2016 PMI Global Congress KT_Final

#PMICongress

Gina Hortillosa, PE, PMP

Snohomish County

Zahid Khan, PE, PMP

King County

Tackling Knowledge Transfer

at a Project Level While Aiming

for Operational Impacts

No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively, have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals. - Brian Tracy

Learning objectives

2 Identify organizational Knowledge Transfer

barriers and examine solutions

3 Align Knowledge Transfer with the

PMI Talent Triangle™

4 Generate ideas as to how attendees

can influence Knowledge Transfer in

their organizations

1 Interpret Knowledge Transfer basic theory

and recognize concepts

Presentation

TheoryPractical

ApplicationPMI Talent

Triangle™Make it

Happen

Knowledge Transfer history

• Survival depended on ancestral knowledge

• Knowledge was captured in stories and chants

• Children learned through direct observation

Evolution of Knowledge Transfer

• Educational institutions transfer

explicit knowledge

• “Knowledge Management”

emerged in the 1980s

• Influenced by cognitive science,

business theory, social sciences,

information sciences and artificial

intelligence

Knowledge

. . . is information that is relevant, actionable and at least partially based on experience.

“

“

Knowledge

Leonard, Swap and Barton, 2015, p.18). Critical Knowledge

Transfer: Tools for Managing Your Company's Deep Smarts.

Information

Data

Critical knowledge

. . . business critical and at least partially based

on experience.

Leonard, D., Swap, W., Barton, G. (2015). Critical Knowledge


Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.

“

“

What is Knowledge Transfer?

. . . Knowledge Transfer is the methodical

replication of the expertise, wisdom, insight, and tacit

knowledge of key professionals into the heads and

hands of their coworkers.

Project Management Institute. 2015. Pulse of the Profession®:

Capturing the Value of Project Management through

Knowledge Transfer. Newtown Square, PA: Larry Prusak.

“

“


– Employees, experts and leaders functioning as

teachers by intentionally weaving “teachable

moments” into daily business (connecting)

– It is not limited to document storing (collecting)








Connect + Collect = Knowledge Transfer

Does your organization have

an initiative or formal

Knowledge Transfer

program?

Knowledge

Leonard, Swap and Barton, 2015, p.18). Critical Knowledge


Tacit

Explicit

Implicit

Document, share and

transfer the hard-earned

knowledge that is in the

minds, bodies and

hearts of employees

• “Know what”

• “Know how”

• Systems

• “Know who”

• Interpersonal

• Filter noise

• Scent

• Sounds

• Touch

Cognitive Behavioral Physical

Knowledge Dimensions

• Who they are

• Presence

• In their hearts

Character

Leonard, D., Swap, W., Barton, G. (2015). Critical Knowledge


Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.

Knowledge Transfer Life Cycle

Project Management Institute. 2015. Pulse of the Profession®: Capturing the Value of

Project Management through Knowledge Transfer. Newtown Square, PA: Larry Prusak.

Capture

Identify

Share

Apply

Assess

Practical application

Theory PMI Talent

Triangle™

Practical

ApplicationMake it

Happen

In-depth interviews

How important is Knowledge Transfer to your

organization?

□ Low

□ Medium

□ High

Theory

In-depth interviews

What are examples of critical knowledge

for your organization?

Theory

Theory

?What metrics does your organization use

to assess knowledge transfer??

Interview highlights

Theory

Area of inquiry Responses (trends)

Most important critical knowledgeRelationships and Leadership

(trust)

Most important project level

knowledge transfer tool / technique

Assigning a deputy project

manager

Most commonly used organizational

knowledge transfer tool/techniqueMentoring and coaching

Most common lesson learned

or insight

Systemic knowledge transfer

is dependent on leadership

commitment and prioritization

How does a PM or GM

know what knowledge

to transfer?

PM GM

• Project strategic

business alignment

(clarity of purpose)

• Exit interview

mindset

• Business critical

knowledge vs.

“historical” knowledge

• Engage employees

Capture

Share

Apply

Assess Identify

Identify

Capture

Explicit knowledge:

• Conversations and storytelling

• Store knowledge in centralized

database or website (technology)

Capture

Share

Apply

Assess Identify

Share

. . . the manner in which we offer our knowledge is

always relational, and therefore the level of care or

coldness in which we offer it will have a great effect on

the way the information is received and integrated.

Rechtschaffen, D. (2014). The Way of Mindful Education.

New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Capture

Share

Apply

Assess Identify

“

“

Effective Sharing

Feelings

Motivation

Cognition

Capture

Share

Apply

Assess Identify

Behaviors

Knowledge Transfer barriers

• The perception that Knowledge Transfer

represents a loss of power (ego)

• Lack of trust

• Lack of commitment:

– Time

– Patience

– Emotional availability

Removal of barriers (tools)

• Engage the users to develop their own tools

• Modeling (Mentoring)

• Infusion of social fluency (culture and work)

Theory

How do organizations

connect people (engage

employees)?

Capture

Share

Apply

Assess Identify

Apply

Assess

. . . measure what you can, evaluate what you measure,

and appreciate that you cannot measure the vast majority of

what you do. And at least every once in a while, make time

to take a step back and think about what you are doing.

Catmull, E., & Wallace A. (2014). Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming

the unseen forces that stand in the way of true inspiration.

NewYork, NY: Random House.

“

“

Capture

Share

Apply

Assess Identify

Operational impacts

Impacts occur when:

• Employees intentionally weave “teachable

moments” into daily business operations

• Leadership is exercised at all levels

of the organization

Operational benefits

• Cost savings (less relearn)

• Engaged employees

• Team development

• Learning mindset (culture)

• Innovation


Theory PMI Talent

Triangle™

Practical

ApplicationMake it

Happen


Real Case Scenario

You are the supervisor of a five member team. Joe is the

subject matter expert (SME) in your team. You suspect

that he will be retiring within the next twelve months.

He is of particular value to the organization because of

his professional relationships, industry understanding

and strategizing abilities.

Although he is a much respected professional, he has

an abrasive personality and an impatient demeanor.

Real Case Scenario

1. Identify three leadership skills (from PMI’s Talent

Triangle) that you (Joe’s supervisor) need for

Knowledge Transfer to occur within your team?

2. What is one Knowledge transfer technique that you

would use?

3. What are three options to remove Knowledge

Transfer barriers?

Real Case Scenario (remove barriers)

• Bonus (extrinsic motivation)

• Clarity: intentions vs actions

• Trust

• Other

Making it happen

Theory PMI Talent

Triangle™

Practical

ApplicationMake it

Happen

What does it take to make it happen?

Summary

1 Knowledge Transfer must take into account

motivation, behaviors, cognition and feelings

(engaged employees)

2 Leadership is the bedrock of Knowledge

Transfer

3 Knowledge Transfer makes business sense

What is your role in Knowledge

Transfer at your organization?

How are you, your project team and

organization benefiting from

your role?

Challenge

Theory

Questions? Comments?

LinkedIn

Gina M. Hortillosa, P.E., PMP

[email protected]

Thank you!

LinkedIn

Zahid Khan, P.E., PMP

[email protected] rate our

session in the

mobile app

PMI Global Congress 2016 ─ North America

Documents

2016 PMI Global Congress KT_Final