1. Knowledge Management Demystified… Steve Song ENRAP KM Workshop
Nang Rong

2. Knowledge Management…
“When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.”
Information Management?
The latest Information Technology fashion?
A contradiction…?

3. Origins of Knowledge Management
In the late 80’s, early 90’s, large organisations began to experience new pressures
New Pressures on Organisations
Internet
Cheaper
Telecommunications
They found that they were unable to respond quickly enough to changing environments
Being a large organisation went from being an asset to a liability.
New possibilities for new ways of doing business emerged and
Deregulation
Globalisation

4. Traditional approaches...
Too Slow...
Rebuild the structure
Re-design our processes

5. Back to the drawing board…
Where is the value within our organisation?
What is it that makes us unique and worthwhile?
How do we differentiate ourselves from similar organisations?
Result: Recognition of role and importance of knowledge
Does this change how we define ourselves?
Just how important is knowledge to what we do?
Result: “Knowledge” becomes part of the mission
What should we do about it?
Where does knowledge lie within our organisation and which knowledge is valuable?
How can we husband, nurture, develop knowledge within our organisation?
Result: Knowledge Management

6. But what is knowledge? Knowledge Data Information
A record of a change of state
Data organized with a purpose. A message
Literally… what people know.
A Performance
A Music Score
A Music Note

7. Differentiating Knowledge
Manuals,
Intranets
Programmable
Databases
Quick Access
Knowledge
Broad-Based
Knowledge
Local
Global
One-Off
Knowledge
Complex
Knowledge
Applicability
Local
applies only to limited set of conditions
Dependent on physical or geographic situation
“Detailed” knowledge
Global
Widely applicable across the organisation
Crosses process, industry, technical, and or cultural bounds
“General Knowledge”
Transferability
Programmable
Rule based knowledge
Can be applied many times
“Learning from history” to avoid repeating mistakes
Unique
Context sensitive to specific situatiuon
Judgment-based
“Just-in-case” knowledge
Projecting into possible future problems
Quick-Access Knowledge
– Hotel Manager knows Mr. Smith likes non-smoking room – make it accessible - database
Broad-based Knowledge
- Personnel policies, how to fill out an administrative form – can package it and distribute
Complex Knowledge
– Project Management skills - structured training, apprenticeship, etc
One-Off Knowledge
– Unix lan administrator in Windows network – special interest group, CoP
Communities of
Practice, Mentoring
Internal Staff
Yellow Pages
Unique
Choosing Your Spots for Knowledge Management
- Peter Novins and Richard Armstrong

8. Differentiating Knowledge – The Knowledge Cauldron
Explicit Knowledge
Programmable
Databases, Intranets, Extranets, Publications, Manuals
Local
Global
Tacit Knowledge
Applicability
Local
applies only to limited set of conditions
Dependent on physical or geographic situation
“Detailed” knowledge
Global
Widely applicable across the organisation
Crosses process, industry, technical, and or cultural bounds
“General Knowledge”
Transferability
Programmable
Rule based knowledge
Can be applied many times
“Learning from history” to avoid repeating mistakes
Unique
Context sensitive to specific situatiuon
Judgment-based
“Just-in-case” knowledge
Projecting into possible future problems
Quick-Access Knowledge
– Hotel Manager knows Mr. Smith likes non-smoking room – make it accessible - database
Broad-based Knowledge
- Personnel policies, how to fill out an administrative form – can package it and distribute
Complex Knowledge
– Project Management skills - structured training, apprenticeship, etc
One-Off Knowledge
– Unix lan administrator in Windows network – special interest group, CoP
Communities of Practice,
Before, During, and After Learning, Mentoring
Unique

9. Tacit vs. Explicit Knowledge
Only a small portion of what we know is codifiable or “explicit”
The vast majority of knowledge is “tacit” or uncodifiable.
Iceberg Metaphor taken from SigmaConnect

10. Early KM Efforts…
Failed to recognize the importance of tacit knowledge
Focused more on Knowledge Stock rather than Knowledge Flow
Examples
Document Management Systems
Best Practice Databases
More reporting

11. People are the key… Best Knowledge Transfer Technology
Face-to-Face Interaction
Not always possible but everything else aspires to it
Conversations
Stories
Best Knowledge Repository
A Community or Group of people
The holographic effect of knowledge in community
break a hologram into many pieces each piece will still contain a picture of the whole image, but with a limited perspective.

12. Elements of Knowledge Management
Committing the Organisation
Crafting the vision
Leadership
Groupware
Yellow Pages
Communities of Practice
Face-to-Face
Facilitation
New Approaches
to Learning
Knowledge Asset Mapping
Strategy
Tools
Culture
Corporate Level
belief that knowledge is key to competitive advantage
framework/vision/strategy
HR support
Commitment to organisational learning, making time for people to learn.
Ensuring resources for KM, IT support
Cultural Level
leadership commitment & modeling
high trust within organization
communication & feedback on behaviors
behaviors and values consistent with knowledge sharing
Individual Level
ability & willingness to give & receive knowledge, to learn, to change, and apply or reuse knowledge
Recognising the importance of knowledge sharing
Valuing those who share knowledge
Developing a knowledge sharing culture

13. Communities of Practice
“groups informally bound together by shared expertise & passion for a joint enterprise”
- Etienne Wenger

14. A Community of Practice
Experts,
Mentors
Lurkers
Members

15. How are Communities of Practice Different?
(excerpt from “Communities of Practice: The Organizational Frontier, by Etienne Wenger)

16. Benefits of Communities of Practice
For the organization
Help drive strategy
Solve problems quickly
Diffuse best practices
Cross-fertilize ideas, increase opportunities for innovation
Build organizational memory
For the community
Develop professional skills
Develop a common language
Key Point: The individual will benefit significantly by participating in CoPs.
The organizational and community benefits filter down to the individual. The individual is better able to do his/her job because of connections to extensive resources of knowledge through CoPs.
For the individual
Help people do their jobs & save time
Building a sense of community bonds within organization
Helps people to keep up to date
Provides challenges and opportunities to contribute

17. New Approaches to Learning
Learning should happen immediately
The bar needs to be set very low
Learning needs to connect to behaviour change

18. Before, During, and After Learning
Learning During (After Action Reviews)
Learning Before (Peer Assists)
Learning After (Retrospects)
Activity

19. Changing work culture Reward conspicuous knowledge sharers
Create spaces for knowledge sharing
Include knowledge sharing in performance appraisal
Recognize conversation as a core practice

20. Technology… Necessary for distributed organizations
Should facilitate the way people already work
Should never drive the process

21. “Knowledge does not take up space”
Final thought…
Translation:
“Knowledge does not take up space”
Quino
Argentinian Cartoonist
circa 1963
Steve Song