From enthusiasm to chaos
On the day the kitchen was delivered, our house suddenly filled up with boxes. A lot of boxes. Cabinets, fronts, hinges, drawers, mounting hardware. Everything was neatly packaged, but spread across an enormous number of packages.
Fortunately, friends and family came to help. As a group, we enthusiastically started assembling the wall of cabinets. The drawers would eventually be installed in these cabinets. IKEA had supplied several different types: Maximera and Knivshult, both available in various heights and widths. On paper, it all seemed perfectly logical, but in practice, things quickly became much less organized.
The search for the right part
The packages were scattered throughout the house. One box was in the living room, another in the garage, and yet another hidden behind a stack of cardboard. As soon as we figured out which part we needed, the search began. Where had we put that package again?
Next, we had to consult the instruction manual to see how a particular drawer needed to be assembled. Even that was not always the same. Some drawers were installed in different positions than others, some required an external front panel while others did not. Before long, parts had been assembled, taken apart, and reassembled.
What started as a fun group project slowly turned into organized chaos. Until someone made a simple but insightful remark:
"Let's first make sure everything is organized before we continue building."
Bringing order to the chaos
So we stopped assembling.
We grouped all the Maximera drawers together. All the Knivshult drawers together. We sorted everything by type and dimensions. Then we pulled out the floor plan and decided to work step by step. No guessing. No assuming we would remember. Just checking what was needed, finding the correct part, and following the instructions.
From that moment on, everything moved much faster. Mistakes nearly disappeared. Nobody had to search for parts anymore because everyone knew where they were. And by continuously referring back to the plan, we all worked toward the same end goal.
A Valuable Lesson: Structure Makes the Difference
Looking back, I realized this story was not really about a kitchen at all. It was about knowledge and structure.
In many organizations, exactly the same thing happens. People work with the same information, but they do not know where to find it. Everyone tries to do their job as effectively as possible, but files are not logically organized, multiple versions of documents are circulating, and agreements are either poorly documented or not documented at all. As a result, everyone works from their own interpretation.
That often works fine until several people need to collaborate. Then mistakes start to occur. Time is wasted searching for information. Work gets duplicated. Decisions are made based on assumptions rather than facts.
The solution is surprisingly simple:
Create a clear and consistent structure.
Categorize information logically.
Establish clear agreements on where knowledge can be found.
Work toward one shared objective.
Define responsibilities so everyone knows who does what.
Ensure people can always access the correct information when they need it.
Only then can people collaborate quickly, efficiently, and without unnecessary errors. Organizations are no different. Knowledge management is not about documents or systems. It is about ensuring that people have access to the right knowledge at the right time, enabling them to do their work effectively.
Kind regards,
Shannen Bergsma
shannen.bergsma@eluxis.com
LinkedIn: Shannen Bergsma
