Knowledge Management (Part 5)

Now that we have reviewed the theories of and strategies for implementing knowledge management programs, I want to provide a few real-life knowledge management tools that I have seen work:

Newsletters- Newsletters can be both the flagship of KM efforts and an important outlet for knowledge “assets.” While at Alcatel-Lucent, I edited the LawLink quarterly newsletter for ten issues. Despite my initial fears, not once did I ever lack for enough content. It seems attorneys have a lot of info and insights they like to share, but don’t always have an outlet, so the newsletter provided a much needed media platform. Of course, smaller departments may not have the same need for an internal newsletter, but may want to consider broadening the audience to include internal non-law colleagues as a way to promote greater understanding of the role and value of the law department. One of the more acclaimed features was a “Spotlight On…” column which consisted of interviews of colleagues. In that aspect, a newsletter is as valuable a tool for teambuilding as it is for knowledge sharing.

After Action Reviews- An After Action Review is designed for people to share their first-person experiences and lessons learned in a simple format. The AAR is designed to capture information from people who don’t want to write a “researched” article, but still want to share lessons learned from their experiences. In a variation on the After Action Review concept, colleagues can create a modular training packages based upon an after-action analysis.

Subject Matter Expert “Yellow Pages”- It’s surprising how little employees know about the expertise and experience of their own colleagues. Creating a comprehensive skills/experience directory is a simple step that pays huge dividends in knowledge sharing. Currency is critical for the credibility of directories, so I recommend a regular update schedule.

Communities of Practice-Communities of Practice (COPs) are universally hailed as the “killer application” of Knowledge Management programs. Yet, they are hard to conceptualize. At their core COP’s are based on a simple concept: Learning and Knowledge Sharing are primarily social activities.

Etienne Wegner, a leading theorist in COP’s writes:

Apprenticeship works by being integrated in social participation. Whenever high levels of skills are required-whether we are to become a fluent speaker of a language, a neurosurgeon, a nurse, an X-ray technician, a physicist, or a master mechanic-we organize learning in an apprenticeship-like fashion. The social world, then, is not a distraction, but a rich resource essential to learning. In fact, there is no distinction between learning and social participation, and that is what makes learning possible, enduring, and meaningful.

Whether a COP’s meets monthly, six times a year, quarterly or annually, I have found that this type of information sharing forum is one of the most effective KM initiatives.

Brown Bag Lunches- Lunch seminars are a low-tech way to disseminate information and achieve esprit de corps.

The Virtual Law Library- Maintaining currency in a legal field can be encouraged through a Virtual Library Program (VLP). Under the VLP each participant is given an allowance of up to $200 per annum to purchase a book or subscription related to an area of the law relevant to her/his practice. The quid pro quo for receiving this allowance is that each participating member must (i) create a Knowledge Asset out of the book (e.g.- an article for the newsletter, a summary/digest of the book for the law website, etc.) and (ii) be a consultant on such topic(s) for their colleagues. The goal of the VLP is to foster a learning culture, to provide attorneys with the current research tools needed to perform most effectively, to promote collaborative work habits, and to encourage development of expertise in important areas of the law.

On Monday, we will conclude the Knowledge Management series by profiling some additional KM practices.