Phil Wolff:

Klogging vs. the 11 Deadly KM Sins.

How does klogging avoid the quagmire?

1. Not developing a working definition of knowledge

The best exercise is the one you do. The same is true for KM tools and practices.

People klog.

It’s easier to edit than write. The best way to define knowledge is to start from experience; klogging gives you that experience. More data points loosely scattered.

2. Emphasizing knowledge stock to the detriment of knowledge flow

Klogging is all about flow.

Freshness, updates, syndication, aggregation, linking. Part and parcel.

3. Viewing knowledge as existing predominantly outside the heads of individuals

Klogging is conversational. Content-rich klogs help you find the right people to chime in on a question.

4. Not understanding that a fundamental intermediate purpose of managing knowledge is to create shared context

Klogging illuminates context.

Context of time.

Of geography.

Of social connection.

Of topic.

By reading your colleague’s klogs, you crawl inside a little of their day.

Almost as fun as being John Malkovich

5. Paying little heed to the role and importance of tacit knowledge

Klogging creates a tacit source.

I may not be conscious of documenting my knowledge. I may just be telling the story of an encounter with a customer, a staff meeting, a thorny problem.

It is there, or clues to it, just the same.

6. Disentangling knowledge from its uses

Klogging puts knowledge in context. Expose the experience of applying knowledge by klogging your After Action Reviews.

7. Downplaying thinking and reasoning

Klogs’ conversational nature encourages people to share their train of thought and explain their conclusions.

8. Focusing on the past and the present and not on the future

Klogging won’t help, yet. Unless you klog your plans, visions, scenarios, coming events, trends…

9. Failing to recognize the importance of experimentation

Can’t help you there. You either reward the effort so people try new things, or you don’t.

10. Substituting technological contact for human interface

Klogging complements face time. That which can be electronically mediated, is. That which needs real space (decisions, brainstorming, bonding) gets it.

If you are a virtual team, widely dispersed, klogs augment conference calls and email.

11. Seeking to develop direct measures of knowledge

Nike: “Just Do It.”

The U.S.M.M.A motto: “Acta non verba” (action, not talk)

Forest Gump: “Knowledge is as Knowledge does.”

You can measure klogging. Operational health, user activity. Hits, posts, by user, by category.

But klogging is not about chunking knowledge (although “the post” is almost an atomic expression of an idea).

Real knowledge is created by multiple authors, in multiple posts, over time. Klogging tools help you uncover the threads that tie them together.

The indirect measures are most important: Improvement in sales, cost containment, employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, speed, quality.