Knowledge management (KM) involves identifying, creating, distributing, and adopting insights and experiences within an organization. Effective KM improves information flow, makes information available when and where needed, and uses information to add business value. The two main KM strategies that work are better sharing existing knowledge to avoid duplication, such as through intranets and expertise directories, and creating new knowledge and converting it into products, services, or processes to enable large leaps in innovation. Leading successful KM requires establishing urgency, developing a clear vision, communicating that vision, empowering employees, and anchoring changes in the organizational culture.

1. Knowledge Management:
An Overview and Strategies
that Work

2. • Knowledge management (KM) comprises a range of strategies and
practices used in an organization to identify, create, represent,
distribute, and enable adoption of insights and experiences. ...
• The way a company stores, organizes and accesses [valuable] internal
and external information
KM Definitions

3. • 1995 (Nonaka) The Knowledge Creating Company
• An increasing proportion of today’s wealth creating industries are
knowledge intensive.
• It is estimated that more than 70 per cent of work is information or
knowledge related.
• There is increasing value in intangibles
• Growth in markets for trading of knowledge assets.
• High fees paid for star performers.
Fad to Fundamental

4. • If value lies locked inside peoples’ heads, how can it effectively be
turned into corporate knowledge and more widely diffused and
exploited?
• KM improves the flow of information around the organization;
• Makes information available when, and where, needed;
• Uses information to add value (e.g., increased productivity, better
customer service, improved business processes and
products/services)
Communication is the Basis

5. • 2 main strategies work:
• 1. The better sharing of existing knowledge; avoiding reinventing the
wheel
• Intranets with databases and/or directories of best practices and
expertise
• Mapping processes
Strategies that work

6. • 2. Creating new knowledge and converting it into products, services,
or processes
• Focus on better/faster innovation
• More difficult than strategy 1, but greater return
• Knowledge sharing = incremental improvement
• Knowledge creation = large leaps
e.g., Jaguar
Strategies that work cont.

7. • Customer knowledge
• Knowledge in processes
• Knowledge in people
• Organizational memory – decision diaries, after meeting reflections,
AAR’s. etc.
• Knowledge in relationships
• Knowledge assets: 4 categories 1. human capital 2. customer capital
3. structural capital 4 Intellectual capital
Knowledge Levers

8. • 1. Establishing a sense of urgency
• 2. Creating the guiding coalition
• 3. Developing a vision and strategy
• 4. Communicating the vision
• 5. Empowering employees
• 6. Making short-term ‘wins’
• 7. Consolidating change and making more change
• 8. Anchoring the change into the organizational culture
Leading Change