Find a simple hook, something that appeals. It doesn’t have to appeal to everyone but it should appeal to enough people to gain traction.
Start small.
- Find an ally. Someone you can discuss your idea with and whose opinion you respect.
- Test drive your idea with 3-4 people. Tweak the idea so you understand what works.
- Scale it up gradually, always willing to revise your idea.
- If it works, keep it going. If it fails, let it go and find something new.
Here’s a couple of examples where I put this into practice: Poems in the Office and Bringing history to life.
Early Adopters and a Chorus of Disapproval
Not everyone understands knowledge management and its associated activities; that’s a given. It’s the early adopters you are after, the ones who understand the value of knowledge-sharing, who will be your supporters. Seth Godin summarizes this in his post Beware the Gulf of Disapproval.