Event review:
Our impressions of the Knowledge Management Days 2024
From November 19 to 20, 2024, we attended the Knowledge Management Days in Stuttgart. With a new venue and exciting discussions, it was a great opportunity to exchange ideas with professionals from the industry – even if the event sometimes made us think.
A new home for the Knowledge Management Days
The congress took place in a modern, inviting location (the GATE22 – Hybrid Studio), which brought a breath of fresh air to the event. It was our fourth time taking part, even though one edition was canceled due to the corona break. Nevertheless, it felt like a home game, as we now feel part of the community and are always happy to see many familiar faces.
AI everywhere – but how much does it really help?
The central theme this year was “Knowledge meets AI”. The topic was addressed in almost every presentation – sometimes so much so that it seemed almost overwhelming. Although we appreciate the potential of AI, the question arose for us: do AI tools really make us better knowledge managers or should we not focus on finally making full use of human intelligence?
A little anecdote lightened the mood: the moderator made a tongue-in-cheek appeal not to mob AI – or affectionately known as “Kai”. This shows our ambivalent relationship with artificial intelligence: we humanize it instead of focusing on the exchange with actual human intelligence around us and using AI as a tool that can be meaningfully integrated into everyday working life if we train and use it correctly. Despite impressive technical possibilities: Humans and their ability to share knowledge and enrich it through interaction, experience and learning cannot be replaced.
A little anecdote lightened the mood: the moderator made a tongue-in-cheek appeal not to mob AI – or affectionately known as “Kai”. This shows our ambivalent relationship with artificial intelligence: we humanize it instead of focusing on the exchange with actual human intelligence around us and using AI as a tool that can be meaningfully integrated into everyday working life if we train and use it correctly. Despite impressive technical possibilities: Humans and their ability to share knowledge and enrich it through interaction, experience and learning cannot be replaced.
Our contribution:
Interactive walls for “Aha!” moments
As sponsors, we brought along our own format:
Interactive themed posters to encourage participants to record and share their
aha moments from the sessions and share them.
We set up four central categories:
1. human/cultural
2. organizational
3. technical
4. strategic
Equipped with post-its and pens, we had prepared everything – even the moderator repeatedly praised our format. Nevertheless, it was surprising how difficult many people found it to record their thoughts.
Why sharing knowledge is so difficult
Our impression: Knowledge managers – the experts for sharing knowledge – also have reservations. The challenge often lay in the fact that many considered their own insights to be too banal or were unsure whether they were really relevant. One participant even told us that he had only just learned about terms such as “culture of sharing” or “knowledge staircase” at the conference – and thought that such “basics” were not worth sharing.
We recognize a familiar pattern here: what some people take for granted can open up a completely new perspective for others. This shows how important it is to create spaces and structures that reduce these uncertainties.
We recognize a familiar pattern here: what some people take for granted can open up a completely new perspective for others. This shows how important it is to create spaces and structures that reduce these uncertainties.
Our insights
The Knowledge Management Days not only offered us the opportunity to learn new things, but also to reflect on our own approaches. In particular, we were confirmed in our assumption that “culture follows structure”. If you want to delve deeper into this, you should take a look at Larman’s Laws. There is more on this here.
If we want people to start sharing their knowledge, we need to create structures that encourage this. Our interactive walls were a small step in this direction. We provided the necessary resources (post-its, pens), explained the purpose of the format and made the walls visible. However, just like in day-to-day business, it takes time and practice to make sharing knowledge a routine.
If we want people to start sharing their knowledge, we need to create structures that encourage this. Our interactive walls were a small step in this direction. We provided the necessary resources (post-its, pens), explained the purpose of the format and made the walls visible. However, just like in day-to-day business, it takes time and practice to make sharing knowledge a routine.
Summary: An
exciting look into the future
Our experience at the Knowledge Management Days 2024 shows us that, despite all the technological advances, people are at the heart of knowledge management. AI can provide support, but the foundation remains a strong, active knowledge culture. Without this, even AI has nothing to interpret.
As sponsors, we are proud to make a small contribution with our format – and take away a lot of inspiration to make our own work and that of our customers even better. We are already looking forward to next year!
The elaboration of the Aha-Moments will follow next week.
As sponsors, we are proud to make a small contribution with our format – and take away a lot of inspiration to make our own work and that of our customers even better. We are already looking forward to next year!
The elaboration of the Aha-Moments will follow next week.
