Just as managers make sure that we do
things right, leaders are responsible for ensuring that we do the right thing.
Similarly, knowledge management helps us do things better, but strategic knowledge
management (SKM) makes sure we invest in doing the right things for the right
reasons.
The problem with traditional KM thinking
and practice is that it is largely context-free in the way it is expressed. You
either do it--or you don't. You either believe in the effectiveness and
importance of KM or you are an unbeliever, and resistance leads to the
traditional complaints of, "When will they get it?" The irony is that KM literature rarely deals
with the knowledge involved in the social pathology of organizational behavior.
It consciously excludes serious discussion about the social psychology of organizations.
And thus, it is perpetually surprised by what happens in implementation.
The problems I'm referring to are not
new. The same 70-percent failure rate for systemic change has persisted since
the 1970s, and herein lies the clue. What we are dealing with here is the
social problem of driving and selling systemic change based on managing
knowledge around transactions that have remained hidden (where hidden knowledge
has become power).
Systemic change involves unpacking the
work of organizations into a hierarchy that recognizes at least three different
types of work:
- Niche, emergent, knowledge-intensive,
low-volume, high-value transactions
- Medium-value, medium-volume, stable
transactions
- High-volume, low-value
transactions that can be commoditized and outsourced
Knowledge management and systemic change must
be resisted and marginalized in order to disguise the emergence of the first
type of transactions and maintain the present career and management structure
based around the second two transaction types. Once you understand this core
reality, then you can liberate and manage your emotions and energy around
change with greater intelligence.
All strategies are knowledge strategies. Strategic
KM is based on the realization that your context is constantly changing and
that the knowledge you are using to define your strategy is in continual decay
and requires replenishment and review. Effective SKM involves understanding the
timing of knowledge, realizing the importance of using knowledge to create new
freedoms to innovate, and recognizing the dangers of repetitive strategy boxes.
I am really looking forward to seeing all
of you at APQC's KM conference this May, where we can share experiences and
insights around these and other topics.
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Victor Newman is the author of The Knowledge Activist's Handbook: Adventures from the Knowledge Trenches.
He will be among the keynote speakers at APQC's upcoming knowledge management conference, The Knowledge Transfer Revolution: New Paradigms, New Payoffs.
You can learn more about the conference by clicking here.
For
more on Victor Newman's perspective on knowledge management, you can read what
Steve Denning had to say in his blog post, "Is KM Dying?" from last
July.
KM Edge received the following comment on this article in our LinkedIn forum
I liked the article but why not also focus on "sustainable knowledge management". We could put all kinds of adjectives in front of KM to make it sound like something new or to emphasize one aspect of it.
KM Edge received the following comment on this article in our LinkedIn forum
Victor's stuff is always very good. I agree "strategic" is essential. I also agree with Barbara that "sustainable" is essential. I don't mind using adjectives to emphasize essential aspects, especially if these aspects are often ignored.
Another comment from our LinkedIn forum
For those of you who will attend - Victor is a hugely entertaining speaker. The context of this short report is focused on the very "academic" end of KM. And I think we all know that the "when will they get it" challenge must be answered through simpler expressions of reason, value and action that business leaders can apply. We are in a huge economic crisis generated by the "lack of knowledge" around the sub-prime market loans generated in the USA. We are a globalised economy - but while these high value transactions were connected the knowledge was not. And now we are in significant trouble and will be for some time. Knowledge (or lack of) was the key to the creation of this global recession. And Knowledge will bring certainty and trust that will get us out of the recession. That simple message is something for leaders to think about - and maybe trigger a little more engagement.