Overview of Chapter 3
Well it looks like you guys are getting the hang of this blog! Some really good discussions & comments about using a KMS. Great effort! I have noticed that some of you still haven't dipped your toe into the "blogosphere". Go on. Do it. I promise that it won't hurt a bit!To kick off the lesson I want to show you all the above YouTube clip which challenges us to a multi tasking activity. Not always the easiest thing to achieve! Watch the clip & see how you go :) There are a whole number of these brain teasers on YouTube & more recently there was a series on SBS, Test Your Brain (produced by National Geographic). The episode (Series 1, number 3) that I watched discussed how our sense of sight can be "tricked" depending on light & motion. It then got me thinking of how our brain interprets this information and draws on past experiences (tacit knowledge) to make an "educated" guess. Should we always "trust" what we see?
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| Fig 1 |
After some research on DPC's intranet I came across a discussion paper about the "Eight principles of knowledge management". (Refer to fig 1). Lets have a look at each one of these points in more detail
1.Knowledge management is expensive
The knowledge of employees should be viewed as an agency "asset". Unfortunately it is rarely seen in this light or if it was we would probably have a system in place to capture the corporate knowledge. While managing a KMS is undoubtedly expensive does this overall cost outweigh the costs of loosing corporate knowledge when employees leave?
2.Effective management of knowledge requires hybrid solutions of people & technology
It almost appears that people & technology go hand in hand. The trick is trying to combine the two! There are various KMSs that could be used to capture and distribute information across the agency (ref Fig 2) The conclusion is that any KMS has to be two way, an exchange of ideas or a place where people can share their thoughts & ideas. It would be a system that is transforming & changing depending on the needs of the business or the individual. One student had mentioned, how they found a KM road map for their organisation. It looked very formal & contained pretty diagrams. But that's where it ended! There wasn't any further information directing the reader where to go to add value to the KMS. The KMS needs to be communicated to others for it to be effective!
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| Fig 2 |
3. Knowledge management is highly political
Ever heard the saying that "knowledge is power"? This is about people's attitude to sharing their personal knowledge with others. You may have heard of W.I.I.F.M. No it's not an FM radio station, it is an acronym for "What's in it for me". If I ahare with you the easiest, and tastiest, banana cake recipe what's in it for me? There are a number of reasons why some people are afraid to share knowledge with their colleagues (refer to point 5).
4. Knowledge management requires a knowledge manager
Do you have someone in your agency that is the driving force behind successful implementations? Sharing knowledge isn't anything different. Unless an individual, or a designated group, are held responsible for collecting, categorising knowledge & setting up a system then it's quite likely that KM won't eventuate. Are you ready to be the driver of knoweldge management in your agency?
5. Sharing & using knowledge are often unnatural acts
According to the discussion paper, our natural tendency is to hoard our knowledge (relates to point 3). It can be threatening to some people when others ask "so how do you . . . " It means that you are confronted with sharing your knowledge & what about if your knowledge isn't right, or it may be challenged further?
6. Knowledge management never ends
Cast your mind back to your first mobile phone. I remember the one that I owned. It was the size, and weight, of a small brick! How things have changed & progressed. Not only do phones make & receive phone calls but we can take photos, emails, text & picture message & check our FB (facebook) status. As technology evolves so does our thirst for knowledge grow. We need to keep changing to ensure that we are keeping up with the newest trends. This can be adapted to almost anything new to us. Wanting to know a tasty & easy banana cake recipe, or sharing info on how to make a blog. As the saying goes, "you learn something new every day". What new things did you learn today?
7. Knowledge access is only the beginning
Getting people to access the KMS & using it can be a task in itself. Depending on the KMS that you install, may require training so that users are confident & comfortable in using it. How do you feel about using the blog as a KMS? As time goes on your confidence levels will increase. Some of you may even start your own blog :)
8. Knowledge management requires a knowledge contract
Is the knowledge of employees owned or rented? This is an interesting question which raises some interesting points. We have heard of the term Intellectual Property, but how does this relate to knowledge gained during the course of your employment? Consider the following scenario: Sally has been working in the agency for 3 years & during this time has become quite a whizz at using the EDRMS. The agency has paid for her to attend training courses to increase her knowledge in operating the EDRMS. An external job is advertised & seeks someone with the same skills as Sally. Sally applies for the position and is successful. Because Sally gained her knowledge & experience in the previous agency, can she apply & use it in her new role? Ultimately who "owns" the knowledge, Sally or her employer?
Organisations may view the knowledge of their employees belongs to them & can only be used during the course of their employment with the company . . .
Johari Window
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| Fig 3 - Johari Window |
The Johari window is a tool that when used can improve self awareness between a group. It can also contribute to people sharing their knowledge about a particular topic. Some people have described it as an "information processing tool". The window is divided into four quadrants representing "open" (information about person known by them self & others), "blind self" (what is known about a person by others in the group, but is unknown by the person),"hidden self" (what is known to ourselves but unknown to others) and "unknown self" (unknown to self and to others). Further info is available here.
Social Networking
Take a closer look at social networking and how society today uses this as a medium to create and evolve online communities.
With the use of social media comes certain risks & benefits. Refer to pg 49 in your workbook for further info. When posting comments on this blog you may not want to name your agency, try to keep that info as a broad statement for example, "the council (agency) that I work for".
Why aren’t Tweets (micro blogs) any good for use as a KMS?
- With Twitter, information sharing is limited to 140 characters per tweet
- Abbreviations and acronyms often make the message difficult to read or understand often leaving a true interpretation in doubt
- Because it is a short message information may be incomplete
- Much of the information is not relevant to our needs - depending on who you are following
- The information is often someone’s opinion and not verifiable fact
- The original source of the information can not be confirmed.
Gepps Cross Tour - RSVP required
Can students please RSVP if they would like to attend lunch prior to the tour, so that a booking can be made.Details have been sent out to all students of where lunch is going to be held.
And in the spirit of sharing knowledge, for those of you who are interested, here is the most easiest Banana Cake I've ever made. Enjoy :)
Share the knowledge!
Melisa
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