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Course Content
Session One: Course Overview
You will spend the first part getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.
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Pre-Assignment
Course Overview
Session Two: Definitions
Then, participants will learn the definition of knowledge, as well as the differences between tacit and explicit knowledge. The meaning and history of knowledge management will also be covered.
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What is Knowledge?
Assignments
What is Knowledge Management?
History of Knowledge Management
Session Three: The Business Case for Knowledge Management
In this session, participants will learn how knowledge management can reduce costs and grow sales. They will also learn how to build a business case for knowledge management. You will also examine the impact that knowledge management can have on business strategy and profit.
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Reducing Costs and Growing Sales with Knowledge Management
Assignments
Business Case Basics
Sample Knowledge Management Business Case
Assignments
Session Four: The Knowledge Management Mix
Next, participants will learn about three components vital to knowledge management: people, technology, and process. In this session, you will examine the relationship between these three essential knowledge management components.
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People
Assignments
Technology
Process
Assignments
Session Five: The Knowledge Management Framework
The knowledge management framework is comprised of four interdependent elements: needs analysis, resource identification, process analysis, and knowledge handling. In this session, participants will learn about the steps to building their knowledge management framework: needs analysis; resource identification; process analysis, identification, and construction; and accumulating, sharing, and storing knowledge. In this session, you will investigate what the four elements of the knowledge management framework are and how they work together.
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Introduction
Needs Analysis
Resource Identification
Process Analysis, Identification, and Construction
Assignments
Accumulating, Sharing, and Storing Knowledge
Session Six: ITandD’s Conundrum
A pre-assignment is designed to get you thinking about the topic, and to give you some indication of what is coming. In this example, the case study and the carefully crafted questions were intended to have you reflect on the vital role of knowledge within an organization. In this session, you will reflect on the answers you provided in the pre-assignment.
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Introduction
Assignments
Session Seven: Knowledge Management Models
Knowing the theory behind the practice can increase your knowledge and inform what you do. Having a foundational awareness helps you to understand the theory’s evolution and history in the business world and better enable you to see how this system will fit into your organization. In this session, you will investigate four different knowledge management models.
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The KM Process Framework (Bukowitz and Williams)
Knowledge Management Matrix (Gamble and Blackwell)
Assignments
Process Model (Botha)
Assignments
Knowledge Spiral Model (Nonaka and Takeuchi)
Session Eight: The Knowledge Management Toolkit
Cross-functional Teams, mentoring, organizational culture, and IT solutions are all techniques that you can use employ when implementing a knowledge management program in your organization. In this session, you will explore each of these techniques in depth. As you review the information, think about ways that you could use each technique in your workplace.
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Cross-Functional Teams
Assignments
Mentoring
Assignments
Organizational Culture
Assignments
IT Solutions
Which Technologies Would Be Best?
Assignments
Session Nine: Implementing Knowledge Management Initiatives
You see an organizational need for knowledge management. You understand what a knowledge management system is. You have the tools and information you need. Now it’s time to take action: it’s time to begin building the program. In this session, you will identify and investigate the necessary components for implementing a knowledge management program.
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Building Knowledge Networks
Creating a Knowledge Management Body of Knowledge (KMBOK)
Assignments
Creating a Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) Position
Advertise for Your CKO
Assignments
Creating a Post-Mortem Plan
Assignments
Creating Measures
Assignments
Start With a Pilot
Assignments
Where Do I Put This?
Assignments
Support Your Organization Through the Change
Post-Course Assessment
Draft Lesson
Recommended Reading List
If you are looking for further information on this topic, we have included a recommended reading list below. Bergeron, Bryan. Essentials of Knowledge Management. John Wiley & Sons, 2003. Dixon, Nancy M. Common Knowledge: How Companies Thrive by Sharing What They Know. Harvard Business School Press, 2000. O'Dell, Carla, and Cindy Huebert. The New Edge in Knowledge: How Knowledge Management Is Changing the Way We Do Business. New John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Pasher, Edna, and Tuvya Ronen. The Complete Guide to Knowledge Management: A Strategic Plan to Leverage Your Company's Intellectual Capital. John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Rumizen, Dr. Melissie Clemmons. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Knowledge Management. Alpha Books, 2002.
Knowledge Management
About Lesson

Earlier in the course, we talked about explicit and tacit knowledge. Explicit knowledge was defined as knowledge that can be written down. Tacit knowledge was defined as knowledge that comes from experience, know-how, personal conclusions, and insights. The biggest difference between the two is the ease of knowledge transfer; explicit knowledge is easier to transfer than tacit knowledge.

Within a knowledge management system, the transfer, sharing, retrieval, creation, and storage of both types of knowledge is paramount. Processes need to be put in place to facilitate this approach. Let’s look at how this is accomplished.

Explicit Knowledge Processes

Within an organization, explicit knowledge exists in written documents. These documents can be about anything the organization deems important enough to write down and share, from sexual harassment policies to the strategic goals of the organization. The great thing about this information is that it is easy to write down and share with others. The challenge is the volume of information an organization produces. Think about how many documents go through your hands at work on any given day, week, or year.

In order for this information to be effective, organizations need to develop processes to manage this content. They need to create a system that supports the storage and retrieval of this information. Additionally, they need to make sure that the content is managed by assigning people to monitor the information and make sure the content is updated, important, and presented in the correct way.

To manage this volume of information, organizations can use a Content Management System (CMS) with a document management system. A CMS is a tool that helps users input a variety of content (such as recordings, sound bites, documents, pictures, and videos) while adhering to parameters set up in the system to ensure quality documentation.

Within the CMS, there needs to be a document management system. The document management system is used to:

  • Capture data: Users scan or input information into the system.
  • Classify data: Users and content managers use keywords, dates, and authors to identify data for easy retrieval.
  • Search and retrieve information: Users find data using search terms and other tools.
  • Version data: Allows users to return to earlier versions of a document and view the progress of documents.
  • Limit access: Certain documents can be sensitive. Limiting access gives only authorized users the opportunity to view certain documents.
  • Save and back up documents: The system must be able to protect your information.

  • There are many content management systems to choose from. When selecting your organization’s CMS, you need to look at the explicit knowledge goals of your company. What does your company hope to do with this stored knowledge?

    Additionally, you need to look at the CMS’s ease of use. How easy is it for people to input knowledge into the CMS?

    You should also look at your budget, training needs, and your company’s existing resources. How much will this CMS cost? Consider if you will need training on the system, or if your organization will need to upgrade existing computer systems to support the CMS.

    Finally, do your research. Compare various systems to find the right solution for your organization.

    In a digital world, your organization’s explicit knowledge processes are vital. Properly managing information will give employees the knowledge they need in a systematic way and enable your organization to focus on what is important: growing your business.

    Tacit Knowledge Processes

    As we know, tacit knowledge is much harder to capture and share than explicit knowledge. We also know that tacit knowledge is information gained through personal experience and observations. This knowledge comes to us like the pieces of a puzzle; it’s often fragmented. This means that tacit information is stored in bits and pieces in our brains, not as a whole picture. Therefore, this knowledge cannot be communicated and recorded in a methodical way. The best processes for accessing tacit knowledge are through conversation and socialization.

     

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