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For business, challenge of 'Knowledge Management' is all about trying to capture knowledge of our people and embed it within our organisation. This reduces reliance on key individuals and makes business more 'scalable'. It also saves time and effort as identical problems aren't solved and re-solved over and over again.

Knowledge sharing is ultimate 'win-win'. No matter how many times we share our knowledge with others, we still get to keep it for ourselves.

This doesn't make knowledge management easy to do. There are no short-cuts. It takes time and effort. (That's why apprenticeships take three or four years.)

While technology may have a role to play in enhancing Knowledge Management, it is ultimately a people issue. It needs trust, an open environment and plenty of direct interaction. It needs forums for people to share their experiences and perspectives.

The growth of Knowledge Management industry has occurred in part because organisations are realising that knowledge of their people makes up a large part their value. The starting point is creation of time, space and environment for knowledge sharing to happen. It may be no more than a loosely structured version of Friday afternoon drinks.

(For further reading and five thoughts on how to promote knowledge sharing, visit http://www.businesssimplification.com.au/km.htm)

© David Brewster, February 2002

Despite this, there are many things you can do to improve your level of clarity (see http://www.businesssimplification.com.au/actions/clarity.htm). But none of these will work unless you are prepared to do two things:

- First, you need to be prepared to be honest with yourself. It can be very convenient to kid yourself that you have clarity - that you have all answers - when really you are simply tired of trying.

The histories of science and business are littered with examples of evidence being selectively gathered - and ignored - to support a preconceived notion, rather than to truly understand. Take various large business collapses of recent times as cases in point. 'Experts' do it all time.

- Secondly, remember that we always have lived and always will live in uncertain times - and we will always be busy. I found following in a business book recently: "Most easily is necessity for personal stock-taking overlooked in rush and routine of earning a living". It was written in 1876*.

The time to take stock is now.

*James Platt, "Business", London, 1876

© David Brewster, May 2002