creative approaches that can be tried. Think about including mon-
etary incentives for high-value contributions (perhaps based on
user feedback), special perks for contributors, or just special recog-
nition of individuals for their expertise (removing the Rodney
Dangerfield “I get no respect” attitude). It’s also important to
recognize that participation can be seen as new work that takes
time away from other work. When potential knowledge contribu-
tors complain that they have no time, they are surfacing conse-
quences you must deal with, either by reevaluating workloads or by
convincing participants that work levels will actually decrease as a
result of the new KM system (maybe by using success stories or role
models).
Value Proposition
To get real and sustainable acceptance, knowledge management
systems must offer value to users and the business as a whole. Imple-
menting KM because it’s “cool” technology or because everyone
else is doing it is hardly a reason for long-term, serious support. The
value proposition for knowledge management must address at least
two groups of people, and it may be different for each group. For
executives who support and fund the initiative, knowledge man-
agement must bring benefits to the business. Increased productiv-
ity, enabling people to access more accurate information more
quickly, is one form of value. However, good value propositions
should be more specific. How might the KM system improve sales
results? How might it enhance the customer care component of the
business or improve the capabilities of the research and develop-
ment department? The more clear and precise the value proposi-
tion is both quantitatively and qualitatively, the more likely it will
be to gain long-term support.
The value proposition should also address users. Why should
they accept and use KM? From a change management perspective,
people respond positively to benefits. When developing a value
proposition for KM users, focus on the system’s benefits, not its
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