Successful KM initiatives David Gurteen Gurteen Knowledge www.gurteen.com 22nd May 2007 Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Begin with the end in mind • To discuss some of the things you need to do to ensure the success of your KM initiatives Gurteen Knowledge 2007 The Success of KM • KM has failed to live up to expectations • If KM is to be successful – we must shake off its “tarnished” image – and focus on action and results Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Things to do Questions to ask Demonstrate the value of KM Demonstrate the value of KM • • • • • Economy is tough Cost cutting in organizations KM can mean “Kill me” CKOs laid off Challenge is to demonstrate the value of KM Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Demonstrate the value of KM 1) To senior management • in terms of business value 2) To the people in the organization • in terms of what is in it for them Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Focus on business results • Business managers are looking for tools and disciplines that produce RESULTS! – – – – – – – cut costs improve efficiency improve quality increase sales improve customer retention solve problems increase innovation Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Focus on what's in it for them • • • • • • • Everyone is different Personal development Doing a better job Achieving things Creativity & Innovation Leading edge Easier job Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Get buy-in • Through communication! • One person at a time! • You need to improve your communication skills! Gurteen Knowledge 2007 You don’t do KM You don’t do KM • You don’t do KM • You solve business problems • Focus on business outcomes not on activity Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Focus on the operational Focus on the operational • Although KM is fundamentally strategic – focus on the short term operational outcomes • Not the longer term strategic ones • You need quick wins to ensure you are not ‘killed’ Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Don’t talk in jargon Stop using jargon • Knowledge Management is an oxymoron • It’s a poor title - its just a label - KAY-EM • Avoid KM jargon! • Simply talk in business terms Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Don’t talk philosophy • Don’t try to define knowledge • Don’t try to distinguish data, information and knowledge • No one will ever agree • You will turn everyone off! Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Stop trying to do things to people! How do we make them share their knowledge? Gurteen Knowledge 2007 The Question! How do we make them share? • Assumes US and THEM • Assumes THEY need to be MADE to share • Assumes we know better • A better way to phrase the question How do we better work together? Sally, I’d like to talk to you about how you could improve your knowledge sharing. Sally, I’d like to talk with you about how we could better work together. Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Work with People – don’t do things to them! Many of the familiar principles of Quality management amount to an elaboration of this simple truth: an innovative, healthy organization requires that we work with people rather than do things to them. Alfie Kohn How do we better work together? Many of the familiar principles of Quality management amount to an elaboration of this simple truth: an innovative, healthy organization requires that we work with people rather than do things to them. Alfie Kohn How do you make them share? How do we better work together? Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Dave Snowden’s 3 rules of KM • Knowledge will only ever be volunteered it can not be conscripted • We only know what we know when we need to know it • We always know more than we can tell and we will always tell more than we can write down If you ask someone, or a body for specific knowledge in the context of a real need it will never be refused. If you ask them to give you your knowledge on the basis that you may need it in the future, then you will never receive it. Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Focus on the individual knowledge worker The Individual No amount of money or technology or coercion or rewards will make KM initiatives a success if people do not buy into it! People need to understand the importance of KM and drive it themselves. They need to be intrinsically motivated. Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Redefine the knowledge worker • If everyone is a knowledge worker then it is no longer a useful label! A Knowledge worker is someone who gets to decide what she does each morning. Tom Stewart Gurteen Knowledge 2007 The Knowledge Worker Knowledge workers are those people who have taken responsibility for their work lives. They continually strive to better understand the changing world around them and modify their work practices and behaviors to better meet their personal and organizational objectives. No one tells them what to do. They do not take “No” for an answer. They are self motivated. Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Do not reward Here is what Alfie Kohn has to say about rewards For Best Results Forget the Bonus! To the best of my knowledge, no controlled scientific study has ever found a long-term enhancement of the quality of work as a result of any reward system http://www.alfiekohn.org Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Do not reward • • • • • Rewards punish Rewards rupture relations Rewards ignore reasons Rewards deter risk taking Rewards undermine interest Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Alfie Kohn • Pay people well • Pay people fairly • Then do everything possible to take money (rewards) off people’s minds Incentives, bonuses, pay-for-performanceplans and other reward systems violate this last principle by their very nature! Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Bob Buckman Our approach to KM is far more than stick or carrot. We say, "Knowledge Sharing is your job. Do it!" As a reward you may keep your job. Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Focus on understanding Focus on understanding For all our knowledge, we have no idea what we're talking about. We don't understand what's going on in our business, our market, and our world. KM shouldn’t be about helping us to know more. It should be about helping us to understand. So, how do we understand things? It's through stories that we understand how the world works. David Weinberger Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Focus on decision making Focus on decision making • KM should not be so much about doing things more efficiently but doing radical new things • Its should be more about doing the right thing badly than the wrong thing well! • In times of rapid change best practice can be dangerous Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Focus on action Focus on action I think "knowledge management" is a bullshit issue. Let me tell you why. I can give you perfect information, I can give you perfect knowledge and it won't change your behavior one iota. People choose not to change their behavior because the culture and the imperatives of the organization make it too difficult to act upon the knowledge. Knowledge is not the power. Power is power. The ability to act on knowledge is power. Most people in most organizations do not have the ability to act on the knowledge they possess. Michael Schrage Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Summary • • • • • • • • • Demonstrate value Get buy-in Don’t do KM Focus on operational Avoid jargon Stop doing things to people Focus on the individual Do nor reward Focus on understanding, decision making & action Gurteen Knowledge 2007 Discussion www.gurteen.com David Gurteen Gurteen Knowledge United Kingdom Tel: +44 1252 812 878 Email: david.gurteen@gurteen.com Gurteen Knowledge 2007
