I've been catching up on some backlogged blog reading (either by reading or just skimming), and I realized that I need to move Mary Abraham's blog, Above and Beyond KM into a different category, so I see it more often.
Mary's KM and the Pantyhose Fallacy from last week strikes a humorous realization for me. The Pantyhose Fallacy?
Here's the Pantyhose Fallacy: for years retailers have sold us a bill of goods -- that it is possible for people of varying sizes and shapes to wear an article of clothing sold in a single size. They call it "one size fits all." The sad truth is that the one size fits badly and doesn't remotely fit all.
Mary suggests that KM vendors (and IT departments) have fallen into this fallacy, assuming what works well in one place must work for everyone. I think there is a strong connection here to the idea of failure-by-consensus.
The problem is, of course, that in men's clothing there is the concept of one-size-fits-all, and it sorta works. (Well, maybe not one size, but one basic design that fits men's shapes.)
Maybe this is the reason for such troubles. We just need our organizations to be more "manly" and accept that they are just like everyone else. I'm sure that those KM solutions will work just perfectly.