KM Course - Post #5

Continuation of 'Leveraging on existing knowledge':

Having looked at some of the fundamental principles that form the foundation for making use of existing knowledge, let's go on to understand exactly what is existing knowledge and how it has to be leveraged upon:

What is the existing knowledge that needs to be made good use of?

- Business knowledge
- Domain knowledge
- Functional knowledge
- Process knowledge
- Customer knowledge
- Employee knowledge (people skills)
- Market/Environment knowledge
- Competition knowledge
- Technology knowledge

Knowledge could be those that can be

- Documented - completely explicit - Organizational structure
- Taught - How to reach a place - shortcuts/what to do in certain situations etc (maps may be a good documented substitute though)
- Taught, observed and learned through practice - How to conduct meetings

Each knowledge type has to be shared and made good use of through different techniques and tools. Making good use of existing knowledge implies the following:

- If I've done it once, I should be able to do it again more efficiently/effectively
- If I've done it once, I should be able to teach someone who has not yet done it or someone who tried it differently and did not learn what I learned
- If I've done it once in a certain way and someone else has done it in some other way, we both get together and learn from each other and put together the best of both and mutually benefit
- If I've done it once, I document it and circulate it to a large audience who not only learn from it but also keep adding to it so as to improve it and provide alternatives

The culture has to be ready to learn and share...independently and collectively.
The processes have to be ready to accommodate for learning and sharing activities. Anytime, All the time
There ought to be tools that help people learn and share...independently and collectively.
The sharing has to haapen through the right channels at the right time and to the right people and has to be made available forever....though it keeps changing its shape and size and form as it evolves and changes with time....!

For all this to happen, the organization has to identify the knowledge that's important for the business, understand how, who, when, where and why knowledge is generated, enable it to be shared, provide an environment for people to learn and generate the knowledge and understand how it is used and provide the necessary tools and cultural orientation required.

Somebody asked....

Somebody asked..."Does KM produce business benefits or is it an esoteric subject?"....and I think...

Yes and Yes! :)

Practicing KM definitely produces business benefits though how it can be quantified is not only a challenge in some ways but also is a matter of perception....and therefore an esoteric subject in the eyes of people who claim to be KM experts! :) Jokes apart, KM is an esoteric subject in the sense that only those who are comfortable talking about intangibles and things that are all-encompassing understand it....or rather try to understand it.

Moving back to quantified business benefits....if, to achieve a business goal, the concepts of KM are utilized, there are people who may attribute the entire revenue/profit/rating/brand perception, as the case may be, to KM! For example: Someone networks with a key customer contact and realises in the normal course of the conversation that the customer has an implcit requirement and comes back and puts it up on a discussion board which is in turn commented upon by various team members and managers and finally results in a proactive proposal that the organization wins.....?! Some people would say it was KM that made it possible and some others that it was the technical/functional solution that made it ultimately possible! So, isn't it about perception?

But there are clear situations like that involving Customer Queries/Responses and a database that stores previous queries/responses that improve customer response time and this can be quantified in clear terms....!

This is a vast topic and can be spoken about at length. Stopping here for now! :)

The Buddha Speaketh Thus

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. - Buddha

technorati tags:Spirituality, Sharing, Philosophy

KM Course - Post #4

Having said that KM, simply put, is a management philosophy that deals with leveraging on existing knowledge and creating new knowledge from old knowledge...we went on to see that a good starting point would be to understand how to make best use of existing knowledge by aligning our activities with the business goals. What could be the business goals (and corresponding road-blocks) that need to be considered in the context of KM...and especially in the context of existing knowledge? Which of the typical business goals can be achieved with KM as an enabler? Which of the corresponding road-blocks can be cleared with the aid of KM?

Let's take some examples: Typical business goals would concern themselves with revenue growth, cost-cutting, innovation, productivity, employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and brand image. Logically speaking, cost-cutting, productivity improvement, employee and customer satisfaction are areas which involve making best use of existing knowledge in an organization. Making best use of existing knowledge simply means making knowledge accessible to the right person at the right time and in the right format. This will ensure that employees are able to go about their duties without unnecessarily wasting time, effort and money. They end up reusing artifacts already prepared by others in the organization thus not only improving productivity and cutting costs but also improving employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction in case the activity concerned has a direct impact on services provided to the customer!

The underlying KM principles among others would be:

- Designing and executing processes so as to identify the importance of the knowledge being handled and capturing/sharing the same. Systems need to be designed to capture explicit components of the knowledge and alert concerned people about the availability of explicit knowledge. Systems also need to remember the people who can provide more information on the project when needed thus capturing information about the availability of tacit knowledge

- Making knowledge capture and sharing a way of life for each and every employee by not only designing processes appropriately but also providing them with the right tools to do so. These may be sophisticated tools that are on a network 24*7

- Most importantly, people need to educated about the importance of (and opportunity loss involved in not) capturing and sharing the knowledge. They need to be encouraged, acknowledged, appreciated and celebrated for such activities.

Next post: Continuation of the discussion on how to leverage on existing knowledge

technorati tags:KM

KM Course - Post #3

Ok! Let's start off.....Having said that KM is about leveraging on existing knowledge and creating new knowledge for business benefits....how does one go about it?Let's take it one at a time. Let's focus first on leveraging existing knowledge...Leveraging on existing knowledge for the logical sense that it makes is one thing and doing it because the business situation desperately calls for it is another!

Ideally, unless the business leader under question is inherently a believer in the logic that existing knowledge needs to be circulated and made best use of and that it is worth INVESTING in financial terms and otherwise (time, other resources), it is better to let the business objectives dictate to the KM plan.So, what we ought to do is to study the existing business objectives and the future business objectives and look at how it needs to be achieved and the role that existing knowledge would play in the same. We also ought to look at the problems or the stumbling blocks/pain areas that the business faces currently and the role that knowledge has to play in the given scenario and prepare a KM plan accordingly.

Next post: So, how does one plan to leverage on existing knowledge.....?

A short -blog- course on KM...

Ok! Here goes! I've been stimulated enough to think about the definition of KM which you can read below. So, I think it's going to be easy for me to keep the momentum and go on and build on this and prepare a short blog course on what I know about KM...! :) What say?

technorati tags:KM

My new (?) definition of KM.... :D

KM is a management philosophy that deals with the optimal utilization of existing knowledge and the creation of new knowledge to meet business requirements while satisfying corporate values. - Nirmala (24th Oct 06)

technorati tags:KM, Knowledge, KnowledgeManagement

Doctor. Different!

I came across a very unconventional Doctor in Dubai. An Indian by birth, he has studied to be a heart surgeon but is now pioneering a different kind of service for people (not really patients). He has taken up idea of being a health consultant for people who are willing to get proactive about their health. But it works for reactive cases too. He apparently promises an improvement for the better based on the person's needs and does this once he has studied the person's health at length. He analyzes the person's health and looks into the future to prescribe proactively, at what is perhaps a reasonable fee for a well-to-do family. I guess there is a significant difference between a dietitian's inputs and inputs from a person of this sort. Come to think of it, the benefits this may have would be related to early diagnosis of health problems. The doctor says his 'customers' are forced to sign an agreement to the effect that they'll make themselves available for discussions with the doctor anytime he chooses and vice versa! Prescriptions may range from exercise, food, lifestyle recommendations, etc. Well, whatever it is, I think it takes guts for a well-established doctor to move away from what could be a well-paying job to something that is quite risky and uncertain! A surgeon without practice may not even find a job if he has been away from his profession for too long a time!It is not only about being visionary, innovative, different, unconventional etc but also about knowing when (the right time) to take the less-trodden path!

technorati tags:Health, Innovation

Unwanted advice?

If there is...

- no top management support for KM (includes their willingness to talk about the importance of KM when talking to the workforce)
- no Management/HR-driven culture of acknowledging knowledge sharers/mentors rather than individuals who accomplish but hoard

...KM will not work!

You can as well get ready to see 80% of your effort going down the drain. It is indeed the pareto rule at work. 80% of KM will arguably happen if there is just 20% in place - management support and a culture that pampers those who share. The KM's job is a lot easier then....(she of course then needs to work on improving those processes, communicating effectively, making the technology fascinating, evangelizing et al)

Keep It Short, Stupid

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, then having the two as close together as possible. - George Burns

:D ah! and ha! as well... :]

technorati tags:Quotes, Humor

Under the Table

During a presentation yesterday, the speaker was having continuous problems with the power chord & the projector and in the process had to go down on his knees to reach the power point just under the table. After grappling with the technical problems for a while, he said with a grin that barely hid his disappointment "You know when a presentation is going really bad when you have to go under the table!" :D LoL

technorati tags:Humor

Principles and Values: A Life's Life?

How many of us formulate our own principles of life and live by them?
I have begun to see a pattern and 'am curious and excited to explore it further. (High time I did I guess....I am sure there are plenty of people out there who are smarter and have observed a lot more....much earlier than I have in my life....and I would love to hear from them).

Every person who has created waves in the world, every person who has accomplished something extraordinary, every person who is admired and respected by the world has a key principle/set of principles that (s)he follows and swears by... Among these are some who are so passionate and sure of themselves that they influence and mentor others to adopt those principles (Spiritual Gurus, Political Leaders etc). Is there something that can be called a common principle that makes an appearance in almost every famous person's diary? Or can these be categorised roughly into a dozen/half-a-dozen buckets? Won't at least one of these sets of principles appeal to any given person? (I am sure it will...).

I think schools should have a subject that stimulates such thinking in children. The subject of principles and values. Not necessarily forcing children to adopt something but inspiring them to discover (can't be invent I think) the principles and values that drive him/her. The world will be a better place to live in if each one has wonderful principles/values that go along with others' principles/values or at least do not clash with those that others have...

All Relegious leaders definitely seem to have advocated a few common principles like kindness, tolerance, honesty, sacrifice et al. Principles by MK Gandhi, MLK, and Nelson Mandela belong to one category that was driven by similar causes. Swami Vivekananda was a man with wonderful principles. Ayn Rand's principles may not have been accepted universally but there are many people who are influenced by them. Many Indian sages (Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharishi, Adi Shankaracharya) including Sri Sri and Swami Chinmayananda are examples of principle-led lives that influence a huge circle of people.

I think it would be wonderful for each one of us to spend time and study the lives of great people, listen to contemporary principle-led leaders with an open mind and then form our own set of principles and values that drive us and inspire us come what may. It would mean a very satisfying and fulfilling life and what more does one want? I guess some of these principles may be based on a goal (for example, Gandhi's) while others are just principles that help one lead one's life well...

...I will start my conscious journey today. :-)

The RUSTing of TRUST

Just been reading an article on Trust in HBR (This month’s – September 06 - Issue). Written by Robert Hurly and entitled ‘The decision to trust’.

The author says trust is more often than not the result of analysis and not blind faith or paranoia. He says there are ten factors that determine whether one resorts to trust or distrust in their dealings; 3 of which are related to one’s own personality and the remaining 7 to the situation one is in.

 

The three personality related factors are: (statements in parenthesis reflect my interpretation)

 

-          Risk-tolerance (are you ready to take a risk and trust someone?)

-         Level of adjustment (how much adjusted are you with life? do you believe no one can cheat you?)

-         Relative power (how much can you ‘get back’ at the person if he cheats?)

 

The situation-based factors are: (not necessarily in the below-mentioned order)

 

-          Security (is the situation that involves delicate security-based issues?)

-          Similarities between the two parties (similarity breeds trust)

-          Aligned interests (does the person want the same things as you do and will she do everything for it?)

-          Capability (is the person capable enough to carry it out)

-          Predictability and integrity (uncertainty never helped?)

-          Level of communication (frank, open and complete communication improves trust)

-          Benevolent concern (you will trust a person who is genuinely kind and lets you know that she wants you to have the best)

 

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KM thought-leaders have for long screamed from roof-tops about trust being one of the most essential ingredients for it (KM) to be a success in any organisation. But how much of it can be influenced by the KM function/initiative? It is clear that trust is too fundamental, person-based and situation-based for KM to play the role of an influencer. Underlying enablers like communication, capability, risk-tolerance etc can be worked upon with adequate top management support but most of the factors on the list are out of control and hugely associated with the individual’s character and attitude. Knowledge sharing is truly effective only in teams where all the above barriers are crossed….and the situation based factors are difficult if not impossible to handle. Extending this topic a little further…into a slightly different direction, this is a selling point for K-Logs. A knowledge blog written on a personal note with details about the good and the bad (not just the former) is trustworthy and a good candidate for knowledge sharing mechanisms; One of the sure-fire ways to build trust in the online world, as there is a sure but gradual movement to online presence and interaction from conventional methods of interaction…

Deriving Strength from Words

Came across a couple of quotes that sound so great….really, don’t you think we underestimate the power of words many a time?

What a few words strung together with the threads of optimism and inspiration cannot do! :)

 

“People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be” – Abraham Lincoln

 

“You can’t have a better tomorrow if you’re thinking about yesterday all the time” – Charles Kettering

 

Talking about words and how they make people react, I think many organisations don’t make use of the techniques of communication (words, of course, play a key role in communication) to manage change…the easiest way to get things done is perceived to be through enforcement and superficial rewards. Words (communication as a whole, actually) can actually be the cheapest way to get things done….managers who use words manipulatively may succeed in the short run but leaders who can genuinely inspire and have the communication skills required for it would be extremely successful and powerful in the long run….

 

How do you do?

How do you do,
originally uploaded by nimmypal.

An unexpected gift....was observing another bird but ended up catching this one on the lens....and at an amusing moment too! :)

At the start of the desert safari

At the start of the desert safari,
originally uploaded by nimmypal.

Words cannot do justice to this photo....in other words, I am not in a mood to write ;)

Vigilant vs. Operational Leaders: Changes at Ford, the Coke-Pepsi Fiasco, and Other Management Moments - Knowledge@Wharton

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1553&CFID=1079949&CFTOKEN=92784412

Yeah! I am back to doing one of my favourite things....reading up on the latest articles from the top business school magazines on management, leadership, innovation etc. I sort of liked this article as it tries to differentiate between mundane leadership and vigilant leadership. It is a story of risks and attitudes that encourage/discourage risk-taking and long-term thinking....reminds me of one more thing that I came across somewhere....it's about getting out of your comfort zone and seeing reality for what it is.

B-R-I-D-G-E

If destiny has taken you places, which bridge do you think is the most awesome of all?

PS: I am gathering information on bridges as I personally am fascinated by them....especially those that look unconventional....some of them are truly man-made marvels I think...

The line between theory and practice...

It may be easy for the theoretically inclined to switch into the practical mode but not so for the people who belong to the second category. Am I right or am I right? ;D

T-H-R-O-W ing, a Fit? Throwing a fit?

Sometimes, life throws such seemingly menacing situations that seem like it will be the end of the world before they occur (something i am not ready for...it just can't happen to me...) and then like 'even this will pass'....or 'what else could I have done anyway...it doesn't matter'...or 'it did not kill me...i got through it....i made it' once it occurs..

Amusing....amazing....interesting....and what not! I recently went through one such situation....I had to throw away a lot of stuff that I thought I would never ever throw away...for even a million dollars...but I had to....thanks to the new airline baggage rules... :@...and thanks to some very 'friendly' and 'understanding' airline staff (ouch!...it is too hard to digest) from one of the airlines that is considered to be the best in some parts of the world (Middle east and Western region)! Boy, I simply closed my eyes and threw stuff like I'd been wanting to dispose them for ages while in reality it was anything but that. After the terrible experience, I happened to come across a newspaper cartoon quite coincidentally....it shows a guy with so many bags that he has to literally make use of his teeth to show his ticket and the caption reads 'Before 9/11' and then the second box shows the same guy without anything on and using just the ticket to 'clothe' himself.....if you know what I mean....! Boy, the situation couldn't be expressed better now I guess...and this is no joke.

At the risk of sounding highly philosophical, if you ever encounter a situation wherein you have to discard many a KG at the Airport and are either not prepared for it or just partially prepared for it....one way to look at it is as a spiritual experience. What will you throw? What is the criteria? How much did you pay for it? How much do you love it? What will you lose if you throw it? God! How many important questions to answer and how less a time to answer it in. A few minutes of hectic throwing and spiritual cleansing if you like....I'll probably come back and write more about this. But all I can say now is that life is just amazing at times....it loves to give you a surprise and see how you react to it....and however much you believe that you are not equipped for it, life also actually gives you the wherewithal for handling the situation. Believe in yourself!