cover image The Wisdom Network: An 8-Step Process for Identifying, Sharing, and Leveraging Individual Expertise

The Wisdom Network: An 8-Step Process for Identifying, Sharing, and Leveraging Individual Expertise

Steve Benton, Melissa Giovagnoli, . . Amacom, $27.95 (228pp) ISBN 978-0-8144-7318-4

With all the information available in today's networked world, you'd think that the average organization would be more knowledgeable than ever before. Yet as this book points out, many organizations fail to create atmospheres where that knowledge, or more precisely the wisdom that results, can be shared. So authors Benton (an executive director of the financial services firm UBS) and Giovagnoli (president of a consulting firm called Networlding) have set out eight steps—with plenty of tips in between—to help readers create a wisdom-positive environment. Starting with the premise that certain individuals within companies are magnets for key knowledge on certain topics, the book guides readers in identifying those experts, finding topics that will attract them, and then providing a positive environment or community that will encourage them. Next, they advise on implementing that knowledge and building incentives for sharing knowledge right into performance reviews. A final chapter reflects on how to nurture wisdom networks once you've created them. Despite their rather nebulous topic, the authors have created a practical if at times overwhelming handbook that might have benefited from a few more thematic threads to tie all their tips together. (June)