In his September 29th, 2005 post, how to save the world blogger Dave Pollard has a message for companies struggling with effective collaboration: the solution must go beyond technologies (the focus of 1st generation knowledge management) by focusing on the cultural challenges of changing peoples' behaviors. Furthermore, the ideal solution will accommodate them rather than attempting to "fix" them. He goes on to enumerate 23 dysfunctional behaviors and 22 specific suggestions on addressing them. Finally, he contrasts what he calls "1st- and 2nd-generation knowledge management" elements. (For the most part, I call his 2nd-generation elements collaboration tools)

The concepts presented fit with what I've seen over my years of experience with technology adoption.

There are three aspects that must be addressed successfully: people (a.k.a. cultural challenges), processes, and technologies. Each leg of the adoption tripod is critical for success , but often projects focus on one to the exclusion of the others. I've seen stunning failures that serve as examples for each:

• People focused workforce transformation projects, unsupported with appropriate processes and information tools.
  
  Result: people felt they were being asked to do the impossible. Many left the organization while others quietly continued to do the same old thing they always did as the company's future spiraled downward.)
  
  
• Process focused quality initiatives (CMM, CMMI to be exact) where the process was dictated or mandated and involved mostly manual procedures.
  
  Result: organizations celebrated superficial success when they were assessed at their target level of maturity (for example CMM Level 3), but never reaped the promised benefits of quality improvements and cost savings.
  
  
• Technology focused knowledge portal implementations approached with a "build it and they will come" mentality.
  
  Result: Many have been retired completely, but a few still stand empty today as an embarrassing testament to their failed projects .

7:36:28 PM    
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