The KMWorld 2019 conference kicked off on Monday, November 4 in Washington, DC. Many of the keynotes, panels, and speakers have been focused on this year’s theme, “Knowledge Sharing in the Age of New Technologies,” and the ways in which good knowledge management practices can drive innovation in the workplace.
Highlights from KMWorld 2019
Cultural change is platform agnostic. When you are gearing up to change platforms, adopt new processes, or launch a new KM initiative, the focus should be on the users. Initiating and supporting cultural change when using new technologies is not about the technology itself, but the people.
Branding gives legs to your KM program. When launching a new KM program, think through the communications and marketing aspects. Giving your KM program a name can help drive engagement, plus it’s a good way to reiterate the idea that knowledge management is not synonymous with a platform or system.
If you are using a particular platform as the basis for a new intranet or other knowledge sharing purpose, it can be helpful to name that instead of referring to it by the software powering the platform. For example, come up with an organization-specific name for the intranet instead of referring to it as “SharePoint.” Heifer International named their digital workplace “The Corral,” and YMCA refers to their knowledge sharing platform as “LINK.”
Other communication tips: use a standard logo, branding supplements, and press releases to help keep everyone on the same page.
Encourage open feedback with KM programs. Give employees options to provide feedback in multiple ways and at various levels such as a creator community, direct feedback, or open commenting and surveys. Having a way to submit a confidential question to organization leaders will also help employees feel respected and heard.
Look for Return on Expectations (ROE). ROE is a great way to benchmark success. Understand what individuals and groups are looking for and work towards their expectations. Working towards specific expectations lets you track results more fluidly and make changes as needed to show you are working for the betterment of the organization and all employees.
Never trust AI that is not transparent. Know where your private data resides, where it is going to, and to know when your AI devices are listening. While these are good practices for personal data security, they also to minimize the chances of AI biases.
While technology is a key element of knowledge management, it’s just one aspect. Knowledge management is about people, processes, and technology — and your organization’s KM program must reflect that. Connecting KM too closely to a particular tool or technology will limit its reach and effectiveness.
More from KMWorld 2019
On Wednesday and Thursday, the FireOak team will be sharing some knowledge management tips and tricks via Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook — look for #KnowledgeManagement, #KMTips, and #KMWorld. Plus, we’ll be updating this article with additional highlights and takeaways from the conference.
