publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/550988
ILTA WHITE PAPER: JULY 2015 WWW.ILTANET.ORG 9 Culture. An organization's culture is defined by the values, norms and attitudes its members share. In assessing culture, consider whether your organization's lawyers: • Willingly share, rather than hoard, their knowledge • See knowledge-sharing as a virtue, a nice-to- have or an onerous obligation • Collaborate or compete with each other • Are open or resistant to changes in procedures and technology Not surprisingly, introducing KM into an organization with a long-standing culture of sharing and collaborating will be much easier than in a highly competitive organization where lawyers function in silos and closely guard knowledge. The underlying culture shapes the approach needed to succeed and the time you must invest in change management. If your organization has a competitive culture, consider how you might harness that competitive spirit. You could: • Create a leaderboard displaying lawyers' levels of contribution to KM or a specific project • Hold a contest to see who can submit the best or most precedents • Highlight industry developments to demonstrate that your organization is falling behind the competition in various aspects of KM These approaches can transform competitive energy into a sense of urgency that drives participation and engagement. Leadership. Support from leadership goes a long way toward ensuring a KM program or strategy's success. In an ideal world, senior leadership understands the value of KM and is prepared to act as champions within the organization. When looking to garner support, A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: COOKING UP KM FROM SCRATCH Start by asking the following questions as you observe people at work: • What information do you commonly look for? What do you have trouble finding? Would better access to any information help you function more efficiently or effectively? • What knowledge resources, services and tools do you use routinely? Where are those resources located? What do you value most and least? • Do you perform any repetitive or low-value tasks that might be more efficiently completed by others? Would any resources or training help you complete or delegate those tasks to others? • What training do you and the people you work with need to make better use of existing knowledge resources and tools or to help you work more efficiently and effectively?