“Navigating the Minefield…”

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About the book

This book was written for anyone who is interested in using their knowledge more effectively to optimize operations. This knowledge can be their own, that of the teams in which they work, or the knowledge of the wider communities and teams in which they participate.

Whether you are a recently appointed knowledge management (KM) staffer, an experienced KMer who feels stagnant and stuck, or a senior manager with KM oversight responsibility looking for ways to improve the use of knowledge in your organization, this book was written for you. It is based on interviews with individuals who have created and managed successful KM programs around the world. The authors examine and analyze diverse KM programs and tactics, using quotes, insights, and stories to show why these programs are successful and how they improve both knowledge capture and knowledge flow.

The book examines 19 KM programs, including those at Airbus, ARUP, Cadbury Schweppes, Hewlett Packard (HP), the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, (CIAT), Lloyds Register Marine, NASA, MPM PETRONAS, U.K. National Health Service Digital, and the U.S. Army.

Reader Reviews (in chronological order – excludes reviews on Amazon)

Rudolf D’Souza, Cheif Knowledge Officer, Afcons, India

I studied your book ‘Navigating the Minefield’ minutely and completed it last week. The book is a must read even for seasoned practitioners like me.

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Frankie Lai, Knowledge Management EXCO of Hong Kong Knowledge Management Developement

Paul, I had read your book. It is a great book every KM manager should read. I believe it would be a great idea to get it translated and published in Chinese.

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Martin White, Managing Director, Intranet Focus

…This book is full of stories, and they are presented in a way that I found most engaging. The authors interviewed over twenty managers in a wide range of commercial and public sector organisations and this book contains far more than edited transcripts.

Certainly the personal experiences of the interviewees comes across but so also does the experience of the authors in knowing who to interview, what questions to ask and what lessons to present. This is especially the case with chapters on keeping KM going, killing KM (always so useful to learn from disasters), an outline of what the authors regard as exceptional practice and a fascinating chapter on ten outcomes that surprised them. Chapter 8 is about Eight ‘Ates’ and I’m not going to disclose the conceit (which has two meanings – select the correct one!) of the title. The book ends with some reflections on the role of KM consultants, a list of books recommended by the interviewees and a good glossary. The quality of the writing is excellent and you cannot tell that it was a team effort…

The strap line of the title is A Practical KM Companion, and that is exactly what it is. It does not set out to be a ‘handbook’ but it most certainly is a handy book to have. This book succeeds brilliantly because it conveys the benefits of the management of knowledge without trying to sell ‘Knowledge Management’. It is already on my instant-access bookshelf. It should be on yours as well.

For a full review go to: http://intranetfocus.com/navigating-the-minefield-a-practical-km-companion/

Professor Victor Newman

Great piece of work, excellent examples, nice logical structure. I thought the KM regulatory issue is the one that CEOs can easily buy into, as orgs attempt to remain compliant in the face of regulatory tides rising higher. This would be worthy of another book and maybe even a CEO/CFO masterclass? Triggered lots of thoughts: like taking the CoPQ model and creating a CoPKM? I personally came to KM via teaching and consulting in Org & team learning, moved into process learning via PS methods, and then in 2003 realised that KM per se needed refocusing on org. purpose which meant the real issue was managing knowledge to innovate (mk2i) because the real issue when using the phrase “KM” is always “so that what happens?” It’s the connection with purpose that’s the real issue. I love the 8 “ates”! Maybe your next book could have a MK Maturity Model? Well done, both.

Ana Neves Knowman Portugal

Patricia Lee Eng and Paul J. Corney wrote Navigating the Minefield: A Practical KM Companion for people with knowledge management (KM) responsibilities who are looking to “improve the use of knowledge”, be it at team, community or organisational level. I can certainly see how it can inspire the action of recently appointed KMers or KM professionals now lacking the drive and ideas….

…The main difference between this and other books is that most of the suggestions are not by way of bullet point lists or step-by-step recommended approaches, but by summarising the main characteristics, milestones, approaches and activities of the KM programs the authors heard about….

..This book is really easy to read. I recommend it to those familiar with KM, either because they are about to start a new KM effort or because they need to bring new energy to their ongoing program.

For the full review go here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/practical-km-companion-ana-neves

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From LinkedIn on June 21, 2017

Mahomed Nazir, Knowledge Manager at HM Revenue & Customs

I am honoured and privileged to have met both Paul Corney and Patricia . I was lucky to have had the last copy available (for now) signed by Paul Corney. No I am not selling it. Just had a sneak preview of the content and read the first chapter and now I can’t wait to absorb all that research, experience and know how captured in an easy to read book. As a beginner in KM a must have.

We wanted to get a good geographical and cross sectional spread to look critically at the book. So we approached 5 individuals domiciled in Asia, America, Mid East & Europe with experience in Financial Services, Academia, Consulting, Legal, Knowledge & Information and Government. We were delighted with the comments they made having read the book cover to cover long before it went to the publishers!

Karen McFarlane, CMG  BA MLib FCLIP, Chair of CILIP:

Whether you are starting out in KM or have more KM experience, there is something for you in this KM companion.   

Some of the ideas were new to me and I found much to inspire my own KM efforts. It’s good to learn lessons from other KMers, learning from both good and bad KM experiences.

What I like about this companion is that it has a range of realistic up-to-date examples both on how to start KM in an organisation and also how to sustain KM.

The examples are drawn from 18 KM programmes  from diverse organisations from  government and industry sectors from across the world  and provide great stories to encourage KM in organisations and there are useful anecdotes that you can re-use re-use to sell KM in your organisation 

Patrick Lambe, Author and Founder Straits Knowledge in Singapore:

I first met Patricia Eng when she was describing her KM program at the NRC at KM World in 2009 and was blown away by her candor, her common sense, and her ferocious determination to deliver value. I have worked with Paul Corney on numerous occasions and have always been impressed by his ability to take a strategic, balanced view, followed by an unerring ability to get to the heart of the matter. KM practitioners go deep, KM consultants go broad. When you get an alliance between the two, and then add their formidable personal networks, you get something quite extraordinary. This is an unparalleled distillation of learning and wisdom from multiple continents and organisation types, on how to go about implementing KM. It should be required reading for KM practitioners (and consultants), those who are new and those who want to reflect on their practice.

Professor John Girard, Peyton Anderson Endowed Chair in Information Technology at Middle Georgia State University:

Whether you are new to knowledge management or a seasoned KMer, Navigating the Minefield is an absolute must-read. Chockablock with time-tested techniques and sage advice, this book simplifies the rather complex domain of managing organizational knowledge.  Unlike many books in the field, Navigating the Minefield offer solutions that will work in practice, and not just in theory!

Larry Campbell, Head of Financial Services Strategy, KPMG, Former Group Chief Knowledge Officer HSBC:
Books purporting to educate on the multi-dimensional subject of knowledge management often tend to polarise, over-emphasising the near-religious philosophical aspects of the discipline or over-engineering the technology driven tools and techniques.
Eng and Corney have approached the subject from a practical perspective, looking through a selection of concise case studies for what works and what does not across an array of organisations world-wide. That their subject matter comes from multiple sectors across an international pool of organisations with clear multicultural challenges makes the stories documented that much more interesting and useful. As someone who set up the first massively successful Knowledge Management functions at one of the world’s most prominent-but-risk-averse global financial institutions in its 150-year history, the challenges documented by Eng and Corney and their resolution recommendations resonate. As someone who now has to craft global business strategies by relying on the mature KM solutions of one of the world’s most successful consulting firms, the pain points and road blocks highlighted make perfect sense.
A quick and easy read, Navigating the minefield  is not a tome meant to outdo War and Peace, but rather is an easy read and a handy reference guide to everyday KM practitioner problems and practical, implementable solutions. A copy of it will sit within easy reach on my desk.

Eric Hunter, Director of Knowledge, Technology & Innovation Strategies, Bradford & Barthel, San Diego / Author of The Sherlock Syndrome:

Having worked with Paul both in person and at workshops across the globe I’ve found him to be an incredibly insightful individual. Paul has the rare ability to bridge varying points of view within a room, find the commonality, and carry the debate forward through insight and ingenuity. Patricia’s experience working through the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is a fascinating read, and draws the depth of both Knowledge Management and an Engineering background to the fore. This combination is felt throughout the read, and the incredible experience and expertise both Patricia and Paul bring is felt throughout the pages. The breadth of scope covered is truly compelling, illustrating not just innovative approaches towards cost savings and efficiencies from an organizational knowledge sharing sense; but also quality of life, quality of culture, and in a very literal sense, saving lives as illustrated through narrative regarding the U.S. Army. ‘Navigating the Minefield’ is a fascinating read, and a must for the global Knowledge Professional.