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78 The McKinsey Mind

resources to KM. Finally, the technology represents the specific
strategies firms take to codify and share their knowledge most
effectively. Corporate intranets represent one of the most common
KM technology platforms. With any technology platform, keep-
ing the information it contains current and high quality is an ongo-
ing challenge. The center of the triangle includes the words
business results, a reminder that the yardstick for any KM effort
is its bottom-line impact on the organization. We used this frame-
work to interpret the results from our alumni interviews and came
up with the following lessons regarding KM implementation
efforts:

• Develop a rapid-response culture.
• Acquire external knowledge.
• Control the quality of your input: garbage in, garbage out.

Develop a rapid-response culture. The culture of an organiza-
tion is a tough beast to tame and extremely important. We define
culture as a combination of the employees’ shared values and
assumptions regarding the organization and its events and pro-
cesses, the organization’s incentive programs, and the nature
of daily interaction among employees. Examples would be the
level of formality (e.g., use of first names, dress code), the exhibited
level of respect between colleagues, and the amount of socializing.
Another example, extremely important in KM systems and data
gathering, is the rate at which employees respond to data requests
from other employees. It is difficult to run an effective KM system
without access to the uncodified knowledge in other people’s
heads. A rapid-response culture can help give you the most access.
Larry Rouvelas, the executive vice president of Pulse Medical
Instruments, a small technology company, misses the McKinsey
culture in this regard: