Benjamin Friedman, a research manager with IDC Manufacturing Insights, thinks manufacturers can use social networking and other Web 2.0 technologies to close the knowledge gap that's forming as baby-boomers begin to retire. In his report, Web 2.0: The Inflection Point for Knowledge Management, Friedman argues that Web 2.0 technologies will prove superior to earlier KM applications developed by traditional business software vendors. Read more.

As the US enters a new phase of government, led by a tech savvy president, an explosion of information is inevitable - as is the need to manage it. Many in the industry are looking to this administration for signs of increased regulation and transparency around records management. In fact, on his first day on the job, the President revoked the latest Presidential Records Act Executive Order, an attempt to limit access to Presidential records.

A lot of what we do on Knowledge Street is aimed at improving communications by improving the quality of the transmission. We stress the importance of clarity, simplicity and context in getting your message across. But as individuals, we can also think about this from the other side, and work on our own ability to receive information. This article by Kendra Van Wagner offers ten tips on that score. The last one is stop multitasking!

When budgets get squeezed organizations are tempted to cut costs in areas such as Internal Communications. But in tough times, effective employee communications are even more essential. A Watson Wyatt study showed that effective employee communication is a leading indicator of financial performance. And, firms that communicate effectively are four times as likely to report high levels of employee engagement - which leads to increased productivity.

This blog post at WebInkNow reports that the US Air Force has started to use Web 2.0 tools like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube as a way to spread messages, tell stories and share knowledge. The idea is to engage all 330,000 Air Force personnel as "communicators," so they can interact with the general public on behalf of USAF programs. Not surprisingly, the Air Force has also implemented special training programs to be sure no secrets are revealed.

A checklist is one of the most basic KM tools around, capturing both tasks to be performed and a sequence for performing them. According to a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, eight hospitals have had great success with a simple, 19-point pre-surgery checklist. In one year, they've managed to decrease the average death rate due to complications by more than 40%. Read more.