Storytelling has made the knowledge management radar
because it engages people in a way that almost no other method
can, and through that engagement, the knowledge and learning
come alive—no longer points morts.
Expertise Location
Finding expertise grew out of the notion that “if I could just talk to
someone for a few minutes who knows all about this, I could get my
questions answered in real time and keep my momentum.” This is
not a new concept—everyone has personal networks—it’s just that
to leverage the know-how of a large, global firm requires more than
someone’s personal network. Early and successful attempts at exper-
tise locators were company “yellow pages,” organized by topic area
and listing the best people to call for information.
These hard-copy solutions aged quickly, and so companies
posted these directories on their intranets for easier access and
maintenance. However, whether in hard-copy or electronic form,
these directories are notoriously difficult to keep up-to-date. Soft-
ware vendors have responded to this challenge with an array of fas-
cinating products that automatically profile everyone’s expertise,
based on electronically eavesdropping on what they read or write
or on questions they respond to (and how well they respond).
I am particularly fascinated with these software solutions and
piloted one several years ago. Data from the pilot suggested a return
on investment in excess of 300 percent, but after careful observa-
tion of this topic for several years, success stories are few and far
MAKINGKNOWLEDGEMOVE 237Tip:Before documenting and publishing a slew of stories, identify
the desired behavior changes you’re seeking. According to Den-
ning, the powerful impacts—the ones that can cause profound
change—came from the storytelling experienceand not necessarily
the stories themselves.