Project Knowledge Capture

Knowledge Capture can be painful!

Organizations have a lot of knowledge. This knowledge is critical to the organization’s success and is housed in many places. Knowledge transfer among employees is always a challenge, and most organizations do not have processes in place to ensure that timely knowledge transfer takes place.

An organization’s culture can inhibit effective knowledge transfer. Ineffective knowledge transfer can cause knowledge to be lost or be unclear when and if it is transferred.

Some ways to overcome ineffective knowledge transfer are:

• Ensure meeting minutes are captured for important project meetings
• Create an environment that is conducive to collaboration
• Set performance objectives around formal and informal knowledge transfer mechanisms
• Establish regular knowledge transfer procedure reviews (meetings, documents, reports, etc)
• Hire people that are flexible and open to good knowledge transfer practices
• Conduct brainstorming sessions around effective knowledge capture and retention methods
• Reward collaborative efforts
• Use failures as a way to create new knowledge

A common language is important for effective knowledge transfer to take place. Glossaries, scope statements, project objectives and project assumptions will help you to begin the process of knowledge transfer in the early stages of your project.

Project Critics are Everywhere

Tom Peters a highly regarded speaker and writer said it best in his book The Project 50, “as project managers we should not try to convert our project enemies by overcoming their objections” and I would add through appeasement. Tom states “we should set out to surround and marginalize them; additionally, the most effective change agents ignore the barbs and darts, their time is spent on allies and likely allies”.

It seems to be in our nature to take on those that oppose us, particularly if they have been attacking us behind our backs. This taking on of the opposition is a waste of valuable project time and detracts the project manager from the task at hand. All projects will have detractors, whiners, and complainers. Don’t waste your time trying to convince them of the error of their ways. Let your project’s results answer your critics!

As project managers we need to spend our time working with our advocates and supporters, not answering our critics. If you say you don’t have critics on your project than I say you probably aren’t a very good project manager. The project manager that has friends everywhere on his projects is usually trying to satisfy everyone, and many times at the end of their project – if it ever ends – there will be low overall satisfaction due to all of the tradeoffs that were made between all of the competing interests.

When you push people, strive for excellence, set deadlines, push for quality, hold individuals accountable, and are firm on agreed upon commitments you are going to ruffle some feathers. Get over it, and realize no matter what you do on your project there will always be detractors.  Don’t let the detractors sway you from implementing your project on time, on budget, and within requirements.

Does Your Project Have Value?

Are you working on a project that has diminished in value? Does your project seem like it would have been a good idea if it was implemented two years ago, two years from now? If you are questioning the value of your project think about these things.

What would happen in your company if the project were cancelled?

Does the project link to your organizations strategic goals and/or objectives?

Does the project have visible support from senior management?

Does the project generate excitement?

Is your organization going to gain efficiencies or be more competitive as a result of successfully completing the project?

Is there lots of negative "buzz" about the project?

I'm sure there are lots of other questions that could be asked when it comes to questioning the value of projects. We need to keep in mind that all projects eventually end. Some end when they are completed successfully, and others are terminated early for a variety of reasons.

The important thing to keep in mind is that you must continually communicate across, up, and down the organization to find out what others are thinking about your project.

If the project manager is the only person in the organization that thinks his or her project has value, then the project manager isn't really thinking.

Does your project still have value? A tough question for certain projects, but one that must be answered on a regular basis.