Removing Barriers to Knowledge Flow

© Arthur Shelley 2010 under Creative Commons License. Available for public use provided source is

acknowledged. Permission of the author required for commercial use.

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Making a Difference: Removing Barriers to Knowledge Flow

through Organisations

Presented for SIKM Leaders Forum March 16, 2010

Arthur ShelleyMAD Knowledge Leadership Series Part 4

Principal, Intelligent AnswersAuthor: The Organizational Zoo &

Being a Successful Knowledge Leader



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Learning Outcomes Successful initiatives create a flow of knowledge across the

organisation that link goals to desired outcomes Leveraging knowledge for value is primarily a people focused

process enabled by conversations that matter & other tools requires leaders to create an environment in which their teams are

motivated to discover share, challenge, create and apply knowledge when they interact to generate mutual benefit and competitive advantage.

Discover how to optimise knowledge to remove barriers and stimulate a rich investment opportunity highlights opportunities for practitioners and leaders to improve

performance and minimise future risks



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Learning Outputs “Conversations that Matter” a structure to help you to understand

how the knowledge strategy is critical for engaging people and securing leadership support to generate value from leverage and use of knowledge assets.

A framework tool you can use to embed knowledge principles into strategic planning processes to enable knowledge practitioners to make a difference to the performance

of the organisation.

A method to prioritise knowledge assets and align initiatives with the overall business goals To secure appropriate allocation of resources.



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Getting Started with Knowledge



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“Knowing is not enough; we must apply.Willing is not enough; we must do.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

All investments need a competitive return (even if intangible).

Value is not automatically generated, it requires leadership to activate planning and management to optimise the benefits (tangible and intangible).

A knowledge strategy provides a means of delivering benefits aligned with business goals

A well constructed strategy is an ideal instrument for communicating plans and outcomes to engage and maintain stakeholder support.

Why embed Knowledge into Strategy?



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Building K-Capability takes Time

Source: Shelley (2009)

Time (2-5 years, leadership dependent)



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Foundations for Outcome Success

Source: Shelley (2009)



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Building a Knowledge Strategy Exercise1. Knowledge

VisionWhat outcomes and benefits

do we want to achieve?

2. Knowledge Audit

Where are we now?People, Processes, Capabilities, Tools,

Competitive advantage, Knowledge

3. Knowledge Gaps AnalysisWhat is missing between vision and current?

4. Planning

SWOTPESTLE

PrioritiseAlignmentResourcesRoadmap

DependenciesEngageEmbed

Ownership

Communicate, engage, build foundations, deliver short term benefits

Phase 2 capabilities, secondary benefits

Implement phase three projects

Advanced knowledge capabilities & systems

5. Build an iterative strategy aligned with business needs to build future foundations & capabilities and flexible to cope with changing directions.

7. Roadmap (general)

6. P

lan

(det

ails

)



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Have strategy, therefore success? Wishful thinking! - Optimism is good, but can be blinding.

A strategy needs to be skilfully applied to generate success (performance and continuous improvement)

People engagement levels determine success or failure (support, ownership, persistence and passion)

Leaders motivate people to follow, not try to force them to change (vision, communications and values)

A good strategy is an evolving approach

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. Charles Darwin



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Know

ledg

e

Fram

ewor

k

?

BUSINESS GOALS

SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE

Knowledge Strategy answers:How knowledge fills the gaps.



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Know

ledg

e

Fram

ewor

k



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Start with the Need (Desired Outcome)

Extract from: Shelley, 2009 Being a Successful Knowledge Leader



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Knowledge Elements in FrameworkMarket ResearchKnowledge AuditKnowledge StrategyCapability FrameworkResources planProject PlanProject ReviewPortal, Search, CMSWiki & BlogK Transfer MatrixCommunications PlanWebsite, S’holder newsMedia release

Conversations that MatterReflective ThinkingKnowledge ProfilesSense-making, Narrative

Stakeholder MatrixCommunities of PracticeCollaboration spacesConversations that MatterAnecdote circlesPeer Assist, Perf. ObjectivesAAR & Lessons LearntSuccess Stories, MentoringRewards and recognition



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Understand Knowledge Behaviour Networks

Shelley (2009)



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Behavioural diversity and Matching



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Which animal am I?

Wrong question!

How many can you be?

Need to be the right character in context to get the desired outcomes!

Free on-line profile:www.organizationalzoo.com

http://www.organizationalzoo.com/



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Challenging some Myth-conceptions You can’t have stress-free constructive conversations about

behaviour (my) Reality: behavioural discussions can be fun and are essential

for performance, trust and knowledge transfer Work is serious, fun is for outside work

(my) Reality: People who enjoy work are more productive, more likely to collaborate and enhance performance

Exchange of personal information is politically incorrect and to be discouraged (my) Reality: It is important to create an environment of mutual

respect where people positively interact Knowledge programs fail because of lack of resources

(my) Reality: Behaviour has a greater impact



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Do What?

With Whom?

By When?

WHY?What benefit?

Share concepts of this conference

Peers and boss

Next week Increase awareness

Facilitate potential improvements dialogue

Fred Time:D/M/Y

Improve Productivity

Create a risk register for the business change initiatives

Margaret (for the CHRO)

November Team

meeting

Improve alignment with business goals

Focus on Small SMART Objectives and early wins for credibility

Save the planet By myself Yesterday ‘cause I’m good!

Commitment versus Contribution

Nothing improves before YOU LEAD by doing something that matters



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Contact

Arthur [email protected]

FREE behavioural profilewww.organizationalzoo.com

Consulting and mentoringwww.intelligentanswers.com.au

Ph +61 413 047 408 Tweeting as Metaphorage

Presentation based on these two books

For Free coaching join the Organizational Zoo Ambassadors

Network

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.organizationalzoo.com/

http://www.intelligentanswers.com.au/



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Recommended Reading 1

1. Anonymous. (2005) Knowledge Management- a guide. Australian Standard AS5037-2005

2. Buckman, R.H. (2004) Technology is the easy part: It’s culture changes that’s hard. Chapter 2 in: Building a knowledge-driven organisation. pp. 16-29. McGraw Hill.

3. Collison, C. and Parcell, G. (2004) What is knowledge management? Chapter 2 in: Learning to Fly. Practical knowledge management from leading and learning organisations. pp. 15-29. Capstone Books.

4. Dalkir, K. (2005) KM strategy and metrics. Chapter 9 in: Knowledge management in theory and practice. Burlington: Elsevier. pp. 247-282.

5. Debrowski, S. (2006) An introduction to strategic knowledge management. Ch 2 in: Knowledge Management. pp. 30-56. John Wiley and Sons Australia.



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Recommended Reading 2

6. McGee, J. and Thomas, H. (2007) Knowledge as a lens on the jigsaw puzzle of strategy. Reflections and conjectures on the contribution of a knowledge-based view to analytic models of strategic management. Management Decision. Vol. 45 No. 3, pp. 539-563.

7. Shelley, A. (2007) The Organizational Zoo. A survival guide to workplace behavior. Aslan Publishing.

8. Shelley, A. (2009) Being a successful knowledge leader. What knowledge practitioners need to know to make a difference. ARK Publishing.

9. Snowden, D. J. and Boone, M.E. (2007). A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making. Harvard Business Review. November, 69-76.

10. Tirwana, A. (2002) The 10 step KM roadmap. Ch 4 in: The knowledge management toolkit. Orchestrating IT, Strategy and knowledge platforms. pp. 67-74. Prentice Hall PTR.