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The Biggest Mistakes About KM Adoption
While designing and implementing KM solutions can be tricky, the hardest part is getting people to actually use them. People are busy, and most are not thrilled by change. And unlike transitioning to a new ERP system, for example, KM adoption is often voluntary. This leaves KM teams in the…
How KM Can Take Advantage of the Shift to Virtual Work
Many of us who were lucky enough to remain employed over the last two years received a crash course in working from home. Remote work offers obvious benefits, especially for those with long commutes or disruptive cubemates. But some activities are more complicated when virtual. For instance, it can…
What Is a Job Handoff Document?
A job handoff document is exactly what it sounds like: It’s a record you create for someone who is taking over your job, either temporarily or permanently, to help them get up to speed. A handoff document cannot transfer in-depth expertise from years in a position, but it is a quick-and-dirty way…
Top KM Threats & Opportunities for 2021 & 2022
The world is rethinking where and how people work—and how technology can best support that work. This transformation affects both what knowledge management is capable of and what organizations need from a good KM program. Recognizing that things are changing quickly, APQC launched new KM Trends…
What Is a Community of Practice Charter?
A community charter outlines the purpose, objectives, and scope of a community of practice. It also articulates operational aspects such as who will manage the community, what resources it will need, and how success will be measured. Many organizations claim to have communities of practice…
3 Knowledge Management Trends to Watch
“The pandemic accelerated trends already underway” may be the signature phrase of 2021. As worn out as the sentiment is, it’s hard to get away from. COVID-19 forced people and organizations to shift gears faster than ever before, but it primarily mainstreamed changes that had been gathering force…
What Drives KM Success Inside an Organization
Good KM leaders always want their programs to be better. Even if KM is delivering phenomenal results, they seek out opportunities to hone the strategy, become more efficient, improve the user experience, or boost the value delivered back to the business. The drive for continuous…
What Are the Biggest Barriers to Knowledge Management?
A knowledge management effort can fail for countless reasons, but the breakdown usually starts with a “people problem.” According to APQC’s research, the biggest barriers that hurt knowledge management implementations are awareness, time, and culture. People either aren’t aware of the tools and…
It’s Time for KM to Fix Findability
Employees waste a lot of time looking for stuff. It can be hard to quantify, but most of us are aware of this uncomfortable truth. I consider myself a savvy searcher, and I spend hours each week digging around for past research insights, instructions someone shared with me, and old documents I want…
How Early Measurement Helps Build KM Momentum
Urging a new KM team to establish baseline measures is a little like begging a toddler to finish her broccoli before digging into the chocolate cookies. When KMers first set out, they are excited to start doing things. They want to build systems, connect people, and solve problems. They are less…