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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

The needs analysis phase is a vital first step in the knowledge management framework. During this phase, you collect as much data and information as possible in the effort to implement the right solution for your organization. This data enables you to put together a comprehensive picture of the issues facing your organization. This needs analysis will provide context for the development of your knowledge management strategy.

During this stage of the knowledge management framework, you need to ask yourself some carefully crafted questions to help provide focus for what actions need to be taken. The following questions can be used to guide your thinking.

  • What is the purpose of knowledge management?
  • Why does my organization need a knowledge management program?
  • What does the research say about the effect of knowledge management programs in organizations like ours?
  • What organizational gaps will be filled by sharing knowledge? How will this program make us better?
  • What obstacles might exist with this program?
  • How might a knowledge management system improve existing processes and procedures?
  • Is this program in line with our strategic goals?
  • Will this program better enable us to reach our organizational goals?

Thorough answers to these questions will help direct your thinking. Most importantly, the answers you provide will enable you to determine what course of action to take when implementing your knowledge management program. Remember, a knowledge management program needs to be tailored to your organization’s needs. Answering the above questions will help give you some insight on how you can customize this program for your organization.

How Do I Conduct A Needs Analysis?

There are five essential steps to conducting a needs analysis:

In the Define Your Research stage, you need to examine what’s out there. How have other organizations like yours implemented knowledge management? How has the system impacted these businesses? You also need to do some thorough inside research by collecting data from internal customers (employees, management, customers etc.).

The Collect Data stage is all about getting the information you need to make the argument for a knowledge management program. This information can be acquired through a variety of methods, such as:

  • Interviews
  • Surveys
  • Focus Groups
  • Discussions

The Analyze Data stage helps you figure out how to implement your knowledge management program. For example, after analyzing the data, you can see that you need to focus your program on more IT-based solutions. This data might even indicate what kind of IT solution to implement. (For example, maybe you need an IT solution that allows for collaborative work within a document, rather than a social networking platform.)

The Present What You Have Found stage allows you to put what you have found into a cohesive package for the purposes of sharing and presenting your recommendations to others within the organization. This stage simplifies and explains your research in the effort to gain support for your initiative.

The Plan for the Future stage is a call for action. You can now make an informed decision of where to go from here.

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