The KM side – knowledge proves its worth

• Knowledge Management has come into its own in these difficult times. There has been much change to understand – new court procedures, new employment laws, new tax concessions and law firms in particular have had to digest these not just for themselves but also for clients. The situation can amplify shortcomings in firms’ approaches.

• Knowledge teams have been rushed off their feet helping staff undertake research and find the know-how they need. This can be frustrating, as those teams have long encouraged lawyers to be more self-sufficient and comfortable with the tools and resources available to them. However, as staff become more confident with using work technologies at home, there is an opportunity to promote the use of knowledge resources and increase their confidence with these tools too, helping to reduce their dependence on the knowledge team.

• Another positive of lockdown has been the opportunity to make a start on knowledge management, where the task has seemed too big before. Just agreeing a place to share useful pandemic-related knowledge (whether in a simple file share, on Teams, an intranet page or the DMS), and seeing how it works, is a step any team can take. It might really help… and could pave the way for more ambitious knowledge sharing in future.