an online book by David Gurteen
In this chapter, I take a look at the nature of data, information, and knowledge and various aspects of Knowledge Management.Our most effective knowledge management tool is conversation.
The words we choose, the questions we ask, and the metaphors we use to explain ourselves are what determine our success in creating new knowledge as well as sharing that knowledge with each other.
Organizations and individuals face increasing complexity and uncertainty. Relying on isolated knowledge limits understanding and leads to biased decisions. Sharing ideas and insights through conversation helps people make sense of information, solve problems, and adapt to change together. Continue reading Introduction: Knowledge Management Knowledge Management is not an oxymoron
Effective Knowledge Management is crucial in today’s complex world, however, the distinction between terms like data, information, knowledge, explicit, tacit, and implicit knowledge can often be confusing. It is important to have a clear understanding of the differences. Continue reading Data, Information and Knowledge What’s the difference?
Tacit knowledge is a type of knowledge that is difficult to express or communicate through words. It is a vital component of human expertise and plays a crucial role in enabling us to adapt to new situations, solve complex problems, and drive innovation and progress. Continue reading The Importance of Tacit Knowledge Tacit knowledge is knowledge that is difficult to transfer
Explicit knowledge can be easily documented and shared, while tacit knowledge is rooted in personal experience and intuition. Recognizing that explicit knowledge always has a tacit component helps us appreciate the deeper, often unspoken context needed for true comprehension and application. Continue reading The Relationship Between Explicit Knowledge and Tacit Knowledge Explicit knowledge always has a tacit component
The DIKW pyramid is widely used to explain how data, information, knowledge, and wisdom relate. The model looks clear, but it oversimplifies how knowing actually develops in practice. A better understanding comes from recognising the roles of context, conversation, judgement, and human sense-making. Continue reading The DIKW (data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom) Pyramid Why the DIKW model falls short
We often confuse knowledge with information. This leads to strategies that prioritise documents and databases over people and understanding. To manage knowledge effectively, we need to view it as something people create and use, rather than something to be stored, and design our practices to support sensemaking, not just storage. Continue reading Knowledge Only Exists in the Mind Everything else is information
Knowledge has long been seen as power. Yet knowing something and being able to act on it are very different. Real power comes from applying what we know, working with others, and influencing those who can make change happen. Knowledge only matters when it leads to action. Continue reading Knowledge Is Not Power Our ability to influence people is power
Knowledge Management and Information Management are often conflated, but this confusion can be resolved by understanding the clear distinction between knowledge and information. Continue reading Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) Distinguishing Knowledge Management from Information Management
Knowledge Management has evolved since the mid-90s, shifting from managing information to building collective knowledge. The challenge lies in adapting KM practices to meet today’s complex needs. A four-level framework can provide a structured approach, helping organizations move from information management to supporting agency and communityship. Continue reading The Four Levels of Knowledge Management The relation between Conversational Leadership and Knowledge Management
Each organisation has its own goals, culture, and challenges. A Knowledge Management strategy risks missing what really matters. To make a difference, we need to understand the business first, then shape knowledge practices that support how people actually work and how the organisation really succeeds. Continue reading Make Knowledge Management part of the business Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a KM strategy
Organizations often talk about Knowledge Management as if it’s a goal in itself. But KM is not the destination. It’s a set of tools, methods, and mindsets that help solve real problems and support meaningful business outcomes. When treated as a separate initiative, KM risks becoming disconnected from what truly matters. Continue reading Don’t Do Knowledge Management You respond to business problems & develop business opportunities using KM tools
Knowledge Management tends to thrive only when the business is booming. When profits fall and budgets shrink, it is one of the first things to go. The answer is to make its value unmistakable by linking it directly to the organisation’s goals, performance, and long-term capability. Continue reading When Knowledge Management Means Kill Me When budgets tighten, KM is often the first to go
Knowledge Management often inherits rigid planning models from the business world. However, in complex environments, control-based strategies are ineffective. A more effective KM strategy creates the proper context for knowledge to flow, supporting how people learn, collaborate, and solve problems in real time. Continue reading Rethinking Knowledge Management Strategy Aligning knowledge efforts with real business needs
Agency is our ability to make intentional choices and act independently, shaping our lives and identities. The challenge is transitioning from acquiring knowledge to actively using it in the real world. We need to embrace the dynamic nature of agency to turn knowledge into impactful actions and decisions. Continue reading From Knowledge to Agency Developing agency in a changing world – cultivating the capacity to act
Knowledge Management has long relied on incentives to encourage people to share what they know. These rewards often increase visible activity while quietly distorting motivation, trust, and judgment over time. A different approach focuses on conditions and relationships, in which knowledge sharing emerges through participation rather than being driven by rewards. Continue reading Why Incentives Undermine Knowledge Sharing A critique of traditional knowledge management thinking
Many organizations rely on SharePoint to manage what they call knowledge. The problem is that storing documents and supporting communication and coordination is not the same as sharing understanding. Real knowledge work happens through people, relationships, and conversations, not within folders and files. Continue reading SharePoint Is Not a Knowledge Management System How software systems confuse information with knowledge
The term Knowledge Management System is often used to describe how organisations handle knowledge, information, and learning. The problem is not the idea of a system itself, but how the language is usually heard and acted on. A clearer approach distinguishes technical platforms from the wider socio-technical practices through which knowledge actually develops. Continue reading Why Knowledge Management Systems Mislead Why the language pulls us toward technology
Knowledge Management is often treated as a technical discipline, tied to platforms, repositories, and formal processes—this framing mistakes information storage for understanding, judgement, and intelligent action in real situations. A different view sees KM as a practice rooted in sensemaking, conversation, and everyday decisions. Continue reading Knowledge Management Is a Practice ** Sensemaking, conversation, and everyday practice
In complex work, measurement can help us learn and improve—but only if we’re clear about what matters. Too often, targets are imposed without context, creating distortion instead of insight. A better way is to design measures with those doing the work, turning them into tools for shared understanding. Continue reading Measures, Targets, Rewards and Punishments When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure
We live in a world where more of us work with knowledge than with things. But we rarely ask what it means to be a knowledge worker. It’s not just about information or tools. It’s about how we think, how we act, and how we take responsibility for our own work. Continue reading What Is a Knowledge Worker? A knowledge worker is someone whose job entails having really interesting conversations
Knowledge Management is still widely framed as delivering the right information to the right people at the right time. That framing reduces knowledge to content and turns a human practice into a technical delivery problem. A more useful view treats knowledge as something that emerges through interpretation, conversation, judgement, and action. Continue reading Knowledge Management Is NOT About Delivering the Right Information to the Right People at the Right Time. Moving beyond classic KM thinking
We rely on different ways to know what is true. Some are reliable, but others mislead us more often than we realise. By understanding the limits of custom, authority, and intuition, and focusing on more dependable approaches like observation, logic, and evidence, we can make better sense of the world. Continue reading Ways of Knowing Ways of acquiring knowledge
Knowledge Management tends to focus on the management of information in the belief that if we have more information, better quality information, and more accessible information, we will do our jobs better. This belief is just not true. We need more Continue reading We Know So Much but Understand So Little It is through conversation we make sense of the world
Knowledge is often valued only for its practical use. Yet some learning seems to serve no purpose in daily life. Russell reminds us that so-called “useless” knowledge can deepen our experience of the world, making ordinary things richer, more meaningful, and sometimes even sweeter. Continue reading Is “Useless Knowledge” Useless? Maybe not if it makes things taste sweeter
Knowledge Management often relies on metaphors like “sharing” or “capturing” knowledge. These terms blur the crucial difference between knowledge and information, creating confusion. Clear thinking begins by recognizing that only information can be stored or transferred. In contrast, knowledge itself remains personal, contextual, and shaped by human interaction. Continue reading When Metaphors Get Knowledge Wrong Why common knowledge management terms mislead our thinking
