Special edition | More than a 'tsk tsk’

I hope you will find this special edition of Inside Knowledge not only informative, but helpful – especially in light of the developing angst surrounding senior knowledge. It looks like the world is conflicted as it faces a set of antithetical choices between the need to both retain old knowledge and make way for new.
The issues surrounding the anticipated loss of knowledge due to a mass retirement of baby boomers is well known, but this issue was inspired by news from Europe that an EU legal decision favoured the right of an employer in Spain to force retirement for 'good cause’, that cause being to help reduce the country’s double-digit unemployment.
I found that incredible because it appeared to be a public policy favouring the replacement of knowledgeable seniors with unemployed younger workers whose intellectual assets would surely be more limited. And I thought of the early 1990s when employers distorted the purposes of business process reengineering (BPR) to blindly downsize with little regard for the knowledge lost.
And so, Michele and I began our research and came across two of the best sources on the subject anywhere in the world – Declan O’Dempsey, who was lead barrister in Britain’s Heyday case, and David DeLong who has specialised in senior knowledge issues for several years. They have filled in the holes in my knowledge on the subject and I hope they will fill yours.
Declan knows the EU and UK laws well and explains them in language that we non-barristers can understand. David follows with a sober assessment on valuing senior knowledge and making deliberate decisions based on clear, long-term business objectives, not simply emotion or myth. Then, I finish up in 'Knowledgeworks’ by expanding the scope of the problem from Europe to the globe and then proffering much more knowledgeable opinions than I could have offered a few weeks ago.
Also in this edition, you will find other well-researched knowledge and information management subjects written by experts equally qualified in their fields. Joe Firestone finishes off his two-part 'Thought leader’ article and David Gurteen entertains us with his attachment to one of the earliest communication technologies – pad and pen.
Sarah Cummings and Julie Ferguson’s excellent piece on the use of KM in international development was denied the front cover only because of the senior knowledge focus in this issue. Craig Nelson’s worthy article on managing HRO change also deserves reading.
Needless to say, this magazine is exploding with knowledge and talent. Enjoy.

Jerry Ash, Editor

Features

Managing HRO change: the 3Rs solution This article is for subscribers only
Frustrated by poor results from human resource outsourcing (HRO)? Giving up? Not so fast. Put HRO in perspective and try again.

Trust and communication must be interwoven to realise successful change This article is for subscribers only
Seldom do case studies surface where lessons learned are from failures. In this report, a client is granted anonymity to allow the author freedom to write openly about what went right and what went wrong in an enterprise-wide content-management implementation project.

A revolution in international development This article is for subscribers only
No one should be dying or suffering because knowledge that already exists in one part of the world has not reached other parts. It is up to each of us to take responsibility to ensure the knowledge flows easily to where it is needed.

Five keys to decisions vis-a-vis an ageing workforce This article is for subscribers only
In one way, the debate over forced retirement is a red herring based in part on an economic goal of full employment. The only thing mandatory in the new economy will be knowledge creation and retention. The main threat to performance will be the coming decline in critical capabilities often caused by the retirement of essential employees.

Key barrister explains issues in EU and Uk age discrimination battles This article is for subscribers only
Employers have the power to force retirement in Europe but the means vary. The European Union requires justification other than age while the UK allows blanket exclusion of anti-discrimination measures. Either way, ageing seniors are at the centre of an important human capital management controversy in Europe and throughout the world. This report sorts out the issues surrounding legal cases in Spain and the UK.

The Knowledge - Charles Savage and Elisabeth Sundrum Free
Charles Savage's knowledge quest takes him from boyhood in Maui to marriage and collaborative knowledge work with his wife in Munich. Together, he and Elisabeth Sundrum help organisations meet the challenges of enterprise in the global knowledge economy.

Regulars

The last word - Dubious divorce Free
From different origins, information management and knowledge management were divorced before they had a chance to get married. It's not too late. They are a perfect match.

Management madness Free
The two European court cases we have featured in this 'Special edition’ are only a small part of global circumstances pitting older and younger workers against one another in a jobs arena where senior workers will soon outnumber juniors in the labour pool in many countries worldwide. Mismanaged, the situation could lead to another round of management madness

Book Review Free
THROUGHOUT HISTORY, the ability to lead effectively has been heralded as the key to success in almost any discipline involving the management of others. Indeed, from past to present day the actions of those who possess the ability to direct and inspire others have been examined and discussed in the hope that those of us who lack this much-desired talent can determine, and perhaps emulate, the secrets of good leadership. E-commerce giant Amazon alone lists over 20,000 books dedicated to discussion of leadership.

The Gurteen perspective: Simplest KM tool Free
WHEN I attend a conference, I look around the room to see how many people are making notes. Most people do not seem to take notes at all, while a few write on the hand-outs or on paper provided by the organisers. Some – often bloggers – use their laptops.

Thought leader Free
CONTINUING, IF you cannot show others that your efforts resulted in better quality knowledge because there is no agreement between you and others on what you’re talking about when you use the term 'knowledge', then how will you trace the results of your efforts through the KM, learning, knowledge, integration, impact and results chain?