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The Knowledge Management Cycle 39

Get Assess

Use Knowledge Build/Sustain

Learn Contribute or: Divest
Figure 2.4
The Bukowitz and Williams KM Cycle

the macro environment. These focus on more long-range processes of matching intel-
lectual capital to strategic requirements.
The fi rst stage, get, consists of seeking out information needed in order to make
decisions, solve problems, or innovate. The challenge today is not so much in fi nding
information, but in dealing effectively with the enormous volume of information that
can be obtained. Technology has created great strides in providing access to an ever-
increasing pool of information. The resultant information overload has created a criti-
cal need to be able to sift through the vast volume of content, identify the knowledge
of value, and to then manage this knowledge effectively and effi ciently. Information
professionals have traditionally fulfi lled this role and they are certainly needed. User
needs must be well understood in order to match information seekers with the best
possible content. This involves knowing where knowledge resources exist and can be
accessed.
Where KM diverges from IM is that the getting of content encompasses not only
traditional explicit content (e.g., a physical or electronic document) but also tacit
knowledge. This means that the information that users need must not only be con-
nected to content, but also to content experts — people — where most of the valuable
tacit knowledge resides. The term “ cybrarian ” is sometimes used to describe the new
knowledge professional role. The key tasks are to organize knowledge content; main-
tain timeliness, completeness, and accuracy; profi le users ’ information needs; access/
navigate/fi lter voluminous content in order to respond to users ’ needs; and help train
users with new knowledge repository technologies (information literacy).
The use stage deals with how to combine information in new and interesting ways
in order to foster organizational innovation. The focus is primarily on individuals,