The Knowledge Series

In this episode, Ben Firth speaks to knowledge, innovation and technology consultant, Lucy Dillon from Lucy Dillon Consulting. Lucy and Ben talk about and the delivery of services in the legal profession, as well as some of the lessons learned from the pandemic. Lucy and Ben discuss how technology helps advance and enhance the delivery of legal services, and how tech’s explosion has evolved the knowledge management function. The way legal advice is delivered has changed since the pandemic, and the disaggregation of legal service delivery with offshoring and north-shoring is now a key part of KM. The race is on for law firms to showcase their services in the new legal world.

In the second part of this two-part episode, Ben Firth continues the conversation with Jenni Tellyn from 3Kites Consulting, looking ahead to how law firms can start to plan for the future workplace and workforce. Jenni and Ben discuss social and professional development in the time of remote working, and how getting the tech right can help the operating rhythm within law firms. They also talk about career progression for lawyers and how remote working affects supervision models. Reflecting on some of the benefits of remote working, they discuss how more flexible ways of working opens doors for increased diversity and equity.

In this two-part episode, Ben Firth speaks to Jenni Tellyn, a knowledge management consultant at 3Kites Consulting. In part one of the discussion, Jenni and Ben talk about what the pandemic has done to the knowledge management world, and how KM teams collaborate, share knowledge and come together. In the conversation, Ben and Jenni talk about communication in the post-pandemic world and making sure everyone working in remote teams has an equal seat at the table. They discuss how firms manage excess connectivity and the many different channels of communication. They also cover how to maintain engagement during training sessions.

In this episode, Ben Firth speaks to Kate Stanfield, Director of Knowledge Management at Collas Crill about some of the differences between working at large and small law firms and the opportunities for innovation and differentiation with technology. In the conversation, Ben and Kate discuss the importance of investing in technology that answers business needs, and how firms are fighting against the business model of the billable hour when it comes to implementing knowledge technology. Kate shares her experience of the product selection process and choosing technology that not only addresses the business functionality requirements but is also meets the needs of the people using it.

In this episode, Ben Firth speaks to John Hovell, founder of StraTactical about modernising legal operations, as well as some of the psychology aspects play into knowledge management, organisation development and diversity, equity and inclusion. They discuss the importance of recognising cognitive bias in knowledge management, acknowledging that there is unintentional bias due to the human nature of the work. Ben and John look to the future of knowledge management, discussing tacit flow and how experience is shared, ideas are co-created, and learning happens at different levels of system. They look at how knowledge management goes beyond organisation boundaries, across country or even across other countries to ensure continued learning and improvement, and how tech creates an environment for knowledge to flow.

In this episode, Ben Firth speaks to Kathy Jacob, Head of Knowledge and Information at the Financial Ombudsman Service on tacit knowledge and the role of knowledge management at the independent financial dispute resolution service. As part of the regulatory family, the Financial Ombudsman is independent and impartial, assisting with very complicated issues which requires a robust approach to tackling the nuances of tacit knowledge sharing. Kathy speaks about how knowledge management supports frontline case workers and practice groups at the Financial Ombudsman with content and technology, and how tacit skills are required for her knowledge management work.

In this episode, Ben Firth speaks to Tom Condon, Head of Knowledge Management for the NATO International Military Staff, discussing how tacit knowledge is managed within such a large and complex organisation. Knowledge and information are NATO’s currency, and Tom gives us insight into how different aspects of information management, knowledge management and IT come together to deliver an essential service to users. With the new remote and hybrid working arrangements, Tom gives insight into some of the challenges faced by NATO in moving from a classified office-based network to an environment where some work could be done remotely. Ben and Tom also cover some of the other challenges of managing knowledge within a military organisation and how a two-way dialogue helps tap into tacit knowledge.

In this episode, Ben Firth speaks to Alicia Hardy, Director of Professional Services at White & Case to understand how knowledge management is used within a large firm at a time of change. Knowledge is the wind behind the sails for many law firms, and Alicia draws upon her experience to discuss the evolution of the important role of KM and how essential it is for keeping things moving. The pandemic has brought about new ways of working, with technology and innovation coming to the fore in both responding to clients’ needs and keeping on top of legal and market developments. Ben and Alicia discuss how we manage knowledge within our organisations, and the ways we way we use systems to promote and curate information still fit for purpose.

The Knowledge Series podcast from Thomson Reuters brings you the latest topics and discussion around knowledge management. We delve into all things knowledge management, hearing stories from professionals across industries and exploring the art and practice of knowledge for a range of different organisations. We also look ahead to the future of knowledge management to give some airtime to the topics you should know about as the profession continues to evolve. Join us along with a selection of special guests to listen to the latest insights for the knowledge management community.