Essentials of Knowledge Management is a practical survey of the field of Knowledge Management (KM)?a business optimization strategy that identifies, selects, organizes, distills, and packages information essential to the business of the company in a way that improves employee performance and corporate competitiveness. The preservation and packaging of corporate knowledge (i.e., information in the context in which it is used) is especially relevant today, given that the majority of the service-oriented workforce is composed of knowledge workers.To compete successfully in today?s economy, organizations have to treat the knowledge that contributes to their core competencies just as they would any other strategic, irreplaceable asset. The aim of this book is to examine approaches to Knowledge Management that contribute to corporate competitiveness, and those that don?t. The book assumes an intelligent CEO-level reader, but one who is unfamiliar with the nuances of the KM field and needs to come up to speed in one quick reading.After completing this book, readers will understand how their business can be optimized using KM techniques and strategies. Moreover, readers will be able to converse comfortably with KM professionals, understand what to look for when hiring KM staff and consultants, and understand the investment and likely returns on various KM approaches. To illustrate the practical, business aspects of Knowledge Management in an easily digestible fashion, each chapter contains a vignette that deals with key technical, cultural, or economic issues of the technology.