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KM Edge: Where the best in Knowledge Management come together

APQC knowledge management km best practices

What Do a Tulip and $700 Billion Have in Common?October 3

I was asked last week, "Is the current subprime credit mess evidence of a massive knowledge-sharing failure?" "Would better knowledge management have helped?"

My answer to both questions was "no". This collapse isn't a failure of knowledge to flow or best practices to transfer.  Knowledge of investment "opportunities" and cheap credit flowed like wine. Credit (the plastic version) or buying a piece of the American dream (the condo version) was easy; lenders could offload debt to others, get their money, and do it all over again.  Those "best practices" transferred quickly.  Shareholders--people like you and me-- rewarded the companies making the biggest short-term profits by buying their stock and firing the CEOs who didn't go along.

So what do a tulip and $700 billion (the possible price tag of our current predicament) have in common? They are both evidence of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds and the triumph of human yearn

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...September 30

...when Hurricane Ike swept through Houston and the surrounding southeastern TexasGulfCoast region. We lost power at my house at 3:14 a.m. Saturday morning. (Yes, I was awake when that occurred. I have been through hurricanes and tropical storms before and know what they can do to a home, a neighborhood, and a city. My husband, who has not lived through one of these, slept the sleep of the innocent.) Later that morning, after the wind died down and the rain slackened, we ventured outside to assess the damage. We were fortunate--minor damage to one window sill and the roof. Many of our immediate neighbors and those in the greater GulfCoast region were not as lucky.

What we saw next, and over the ensuing days and weeks, was another example of the power of community and networking. News channels and radio stations immediately started round-the-clock broadcasting of key information regarding FEMA sites, Red Cross sites, open grocery stores and gas stations, etc.

But more importantly, neighbors and strangers came together to help each other out by sharing food, water, generators, gasoline, and

San Jose in the FallSeptember 25

KMWorld is an annual event that I always enjoy attending. No, not because San Jose is a beautiful, comfortable place to be during September (although it is both), but because it's a place to learn, to collaborate, to meet new folks, and to catch up with long-time KM friends. Jane Dysart and Hugh McKellar always put on a good show here in central California, and this year has been no different.

What is different from 2007 is the sense of what's hot, if that's an appropriate term to use in this area we call KM. (If you're wondering why I would even ask that question, note that "Is KM dead?" was also asked at the conference.) What I'm feeling here--or not feeling to be more precise--is the overwhelming number of sessions devoted to the topic of Web 2.0 social networking applications. To be sure, there are some breakouts devoted to connectivity via social tools, but overall, there seems to be more balance between technology and "softer" topics this year. Practical advice such as how to gain sponsorship, real world case studies, and techniques for improved knowledge sharing seem to be just as prevalent topics.

APQC Has Survived Hurricane IkeSeptember 22

As many of you are probably aware, APQC is based in HoustonTexas, which suffered a major hurricane on the night of September 12. Ike's high winds and flooding caused severe damage throughout the area, and more than two million residents were left without power.

Fortunately, the APQC campus was extremely lucky and sustained only minor damage. Although many old and beautiful trees were downed around the property, the building was unharmed and electricity was restored only a few days after the storm. Our disaster recovery team did a great job of keeping staff members informed about what was happening at APQC.

With most schools closed and many homes still without power, the past week has been challenging for many APQC employees. However, things in Houston are slowly returning to normal, and

I'm happy to announce that KM Edge will resume its regular posting schedule this week. Thank you so much for your patience and good wishes during this difficult time.

A Presentation on Mentoring in the U.S. NavySeptember 11

A few months ago, I posted about Creating an Effective Mentorship Program. Now I'd like to share a PowerPoint presentation about mentoring that was created by one of the officers I mentor.

The presentation is very well done and deals with mentoring from all perspectives, including that of the mentor, the individual being mentored, and the organizational leadership. The material in the presentation is based on two very good sources: "Follow My Lead" by Evan H. Offstein and Jason M. Morwick of the American Society for Quality (September 2004), and The Elements of Mentoring by W. Brad Johnson and Charles R. Ridley (2004).

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own.