What is your vision for how KM should work? #strategy #vision
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Happy Valentine's Day!
If knowledge management (or whatever you prefer to call it - knowledge sharing, social learning, knowledge flow management, etc.) is working really well for an organization, what does it look like, and how does it work? Please reply with your vision for the ideal state, with as much specific detail as possible to avoid high-level generalities. I will provide my vision later on, but I would like to hear from the other members first. I look forward to a lively discussion. Regards, Stan
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Simard, Albert <albert.simard@...>
What a great challenge, Stan!
You ask for a vision statement with specific details. IMHO, these are mutually exclusiveJ! My rule is that a vision statement shouldn’t exceed 30 words. Yes, I know, at 35 words, I broke my own rule, but what’s a dialogue for, anyways! Here’s my go at it.
Knowledge is the core strategic resource; Knowledge flows efficiently from creation to application; Knowledge work is productive and leveraged for multiple uses; Knowledge products and services support organizational competitiveness; Learning and adaptation ensure organizational sustainability.
The statement is really is a collection of five bullets. I haven’t strung it together as a sentence yet.
Say what one will, upon that set of statements, I have constructed a knowledge services agenda for Defence R&D Canada. At 226 pages, it has more detail than anyone would care to read.
Al Simard .
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Jack Vinson <jackvinson@...>
If it's working well in an organization, I would expect to see evidence like:
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* people asking "dumb" or "naive" questions and getting useful answers from people they don't necessarily know * projects (knowledge work) are getting better and better in terms of speed-of-completion We had a very similar discussion last spring, and I wrote a "top ten" on my blog: http://blog.jackvinson.com/archives/2011/04/20/what_is_your_evidence_of_knowledge_management.html Best- Jack
On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 2:52 PM, StanGarfield <stangarfield@...> wrote:
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Cory Banks
My vision of what KM would look like if it were working real well in an organisation... hmmmm..
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On 15 February 2012 05:52, StanGarfield <stangarfield@...> wrote:
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Matt Moore <innotecture@...>
So riffing off Jack Vinson, I'm interested what people complain about because when things are working well, no one says anything.
What would I like people to complain about? - "People can find me too easily. And they seem to know what I'm good at and what my experiences have been. It's unnerving." - "We can quickly find what the gaps in our information base are - and I don't like finding gaps." - "We seem to be sharing a lot of our IP among ourselves - even with our customers and partners sometimes. I'm worried about the leakage risks here."
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Karla Phlypo
My vision would be that
1. I see an agenda item an every CoP agenda on learning and knowledge transfer or creation. By virtue of having evidence of the word knowledge transfer or creation I know that the culture has integrated learning and care about how knowledge flows. 2. I see common uses for words among cross functional groups when collaborating. Meaning that there has been an effort to understand diverse perspective of others outside their CoP. 3. I see a clear appreciation for context within knowledge exchanges. 4. I see an understanding that sometimes explicit knowledge needs to be captured (when dealing with technical understanding) and evidence of some kind of repository that is common for all to use, update and contribute to. 5. I see upper management openly using the same methods as everyone else. Running their meetings with the same agenda item contributing to the explicit knowledge. Promoting wisdom and incorporating the wisdom from many voices. finally, 6. I see a list by specialization on a shared intranet that has all the experts, and enthusiast etc. so that others can find them easily. Kindly, Karla Phlypo-Price
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Neil Olonoff
Al,
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I think that simple paragraph is a wonderful formulation. I'd like to "borrow" it for my KM strategic plan. If I could add anything, it would be a modest statement about the way people feel and are valued within the organization: something like --
"People are respected and trusted. Their tacit knowledge is accepted as the key source of value in the organization." Best regards, Neil Neil Olonoff Neil Olonoff, Knowledge Manager (CTR) Army Medicine, Office of the CIO Office (703)681-3300 DSN 761 BB: (571)289-4046 Mail: AMEDD OCIO, OTSG IMD, SKY6 5109 Leesburg Pike, Ste 595B, Falls Church, VA 22041-3258
On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 4:20 PM, Simard, Albert <albert.simard@...> wrote:
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Hi Stan,
I like Al's and Karla's visions and have compared theirs to my own in the attached table. I agree with Neil's add about people but believe it is an interdependency (simultaneous requirement). Vision Comparison https://groups.io/g/SIKM/files/Attachments//Vision+Comparison.pdf I use my list of learning and knowledge aware enterprise attributes for before and after (general) measurements. Regards, Steven Wieneke President Enterprise Learning & Knowledge Awareness Coach Wieneke & Wieneke, Inc. www.elkawareness.com cell: 248.535.0427 sharing, social learning, knowledge flow management, etc.) is working really well for an organization, what does it look like, and how does it work? Please reply with your vision for the ideal state, with as much specific detail as possible to avoid high-level generalities. other members first. I look forward to a lively discussion.
Steven Wieneke President Enterprise Learning & Knowledge Awareness Coach Wieneke & Wieneke, Inc. www.elkawareness.com cell: 248.535.0427
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Simard, Albert <albert.simard@...>
Neil –
Thanks for the kudos. Anything that I post belongs to the community, so feel free to adapt it as you deem appropriate. And, of course, people have to be the heart of successful KM.
FYI – that formulation didn’t just spring up from thin air. I’ve been working on a knowledge agenda (strategic framework for KM) for about a year. It is only by assembling all the bits and pieces that the larger picture emerged. Stan’s challenge enticed me to reduce it to an “elevator pitch.”
I’d stick with “People are respected, trusted, and valued.” (and use it as the first sentence.)
Albert J. Simard, Ph.D. Knowledge Manager / Gestionnaire du savoir
Defence R&D Canada - / R&D pour la defense Canada 305 Rideau St., 9th floor - AH11 / 305 rue Rideau, 9 ieme etage -AH11 Ottawa, Ontatio K1A 0K2 Canada Tel: 613-943-3501 Fax: 613-996-7063 e-mail: albert.simard@...
From:
sikmleaders@... [mailto:sikmleaders@...] On Behalf Of Neil Olonoff
Al,
I think that simple paragraph is a wonderful formulation. I'd like to "borrow" it for my KM strategic plan.
If I could add anything, it would be a modest statement about the way people feel and are valued within the organization: something like --
"People are respected and trusted. Their tacit knowledge is accepted as the key source of value in the organization."
Best regards,
Neil Neil Olonoff, Knowledge Manager (CTR) Army Medicine, Office of the CIO Office (703)681-3300 DSN 761 BB: (571)289-4046 Mail: AMEDD OCIO, OTSG IMD, SKY6 5109 Leesburg Pike, Ste 595B, Falls Church, VA 22041-3258
On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 4:20 PM, Simard, Albert <albert.simard@...>
wrote:
What a great challenge, Stan!
You ask for a vision statement with specific details. IMHO, these are mutually exclusiveJ! My rule is that a vision statement shouldn’t exceed 30 words. Yes, I know, at 35 words, I broke my own rule, but what’s a dialogue for, anyways! Here’s my go at it.
Knowledge is the core strategic resource; Knowledge flows efficiently from creation to application; Knowledge work is productive and leveraged for multiple uses; Knowledge products and services support organizational competitiveness; Learning and adaptation ensure organizational sustainability.
The statement is really is a collection of five bullets. I haven’t strung it together as a sentence yet.
Say what one will, upon that set of statements, I have constructed a knowledge services agenda for Defence R&D Canada. At 226 pages, it has more detail than anyone would care to read.
Al Simard .
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Giovanni Piazza
IMHO, an organization can be considered successful in Km if it can describe yourself like this: "One global community, united by an uninterupted flow of information, connected beyond boundaries, enabled by world class technology, sharing the daily product of its efficient practice and open to the influx of worldwide content."
G.
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katepugh@...
Hi, Stan, Steve and everyone -
I love this exercise, and I'm grateful that Steve has started to "curate" this. (That's not pickling, but the way!)
I would like to add a measurement piece:
"Associates and management can point, without hesitation, to business value from KM.
This is both quantitative and narrative (thank you for your faith in the story, Steve Denning). Even Finance has participated in measuring and appreciating the value from KM."
(And, I agree that we don't need to call it KM. People who celebrate the values might not say KM either. But credit goes where it is due.)
Kate
Katrina Pugh
President, AlignConsulting
katepugh@... Author of Sharing Hidden Know-How (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2011)
-----Original Message----- From: Steven Wieneke To: sikmleaders Sent: Wed, Feb 15, 2012 11:01 am Subject: Re: [sikmleaders] What is your vision for how KM should work? [1 Attachment] [Attachment(s) from Steven Wieneke included below]
Hi Stan,
I like Al's and Karla's visions and have compared theirs to my own in the attached table. I agree with Neil's add about people but believe it is an interdependency (simultaneous requirement). I use my list of learning and knowledge aware enterprise attributes for before and after (general) measurements. Regards, Steven Wieneke President Enterprise Learning & Knowledge Awareness Coach Wieneke & Wieneke, Inc. www.elkawareness.com cell: 248.535.0427 > > Happy Valentine's Day! > > If knowledge management (or whatever you prefer to call it - knowledge sharing, social learning, knowledge flow management, etc.) is working really well for an organization, what does it look like, and how does it work? Please reply with your vision for the ideal state, with as much specific detail as possible to avoid high-level generalities. > > I will provide my vision later on, but I would like to hear from the other members first. I look forward to a lively discussion. > > Regards, > Stan > > > Steven Wieneke President Enterprise Learning & Knowledge Awareness Coach Wieneke & Wieneke, Inc. www.elkawareness.com cell: 248.535.0427
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Chris@Collison.com <chris@...>
Hi All, This is probably a bit wordy for a vision, but there are bits you might want to curate from my sikm-inspired blog entry from last year:
Leadership. Leaders in the organisation are role models, challenging people to ask for help, seek out, share and apply good practices this inspires curiosity and a commitment to improve. The organisation is learning! Learning. People instinctively seek to learn before doing. Lessons from successes and failures are drawn out in an effective manner and shared openly with others who are genuinely eager to learn, apply and improve. Lessons lead to actions and improvement. Networking. People are actively networking, seamlessly using formal communities and informal social networks to get help, share solutions, lessons and good practices. The boundaries between internal and external networks are blurred and all employees understand the benefits and take personal responsibility for managing the risks. Navigation. There are no unnecessary barriers to information, which is shared by default and restricted only where necessary. Information management tools and protocols are intuitive, simple and well understood by everybody. This results in a navigable, searchable, intelligently tagged and appropriately classified asset for the whole organisation, with secure access for trusted partners. Collaboration. People have the desire and capability to use work collaboratively, using a variety of technology tools with confidence. Collaboration is a natural act, whether spontaneous or scheduled. People work with an awareness of their colleagues and use on-line tools as instinctively as the telephone to increase their productivity. Consolidation. People know which knowledge is strategically important, and treat it as an asset. Relevant lessons are drawn from the experience of many, and consolidated into guidelines. These are brought to life with stories and narrative, useful documents and templates and links to individuals with experience and expertise. These living “knowledge assets” are refreshed and updated regularly by a community of practitioners. Social Media. Everybody understands how to get the best from the available tools and channels. Social media is just part of business as usual; people have stopped making a distinction. Serendipity, authenticity and customer intimacy are increasing. People are no longer tentative and are encouraged to innovate and experiment. The old dogs are learning new tricks! Policies are supportive and constantly evolving, keeping pace with innovation in the industry. Storytelling. Stories are told, stories are listened to, stories are re-told and experience is shared. People know how to use the influencing power of storytelling. Narrative is valued, captured, analysed and used to identify emergent patterns which inform future strategy. Environment. The physical workplace reflects a culture of openness and collaboration. Everyone feels part of what’s going on in the office. Informal and formal meetings are easily arranged without space constraints and technology is always on hand to enhance productivity and involve participants who can be there in person. Embedding. Knowledge management is fully embedded in people management and development, influencing recruitment and selection. Knowledge-sharing behaviours are built-into induction programmes and are evident in corporate values and individual competencies. Knowledge transfer is part of the strategic agenda for HR. The risks of knowledge loss are addressed proactively. Knowledge salvage efforts during hurried exit interviews are a thing of the past!
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This is a great question, Stan. In fact I think its central to understanding our mental models and point of view wrt KM in orgs. I can't say that I've spent much time formulating a vision statement, although now that you've got me thinking,...
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To add to the conversation, here's a stream of consciousness on the tangible outcome of effective use of KM principles and practices. I look at this issue from an 'outcome' point of view. As such its definitely wordy and somewhat high-level. - The organization is widely recognized as being highly effective and efficient, both strategically and operationally, in that it achieves or exceeds its strategic goals, responds to or anticipates market changes and conditions, manages all assets and resources prudently, and demonstrates creativity, innovation, adaptability and flexibility with continuous improvement. Knowledge and healthy communication flow afferently and efferently as the key mechanism in doing work. Knowledge Management practices and principles are used and lived as essential aspects of the organizational culture ('the way we do things around here'). - Customers and clients highly value the products and/or services and a strong and meaningful relationship is evident between them. - Stakeholders and partners highly respect the organization and are keenly engaged in the active partnerships and relational activities, especially where ideas flow. - Leaders and managers make effective and timely decisions based on better knowledge and ideas, drawing on sound analysis and insight from all relevant individuals or groups in the organization. - Employees are highly engaged intellectually, emotionally and socially. The mutual respect between management and staff is evident. Undeniably, there are numerous generalities contained here, although I would argue that these aspects could each be exploded into more detailed strategies, tactics, goals, metrics, etc, as part of an effective planning process. Thoughts? Paul
--- In sikmleaders@yahoogroups.com, "StanGarfield" <stangarfield@...> wrote:
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Peter West
Stan and interested others,
Great question. Thanks for engaging us. KM is working really well for an organization when ... the organization creates the conditions (and continues to refine them - in anticipation of/response to new developments) whereby its members and their stakeholders have access to (or the capacity to create) the knowledge they need to make decisions and take actions that add value to the organization and its stakeholders/shareholders. The "conditions" vary according to organizational/situational context and applicability, but could include (in multiple combinations and permutations) : establishing a communities of practice; supporting mentorship/apprenticeship programs, encouraging storytelling, experimenting with safe-fail interventions, sharing good practices, convening a knowledge fair, etc. Appreciatively, Peter West
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Thanks folks, I have been wondering about how to creatively open this semesters first discussion in my postgraduate (MBA) KM course on knowledge management. It is taught both face to face and through Open Universities Australia. Your discussion thread is perfect for this. The first exercise will be to follow this thread and describe how these elements are (or are not) applied in their workplaces - and what the implications are. I run the course as action learning process, so we have lots of interactive conversations (both face to face and virtual). This provides experience with the ultimate tool for KM - talking and sharing ideas with open minded people of diverse backgrounds. Sorry I have been quiet for a while, have been writing up my PhD on the influence of behaviour on knowledge transfer in projects. Tanks for the perfect introductory exercise to KM.
On 16/02/2012, at 17:55, "Chris@..." <chris@...> wrote:
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I should ad my perspective to this terrific dialogue too, very briefly... The KM Vision should be fully integrated with and help to create the business vision, strategy and specific projects/key initiatives. Ultimately (at the very simplistic level) KM is the art and science of leveraging knowledge assets to create (tangible and intangible) value for a defined set of stakeholders. This generic overarching principle means very different things to different people and in different organisational/business environment contexts. It does however provide a focus from which the "KM resources/team/interested stakeholders" can mindfully make a difference in a way that is meaningful to them. My vision as a KM advisor and educator is to facilitate the environment where the appropriate conversations and behaviours can happen to achieve the optimal desired outcomes for the client at the minimal cost. This ROI conversation has to happen, but of course "return" is a combination of tangibles and intangibles, NOT jus money. Arthur Shelley Intelligent Answers Tweeting as Metaphorage
On 17/02/2012, at 2:17, "Paul McD" <paul_mcdowall@...> wrote:
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Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful replies. I knew I could count on our members for some outstanding ideas.
As promised, here is my vision. It's not a vision statement in the sense of a corporate vision, mission, etc. Rather, it is my personal vision of how I would like to see things work.
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Tom Short <tman9999@...>
Work gets done easily and well; and there is a continuous wellspring of new ideas that lead to more efficient ways of working, less waste and increased revenue.
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Sent from my handheld device
--- In sikmleaders@yahoogroups.com, "StanGarfield" <stangarfield@...> wrote:
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Matt Moore <innotecture@...>
So first of all, many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this so far.
Secondly, all the visions are a bit dull. None of them will ever compete with the "I have a dream" speech. Once response to this comment is that KM deals with quotidian things in a business context & therefore KM visions *should* be boring. Another response: Comparing visions is a bit like comparing football games by showing each other hunks of muddy turf. Outcome is confused with process. The vision is not that important, rather it is the process of collectively articulating & applying that vision that matters. Or to put it another way, who would care to talk about the process they used to create vision statements, mission statements, whatever?
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Richard Vines <plessons@...>
Interestingly put Matt. It’s a tough gig for KM. ………. My vision for when KM might be working is something like:
People and organisations, individually and collectively, have the cognitive clarity to articulate: · the capabilities they draw upon, · the approaches they use, · the systems they continuously reform and · the e-platforms that enable them
to acquire, apply, create and store knowledge for contexts such as realising shared visions or minimising the impact of disruptions.
Not sure I am there yet myself …. but on the way.
………… There is a TV program about Nugget Combs who served 9 Australian prime ministers. The interviewer asked Nugget – what is your definition of a good bureaucrat? His response in his 90’s? “A government official who makes other people’s dreams come true”.
But then again, he was Australia’s first economist appointed to the Reserve Bank prior in the pre-WW 2 era, well before the extensive influence of the Hayekians (of whom some I actually admire I might add) – but which Coombs deplored. …………. Thanks for the contributions from me also.
Richard
From: sikmleaders@... [mailto:sikmleaders@...] On Behalf Of Matt Moore
Sent: Sunday, 19 February 2012 7:34 AM To: sikmleaders@... Subject: Re: [sikmleaders] Re: What is your vision for how KM should work?
So first of all, many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this so far.
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