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Knowledge Management:
making sense of an oxymoron |
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Can knowledge be managed? The words management and knowledge at first sight appear uneasy bedfellows. Knowledge is largely cognitive and highly personal, while management involves organisational processes. Many knowledge workers do not like to be managed in the traditional sense. However, knowledge is increasingly recognized as a crucial organisational resource, that gives market leverage. Its management is therefore too important to be left to chance. This briefing paper outlines what steps senior managers should take to leverage the knowledge in their organization. Momentum of Knowledge Management The last few years have seen a rapidly growing interest in the topic of knowledge management. 'Leveraging Knowledge for Sustainable Advantage' was the title of one of the first conferences (in 1995) that brought knowledge management onto the management agenda. From 1997 a surge of books, magazines and websites have come onto the scene. Today (2003) most large organizations have some form of knowledge management initiative. Many companies have created knowledge teams and appointed CKOs (Chief Knowledge Officers). Knowledge is firmly on the strategic agenda. Why Now? The level of interest has been building for several years. Many innovative companies have long appreciated the value for knowledge to enhance their products and customer service. Our analysis indicates several reasons why the level of interest has grown dramatically during recent years:
These and other benefits, such as improved customer service, faster problem solving and more rapid adaptation to market changes, have resulted from an explicit focus on corporate knowledge as a strategic resource. What is Knowledge Management? Knowledge management is the explicit and systematic management of vital knowledge and its associated processes of creating, gathering, organizing, diffusion, use and exploitation. It requires turning personal knowledge into corporate knowledge than can be widely shared throughout an organization and appropriately applied. Our research shows that companies adopt two broad thrusts in applying knowledge management:
Knowledge management programmes typically have one or more of the following activities:
Examples of Success Our cases database has over 100 examples of organizations that have achieved significant benefits through knowledge management. Here are just a few examples:
Guidelines for Success Our research has identified a number of recurring success factors:
Usually, the knowledge agenda develops through a process of evaluation from pilot projects that are used to build capabilities and derive learning for subsequent applications. Issues and Challenges The biggest challenge reported by those practitioners we have met, is that of changing the culture from "knowledge is power" to "knowledge sharing is power". Other common obstacles are:
None of these challenges are insurmountable. Implementing successful knowledge management requires a systematic change and project management approach. However, it is more than just a project. Over time knowledge management changes the way that people work so that thier indiviudal knowledge is more effectively harnessed for the benefit of all. © Copyright. David J. Skyrme. First published 1997, revised 2003. This material may be copied or distributed subject to the terms of our copyright conditions (no commercial gain; complete page copying etc.) Resources Several books give a good overview of knowledge management strategies and practice: Knowledge Networking: Creating the Collaborative Enterprise, David J. Skyrme, Butterworth-Heinemann (1999) - Chapter 2 gives strategies, and chapter 7 programme implementation guidelines. Innovation Strategy for the Knowledge Economy: The Ken Awakening, Debra M. Amidon, Butterworth-Heinemann (1997) - focuses on the innovation aspects of knowledge management. Harvesting Experience: Reaping the Benefits of Knowledge, Jan Duffy, ARMA (1999) - a practical approach for implementing knowledge management. Intellectual Capital: The New Wealth of Organizations, Thomas A Stewart, Doubleday (1997) The New Organizational Wealth: Managing and Measuring Intangible Assets, Karl Erik Sveiby, Berrett Koehler (1997). Related resources on this site include:
See also Knowledge Management Resources and related Insights - The Global Knowledge Economy, Knowledge Assets, Measuring Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Networking. For full listing of other Insights go to Insights - List of Titles. Back to: Top - Why Now? - What Is? - Examples - Guidelines - Challenges - Resources -
Feedback Management Insights are publications of David Skyrme Associates, who offers strategic consulting, presentations and workshops on many of these topics. Additional coverage of these topics can be found in our free monthly briefing I3 UPDATE/ENTOVATION International News, various articles, publications and presentations. ![]() Home | Search | I3 UPDATE | Insights | Resources | About Us | E-mail Us |
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