Knowledge management is not to be viewed as a warm, fuzzy approach for connecting people. It is all about helping improve the performance of individuals, teams, and the organization. However, some people in your organization may need a little convincing.
If you see the need for a knowledge management program and are getting resistance, it is time to brush up on your lawyerly skills and make a solid argument to show a business need for knowledge management. You have to justify what you want and why.
When building your arguments, remember that people are normally resistant to change. They believe it will bring more work, more headaches, and more stress for minimal results. You have to frame your argument to show people what is in it for them. Once you get buy-in and have solid research to back up your claims, the process of implementation will become easier and much more likely to succeed.
When building your case, you need to remember to frame your arguments in language fitting for your organization. Additionally, you need to keep your audience in mind. A presentation to your colleagues may be framed somewhat differently than a presentation given to senior management or shareholders.
What to Include in Your Business Case
When you write a business case, you want to concisely present the benefits of the initiative. Your business case is not complete without a complete cost/benefit analysis to assess the financial impacts of the change.
Set up your business case by including:
- Executive summary/business case summary: Although this is found at the beginning of your business case, it is a summary of all that has been brought forward in the business case, and as such, should be written last.
- An introduction to the proposed change
- Appropriate background information
- A mission statement for the proposed change, if desired
- Benefits accrued from the change
- Conclusions from your research
- Why the organization should consider the idea
- Principles to guide development
- Recommended scope of change
- Projected cost/benefit analysis
- Cost of recommended program or change
- Measurement, outcomes, and evaluation
- Anticipated overall results
Appendix information should include:
- Glossary of frequently used terms
- FAQs
- Endorsements