- Situational Awareness
- Overcoming Complications
- Solutions design and implementation
The starting point is what is normally referred to as situational awareness. It refers to being aware of the existing level of knowledge management maturity and then defining what level your company needs to be in. This is done through a survey based on a Knowledge Management Model, KMMTM as shown.
Knowledge Management Model
The findings will benefit you in two ways. It assists in identifying a broad-based strategy that is implementable for your specific organization. In addition, based on the findings, you will have a basis for gaining support from top management when implementing your strategy.
It is also necessary to be aware of complications that could block your path in developing a knowledge management strategy. This could include lack of clarity on what is “knowledge management” and not being able to determine if you have made progress. These complications, left unresolved, will hinder your ability to come up with an appropriate methodology that you could use. Overcoming these complications through interaction with people concerned is an important prelude to developing a knowledge management strategy
A knowledge management strategy comprises small, “no budget” tactical quick wins that over time provides a sense confidence that the company is on the right track. Such “quick wins” provide justification for financial investments for more strategic long-term strategies. Once such investments are made you can then focus on developing a knowledge management strategy customized for your company. For more details, please see https://www.kminstitute.org/no-budget-km-it-possible
In summary, in order to develop a game plan or strategy for knowledge management,
Do
- Assess where your company stands in terms of Knowledge Management Maturity
- Seek consensus to define clearly what is meant by “Knowledge Management” in your company
- Identify suitable metrics that you could use to measure how well you have been able to manage knowledge-based activities
- Recognize how the existing knowledge sharing culture can impact your knowledge management strategy
- Develop an appropriate knowledge management methodology that adequately addresses the requirements for your organization, based on your level of maturity
- Undertake simple “no budget” Knowledge management initiatives to build confidence and develop a culture of knowledge sharing
- Share the results of these initiatives with the rest of the organization
- Based on the improvements generated as a result of these actions, request for budgets from management to undertake strategies to move up to the next knowledge management maturity level
Don’t
- Manage knowledge all by yourself, develop a team to help you do so
- Make knowledge management appear as an additional work your team mates have to do in addition to what they are already doing
- Insist on using only one definition of knowledge management that you have come up with on your own
- Choose a knowledge management methodology that is not suitable for your company simply because it worked elsewhere
- Ignore the impact the existing knowledge sharing culture has on successful implementation of your knowledge management strategy
- Develop a strategy that may not be implementable due to a mismatch between what level of knowledge management maturity your company is in and what it actually is in
- Request for budget for funding from top management without giving a proper justification for this funding
Dr Rumesh Kumar,
Certified Knowledge Management Instructor, Knowledge Management Institute, USA
More details regarding the above may be obtained by attending the Certified Knowledge Manager course conducted by the Knowledge Management Institute USA in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. For more details please click here