Displaying items by tag: Knowledge

A doctor needs to understand human anatomy as well as physiology to be able to detect and treat diseases. Similarly a knowledge management practitioner needs to understand how information is put into context and the nature of information flows in an organization. This helps such a person develop a framework that enables him or her to map knowledge flows.

 

Developing such a framework that includes knowledge rather than information helps identify what knowledge is available and what knowledge is missing so that gaps in knowledge flows are better identified. The process of identifying the gaps in knowledge flows is called information modelling.

 

 

 Knowledge Mapping

 

 

Information Modelling

 

 

Through a process of information modelling, it becomes possible to identify what knowledge is available and what knowledge is required to either improve a process, solve a recurring problem or seek better marketing opportunities

 

 

 

Sharma Management International has the required expertise to develop suitable knowledge maps as well as undertake information modelling to enable your company manage its knowledge assets better. For us to understand how to help you better, please provide basic information by clicking here

As business environments become increasingly embroiled in uncertainty and ambiguity the necessity for critical knowledge retention takes center stage. This is especially so in the knowledge age where people drown in information are starved of critical knowledge of how to continually improve.

 

In the knowledge age, the terrain of critical knowledge changes with time. Determination of critical knowledge is a dynamic phenomenon. It changes with circumstances and time. Many organizations spend time, money and resources acquiring knowledge that is supposedly critical but in reality, is not. Consequently, the applicability of knowledge retained in knowledge repositories declines with time. This short article seeks to provide ideas on how retention of knowledge has to be undertaken to arrest this decline.

 

Retention of such knowledge in the knowledge age requires consideration of a number of issues. They include the value it brings, the support it delivers and the process of retrieval that is required insofar as ensuring that the knowledge retained is applicable in practice.

 

Value Proposition of Knowledge

For any retained knowledge to be fervently consumed, it has to be knowledge that people value. Such knowledge helps employees work better, resolve issues and problems they face and make informed decisions. The higher the value this knowledge brings, the more readily it is acquired and applied in practice.

 

To establish what knowledge is critical requires a consideration of value it brings to the recipient of that knowledge from the perspective of the recipient. This highly valued knowledge for the specific targeted recipients has to be first determined. Only after this is established, the source of the required knowledge is determined. The knowledge source could include new hires, retirees, experienced managers or subject matter experts who have the critical knowledge required by the targeted knowledge recipients.

 

Social network mapping and technical support

Given the volatility of knowledge applicability in practice in the knowledge age, critical knowledge has to be analyzed in two primary context, know how or technical based and know who or social based. People need to be supported in terms of what they need to do as well as whom they need to refer to when this knowledge is required and applied.

 

Developing a checklist of what to do based on input received from a subject matter expert is insufficient. In addition, a social network mapping of who else possess this knowledge, why should this person be referred to, whom to avoid etc. enables a valuable ecosystem of social interactions required for knowledge acquisition to be developed as well.

 

When developing a framework for retaining critical knowledge that remains valuable over time, it is necessary to make adequate considerations for both technical know-how and know-what as well as mapping the flow of accessing knowledge from the right sources within specific domains that relate to the knowledge required.

 

Ease of Knowledge content retrieval

Critical knowledge has to be stored in a way that enables the best knowledge to be assessed by the right people at the right time to accomplish a specific goal. This requires knowledge to be stored in a condensed form and remain easily accessible to whosoever requires it when it is required.

 

Making this possible requires developing readily consumable knowledge nuggets developed based on the existing taxonomy in use. In addition, a process of content validation of knowledge from the source is required so that it may be readily accessible by knowledge recipients. The process of tagging key words or phrases and linking these to the specific content that has been stored is crucial in this regard.

 

In summary for iteratively improving business processes and delivering better products and services over time, critical knowledge required has to be retained and applied in practice. The knowledge retained will be of value only if it incorporates both know how as well as know who to get work done better. In addition, such knowledge should be structured in a way that remains easily accessible to whomsoever needs it whenever it is needed.

For additional assistance on how this may be done and to view a number of templates that have been developed to do this in practice, please contact Sharma Management International here at your convenience.

 

Dr Rumesh Kumar DBA MBA PMP CKM CST

 

 

 

As business environments become increasingly embroiled in uncertainty and ambiguity the necessity for critical knowledge retention takes center stage. This is especially so in the knowledge age where people drown in information are starved of critical knowledge of how

to continually improve.

 

In the knowledge age, the terrain of critical knowledge changes with time. Determination of critical knowledge is a dynamic phenomenon. It changes with circumstances and time. Many organizations spend time, money and resources acquiring knowledge that is supposedly critical but in reality, is not. Consequently, the applicability of knowledge retained in knowledge repositories declines with time. This short article seeks to provide ideas on how retention of knowledge has to be undertaken to arrest this decline.

 

Retention of such knowledge in the knowledge age requires consideration of a number of issues. They include the value it brings, the support it delivers and the process of retrieval that is required insofar as ensuring that the knowledge retained is applicable in practice.

 

Value Proposition of Knowledge

For any retained knowledge to be fervently consumed, it has to be knowledge that people value. Such knowledge helps employees work better, resolve issues and problems they face and make informed decisions. The higher the value this knowledge brings, the more readily it is acquired and applied in practice.

 

To establish what knowledge is critical requires a consideration of value it brings to the recipient of that knowledge from the perspective of the recipient. This highly valued knowledge for the specific targeted recipients has to be first determined. Only after this is established, the source of the required knowledge is determined. The knowledge source could include new hires, retirees, experienced managers or subject matter experts who have the critical knowledge required by the targeted knowledge recipients.

 

Social network mapping and technical support

Given the volatility of knowledge applicability in practice in the knowledge age, critical knowledge has to be analyzed in two primary context, know how or technical based and know who or social based. People need to be supported in terms of what they need to do as well as whom they need to refer to when this knowledge is required and applied.

 

Developing a checklist of what to do based on input received from a subject matter expert is insufficient. In addition, a social network mapping of who else possess this knowledge, why should this person be referred to, whom to avoid etc. enables a valuable ecosystem of social interactions required for knowledge acquisition to be developed as well.

 

When developing a framework for retaining critical knowledge that remains valuable over time, it is necessary to make adequate considerations for both technical know-how and know-what as well as mapping the flow of accessing knowledge from the right sources within specific domains that relate to the knowledge required.

 

Ease of Knowledge content retrieval

Critical knowledge has to be stored in a way that enables the best knowledge to be assessed by the right people at the right time to accomplish a specific goal. This requires knowledge to be stored in a condensed form and remain easily accessible to whosoever requires it when it is required.

 

Making this possible requires developing readily consumable knowledge nuggets developed based on the existing taxonomy in use. In addition, a process of content validation of knowledge from the source is required so that it may be readily accessible by knowledge recipients. The process of tagging key words or phrases and linking these to the specific content that has been stored is crucial in this regard.

 

In summary for iteratively improving business processes and delivering better products and services over time, critical knowledge required has to be retained and applied in practice. The knowledge retained will be of value only if it incorporates both know how as well as know who to get work done better. In addition, such knowledge should be structured in a way that remains easily accessible to whomsoever needs it whenever it is needed.

For additional assistance on how this may be done and to view a number of templates that have been developed to do this in practice, please contact Sharma Management International at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at your convenience.

 

Dr Rumesh Kumar DBA MBA PMP CKM CST

 

 

 

Harnessing knowledge does not necessarily lead to people working better. People do not work better because they know more. They work better because they feel a sense of ownership and demonstrate that ownership by working better.

How Knowledge Management is crucial for Digital Transformation 

I had a chat with a Chief information Officer of a business conglomerate the other day. His company embarked on a Digital Transformation strategy recently. Millions of dollars were invested in cloud computing and data analytics but he lamented that the efficient return on these investments are difficult to realize. As we spoke it became clear to me that this was a common problem most companies embarking on a digital transformation experience. I enquired on the basis for selecting the digital technology in question and his response was that it appeared to be the best available. Evidently, it appears that the allure to invest is there but grounds for doing so efficiently remain unclear. Let me share my thoughts on how better knowledge management helps identify what needs to be digitized and how to select the digital technology that gives the best returns for investing in digital transformation. 

 

Anyone responsible for managing knowledge in an organization needs to develop a game plan or strategy for doing so. This provide guidance on what needs to be done and why it is necessary. Without a business strategy, a business cannot grow as intended. Likewise, without a knowledge management strategy, attempts to optimize knowledge cannot proceed as intended.

We may be clear of what a business strategy entails. However, a lot of uncertainty surrounds the development of a knowledge management strategy. What should such a strategy comprise of? How do we begin developing one? Who should be involved in its development?

How can we get funding for such a strategy? These are very pertinent questions that need to be addressed.

Answering these questions maybe done systematically through the adoption of a simple three step approach that involves;

 

The 4^th Industrial Revolution has revolutionized the way society functions and the nature of work itself. We witness staggering changes it has brought and are left wondering how to deal with this new phenomena. This article provides a glimpse of what has transpired and how to navigate around this bewildering episode called the 4^th Industrial Revolution.

This revolution has brought in its wake, a blistering array of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, Big Data, and the Internet of Things (IoT). These technologies have indeed to a large extent improved the quality, speed, or price at which value is produced. We have new discoveries made in the field of genetics and a huge vista of business opportunities opened to people who have ventured to capitalize on the new value propositions available.

In our previous article, we explored how optimizing knowledge processes enables organizational transformation from a culture of blaming towards a culture of accountability. A key lesson learned was that only with active involvement of all parties involved, facilitated through knowledge management practices, can such a situation come to fruition.

 

Recently, we have been discussing an idea suggested by Forbes that Knowledge Management facilitates decision making, enables the building of a learning organization, as well as creates a culture of knowledge sharing and innovation. In this segment, we focus on the intimate relationship between better decision making by leaders and knowledge management at a personal level.

 

In order to make high-quality better decisions in volatile and highly uncertain and complex business environments, three requirements need to be fulfilled. The first is the ability to undertake assumptions analysis. The second is the ability to suspend unilateral perspectives in favour of multiple perspectives when attempting to understand the situation and complication being faced. The third is the ability to make a decision that meets the short-term, as well as long-term, aspirations of all stakeholders involved.

 

Assumptions analysis

In highly complex and uncertain business environments, leaders have to rely on their gut feel and intuition to decide on the best way forward. They are forced to decide based on limited, changing information and make assumptions on what other issues impact their proposed decisions. This was an acceptable practice in the past but is not the case anymore. Today, the volatility and extremely complex interrelationship between different elements of the business environment renders the tendency to assume a very risky option to undertake.

 

To minimize the risks associated with making incorrect assumptions, leaders need to identify and acquire critical information either through the association of people who have relevant experience or be able to intelligently analyze data to guide and assess the assumptions they make. As a result, the knowledge acquisition process needs to be optimized through enhancing the ability to connect with people who have the necessary expertise at short notice and the expertise to analyze information intelligently.

 

Multi-perspective Analysis

Rapid and significant changes have become commonplace occurrences these days. There have been cases where what appeared to be the “obvious” decision to make from a leadership standpoint, led to a nightmarish outcome. A case in point is the decision by Nokia to downplay the advent of Apple’s iPhone. According to Nokia leaders at that time “such a phone will not go far” in 2007, led to the demise of Nokia’s leading position as a cell phone retailer.

 

With the complexity and interdependency of technological start-ups, including the advent of artificial intelligence and advanced robotics, boundaries of technological developments are becoming increasingly blurred. Under these circumstances, where leaders are limited to their current level of superficial understanding, within the confines of a limited point-of-view, when making critical decisions. Given their limited comprehension of the unprecedented evolution of technology that is unfolding before them, we clearly need a more effective means of making such critical decisions.

 

The only way to make better decisions in such situations is through the production of knowledge that broadens the understanding of the emerging business environment. This requires the involvement of all stakeholders in terms of sharing and producing knowledge on a regular basis. This will over time, enable development of a more holistic and multi-perspective view of issues. These perspectives shared and discussed amicably through dialogue using Knowledge Management techniques such as the Knowledge Café will go a long way in extending options available to leaders in dealing with issues that are ambiguous in nature.

 

Balancing short and long-term needs of stakeholders  

In general, the thinking process of people involves perceiving what is happening, and from that perception, developing an understanding of how what is happening, affects the well-being of the person, followed by making a decision on what to do, based on the level of understanding the individual has achieved.

 

When this is done by one person, such as a leader who has to decide on the next course of action, his or her perception may be clouded by inaccurate or incomplete information that could lead to a superficial understanding of the situation and complication inherent within it. Consequently, the decision made may be suboptimal and at times disastrous. This is by virtue of the fact that all stakeholder considerations were not made and the decision most often is based on good short-term returns without considering long-term implications of these decisions.

 

To mitigate the negative outcomes of a wrong decision and to minimize the possibility that sub-optimal decisions are made, leaders need to develop a knowledge management capability that optimises the process of acquiring the correct knowledge from the right stakeholders at the right time, producing a holistic, shared understanding of the situations and complications involved from all relevant stakeholders and based on such an understanding be in a better position to make better decisions.

 

Making a reasoned, well thought out decision that can affect stakeholders wellbeing is dependent to a large extent on minimizing the consideration of unverified assumptions and adopting a unilateral, superficial understanding of issues. Such a decision has to be premised on the need for internalizing concerns and welfare of stakeholders involved both in the short and long term.

 

If this is done as a matter of routine, then such an approach to decision-making is deemed to have been integrated into the decision-making process adopted by leaders in the organization. Developing and maintaining a well-oiled and thought out knowledge management approach as a catalyst for making the right decisions is certainly a step in the right direction.

You may have heard of brainstorming, but questionstorming?? Well this is apparently a new term being bandied around in knowledge management based circles. Let me share with you why this approach is gaining ground fast as a tool for acquiring knowledge that is required, when it is required.

 

Knowledge broadly refers to what is known. On a personal level, it refers to a fluid
mix of framed experiences, values, contextual information, and intuition that a
person has. This knowledge provides an environment for evaluating and
incorporating new experiences and information. Previously acquired knowledge is
the basis for learning. Learning in turn leads to acquisition of more knowledge.