KM encompasses such a broad range of meanings that everyone has a different definition. It’s rather like an elephant - one person holding onto the trunk says knowledge management is about enhanced document retrieval software; another holding the tail claims it’s a searchable repository for technical support calls. And there’s a lot to cover in between!

Having read Lucidea’s white paper (“Building the Resilient Library”) based on the panel discussion they sponsored at a recent Special Libraries Association conference, I noticed the emphasis on proactivity as a key characteristic of successful librarians, especially when change occurs in their organizations.

In my first post on this topic, I looked at the fundamental flaw in self-driving cars – the inability to respond to the unexpected, such as suddenly encountering a lady and a duck in the middle of the road. As mentioned, this story is very applicable to the way we build our knowledge management systems and information centers.

If you have been following the developments, dreams, and travails in the quest to build a self-driving car, you may have heard the story about the lady with a duck. I think this story has great applicability as we build our knowledge management systems and information centers.

Wow! It’s what we want to hear when users start using any new piece of software. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen often. That’s all about to change because of two important trends: Experience Design or XD – the practice of focusing on the quality of the user experience, and XD Enabled Software - which empowers non-technical people to create the “wow factor” end users crave. McKinsey’s recent podcast, The Power of Design Thinking, has important observations for anyone implementing new systems.

I recently watched a great series on Acorn TV, titled “Liberty of London.” It’s about how the iconic British department store, founded in 1875, has been revitalized to broaden its appeal, enhance its image and expand its client base. They didn’t change the store name – it’s a huge asset. But they did a lot of things that change how the store is perceived.

McKinsey & Company’s recent podcast, How Companies Become Digital Leaders, raised a number of key points that we can all apply to our own careers. Jay Scanlan, head of McKinsey’s Digital Strategy Practice, states in the podcast, “[companies that are] digital leaders massively outperform digital followers and digital laggards.” This applies equally to knowledge management professionals.

In my first post on the changing habits of information consumers and the changing role of information professionals as part of the knowledge supply chain, I shared examples of increasing complexity, underpinned by technology and changes in personal preference. In this post, let’s take a look at the third paradigm (KM 3.0) and see what it means for the sustainability and relevance of knowledge managers and special librarians.

As I was finishing last week’s successful webinar on KM Pitfalls with Stan Garfield, an audience member asked a question about Enterprise Social Networks and their value. It made me think about Lucidea CEO Ron Aspe’s blog post on the ways in which information consumption is changing, and has changed over time - and how our personal habits are a key driver of this change. Let me explain…

A recent Harvard Business Review article entitled The Limits of Empathy got me thinking about why many knowledge managers and information specialists are so great at their jobs – and how being empathetic can hamper their efforts.

So, you don’t tweet. Should you? Research shows that Millennials, who have entry-and mid-level jobs in the companies you and I work in, have different expectations about getting and sharing information. Tweeting, pinning, linking, and “Instagramming” are the new information channels.

The way people engage with information every day is changing. Why is this important? It’s not about what we industry veterans think is the “best way” to find important content - it’s what our end users think that matters.

I was speaking with a client the other day about faceted search. (For more information on that subject see my recent blog post “A Firm Foundation for Faceted Search.”) We discussed the need for well-organized and well-structured data to support useful faceted searching. The client challenged that need, and stated she had read and been told that some forms of search require no data preparation and will work with completely unstructured data.

In Seth Earley’s interesting blog post “What’s in Store for 2016,” he mentions a Frog Design report that lists “Friendship as a Service” as one of the coming technology trends. A less cynical view of the interest in (and benefits of) connectedness with others encompasses our concept of “return on partnership,” which we believe is just as valuable as “return on investment.”

Faceted searching works well when your content is well organized and well cataloged. What exactly does that mean, and what are the benefits of faceted searching?

I just read a CMSWire blog post on “Preparing for the Future of Knowledge Management.” While the article contains some excellent advice, I strongly disagree with one of the core recommendations.

The other day I joined a discussion on content migration with a client who is beginning a KM project. While preparing for the meeting I ran into this post. It’s from a customer support company, but many of the migration issues they face are similar to my KM experiences. I’d like to share some of the strategies we’ve used over time to turn this early implementation challenge into an opportunity for KM success.

This holiday season is an appropriate time to republish a post from our CEO, Ron Aspe, on the value of our partnerships with you, our much appreciated clients. Our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible. Thank you for being our trusted partners.

At Lucidea, we believe that commercial partnership includes a consultative, collaborative element; ideally, vendor and client make each other smarter and more effective. I can certainly think of many times when clients, longstanding or new, have helped me to be smarter and more effective.