Saturday, January 17, 2009
Testing Should Not Be Simply a Lifecycle Phase
KM systems are often brought in via the classic waterfall design process, it is one of the oldest and most widely-used software development models. However, the big problem with waterfall design is capturing requirements completely and explicitly upfront. KM systems built this way tend to develop very high costs of change. Often, this is due to low investment in user research and user testing.
The result is that requirements documents are almost always flawed in scope and detail. You cannot rely on them to get everything right at the outset, so you cannot depend on the spec as you go in with the rest of the KM system lifecycle. Don't make the mistake of trying to 'test' quality into a KM system. Testing is not a stage. It should be an ongoing process managed by a highly effective team. If you don't build the highly effective team first, then you are at risk of simply passing down problems until they become the foundation of your system.
If good testing isn't applied at throughout the lifecycle, then the cost to fix problems in triage trying to discover the problem. Consider more agile techniques for KM systems that hope for a long and successful lifecycle.
The result is that requirements documents are almost always flawed in scope and detail. You cannot rely on them to get everything right at the outset, so you cannot depend on the spec as you go in with the rest of the KM system lifecycle. Don't make the mistake of trying to 'test' quality into a KM system. Testing is not a stage. It should be an ongoing process managed by a highly effective team. If you don't build the highly effective team first, then you are at risk of simply passing down problems until they become the foundation of your system.
If good testing isn't applied at throughout the lifecycle, then the cost to fix problems in triage trying to discover the problem. Consider more agile techniques for KM systems that hope for a long and successful lifecycle.
Labels: KM Tools
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Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Free KM Tool - Honoring the Question
As KM practicioners, it is vital that we cultivate an appreciation of the role and power of questions. Questions are at least the equal of answers and it is high time to end the bigotry. We need to practice the art of honoring questions. After all, the right question asked at the right time has changed the world time and time again.
In fact, Wendell Jamieson recently wrote an excellent new book by simply honoring questions that are normally laughed at or ignored. In his hit book: Father Knows Less Or: "Can I Cook My Sister?": One Dad's Quest to Answer His Son's Most Baffling Questions
the author finds a wealth of valuable knowledge by simply working toward providing honest, well-researched and serious answers to the seemingly crazy questions from his kids. The impact on his own learning and the relationship with his kids is extremely eye-opening and funny!
Techniques for Honoring Questions:
A common but dangerous thinking habit is to begin seeing every question as some kind of 'Dis'. If you can avoiding focusing on the 'Dis' in your discussion, you open yourself up to truly effective learning and collaboration. If people describe you as defensive, try to avoid focusing on 'winning' debates. Make an obvious, public effort to honor the questions.
In my experience, folks who always seem to think they have the right answers are often asking the wrong questions.
In fact, Wendell Jamieson recently wrote an excellent new book by simply honoring questions that are normally laughed at or ignored. In his hit book: Father Knows Less Or: "Can I Cook My Sister?": One Dad's Quest to Answer His Son's Most Baffling Questions
the author finds a wealth of valuable knowledge by simply working toward providing honest, well-researched and serious answers to the seemingly crazy questions from his kids. The impact on his own learning and the relationship with his kids is extremely eye-opening and funny!Techniques for Honoring Questions:
- Restate and clarify questions without chartacterizing what the questioner feels, believes, or wants.
- Try to understand the feelings contained in questions, not just the 'facts ' demanded.
- Respond to questions with interest and empathy. Avoid cliches, indifference, cold objectivity, or phony concern.
A common but dangerous thinking habit is to begin seeing every question as some kind of 'Dis'. If you can avoiding focusing on the 'Dis' in your discussion, you open yourself up to truly effective learning and collaboration. If people describe you as defensive, try to avoid focusing on 'winning' debates. Make an obvious, public effort to honor the questions.
In my experience, folks who always seem to think they have the right answers are often asking the wrong questions.
Labels: KM Tools
