Some introductory ideas around the concepts of Knowledge Management.

1. Introduction to
knowledge
Management
I think thereforeI
am,dude…

2. Knowledge Management - Dilbert

3. Introduction
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know
nothing.
(this is a web Quotes paraphrase…)
“…I am better off than he is,—for he knows
nothing, and thinks that he knows; I neither
know nor think that I know.”
(this is a translation from Ancient Greek…)
Socrates

4. Unknown unknowns
“There are known knowns; there are things we
know we know. We also know there are known
unknowns; that is to say we know there are
some things we do not know. But there are also
unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know
we don't know.”
- Donald Rumsfeld.
https://youtu.be/GiPe1OiKQuk?t=7

5. Consider what you don’t know…
what you know
what you know you don't know
what you don't know you don't know

6. We all ‘don’t
know’ different
things…
reduce the size of the ‘unknown unknowns’ by sharing what we do know!

7. How to share knowledge?
How do you share
what you do
know?
How do find what
you know you
don’t know?
How do you
discover what you
don’t even know
you don’t know!?
How do you assess
its relevance?
How do you check
its authenticity &
credibility?
How to apply in
different contexts?

8. Exercises
What is
‘knowledge’?
1
What are the
properties of
Knowledge?
2
Consider
Knowledge
outside of work
e.g. at home
3
Consider
Knowledge
within an
organisation
4

9. Exercise
• Share some ‘knowledge’ with someone else
• Find out something you knew you didn’t
know
• Find out something you didn’t even know
you didn’t know
• How did you share?
• How did you find out?
• How did you discover?
• What kinds of knowledge are there?

10. Exercise - KM at home
People already carry out KM in everyday life.
But some do not/cannot, leading to more chaotic lives? Vicious cycle

11. What is knowledge?

12. Types &
properties of
‘knowledge’?
• Tacit
• Structured
• Knowing ‘how’
• Authoritative / proven
• Technical / domain specific
• Explicit
• Unstructured
• knowing ‘that’
• fake/gossip
• ad hoc, informal

13. Knowledge &
relationships
• Knowledge is not ‘just’ a document
• Knowledge involves a web of
relationships

14. What is ‘knowledge’?
Familiarity, awareness, or understanding of someone or
something, such as facts, information, descriptions, or
skills;
Acquired through experience or education by perceiving,
discovering, or learning.
Can refer to a theoretical or practical understanding of a
subject.
Can be implicit (as with practical skill or expertise) or
explicit (as with the theoretical understanding of a
subject);
Can be more or less formal or systematic.
Knowledge acquisition involves complex cognitive
processes: perception, communication, and reasoning.

15. Communities of Interest
• We evolved to live in small communities
• Work together
• ‘Worship’ together
• Close relationships
• Suspicious of outsiders
• Nowadays we are members of several
communities, both professional and non-job
related
• How is knowledge shared in such communities?
• How is it transmitted
• Depends on the purpose/value

16. Formal Knowledge is
‘guarded’ by institutions
• Structured
• Explicit
• Agreed methodologies
• Agreed language & terminology

17. Informal knowledge shared via conversations
• Unstructured
• Tacit
• News v Gossip
• Positive v negative behaviours
• Uncorroborated
• Credibility?
• Ways of sharing
• Social meeting places
• Office layouts
• Canteen layouts
• Workshops, lectures
• Technologies
• Internal training

18. Knowledge has a
shelf life

19. Knowledge
assumes
‘Values’
Use of knowledge has an ethical & legal
dimension
Knowledge by itself has limited value
It is what you do with it that matters
Social responsibilities within & beyond organisation
Inter-organisational knowledge & information sharing
Concept of Roles, Responsibilities,
Accountabilities & Access
Who is allowed access to what information, and under
what circumstances?

20. Knowledge
requires a
language
Without language we cannot express complex ideas
Disciplines have domain specific languages
Communication between disciplines or between
professionals & non professionals can create
misunderstandings
Language affects how we ‘see’ the world
Observation is ‘theory-laden’
“When I report an observation statement, that report
is in turn strongly determined by the available concepts
in the language of that statement.” (N. R. Hanson)

21. Barriers
• The Idols of the Tribe
• Human nature
• The Idols of the Cave
• Cultural bias from family backgrounds, childhood experiences,
education, training, gender, religion, social class
• The Idols of the Market Place
• Language
• Technical terminology and ‘jargon’
• Disciplines have domain specific languages
• Communication between disciplines can create misunderstandings
• Language affects how we ‘see’ the world
• Idols of the Theatre
• Grand schemes, systems or theories

22. Traditional
knowledge
acquisition
requires
certain skills &
effort

23. Exercise
Ways of encouraging the sharing
of Knowledge
• Policy & Procedures
• Adherence to standards
• Training
• Incentives & rewards
• Provide opportunities
• Technology solutions
Ways of sharing knowledge
• Social meeting places
• Office layouts
• Canteen layouts
• Workshops, lectures
• Technologies
• Internal training

24. Organisational learning

25. Technologies
• Processing power
• Connectivity
• Interoperability
• Security
• Artificial Intelligence

26. Definitions of KM
Systematic management of an
organization's knowledge assets
for the purpose of creating
value and meeting tactical &
strategic objectives;
It consists of the initiatives,
processes, strategies, and
systems that sustain and
enhance the storage,
assessment, sharing,
refinement, and creation of
knowledge.
http://www.knowledge-management-tools.net/knowledge-management-definition.html

27. Definitions of KM
Knowledge Managament: A discipline
focused on integrating people and
processes enabled by tools, throughout
the information lifecycle, in order to
create shared understanding and
increase organizational performance
and decision-making.
Information management: the function
of managing an organization’s
information resources for the handling
of data and information acquired by one
or many different systems, individuals,
and organizations in a way that
optimizes access by all who have a share
in that data or a right to that
information.
US DoD
Information Management is more on how to gather and access the data
Knowledge Management is taking that data and turning it into organizational shared understanding that can
be utilized for decision making. It consists of the initiatives, processes, strategies, and systems that sustain and
enhance the storage, assessment, sharing, refinement, and creation of knowledge.

28. How to integrate?

29. What is the
difference?

30. Information lifecycle
•Create Distribute Use
Maintain Dispose

31. Why do Knowledge
Management?
• What are the strategic objectives?
• Inform decision making, produce accurate models, guide
behaviour, planning, predicting outcomes, … avoid reinventing
wheels, build on best practice, follow correct procedures &
protocols, LEARN FROM MISTAKES
• An organisation needs to be a learning organisation in order to
manage K and vice versa.
• How can technology support the processes? What is technology
good at?
• Technology deals with ‘data’…
• What is the difference between Knowledge, Information &
data?
• MEASURES
• Evidence? Feedback/measurement

32. Possible
framework
Strategy / Leadership
Culture / People
Processes/procedures
Technology

33. Exercise – Exploring analogies

34. Tending a garden
• Things need stewarding, not controlling
• Creating conditions where knowledge &
information can be created, shared
• Nurturing
• Selecting
• Weeding
• Natural selection
• Test a variety of approaches
• Find the leverage points where small change = big
effects
• Systems Thinking