Steve Barth | Reflexions

Remembering Melissie

Today should have been Melissie Rumizen’s birthday.

One of the things that she used to say was: “The golden rule of networking is to give.”

Late last year, we had a brief memorial at KMWorld, led by friends Verna Allee, Dave Snowden and myself.

Melissie understood everything you need to know about knowledge management—and then showed you how it’s done: That leadership is about setting examples rather than about executive titles; That learning begins with listening, rather than with opinions; That relationships are the way things get done.

Below are some of the tributes we received

Making Documents “Smarter”

I'll be speaking about "Smarter Documents" in Kansas City during the 4th Army Operational Knowledge Management Conference hosted by Ft. Leavenworth's Battle Command Knowledge System.

As artifacts of individual and organizational expertise, even smart documents cannot really contain knowledge, but they can evoke learning. On one hand, effective communication today leverages cutting-edge technological advances in collaborative authorship, individualized delivery, rich media, and online environments accessible through disparate devices.

On the other hand, it still relies on timeless anthropological traditions of writing, design and publishing that honor the hand as much as the eye. The right process can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of organizational publishing, while the right presentation in form and function enhances both message and meaning.