Leadership Messages

8 Leadership Messages from KM Book

Knowledge management offers powerful pathways for instigating change – both at the organizational level and at the project level. If you want to take a leadership role in shaping or driving change – irrespective of the function that you have – here are five things to think about!

It’s about people

Knowledge management is much more than processes, IT systems, and the documentation - it is about the people who hold knowledge, who need knowledge, who look for knowledge, and who use knowledge (not always the same).

“Communities of Practice” open up space for organizational change and product innovation

By definition and design, all large organizations house internal “silos”, units or departments that do not mix, communicate with, or collaborate with others. If you encourage the formation of “Communities of Practice” – inviting staff to collaborate when they “share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly , your staff will mix, across disciplines, geographies, or client groups. Here, you will find your change agents and innovators, building comparative advantage for your organization.

Internal knowledge – and knowledge sharing - can only go so far

By expanding communities of practice across and beyond organizational boundaries, internal and external knowledge networks will emerge that can become a fountain for new dynamics of innovation.

Look for knowledge in all corners

Knowledge is based on a diversity of thinking and experiences. Knowledge is not the monopoly of management, the headquarters team, or technical leads. Creativity, experimentation, and solutions that connect across different corners of the organization and all levels of the hierarchy are core elements of competitiveness.

Show up yourself – and involve your entire management team

For Communities of Practice to become a central feature of your organization’s change agenda, the knowledge management responsibility needs to be brought to the center of your management team, featuring in strategy as much as in operations, ensuring management is as deeply involved as community members, supporters, and sponsors.

Clarify your expectations, make it everybody’s business, and celebrate

Staff will engage with communities of practice only when management recognizes the value of such work and links performance evaluations to the operational impact of communities. Management should be clear, transparent, and predictable. Celebrating examples when communities of practice provide new solutions appreciated by clients will inspire the organization.

Communities of practice can “breed” the leaders of the future

The technical and managerial streams are equally important in organizations where knowledge is core to their services. Recognize and support the technical leaders of communities of practice. The skills they gained – and demonstrated – as community leaders will be invaluable should they decide to move to management.

Value failure as much as success

Communities of practice are not only about success stories. Sharing information on failures and lessons learned is equally valuable. Management should value knowledge sharing on failures to avoid them in the future.

Illustrated by the experience of the World Bank

This book explains how knowledge management, traditionally viewed as being about information systems and processes, can play a fundamental corporate role by creating a competitive edge for organizations, increasing team performance, and fostering effective, large-scale organizational change.

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