KM - no time? Or no priority?

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Very often people will say to you "we don't have the time for Knowledge Management". 

 "We are busy - we have lots of real project tasks to do - we can't take time off for an After Action Review, or a Retrospect or a Community of Practice meeting"

Changed Priorities Ahead sign
By  ➨ Redvers on Flickr

But in fact, it's not a question of time, it's a question of priority. They have time to

• do their timesheets
• prepare reports for management
• attend teambuilding events
• listen to senior management briefings
• attend appraisal meetings
• go to risk workshops
• go to safety workshops

and none of these are any more "real project tasks" than Knowledge Management.

The difference is that these activities are prioritised. They are treated as priority activities; things that it is valid to spend time on.

So when I hear people say "we don't have the time for Knowledge Management", I know that this really means "we don't prioritise Knowledge Management".

Probably because they don't appreciate what their knowledge is worth, or how much value KM will deliver.