Posted by Randy Jordan on November 07, 1999 at 10:32:56:

In Reply to: Re: Information Overload posted by L.Gröhn on November 07, 1999 at 05:07:43:

KM systems can provide a framework for identifying information needs and types of knowledge outcomes that users want to reach, more quickly. The development process can clarify business goals, work tasks, and the way (process, flow)these things come together, to support the primary business mission or vision.

The process can also indentify how we tend to express the importance of a business goal or value, but, in practice, reward performance that undercuts the expressed goal. For example, we want information technology (IT)upgrades and cutting edge applications, but IT workers are more strongly evaluated on how well they keep the network up and running than how innovative they are.

It makes sense when I say it outloud, but non-IT workers don't always understand this. When training wants to implement an online system, they don't understand the immediate threat this proposal presents to the network or the potential man-hours demand. IT just seems uncooperative and they often say, "you don't understand" instead of saying, "here is how we can help each other." There is a lot more too it of coure, but when departments work in "isolation", they don't know where the "great mission" idea ends and another departments "reality" begins.

The KM development process CAN allow people from different departments to get a look at the working reality across functional areas. The knowledge from this experience can inform KM design decisions, which can filter and focus information in ways that reduce overload.

A metaphor that has "worked" 60% of the time is:
KM is an information spreasheet. It can help you summarize numerical details and results in a "higher" level view of information. This reduces the amount of detailed information you might otherwise have to slog through (adding integers, etc.). But, until we know which columns of summaries are significant factors in our direct operation OR the direct operation of a critical support function, We may still have a lot to sort out. KM planning can help identify which summaries NOT to look at, which can be a blessing in it's own right.

When an organization-wide KM effort is developed without taking time to clarify reality issues across departments, it can also add to information overload. KM is not a purely logical process, in my opinion. When it doesn't account for the "politics" or emotions attached to different varieties of logic, people find ways to "cope" with it instead of becoming more productive.

Still, the potential benefits of a well-designed KM system makes it a business imperative to find out if it can benefit your organization. Just keep asking questions until you get answers in a context that makes sense to you.

Good luck,

RJ

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Follow Ups:

• Re: Information Overload Reilly Atkinson 16:46:19 11/08/99 (0)
• Re: Information Overload Martyn R Jones 05:00:55 11/08/99 (1)
  • Re: Information Overload Randy Jordan 10:05:25 11/11/99 (0)

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