Book review – Principles of Knowledge Auditing, Foundations for Knowledge Management Implementation

The best insight I can give you about Patrick Lambe’s book is rather than read this review, read this amazing book in its entirety. This is because it is impossible to give you everything the book can do for you in less volume than the whole book. In fact, using Lambe’s own principles of auditing, each reader will understand something slightly different from the book from other readers, because their own experiences and context will highlight different aspects to them. As Lambe highlights, knowledge is unique and contextual, so our understanding of where we are requires us to “take stock” of what we know, what we do not know, and consider this in the context of where we want to be in future.

The next most important insight about the book is that audits are not about compliance. They are an ongoing process of gathering and analysing a diversity of evidence to inform decision-making and strategic planning. So, the subtitle of the book is more about why you should read it and apply it, than the primary title indicates. This is a critical book for all knowledge practitioners to read, reread, and apply through ongoing iterations to accelerate whatever it is they are doing.

An important feature of this book is that it is principles-based. That is, the concepts discussed are more fundamental to why and how to apply the ideas and tools, than prescribing exactly what you should do. This is what makes the book a magic masterpiece! Experienced knowledge professionals understand that recipe processes do not work across multiple contexts. Lambe’s book provides the foundations for the practitioner or researcher to find the optimal questions to ask that will lead them to their optimal path forward, rather than prescribe specific steps to take. That said, a practitioner gets great insights on how to proceed, because they are guided on how to prepare and execute an audit with an open mind and exploratory heart. This enables them to more deeply understand the tangible and intangible aspects and assets, when assessing the current status of the organization and the people operating within, and with, it.

The book is richly insightful as Lambe writes from his extensive experiences in international knowledge management research and practice, and at the same time offers very practical advice. This blend of academia and practice is rare and will benefit all readers at every level. Lambe has amplified his own experiences by incorporating a diverse range of other practitioner and researcher insights, adding to its depth, breadth and credibility. He has skilfully weaved theses into relevant sections to integrate the whole book into a flow of knowledge that keeps the reader informed and intrigued about what comes next.  Whilst knowledge flow, activated through iterative audits are the main thread, the book connects to many relevant related disciplines including leadership, complexity, sensemaking, creativity, risk, decision-making, cultural change, transformation, value creation, strategy and more… As such, the book is blessed with an extensive list of quality references and seventeen practitioner case studies to provide context for the insights.

This book goes well beyond the topic of knowledge audits. It highlights the critical role that tangible and intangible aspects of knowledge play in organizational performance and how to leverage these to improve. It explores how doing knowledge audits as continual iterative assessments generates a solid foundation for informing strategic decisions. The book’s insights into the strategic importance of knowledge, the human and cultural factors involved in knowledge sharing, and the processes, tools and methods for conducting audits, make it a great guide for those looking to understand and improve the management of organizational knowledge. It is comprehensive and written in a straightforward way that is approachable for everyone, from newcomers in knowledge management to seasoned knowledge professionals.

If this review has not already convinced you to buy the book from your favourite book supplier, I expect you will now want some specific details about the book; like its structure and some other perspectives about its content. If so, I recommend you browse the free postings on PenguinRandomhouse.com, The Living Library,  and MIT Press… Having seen for yourself its depth and breadth on the history, present and future of knowledge management, you will then invest in a copy. I do not doubt that this book will be a staple reference for knowledge academics, researchers, consultants, and practitioners for many years to come. It will also be a useful reference for organizational leaders and managers who recognize the importance of knowledge as a strategic asset and want their organizations effectively leverage their intellectual capital to optimise value.

As Patrick stated in wrapping up the book:

Our ability to communicate effectively, gather good evidence, and facilitate effective change depends on being able to set realistic expectations, compile and monitor measures of performance and effectiveness over time, and reflect and learn (a) with our stakeholders and sponsors and (b) with each other.

I absolutely agree with this statement and believe that anyone implementing the principles of this book, will be able to lead their knowledge initiatives (and their organizational performance) to great success with sustainable outcomes.