This website covers knowledge management, personal effectiveness, theory of constraints, amongst other topics. Opinions expressed here are strictly those of the owner, Jack Vinson, and those of the commenters.

Knowledge technology trap

Don Cohen writes The Knowledge Technology Trap at the Babson Knowledge blog.

Again and again during the two dozen interviews I've conducted to figure out what we've learned from a decade of knowledge management experiences, practitioners said, "Knowledge management projects focused mainly on technology will fail," or words to that effect. ...

He then puts some thought into why this might be and the unfortunate fact that we have to be reminded of this fact over and over again.   Maybe it just has to do with the human (or American) belief that technology can solve our problems.

This persistent search for the silver bullet (or the silver bullet point) is a kind of tribute to American optimism, the belief that we can make ourselves, our companies, and the world better if we find the magic formula. Too bad it's not true.

This also relates to the idea that Michael Gilbert talks about as The Tyranny of the Tangible (my post).  It is so much easier to look at technology as a solution, than it is to create a change in the underlying behaviors of people at work.

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