Overview

Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well informed just to be undecided about them.

Laurence J. Peter

Chapter Thirteen Learning Objectives

• Be aware that choosing the wrong metrics, or misconstruing their relevance, risks allowing your metrics to cost you your objectives.

• Know that advocating knowledge sharing as the normal way of doing business can sometimes increase the difficulty of inquiring into the impact of those particular KM projects.

• Learn the difference between "complicated" and "complex" systems.

• Recognize that wicked environments can be incrementally improved upon, but rarely (if ever) will an ideal "solution" be found.

It is not enough to collect a database full of information and hope people begin to use it and contribute knowledge. After establishing a centralized knowledgebase in an easily accessible place, it becomes time to evaluate its performance. Typically, performance metrics are anecdotal, quantitative, or qualitative, but how can you measure such intangibles as communication, collaboration, and trust?

Anecdotal metrics: Measures based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous analysis. This type of analysis is often used to measure the dissemination of certain stories, values, and ideas throughout an organization.

Quantitative metrics: Measures that determine amount or quantity. The measurement of the time required to capture the information in a usable manner provides a useful metric for evaluating and improving data capture operations. The level of knowledgebase authoring is often used to measure acceptance and buy-in for KM initiatives.

Qualitative metrics: Measures of,...