1. Knowing “What” to do is not Enough: Turning Knowledge into Action By Jeff Pfeffer & Robert Sutton

2. We intuitively understand that knowing is not enough  $60 billion spent on training annually  Training not implemented  Billions for management consultants  Why don’t top performers look to the Ivy League Schools?

3. Is there a gap?  Even if evidence is strong, not always adopted  Performance not transferred across firms

4. Does it Matter?  There’s too much information out there to successfully hoard many secrets  Most interventions are about things already known  Although knowledge creation, benchmarking, and knowledge management may be important, transforming it into action is at least as important

5. Problems with Knowledge Management  First, the conception of knowledge as explicit and quantifiable We treat knowledge like a warehouse itemWe treat knowledge like a warehouse item Do we build it into products?Do we build it into products? Do we develop new products based on it?Do we develop new products based on it? Working Knowledge – knowledge is transferred between people by stories, gossip and watching others work.Working Knowledge – knowledge is transferred between people by stories, gossip and watching others work.

6. Problems with Knowledge Management  First (continued) Tacit knowledge cannot be stored readilyTacit knowledge cannot be stored readily Knowledge storage and retrieval systems are often not developed by those who will use themKnowledge storage and retrieval systems are often not developed by those who will use them

7. Problems with Knowledge Management  Second, it is conceptualized as distinct from philosophy or values  Third, we overestimate the importance of the tangible, specific, programmatic aspects of knowledge and underestimate the underlying philosophy that guides what is done and how

8. Why Typical KM Practices Make the Gap Worse  Emphasize technology and transfer of codified information  Treats knowledge as a tangible thing and separates it from its use  Formal systems can’t easily store tacit knowledge  The people responsible don’t understand  Philosophy is ignored

9. Turning Knowledge into Action  Why before how: Philosophy is important  Knowing comes from doing and teaching others how  Action counts more than elegant plans and concepts  There is no doing without mistakes. What is the company’s response?

10. Turning Knowledge into Action  Fear fosters knowing-doing gaps, so drive it out  Beware of false analogies: fight the competition, not each other  Measure what matters and what can help turn knowledge into action  What leaders do, how they spend their time and how they allocate resources, matters