
Blogging is a train-of-thought technology. Scott Dinsdale
Relationships
Excellent at ONE to MANY communication
Allows participation Breaks down the silos Allows us to have “connected
content”
Informal Communities
The ease of cross-linking and the conversational nature, fosters social networking
Self – organizing communities emerge
Support Smart Distribution Methods
One blog or many RSS Syndication of one blog,
categories to specific groups and individuals automatically
Tools
More than 3 dozen tools Just a mention of 2 business focused
blogging products: Trellix Traction software
My January/February 2003 column in Online magazine, www. onlineinc.com will talk about how to choose tools.
What’s in it for ME?
Self-rewarding Often bloggers report they discover
their own interests, refine their perspectives …
“Peer” recognition
Definition of a Knowledge Worker
“A knowledge worker is someone whose job entails having really interesting conversations at work.”
David Weinberger