Knowledge Management Infostation
Communication and messaging -
not the same thing

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A core element of knowledge management is communication. You need to communicate to pass on knowledge. But in a world that is increasingly dominated by IT, people increasingly confuse communication with messaging.

Sending an email, or instant message, to someone does not qualify as communication. It is simply the transmission of information or knowledge. To communicate effectively, the receiver needs to fully understand the message and confirm it with the sender so that both parties can be sure the message has been correctly understood. Then you can say information or knowledge has been successfully transferred. Therefore among the plethora of electronic communication methods now available, are there differences between their effectiveness? The simple answer is yes, and you need to choose the right one to communicate effectively.

Email is potentially the worst communication method since it is very easy to send someone an email and then forget about it. If you don't get a response, you don't even know if it has been received (although receipt notifications may be available). You certainly don't know if it has been read, understood or acted upon. Many people use email in "shoot and forget" mode, assuming that the message has been understood and acted upon appropriately.

Instant messaging (IM) changes this since both parties are online simultaneously and can enter into a conversation. The receiver can confirm the content and check that it has been understood correctly. The sender can confirm any actions that are necessary. This exchange is two-way and it's a fast and efficient method of communication and very good at resolving immediate issues. However, IM conversations can be impenetrable if you save them and return to them weeks later. It is not a good method for long-term retention of exchanges.

Email is often a better method for conversations that need to be retained. Removing the conversational aspect of IM tends to make email users more precise in their statements, which make them easier to understand in the future. It isn't as fast but it can be used across multiple time zones and when the participants are not logged on at the same time.

Email and IM can be effective if there are only two parties in conversation. As soon as the numbers increase then following the conversation becomes increasingly difficult. At this juncture the function of entering the discussion group can be used. This operates at email speed, so it is not a substitute for IM but is much easier to track conversations and come back to them in the future. Some discussion group software also allows you to email contributions, so you don't even need direct access to the discussion group. And then, of course, there is the latest fashion - blogs and wikis. I'll return to them later in this column.

Communicating knowledge is not something that "just happens". It needs careful thought to ensure that you are using the most appropriate method and mechanism that, where appropriate, will ensure your thoughts are available in the future.

This article, by Chris Harris-Jones, Principal Analyst at Ovum, first appeared in the July/August edition of the journal, "Inside Knowledge". It is reproduced here with permission.