Jordan Frank presented on October 24th, 2012 to the first meeting of the Boston Knowledge Management Association. The focus of this presentation was to break down components of knowledge, explain how context is critical, and conclude with Step 1 and Step 2 approaches to reaching productive KM through collaboration in social software.

1. How?
Carving a path to Productive Knowledge Management.
KMA Boston - Wednesday October 24, 2012
Jordan Frank
VP Sales and BD
& Chief Emergineering Officer
jfrank@tractionsoftware.com
@jordanfrank

2. How would you
Push a String?

3. How would you
Herd Cats?
EDS ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_MaJDK3VNE

4. So, How would you
“Manage” Knowledge?

5. What is Knowledge Management?
No one agrees.
- CIO.com
Unfortunately, there's no universal definition of knowledge management (KM), just as there's no agreement as to what constitutes knowledge in the
first place. For this reason, it's best to think of KM in the broadest context. Succinctly put, KM is the process through which organizations generate
value from their intellectual and knowledge-based assets. http://www.cio.com/article/40343/Knowledge_Management_Definition_and_Solutions
- KM Forum Archives - Various Definitions
-- Collection of processes that govern the creation, dissemination, and utilization of knowledge.
-- Knowledge management is the management of the organization towards the continuous renewal of the organizational knowledge base
-- Knowledge management is an audit of "intellectual assets" that highlights unique sources, critical functions and potential bottlenecks which
hinder knowledge flows to the point of use. It protects intellectual assets from decay, seeks opportunities to enhance decisions, services and
products through adding intelligence, increasing value and providing flexibility.
http://www.km-forum.org/what_is.htm
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6. Components of “Knowledge”
Text and Associated Data
+ Time (when, compared to other content)
+ Tags
+ Links to (and from) other content
+ Relationships to (and from) other content
___________________________________
= Context
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7. Knowledge needs context
John Seeley-Brown, KM World 2012 keynote
Also see JSB on Capturing Context not Just Content (http://traction.tractionsoftware.com/traction/permalink/Blog2007)
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8. WIKI
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9. WIKI Happens in a Blog Timeline
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10. Timelines Span Groups
Context explains knowledge development, and
knowledge maturity.
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11. Wiki - Documentation with Context
Context: Incoming/Outgoing Refs,
History, Comments, Tags
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12. Wiki in a Blog Timeline
Context:
Who was active at the time?
What else was going on?
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13. How to get started?
Can’t just go from Zero to KM Nirvana in 60 seconds.

14. Step 1: Just Ask How!
Start by asking questions.
Document “knowledge” as you go.
Questions add context to knowledge.
Questions test the boundaries.
Questions leverage your greatest
asset: people.
Questions accelerate and improve
ALL business processes.
https://twitter.com/jordanfrank/status/256750620667678720

15. Questions span Systems
John Seeley Brown explains how
emergent social processes span
from structured ERP systems to
social systems.
Questions / Exceptions are real
world process bottlenecks.
Context for social process that
results and the knowledge applied is
necessary for Knowledge
Management and Process
Management.
John Seeley Brown, KM World 2012 keynote
Also see JSB on Capturing Context not Just Content
http://traction.tractionsoftware.com/traction/permalink/Blog2007

16. Step 2: Emergineering
A play on Business Process Some Social “Processes” to consider
Engineering, Social Process
Engineering is “Emergineering.” Questions
FAQs
Beyond questions, social platforms
can combine content with Issues
communication, allowing teams to Meeting Notes
expose and tackle issues as they
arise. Requirements
Policies / Procedures
Emergineering involves realizing,
structuring and formalizing simple Profiles of People, Entities, Items
social processes that happen all the Bulletins
time.
Projects / Milestones / Tasks
Emergineering!
http://traction.tractionsoftware.com/traction/permalink/Blog1326
...and more

17. KM Nirvana - Dashboards and Search
Dashboards
- Elevate structure in content, guide
the reader to what’s important.
- Reinforce emergent social process.
Search
- Provides ready access to content
that is not easy to find, exposes
implicit (key phrases, locations,
companies) and explicit structure
(spaces, authors, editors)
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18. KM Nirvana - Social Task Management
Work process follows
Communication process
In-line tasks are like comments, but
are tracked to completion
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19. Start your TeamPage Trial on the cloud
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20. Jordan Frank
VP Sales and BD
Chief Emergineering Officer
jfrank@tractionsoftware.com
401-528-1145
Any Questions?
Start your TeamPage Trial on the cloud
or download free 5 user version
www.tractionsoftware.com