Continuity Management

If you have not built an organization that people hate to leave, have not established working arrangements that assure that knowledge is transferred freely and continually within the organization and have not instituted more formal processes for capturing the knowledge that flows within the organization, then you need to read this book. It offers a systematic approach to identifying, capturing and preserving knowledge that is critical to the continuing effectiveness of the organization, providing a partial and process solution to an essentially cultural problem. But you need to recognize that the approach addresses symptoms (loss of knowledge) rather than root causes (inappropriate structure, work practices and employment policies).

Maintaining corporate knowledge is one of the most critical tasks that I must confront as a manager. Whether it is by employees leaving for other opportunities, retiring, or downsizing; all to often much of a company's experience walks out the door with the employee. "Continuity Management" spends time clearly defining the problem and its impact. This time is well spent as the problem of corporate knowledge loss is more intricate than it may seem and the impact is very wide reaching. However, far from leaving the reader pondering the problem, Beazley, Boenisch, and Harden map out a system to stop the knowledge leak. Its not a quick fix, but a corporate-wide concentrated effort that, once implemented, becomes part of a company's culture. "Continuity Management" ensures continued customer satisfaction during times of high employee turnover.

In the company I work for, millions of dollars are spent to train people and inculcate them in the corporate culture. The conditions and changes in the world economy ensure high employee turnover will be a normal paradigm. Often the people that we lose are the brightest and most knowledgeable. When they go, the information they used to get things done and make things work goes with them. Boenisch, Harden and Beazley have presented a look at the magnitude of this problem plus a well thought out plan to resolve it. It won't be easy and just reading the book won't make it happen. It will require resources and corporate drive to implement. Knowledge is potentially power and money. The efforts expended to conserve it will be felt in a new competitive edge and in the bottom line.The book should be required reading for anyone that manages people or resources. The ideas and methods can be successfully implemented corporate wide or in any first level management department. Highly recommended and a milestone book.