This volume announces the results of a major survey of knowledge management practice within some of the most influential companies in the world, by an influential management consultancy group. The McKinsey Knowledge Management team interviewed top executives and also investigated how far their plans were implemented in practice, in 40 companies in the US, Europe and Japan. In many companies they discovered a significant gap between the vision at the top and the reality on the shop floor. This book draws together their findings and presents a practical guide to improving knowledge building and sharing at all levels within an organization, illustrated with case studies of best practice and common pitfalls.