have been working with a colleague on an article looking at the value of online networking.  I was encouraged by the willingness of colleagues to look at how we can provide guidance and support in using the plethora of ‘knowledge tools’ that are available.

We have started to list the benefits and disadvantages of using online networking  and I would welcome any suggested additions:

Benefits

• It helps people remotely based to get to know each other;
• Great opportunity to get to know people all over the world;
• You exchange knowledge and information;
• It is usually free;
• If you work from home or a remote office it can reduce that feeling of isolation;
• As many organisations are no longer based in large office teams and opportunities to meet colleagues in person becomer rarer, it is a great way to get to know your fellow co-workers.  You never know what you may find out about them!
   

Disadvantages

• It is arguable whether the security on some of these sites is any good and there have been incidents of fraudsters and spamming now attacking through these sites, however, the risks are minimal if you use your common sense and don’t share sensitive information about yourself;
• You may not like exposing your life and all your personal details online, but you can usually adjust the settings of your profile to only show or share what you want.

I feel that the various groups and associations working in the knowledge and information arena need to collaborate more with each other and join the online networking spaces where current and potential members are operating. 

There is a pressure on costs and so we need much smarter working within professional associations and groups to secure the  professional developmentand networking that is required by an increasingly diverse and geographically scattered population.

The boundaries between different types of information work within an organization are blurring, and knowledge management (KM) is now essential to the success of any information-centred organization. It is about sharing: establishing a collaborative environment; getting the right information to the right people at the right time, place and cost; and exploiting intellectual capital to increase revenue and improve efficiency.

KM and knowledge sharing must become integral to what organizations do. The processes to enable knowledge capture should be embedded into ways of working. The key focus should be not on technology, but on the facilitation of the appropriate culture and behaviours. Primarily there must be buy-in and sponsorship from the top, inclusion of KM in annual objectives, and proper recognition for those members of an organisation  who excel in sharing knowledge.

When identifying the business benefits of knowledge management there are a number of aspects to consider:

Speed, Quality and Efficiency
Risk Management
Organic growth and structure of organisation 
Opportunities and challenges as organisations seek to recoup their investment in people
Professional development and reflective learning
Talent recruitment and retention
Customer focus

This resource is designed as a one page handout to go with a discussion about the value of Knowledge Management to managers across all sectors.

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