What is the most challenging question for the KM community? What is our biggest fear? #state-of-KM
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk. The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").
Regards,
Matt
On May 8, 2019, at 6:55 AM, Matt Moore innotecture@... [sikmleaders] <sikmleaders@...> wrote:Hi,
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk. The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").
Regards,
Matt
Matt,
I have recently been working with a company who expands regularly through acquisition. The question that came up in the KM work was -- How do you make KM part of the acquisition decision?MadelynMADELYN BLAIR, PHDAuthor/ Speaker/ Resilience Advisor301.371.7100 | 301.471.8721 mobileSkype: madelynblairAuthor Riding the Current and Essays in Two VoicesVisit my blog: www.madelynblair.comFollow @madelynblair
On May 8, 2019, at 6:55 AM, Matt Moore innotecture@... [sikmleaders] <sikmleaders@...> wrote:Hi,
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk. The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").
Regards,
Matt
Hi,
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk. The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").
Regards,
Matt
Hi,
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk. The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").
Regards,
Matt
At the moment, I am interested in opportunities. But I am also interested in fears. Because people don’t want to talk about them and yet they are hugely important and they drive a lot of human behavior. I often think that people are more defined and driven by their biggest fears (of being poor, being alone, being incompetent, getting sick, dying) than their biggest hopes. So it is important to acknowledge and understand these powerful impulses rather than deny them.
I look at it in a more positive sense - I would say we also cover what's are some of the most significant opportunities we have in front of us. We all want to learn about what's possible. DanHi,
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk.. The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").
Regards,
Matt
- KM people are laid off, KM programs are scaled back, or KM programs are totally eliminated.
- KM never progresses beyond product implementation/migration, fads, and me-too mimicking.
- KM gets stuck repeating familiar platitudes, superficial efforts, and simplistic approaches.
- KM programs become mired in empire building, turf wars, political struggles.
- Senior leaders never move past giving lip service to KM; they don't really care about it, don't inspect its use, and don't use it themselves.
Madelyn, here are a few points to consider to make KM a part of the acquisition decision:
- Leverage KM in the company valuation
- Perform a knowledge audit
- Based on the Knowledge Audit determine:
- The knowledge (and this sometimes correlates to a position) needed
- Key knowledge holders,
- Knowledge gaps and how to fill them
(This is essential to planning employee and/or business function consolidation or elimination)
- Create a culture of knowledge sharing (I know easier said than done!)
- Share updates to the employees during the acquisition process
I have written 2 books in which I included chapters on KM for Mergers and Acquisitions. These books include Knowledge Management in Practice and Knowledge Management in Law Firms: Expertise in Action.
Feel free to contact me if there are any questions.
Best Regards
Tony
Dr. Anthony J. Rhem, PhD.
CEO/Principal Consultant
A.J. Rhem & Associates, Inc.
Office: 312-396-4024
Sent: Wednesday, May 8, 2019 9:13 AM
To: sikmleaders@...
Subject: Re: [sikmleaders] Question for the KM community
Matt,
I have recently been working with a company who expands regularly through acquisition. The question that came up in the KM work was -- How do you make KM part of the acquisition decision?
Madelyn
MADELYN BLAIR, PHD
Author/ Speaker/ Resilience Advisor
301.371.7100 | 301.471.8721 mobile
Skype: madelynblair
Author Riding the Current and Essays in Two Voices
Visit my blog: www.madelynblair.com
Follow @madelynblair
On May 8, 2019, at 6:55 AM, Matt Moore innotecture@... [sikmleaders] <sikmleaders@...> wrote:
Hi,
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk. The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").
Regards,
Matt
On May 8, 2019, at 6:14 PM, stangarfield@... [sikmleaders] <sikmleaders@...> wrote:
Matt,
Thanks for starting this discussion. Here is my list of fears.
- KM people are laid off, KM programs are scaled back, or KM programs are totally eliminated.
- KM never progresses beyond product implementation/migration, fads, and me-too mimicking.
- KM gets stuck repeating familiar platitudes, superficial efforts, and simplistic approaches.
- KM programs become mired in empire building, turf wars, political struggles.
- Senior leaders never move past giving lip service to KM; they don't really care about it, don't inspect its use, and don't use it themselves.
Regards,Stan
Hi Matt & Stan,
I believe that the most confronting question that we face is "Aren't all people doing KM already?" Because for the sake of trying to create engagement, we often cry "Yes!" and then fundamentally undermine the reason for our existence.
My view is that a number of preconditions need to be met for something to count as "knowledge management":
- It needs to be grounded in an explicit Theory of Change (TOC)
- It needs to target sustained change in organisational
decision-making processes and actions
- The mere existence of operational knowledge processes (eg
maintaining a knowledge base) is not sufficient
Cheers,
Stephen.
==================================== Stephen Bounds Executive, Information Management Cordelta E: stephen.bounds@... M: 0401 829 096 ====================================
Matt,
Thanks for starting this discussion. Here is my list of fears.
- KM people are laid off, KM programs are scaled back, or KM programs are totally eliminated.
- KM never progresses beyond product implementation/migration, fads, and me-too mimicking.
- KM gets stuck repeating familiar platitudes, superficial efforts, and simplistic approaches.
- KM programs become mired in empire building, turf wars, political struggles.
- Senior leaders never move past giving lip service to KM; they don't really care about it, don't inspect its use, and don't use it themselves.
Regards,Stan
Nancy W
Hi Matt & Stan,
I believe that the most confronting question that we face is "Aren't all people doing KM already?" Because for the sake of trying to create engagement, we often cry "Yes!" and then fundamentally undermine the reason for our existence.
My view is that a number of preconditions need to be met for something to count as "knowledge management":
- It needs to be grounded in an explicit Theory of Change (TOC)
- It needs to target sustained change in organisational decision-making processes and actions
- The mere existence of operational knowledge processes (eg maintaining a knowledge base) is not sufficient
Cheers,
Stephen.
==================================== Stephen Bounds Executive, Information Management Cordelta E: stephen.bounds@... M: 0401 829 096 ====================================On 9/05/2019 9:14 am, stangarfield@... [sikmleaders] wrote:
Matt,
Thanks for starting this discussion. Here is my list of fears.
- KM people are laid off, KM programs are scaled back, or KM programs are totally eliminated.
- KM never progresses beyond product implementation/migration, fads, and me-too mimicking.
- KM gets stuck repeating familiar platitudes, superficial efforts, and simplistic approaches.
- KM programs become mired in empire building, turf wars, political struggles.
- Senior leaders never move past giving lip service to KM; they don't really care about it, don't inspect its use, and don't use it themselves.
Regards,Stan
From: Matt Moore innotecture@... [sikmleaders]
To: Yahoo! Inc.
Sent: Wed, May 8, 2019 3:55 am
Subject: [sikmleaders] Question for the KM community
What I fear most is that KM is seen by knowledge workers and management as something 'extra' besides the primary work to be done (which is being productive and make money). The fear that knowledge workers and management are focusing on today only: knowledge workers producing deliverables and meet deadlines, management as 'firefighters' (reacting to ad hoc issues).
While management express their commitment regarding KM and agrees that the organization needs to learn, in practice their commitment is not always noticeable.
In fact, knowledge workers are mainly assessed by how successful they applied their knowledge (in meeting deadlines and quality of delivered work) and less by how they helped the organization to actually learn (at least that's my experience).
This contribution was to answer the ‘fear’ question only. I do have more positive experiences as well 😉
On May 8, 2019, at 8:08 PM, tonyr@... [sikmleaders] <sikmleaders@...> wrote:Madelyn, here are a few points to consider to make KM a part of the acquisition decision:
- Leverage KM in the company valuation
- Perform a knowledge audit
- Based on the Knowledge Audit determine:
- The knowledge (and this sometimes correlates to a position) needed
- Key knowledge holders,
- Knowledge gaps and how to fill them
(This is essential to planning employee and/or business function consolidation or elimination)
- Create a culture of knowledge sharing (I know easier said than done!)
- Share updates to the employees during the acquisition process
I have written 2 books in which I included chapters on KM for Mergers and Acquisitions. These books include Knowledge Management in Practice and Knowledge Management in Law Firms: Expertise in Action.
Feel free to contact me if there are any questions.
Best Regards
Tony
Dr. Anthony J. Rhem, PhD.
CEO/Principal Consultant
A.J. Rhem & Associates, Inc.
Office: 312-396-4024
From: sikmleaders@... eaders@...>
Sent: Wednesday, May 8, 2019 9:13 AM
To: sikmleaders@...
Subject: Re: [sikmleaders] Question for the KM community
Matt,
I have recently been working with a company who expands regularly through acquisition. The question that came up in the KM work was -- How do you make KM part of the acquisition decision?
Madelyn
MADELYN BLAIR, PHD
Author/ Speaker/ Resilience Advisor
301.371.7100 | 301.471.8721 mobile
Skype: madelynblair
Author Riding the Current and Essays in Two Voices
Visit my blog: www.madelynblair.com
Follow @madelynblair
On May 8, 2019, at 6:55 AM, Matt Moore innotecture@... [sikmleaders] <sikmleaders@...> wrote:
Hi,
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk. The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").< br>
Regards,
Matt
Anytime Madelyn!
Feel free to reach out if you have any additional questions regarding KM and M&A or any of the references.
Best Regards
Tony
Dr. Anthony J. Rhem, PhD.
CEO/Principal Consultant
A.J. Rhem & Associates, Inc.
Office: 312-396-4024
Sent: Thursday, May 9, 2019 10:54 AM
To: sikmleaders@...
Subject: Re: [sikmleaders] Question for the KM community
Tony,
Thanks for responding to my point about M&A and KM. It is great to see confirmation of the points you made that I have already on my list. I think having a plan for KM assessment in preparation for making the acquisition decision is a great way to help senior execs understand the value of the knowledge asset that is most often the real reason for the acquisition. KM is more than patents.
I also appreciate the references.
Madelyn
MADELYN BLAIR, PHD
Author/ Speaker/ Resilience Advisor
301.371.7100 | 301.471.8721 mobile
Skype: madelynblair
Author Riding the Current and Essays in Two Voices
Visit my blog: www.madelynblair.com
Follow @madelynblair
On May 8, 2019, at 8:08 PM, tonyr@... [sikmleaders] <sikmleaders@...> wrote:
Madelyn, here are a few points to consider to make KM a part of the acquisition decision:
- Leverage KM in the company valuation
- Perform a knowledge audit
- Based on the Knowledge Audit determine:
- The knowledge (and this sometimes correlates to a position) needed
- Key knowledge holders,
- Knowledge gaps and how to fill them
(This is essential to planning employee and/or business function consolidation or elimination)
- Create a culture of knowledge sharing (I know easier said than done!)
- Share updates to the employees during the acquisition process
I have written 2 books in which I included chapters on KM for Mergers and Acquisitions. These books include Knowledge Management in Practice and Knowledge Management in Law Firms: Expertise in Action.
Feel free to contact me if there are any questions.
Best Regards
Tony
Dr. Anthony J. Rhem, PhD.
CEO/Principal Consultant
A.J. Rhem & Associates, Inc.
Office: 312-396-4024
From: sikmleaders@... eaders@...>
Sent: Wednesday, May 8, 2019 9:13 AM
To: sikmleaders@...
Subject: Re: [sikmleaders] Question for the KM community
Matt,
I have recently been working with a company who expands regularly through acquisition. The question that came up in the KM work was -- How do you make KM part of the acquisition decision?
Madelyn
MADELYN BLAIR, PHD
Author/ Speaker/ Resilience Advisor
301.371.7100 | 301.471.8721 mobile
Skype: madelynblair
Author Riding the Current and Essays in Two Voices
Visit my blog: www.madelynblair.com
Follow @madelynblair
On May 8, 2019, at 6:55 AM, Matt Moore innotecture@... [sikmleaders] <sikmleaders@...> wrote:
Hi,
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk. The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").< br>
Regards,
Matt
----- Original Message -----From:sikmleaders@...To:"Yahoo! Inc."Cc:Sent:Wed, 8 May 2019 10:55:29 +0000 (UTC)Subject:[sikmleaders] Question for the KM community
Hi,
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk. The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").
Regards,
Matt
Hi,
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk. The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").
Regards,
Matt
Matt,
I very rarely post stuff these days, and don't really read posts much either. Despite this, I thought I would respond to your question.My sense of knowledge management grew out of a range of inter-related experiences. One of these experiences was in relation to the book production industry (from content creation to content consumption workflows).During that time, I came to be aware that after the invention of the Gutenberg Printing press in roughly 1453 and the manufacture of the bible with again roughly 1200 pages, it took about 100 years (perhaps slightly less) for the concept of a table of contents to be included in the production of books. So from the concept of assisting readers navigate content to realising the reality of this, 100 years. And the social effect .... it worked towards the exact opposite effect of what Gutenberg hoped to enable ... the centralisation of power around Rome and the Catholic Church..And, so, we are now perhaps 40-50 years into a transformation of the manufacture of multi model content of a scale of complexity way way beyond the typographic world of the traditional print industry. And what might out equivalent table of content be that might take a 100 years to come into being?One wold have to put up there that this so called table of content must surely be related to "monitoring systems". Energy, ecological, water quality, notions of science-based sustainability. monitoring systems as tables of content, with real time feedback loops at various levels of focus.that allows people options to modify behaviour, adapt and get on.It might sound slightly utopian, perhaps even politically correct. But there is a required sense of humility if this quest for developing contemporary tables of content becomes understood as a knowledge management challenge.Look at the challenges of the Murray Darling Basin in Australia. A huge experiment in basin scale resource management allocation moving towards real time resource allocation decision making. Initially set up without any commitment to monitoring.or ability to navigate river flows. No access to navigate real time feedback loops.And so strangely in this same year in Australia, with the widespread and serious drought across the Murray Darliing Basin, we also find that the Lake Eyre basis is filling with water at levels not seen since around 1973. Go figure.As they say ... this notion of knowledge and knowledge management may not necessarily be in my life time .... but perhaps worthy of planetary, as well as localised consideration given the perilous creep of our impact on the planet.Richard
----- Original Message -----From:sikmleaders@...To:"Yahoo! Inc." <sikmleaders@...>Cc:Sent:Wed, 8 May 2019 10:55:29 +0000 (UTC)Subject:[sikmleaders] Question for the KM community
Hi,
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk.. The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").
Regards,
Matt
----- Original Message -----From:sikmleaders@...To:Cc:Sent:Fri, 10 May 2019 10:24:06 -0400Subject:Re: [sikmleaders] Question for the KM community
Richard,Interesting insights.One concern. Most knowledge is and will remain tacit (personal) vs. explicit (codified), and we need to realize that KM is much more than managing codified K, though that seems to be our primary focus.Ultimately, it will be all about optimizing human potential in the K Age, where K is the driver not muscle power, as in all prior ages (Hunter-Gatherer, Agrarian, Industrial (and Information/Digital Ages).Douglas WeidnerExec Chairman, Chief CKM InstructorOn Thu, May 9, 2019 at 5:19 PM 'Richard A Vines' plessons@... [sikmleaders] <sikmleaders@...> wrote:Matt,
I very rarely post stuff these days, and don't really read posts much either. Despite this, I thought I would respond to your question.My sense of knowledge management grew out of a range of inter-related experiences. One of these experiences was in relation to the book production industry (from content creation to content consumption workflows).During that time, I came to be aware that after the invention of the Gutenberg Printing press in roughly 1453 and the manufacture of the bible with again roughly 1200 pages, it took about 100 years (perhaps slightly less) for the concept of a table of contents to be included in the production of books. So from the concept of assisting readers navigate content to realising the reality of this, 100 years. And the social effect .... it worked towards the exact opposite effect of what Gutenberg hoped to enable ... the centralisation of power around Rome and the Catholic Church..And, so, we are now perhaps 40-50 years into a transformation of the manufacture of multi model content of a scale of complexity way way beyond the typographic world of the traditional print industry. And what might out equivalent table of content be that might take a 100 years to come into being?One wold have to put up there that this so called table of content must surely be related to "monitoring systems". Energy, ecological, water quality, notions of science-based sustainability. monitoring systems as tables of content, with real time feedback loops at various levels of focus.that allows people options to modify behaviour, adapt and get on.It might sound slightly utopian, perhaps even politically correct. But there is a required sense of humility if this quest for developing contemporary tables of content becomes understood as a knowledge management challenge.Look at the challenges of the Murray Darling Basin in Australia. A huge experiment in basin scale resource management allocation moving towards real time resource allocation decision making. Initially set up without any commitment to monitoring.or ability to navigate river flows. No access to navigate real time feedback loops.And so strangely in this same year in Australia, with the widespread and serious drought across the Murray Darliing Basin, we also find that the Lake Eyre basis is filling with water at levels not seen since around 1973. Go figure.As they say ... this notion of knowledge and knowledge management may not necessarily be in my life time .... but perhaps worthy of planetary, as well as localised consideration given the perilous creep of our impact on the planet.Richard
----- Original Message -----From:sikmleaders@...To:"Yahoo! Inc." <sikmleaders@...>Cc:Sent:Wed, 8 May 2019 10:55:29 +0000 (UTC)Subject:[sikmleaders] Question for the KM community
Hi,
I have been having a conversation with Stan Garfield about a potential talk... The thing I want to find out is: "What is the most confronting and challenging question for the knowledge management community? What is our biggest fear?"
Now "Is KM dead?" is not allowed. That question has reached a similar stage to the Monty Python Parrot Sketch for me ("probably pining for the fjords").
Regards,
Matt