Technology is often seen as the answer rather than a tool. (I'm as guilty of this as anyone.) Technology will solve our problems even if we are not sure how or why. Too often people think that the more shiny or fancy a technology the better it will improve our life. This is most often true in knowledge management (either organization-wide or personal). The focus is on the system rather than the results. There is no need to invest in a high technology solution when a so-called old technology solution will work.

For instance the often overlooked idea notebook. A simply spiral or perfect bound notebook where you write down ideas for work, thoughts or other notations for later. I find I often get ideas for projects going on at work at the oddest moments so I find a notebook helps me organize my thoughts and save them for later. Though this solution might not work for everyone it works pretty well for my injunction with an ongoing cycle of task management applications. The explosion in the smartphone market has given many people the perfect tool to help them stay on top of their life. And I say If you are a fan of your Blackberry or iPhone and it works then more power to you. (There are some great note-keeping applications for the iphone like Evernote). I’ve also tried different software solutions and am constantly looking for the next great productivity application, but really that is just window dressing. Knowledge management truly begins with the person or organization.