management. To ensure that the information in GuideMe is avail-
able at the time and place it is needed, it is Internet-based and
linked to a follow-through management system using hypertext.
The link to GuideMe is positioned on the form used to record
progress and plan future actions. In this way, potentially helpful
suggestions are only “a click away” at the time and in the context
of the planning process.
It should be possible to apply the principle of immediate avail-
ability to any Internet- or intranet-based knowledge system. Hyper-
text transfer protocol (http) supports any number of links to the
same resource. Designers should consider where additional infor-
mation would be most valuable and place links to the knowledge
system in these locations. As will be discussed shortly, the links
should be “smart” and should direct the user to specific, relevant
information, rather than to the general information site as a whole.
Access That Is Simple, Fast, and Specific
The most common complaint of today’s managers is their lack of
time. The continuous influx of information via e-mail, cell phones,
voice mail, faxes, memorandums, and so forth is overwhelming.
We surveyed 115 participants at a Lominger User’s Conference
regarding the impediments to putting learning into action. Time
constraints and conflicting priorities topped the list.
Any system that purports to provide knowledge to support
ongoing development has to be simple, fast, and specific. The sys-
tem must be easy to use without special training or expertise. Given
the time pressure on managers, they will reject a system that
requires an upfront investment of time to learn. Barriers to entry
must be minimized as much as possible. A single sign-on should
suffice for all learning-related activities. Navigation must be clear
and intuitive; avoid the Web designer’s penchant for clever but
ambiguous symbols.
Don’t try to impress users with the size of the database.
Managers do not have time to hunt for information or to browse a
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