Corporate Culture
Priority One: Case Deflection
Knowledge Management is a relatively new discipline, combining specializations including process and project management, technical communication and business analysis. Sometimes people are not completely certain about what a knowledge manager can do – they just know that they need one – someone to own the process of getting that valuable information out of people’s heads […]
No Fault of Your Own: Working Through an Acquisition
So there you are, sitting at your desk, minding your business, doing your job when the news hits you – your company has been acquired. Depending on the corporate culture, the initial news may come via a rumor mill or official channels. Conversely, you may receive notification that your employer has purchased a company. Regardless […]
Why Knowledge Management Matters
Knowledge management (KM) is more than the sexy word for training. Don’t get me wrong, learning development is intrinsic to knowledge management. However, KM is about every company’s greatest intellectual assets – the people! Knowledge management is about capturing what individuals know and making it an available resource for the benefit of an entire organization. The NASA definition […]
Exposing Yourself!
Renowned author Helen Keller (who was hearing and visually impaired) once said “Security is mostly a superstition…Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” It is my observation that the Technical Communication industry inherently attracts introverts. The detailed, complex, methodical, analytical work that can be […]
Addressing Pain Points
An intense analysis process is the first step of Business Process Management (BPM). You must understand the current state before you can make recommendations for improvement. Following the analysis phase, recommendations are categorized any number of ways: short-term vs. long-term, inexpensive vs. costly, and so on. Depending on the corporate culture, business analysts often try […]
Take It To the MAX!
During a recent job interview, I was asked to describe my work approach. Reflecting on my desire to always do everything within my power to ensure success, I described myself as being “maximalistic”. In my mind, it was the opposite of a minimalistic approach to tasks. While minimalism is a fine principle of technical writing, […]
The Courage to Click
I recently had the privilege of speaking to a college class about knowledge management. As these students begin exploring career avenues, one inquired about LinkedIn and whether it is truly an effective method to connect with people. Without hesitation, I endorsed LinkedIn. After all, I had connected with colleagues, mentees, and mentors via the professional […]
CyberEtiquette 101
During last week’s Telepresence discussion with the Center for Information-Development Management group on LinkedIn, group member Doris expressed her challenges as a remote worker attending meetings. She often misses nuances of conversations that are barely within audible range. In addition, she welcomed the possibility of a telepresence, particularly during meetings so that she could have […]
Looking Ahead to Telepresence
Remember when a conference call was cutting edge? Now it’s commonplace. How about that first webinar? It wasn’t necessarily a cinch to get in, but once you got in, you were relieved to participate without having to fly to a different city. As companies tried to reduce travel costs, the adoption of virtual meetings seemed […]
Knowledge Management Kitchen 