Knowledge Accountability Drives Knowledge Management Success
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Knowledge accountability drives knowledge management success By Bill Kaplan, founder, Working and effective – with the objective being KnowledgeCSP improved overall organisational performance. For organisations that recognise this value, Gaining value from knowledge they also understand that they need to create Knowledge is the foundation of any accountability for leveraging the knowledge organisation. This is true whether in the public of their organisation. Accountability should or private sector. Knowledge is essential exist at the leadership level and at the for planning, decision making, operations, operational or business level. Assigning and the growth of the organisation. Like a senior executive who is responsible for any other critical organisation resource, ensuring that the organisation maximises knowledge must be continuously used and the value it achieves through one of its most it must flow easily across an organisation. important assets, its knowledge, is critical. It must be created, leveraged, and further This executive, the chief knowledge officer developed in an organised, disciplined, and (CKO),1 a vice president for Knowledge systematic manner as part of the business and Management, or another title, is not a operational processes of the organisation. relabeling of existing positions like a chief Success requires a guiding strategy information officer or a variation of another to enable individuals, teams, and the position. The CKO is a unique, integrated or organisation to become more ‘knowledge hybrid leader and manager possessing skills enabled’ by complementing and supporting and attributes that include an ability to think both operational and infrastructure conceptually, manage people and projects, components in their everyday work and communicate effectively both internally providing tools and relevant technology and externally, and (very importantly) an that make work easier through the flow of ability to persuade and advocate. The knowledge and its use. As organisations CKO is very often ‘a’, if not ‘the’, principal develop and scale, there should be an ‘agent of change’ when it comes to leading increasing urgency to intelligently and behaviour change around the flow and use systematically leverage ‘what they know of knowledge in an organisation. about what they do’. This enables the agility that an organisation must have to remain What is the organisational context competitive, adapt to change quickly, and to for the CKO? achieve its organisational goals. It enables It is helpful to think of the CKO in the context the organisation to ‘create value from its of other organisational leadership and the knowledge’. Gaining value from knowledge functions and responsibilities they have improves problem solving, facilitates better with respect to developing and managing decision making, and enables the leadership the organisation’s critical assets. The chief and workforce to become more productive financial officer (CFO), for example, manages 11 Knowledge accountability drives knowledge management success Figure 1: CKO Organisational context the financial assets of the organisation; the an equal ‘seat at the table’. The CKO is human capital officer (HCO) manages the accountable for the ‘knowledge framework’ workforce; and the chief technology officer of the organisation. While the CKO is (CTO) manages the technology assets of the accountable for the framework, including organisation. It makes solid business and developing and maintaining the framework, leadership sense to have an organisational execution should and will always reside at leader that is responsible for and focused the operational level where the work gets upon developing and leveraging the done. While the CKO is accountable for intellectual assets – the knowledge – of the providing KM concepts, strategies, and organisation. This individual is the CKO. implementing practices in collaboration with the operational side of the house, the Where should the CKO operate in accountability for implementation ‘in practice’ the organisation? and as ‘part of the way work gets done’ The CKO should be considered an integral resides at the operational level. This makes part of the senior leadership team and have sense, for example, because profit and loss 12 Gaining Buy-in for KM The CKO should: The CKO’s essential skill set Report to the senior leader; The skill set for the CKO is wide and Be an integral part of the senior includes, but is not limited to, the leadership (seat at the table); following: Be an internal consultant for KM; Act as practice leader for external Interpersonal communication skills to consulting; convince employees to adopt cultural Have accountability for the changes; knowledge framework; and Leadership skills to convey the Have the responsibility to develop, KM vision and passion for it to define, persuade, and share. leadership and the cross-functional teams supporting KM in the company; accountability and performance measurement Business acumen to relate KM efforts very often resides here as well. to efficiency and profitability; Successful advocacy of the tools and Strategic thinking skills to relate KM techniques that leadership and the workforce efforts to larger goals and strategic must use to successfully capture, adapt, organisational vision; transfer, and reuse knowledge is better Collaboration and facilitation skills to enabled by the right positioning for the work with various departments and communication of the message. This includes facilitate their ability to work with a reporting structure where the CKO reports each other; to the most senior leader in the organisation. Understanding of the relationship of This sends a clear message that the information technology and its role in organisation views leveraging the knowledge enabling success through KM; and assets of the organisation from the same Demonstrable experience as a value perspective, for example, as leveraging practitioner in delivering operational the financial assets of the organisation. and business results through KM. What attributes should the CKO possess? to not only achieve the KM goals, but also Since KM involves integrating people, to facilitate the achievement of the corporate processes, and enabling technology, the goals. CKO requires a specific skill set; this critical The right organisational positioning and role must be filled by a person who can reporting structure is only a start. Actual understand the organisation and its big success also depends on how well the CKO picture; they must be able to tie all of this takes advantage of the skill set they possess. to the organisation’s strategic plan and its In fact, one of the most powerful attributes measures of success. (and the one I believe is most required for The CKO must be someone who is not success) is the CKO’s ability to achieve results only capable of being both cheerleader and through their peers. The CKO must be able teacher, but also someone with a vision of see the value of leveraging knowledge, knowledge sharing. Furthermore the CKO and then working with and through the must have the authority and experience to organisation to coach and facilitate the ability enable the corporate culture and processes to adapt business and operational processes 13 Knowledge accountability drives knowledge management success Figure 2: What attributes should the CKO possess? – and to make this happen ‘as part of the supported by appropriate enabling way the organisation does business’. This technology, that helps people at all will only occur if the peer leadership and the levels in the organisation to improve their organisation as a whole really understand performance; and believe that there is value in doing do 2. Leadership and the workforce recognise so. and understand that helping people and teams to learn before, during, and What are the key messages for after the work they do is the single, most leadership? effective way to improve performance in Organisations that can move knowledge the short term, and to establish the value effectively across their organisation to of capturing, transferring, and reusing continuously improve their performance knowledge in the longer term; recognise the following key concepts: 3. Experience and learnings are captured, stored, and made accessible after each 1. Leadership has enabled a framework project or activity in a format designed for ‘performing and learning’ – sharing to meet the needs of the re-user of the experience and insight from doing, knowledge; 14 Gaining Buy-in for KM 4. A consistent and disciplined process is in management to the organisation – without place to integrate captured knowledge a budget, the CKO’s skill set and that of the with what the rest of the organisation CKO team will be marginalised at best. knows and to make it searchable, accessible, downloadable, and reusable Five essentials for CKO success for others; 5. Responsibilities are defined for 1. Words and deeds; maintaining all knowledge processes and 2. Right position in the organisation; activities; 3. Resources for a team (internal 6. Facilitated people networks or consulting and external delivery); communities of practice are maintained 4. Leadership and workforce belief in through active participation within the your message and therefore your organisation in all areas that drive value and the value of KM within the organisational performance; and organisation; and 7. Someone must be focused on and 5. Ability ‘to speak truth to power’. accountable for