Unfortunately KM has been implemented by the library/IM sector. So it’s no surprise that KM has been tainted or corrupted to treat knowledge as if it were objects.

KM is not IM…full stop. KM is more a conversation and sense-making. The best way for this to happen is design, top-down support, and an engaging environment.

Yes IM and KM are connected. We make sense out of information using our current internal knowledge. We take part in the dance of communication by conversing and re-framing information into our context, and action it. This is the act of KM, the result is just another piece of information…ready to be re-mixed again.

Yes, I do prefer the term Knowledge facilitation…a LinkedIn meme treaded this ground not long ago. Good luck reading, it as 294 comments at the moment
http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&gid=47726&discussionID=9979521&sik=1267666272371&trk=ug_qa_q&goback=%2Eana_47726_1267666272371_3_1

If we have this KM mindset and framework, I think this is naturally going to lead to a connected networked/role-based organisation that can adapt to change…very agile.

Information Management is formal and therefore must be managed.

There is a need for both in the world and the two need to be complimentary to each other

I agree very that knowledge management and information management are two completely different, yet interconnected things.

The term knowledge management is wrong in my opinion and facilitates confusion between that and information management. Information Management is formal in my opinion whereas knowledge ‘culture’ is informal and needs to be facilitated as opposed to ‘managed’. Maybe Knowledge Facilitation is a better term for it.

Not sure if I told you this story………

I looked at your blog and was interested in your comments under Technology and Awareness about training, mentoring and apprenticeships and have a comment for you on this subject. I attempted to post a reply however I think I took too long and got booted out.

A few years ago when we were working on the Jamalco project for Alcoa we were hit by what we called a catastrophic event. Three of our top modellers quit and went to the competition leaving a huge hole in our resources. What were we to do

I thought back to when I was an apprentice Draughtsman, the training, college and mentoring I received over a period of four years and considered how I could compress that and apply it to our situation. I approached my boss on the project and laid out my idea. We would use the young engineering student we had working with us as a guinea pig. I had al;ready compiled a variety of training material, tutorials etc and I proceeded to put to-gether a plan.

the trainee would start with 2D3D Microstation which he would take five days to complete.The next step was to build a 3D model of a building from an old Microstation tutorial using all the tools he had learned so far.

The next step was Bentley Structural and Triforma. Bentley had provided us with five short videos outlining how one could quickly build foundations and using Triforma and Bentley Structural for the Steelwork.

After this had been completed Frameworks was the next challenge and an appropriate tutorial was used for this phase.

for each of the tutorials we allowed five days for completion after which we tested the trainee with a series of questions taken from the tutorials or material provided. We did not grade the results but used them as an indicator of the trainee’s understanding of the tools. Remediation was provided where necessary.

All this time the trainee had at his disposal a Mentor who was a seasoned modeller familiar with the software. In this case I was the Mentor. The trainee was not allowed to ask the Mentor questions until he had used all his other resources including the help button. This forced the trainee to think for himself and problem solve while the Mentor continued with his responsibilities. Only then was the trainee allowed to approach the Mentor.

This proved very successful and we moved into high gear. We sourced Autocad trained people and flipped them into Microstation users. they then became Mentors for the next phase. we went to the colleges and identified a group of young graduates from a Civil Technology Program for a second interview.

Four were eventually selected, three of which completed the initial training and they themselves became Mentors for the next group of trainees, further developing their own analytical and problem solving skills.

All of these trainees are now in important modelling positions on a variety of large and small projects. I haven’t replaced an apprenticeship program but I think I have adapted the idea to our changing technology.

Unfortunately due to the economic downturn further development of this system is on hold. I documented the progress of some of the trainees by doing a video taped interview with them where they discussed their own experience with the training. If interested I can make this available.

regards

Charlie McGowan

This post was mentioned on Twitter by pingmicro: Informal information management and knowledge management are not the same http://goo.gl/fb/vAvc http://j.mp/KnowMore