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Outputs vs. Outcomes
Not long ago, we saw Microsoft VP Jeff Raikes speak on the topic of "reinventing productivity." His core idea was
that we need to shift our thinking from the measurement of "outputs" to the measurement of "outcomes." We need to look beyond the simple counting of widgets, and consider broader
impacts.
As an example, he imagined the invention of a car that could sustain a 40-mph collision without damage to driver or vehicle. That would seem to be a good thing, but the true outcomes
would be complex, and perhaps not obvious. It would save lives, but would probably hurt new car sales, bringing layoffs and plant closings. It might change people's driving habits, and not in a good way.
It's not so clear what such a super-car would do to the economy, and you'd need a thoughtful set of metrics to gauge the net effect.
This same principle applies to improvements in the nature of
Knowledge work. Measuring the value of KM, or of anything that improves the productivity of information workers, remains a challenge: you need metrics that are complex and non-traditional. Focusing on
outcomes is a good way to start.
The Referral Factor
There's no business like referral business, it's like no business we know...
When all
other things are equal, people always prefer to do business with someone they know. If that's not possible, they'll do business with someone who's recommended by someone they know. It's human nature.
Hence the many methodologies, alliances, web sites, associations and training programs aimed at building or growing a referral network. It's not as important once you've established The Brand, but
it's critical when you're building it. We've tried both high- and low-tech versions of networking (see
Knowledge as Network, Directions Vol 1, Issue 1), but nothing has been as effective as our own, preexisting contacts: people who know us, who trust us and who have seen the quality of our work. If
you're reading this newsletter, there's a good chance you fall into that category.
So we've decided to make a direct pitch for referrals. Maybe you know a company that needs a Knowledge make-over.
Maybe you work at a company like that. We can help. Perhaps you see a need for better communications, either internal or customer-facing. We can help there, too. We're looking to expand our client base
in northern New Jersey, but can take on new clients almost anywhere. We're especially looking for mid-sized firms that might be interested in developing a virtual business library. We have some good
ideas there, as well as lots of experience.
As a small gesture of appreciation, we're offering a Deluxe Designer T Shirt. Really! If you send us a referral that leads to some business, this
exclusive, one-of-a-kind garment will be yours. If you act in the next 30 days, we'll throw in an ice crusher!
Zen & the Art of Copier Repair
John Seely Brown,
former director of Xerox PARC, tells a story about copier repair that contains a good lesson for basic problem-solving. The story first:
Once upon a time, a certain copier had a certain fault that
could only be recognized by the look of the copy. If this fault were suspected, the by-the-book approach was to get a few reams of paper, make gazillions of copies, and go through them looking for bad
ones. Once you found a bad copy, you could check it against the manuals, localize the fault, and fix it. It took a lot of time, and expended a lot of material, but it worked.
There's a much better
approach, if you consider the bigger picture. If you're standing in front of the copier, and you suspect this problem, look around and find the nearest trash can. That's where the bad copies will be,
won't they?
Knowledge Management is to some degree about finding new ways of looking at old problems, and it's important to be as open-minded as possible about the boundaries of the problem space.
If you look around, and consider everything that's available, you might find a better solution. Even if it seems like you're going through the trash.
Another Network Heard From
We've looked into several on-line "Social Network Builders" and haven't (honestly)
seen much value to them. If you're not familiar with the concept, they're all basically variations on a Six-Degrees-of-Separation theme. By establishing a set of contacts, you gain access to their
contacts, and their contacts' contacts, and so on. That means you can theoretically connect with many thousands of potential friends, colleagues, collaborators, customers, experts, etc. Some of the
network builders are strictly social, like Friendster; some are business-oriented, like Ryze.
Most are free, at least for the moment.
Last week, we joined LinkedIn, having been invited by K Street Associate Bronwyn Allen. So far, we like it. It has a very clean, resume-like profile system, a deep respect for its members'
privacy and some clever ideas for making it work. For example, there's a tool to scan local Outlook files and map your contact information to the LinkedIn database. That means building the first circle
of your network is a snap, since it's easy to contact people you already know.
LinkedIn does not reveal the email addresses of people with whom you haven't forged a formal connection. You can
search four degrees out along your connection network, thereby finding people with certain skills, or working in certain companies. To contact them, though, you need to broker a connection by asking for
an introduction from a person you already know. That protects LinkedIn members from spam, and also adds a social cost to each individual connection. Since users have to invest real time to build it,
LinkedIn theoretically has a higher-value network: fewer connections, of better quality.
We're still experimenting with LinkedIn, but it looks promising. If you're interested in the idea, you
might want to read a review of the LinkedIn beta product (and others) at PC Magazine, or a more comprehensive treatment
of social network software at On Line Business Networks. And you'll also find a contrarian view in David
Coursey's March column at ZDNet; he's skeptical about the whole idea, given the nature of human dynamics.
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