Loss of Memory

• “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” ~ George Santayana

• “Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero

• “The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time.” ~ Friedrich Nietzche

• “May you never forget what is worth remembering, nor ever remember what is best forgotten.” ~ Irish Blessing

Once upon a time there was a company that kept forgetting its past experiences. No, wait a minute… make that every day a company forgets its past experiences. For as many times as we knowingly use the phrase “reinventing the wheel” we lose our way and keep walking down the same paths over and over to rediscover information that we already know… or should know. For large organizations with budget to burn, there are formal knowledge management programs to act as a depository of all corporate information. Two failings always seem to creep up into the discussion of KM: putting appropriate data into the system and remembering to go there to take it out. Like your bank account, failure to deposit or withdraw resources is a useless exercise. Also, when formal KM becomes bureaucratic to the point of being unusable the key is to blow it up and start over with the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) principle as a guide.

A company does not have to be huge for institutional amnesia to have a critical impact on the bottom line. There are actions that must be taken in all companies and even sub-units of these organizations to prevent waste of human activity by repeating it.

• Policy – Failure to follow established policy without documentation on exceptions can totally negate the policy. In writing policy, the primary characteristics are the need for consistency, enforceability, and repercussions for failure to follow prescribed procedures. Any activity that will impact on company future performance needs to be prescribed without restrictive rigidity. Action: Allow an “escape” clause in a policy that allows deviation with approved documentation to capture reasons and results of change.
• Documentation – Human memory is fleeting and fickle. Anything that can be captured as data contributes to a body of knowledge for future actions. In some regulated industries this is mandatory, but in almost every company there is a need to keep a journal of business activity. Action: Prescribe simple reproducible standard formats and systems for recording business activities if it involves people, product, productivity or profits.
• Turnover – A change in management may bring different ideas and new directions into organizations. This is especially true if the reason for the change was to turnaround a bad situation. Other turnover within the unit can also be disruptive with projects and tasks being reassigned due to downsizing or as a result of key people leaving the organization. Action: If possible have an overlapping period of time for outgoing and incoming personnel to exchange information. If not possible a third party, usually a manager, must collect the knowledge and pass it on.
• Politics – Even if key personnel remain in place, the dynamics of the workplace often creates an atmosphere of “knowledge is power” and a reluctance to share vital information. No amount of policy writing or documentation can keep employees from holding on to facts they perceive to be a competitive edge. Action: Management is responsible for identifying roadblocks to communication and fostering a culture of cooperation. Rewarding collaboration and encouraging shared innovation is an important stimulus.
• Contingent Workforce – When expertise is added through non-employee contributions to key projects and programs their work must dovetail into that of regular full time employees. The contribution of contractors and temps must not be seen as outside the scope of maintaining continuity of knowledge. Action: Incoming contingency contributors must be briefed on policies and current status of everything pertaining to their work. They must be given all the tools to perform and document their efforts. They also must be totally debriefed on departure.

For any of us to dare to call ourselves “professionals” we must collaborate and cooperate with our colleagues. Going one step further, there is always the question, “What happens if I am run over by a bus tonight?” At the close of a day, even in mid-project, would the people going through an unfortunate bus-victim’s computer and files be able to pick up the ball and run with it? As individuals and managers we always must think of contingency plans.

 
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