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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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

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