leadership support in these groups, and there will undoubtedly be a
positive correlation between leadership support and KM adoption.
Success Stories
Nothing succeeds like success, and the appeal of success is moti-
vating to people who are trying something new. When they hear
from others, like themselves, that KM has made work easier,
improved performance, or helped serve customers better, for exam-
ple, they are more likely to believe that they can benefit as well. It’s
simply not enough to tell people about the benefits of KM or even
show them. You must find ways for potential users to see themselves
in the future state.
Whether you present these stories in live meetings, in text, on
video, online, or in any other format, the key to their effectiveness
will be their authenticity. Refrain from hiring actors or trying to
create hypothetical situations. Use real people who can relate their
personal experiences, perhaps including early struggles and how
they overcame them. Success stories, possibly drawn from pilot KM
projects or from early adopter groups, will give the broader popula-
tion a way to truly understand that “if they can do it, so can I.”
Consequences and Incentives
People are much more likely to adopt KM when they believe that
both they and the organization will benefit. On the other hand, if
people believe that the new system brings with it more work, lots of
hassle, and perhaps punishment of some kind (for example, a con-
flict with how the boss wants work done), they’ll avoid it like the
plague. So when introducing knowledge management, provide
the right incentives so that people will do more than try it out:
they’ll stick with it. It is also important to remove any consequences
of participation. Both are essential.
On the incentives side, consider how people will be encour-
aged to contribute to or use the KM system. There are many
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