[devnexus 2024] knowledge management for the technicaly inclined

Speaker: Jacqui Read

fosstodon.org/@tekiegirl

Book: Communication Patterns

Knowledge Management

Examples

Naming a repo – convey what is i without going in and looking
Integrating one app with another – edges are where discover and exchange knowledge
Lessons learned – learn from past mistakes and build on successes
Inventory – catalog
Dashboards – static or dynamic
Dcouments – files
Expertise locator – how find info in peoples heads
Policies and procedures
Wikis an articles
Forms and templates
Databases
Meetings and workshops – generate a lot of knowledge. Not always recorded

General

”Knowledge management is the process of capturing, distributing and effectively using knowledge “ – Tom Davenport
No org is a vacumn
Relationsips change over time and knowledge gets lost
If written down, softens the blow
Forces between fiishing tech stuff vs getting things done
Capturing gets lost and no organization learning. Makes stagnant org and competitors can overtake
Fortune 500 companies lose at least $31.5 million a year due to lost info
Companies with better knowledge manageent did better during pandemic

Remote first

Enable doing best work wherver are Not a bolt on to office work.
If anyone remote, everyone is on own device
Value output over time spent
Emphasis on async communication
Better continutiny for time zones, transit strikes, snowstorms, people going out to see eclipse
Improved productivity because valued for output and happier. Not trying to look like working
Better documentation due to async communications

Sync vs Asyc

Async communication – no expectation of reading/responding as soon as received
This talk is synchronous for people in room and async for people watching on video later
Can capture, publish and use info sync or async

Glossaries

Centralize so not looking through multiple or guessing where to put
Federated for maintenance – anyone can add
Partitioned by domain – different definitions for different parts of business. Define scope
Cross reference for simplicity – don’t duplicate

Products over Products

Inventories

Catalog assets
Expicit knowledge -easy to articuate and write down. Think about what it is, structure, format, etc
Implicit knowledge – harder to write down. Think about who knows. Is it tacit knowledge (ex: leadership/riding a bike)?
Put tacit knowledge in expertise locator
Make ore of he implicit knowledge explicit

Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)

Automate knowedge management

Documentation as code. Not just markdown. Could be diagrams as code, json, asciidoc etc
Optionally review for accuracy. Especially if publishing publicly
Automated review for syntax, spelling, links, etc
Convert to a useful format like PDF or a website
Decouple data fro presentation

Knowledge Management as Code

Hive MInd

Collaborative Knowedge Management

Big picture event storming – find boundaries where people disagree. Generates lots of options
Domain storytelling – create diagrams with actors and processes. Focus on one way. If hae another version, create a new diagra
Bytesize Architecture Session – can use for mix of business and technical. Start with session goal. Then everyone starts independently at same time so not drowned out by loudest voice in room. Then find consensus
6 page memo – re Amazon. Doc created before meeting. Everyone reads at same time (to fence time for reading) then discuss. Downside is that people have thoughts after meeting. Doc needs to be collaborative as well
Architecture Decision Records – not just for architectures. Include title, status, context, evaluation criteria, options, decision, implications, consultation Avoids risk of changing something without understanding why decision made. Avoids rework of inestigating same thing repeatedly. New people on team can read why decision made
Business Decision Record – same idea as ADR, but for other things. Ex: why buy/choose a product, hiring, strategy

Key takeaways

Software BBOM (big ball of mud). Probably also have Documentation BBOM.
Think about as wall of ivy instead. Have info hidden in here
Good knowledge manageent virtal for building and understanding software
Collaborate to collect and record knowledge. Get more perspectives. Break down silos
Involve as many minds as possible
Elicit the implicit knowledge so don’t miss
Knowledge management supports better decision making Need a decision support system
Engineer knowledge as much as engineer software
Own your knowledge. If don’t know what have, can’t use it

My take

Excellent start to the morning. It was fun seeing how different parts of KM interact. Plus learned some new techniques.

Down Home Country Coding With Scott Selikoff and Jeanne Boyarsky