KM Malaysia

We live in a world where major governmental policy changes take place via Twitter. One tweet can change the course of the world’s economy, with billions of dollars and millions of people being affected overnight. In this era, where stability and certainty are words we can only use to wistfully remember the past, agility becomes essential to an organization’s survival.

Being in an agile landscape means being able to adapt in a work environment that changes very quickly and unexpectedly. These emerging changes can be very significant and impactful to an organization. When one is not able to adapt to these changes, their overall performance falls. Consequently, organizational objectives and key performance indicators are not met.

The realization of the importance of adaptation within this changing environment is important. Why is it so difficult to adapt to perform better in an agile working environment? What should be done to adapt better with others as changes become increasingly common?

People work best when they know what to do and how to do it. This is usually only possible when people have the experience and expertise to do what is needed. However, when their responsibilities deviate from the norm, uncertainty crops in. They may not have the expertise or experience needed, and as such are unable to perform as required. Therefore, in order to effectively perform their roles, they will then have to seek and access relevant pieces of knowledge, to ensure that their expertise and experience matches up with their role and responsibilities. If they are unable to effectively access the knowledge needed to adapt to the changing requirements, the organization will lose their ability to grow more resilient in the face of these uncertainties.

As per the above, the one effective method to combat uncertainly is effective knowledge management. One of the ways to more effectively manage knowledge is to ensure a better understanding of issues, which comes from developing accurate and deep insights of expertise from many different perspectives. This requires connecting with people who possess the required expertise and experience needed to deal with emerging problems or requirements.

Once better understanding is achieved, organizations may wish to to further explore beyond the boundaries of existing expertise and capabilities. This involves developing better mechanisms for optimizing existing knowledge assets.

In short, organizational agility is the byproduct of effective knowledge management. Investing in optimizing knowledge assets, by acquiring, creating and integrating knowledge, will lead to a greater ability to confidently respond to the turbulence that uncertainty causes. This leads to improved performance. Hence, knowing how to optimize knowledge assets is the key to succeeding in an agile landscape.

Dr Rumesh Kumar

January 2020

Clause 7.1.6 ‘Organisational Knowledge’

Organizational Knowledge is defined as knowledge that is specific to the organization, gained by experience and is used to achieve the organization’s objectives. Below are some examples of different types of organizational knowledge

Where is ‘Organisational Knowledge’? (Examples)

In order to effectively manage your organizational knowledge, the below model provides a structured system in order to do so, and remain in compliance with this new ISO 9001:205 requirements.

RESOLUTION 

4 steps to manage your organisational knowledge

Summary

The recently introduced International Standards for Knowledge Management ISO 30401:2018 has been developed, which organizations may be certified against to assess how well knowledge is being managed. These standards revolve around specifying and consolidating effective management systems required for managing knowledge effectively based on best practices.

The recently launched standards herald a new beginning where a structured and systematic approach for knowledge management has been defined. It also specifies what needs attention to provide much needed guidance on how the overall concept may be integrated effectively within the overall management systems of the organization in question.

But why are the standards needed in the first place? The short answer to this question is to remove many misconceptions that presently abound regarding knowledge management. By defining clearly, the requirements for knowledge management, organizations can redirect knowledge management initiatives around creating value for the organization. This can only happen through a deep and accurate understanding of what knowledge management is and how one should approach it.

The key contents in the standard may be categorized in three main sections:

• Introduction
• Requirements
• Appendices

A brief indication of what these sections entail is indicated below

Introduction

This section covers issues surrounding the source of knowledge as well as the characteristics of knowledge. What is crucial for knowledge to be managed as well as how knowledge adds value and how this value may be gradually unlocked in practice is discussed in this section.

Requirements

This section is subdivided into ten subsections that define key requirements for successful implementation of knowledge management. These subsections cover issues such as importance of specifying scope of reference before attempting to “manage” knowledge. It lays particular emphasis on defining clearly normative references as well as terms and definitions so that a common understanding of the underlying issues is developed before wide scale initiative is launched within the context of the organization in question.

Once the stage is set, particular emphasis has to be placed on critical requirements such as having a supporting leadership that drives knowledge management initiatives and developing an integrated plan that integrates knowledge management initiatives into the overall management systems in place. For ensuring development and continuity of knowledge management, key support mechanisms required as well as operational issues that have to be considered are detailed. The standards also provide some indication of mechanisms needed for performance evaluation before and after knowledge management is undertaken and overall improvement efforts required to keep the momentum going.

Appendices

The section of appendix has three sub sections

• The knowledge Spectrum
• Boundaries between KM and other disciplines
• KM Culture

In the appendices, the subsections detailed include the knowledge spectrum within which knowledge should be managed. This is deemed necessary as knowledge takes many forms and the overall spectrum should encompass all associated forms of knowledge. Another subsection is the boundaries between Knowledge Management and other disciplines. Clearly defining and at the same time recognizing these boundaries is necessary to avoid being lulled into the misconception that knowledge management is just another form of information management. The third subsection covered in the appendix related to the need for developing a KM culture comprising a strong belief on the importance of collaboration, sharing, reflecting and learning. These beliefs are the hallmark of the development and sustenance of a knowledge management culture within an organization.

Based on the above, there appears to be a convergence in agreement from a broad spectrum of knowledge management practitioners that managing knowledge effectively to create value for the organization depends a great deal of adherence to fundamental requirements. From a systems standpoint, these requirements include having clarity of the purpose for knowledge management, being clear of the overall scope and context within which knowledge has to be managed.

On a more operational standpoint, leadership, planning, support, operations, performance evaluation as well as improvements should be factored into any attempt to manage knowledge better. As knowledge is fundamentally embedded in the minds of people, it is crucial that people do not maintain a mentality of being consumers of knowledge but actively seek out knowledge to learn for the purpose of adding value to the organization. For this to manifest, a knowledge culture needs to be nurtured within the organization.

Without a standard such as the ISO 30410:2018 in place, the preponderance of practices supposedly aimed at improving organizations to manage knowledge effectively will only stifle efforts to develop knowledge management as a discipline that encompasses a well-defined boundary and adopts an agreed upon approach that could be readily assessed and improvement upon with time.

Dr Rumesh Kumar

Sharma Management International

Malaysia

The 4^th Industrial Revolution has revolutionized the way society functions and the nature of work itself. We witness staggering changes it has brought and are left wondering how to deal with this new phenomena. This article provides a glimpse of what has transpired and how to navigate around this bewildering episode called the 4^th Industrial Revolution.

This revolution has brought in its wake, a blistering array of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, Big Data, and the Internet of Things (IoT). These technologies have indeed to a large extent improved the quality, speed, or price at which value is produced. We have new discoveries made in the field of genetics and a huge vista of business opportunities opened to people who have ventured to capitalize on the new value propositions available.

To be able to leverage on these opportunities, new knowledge needs to be developed and integrated within the organization systems. This knowledge should be acquired as and when it emerges and employees require an avenue to assimilate these opportunities that emerge.

On the flip side, the 4^th Industrial Revolution seriously threatens to disrupt organisations and entire industries that remain unprepared for the breadth and depth of the changing landscape. Innovative enterprises have disrupted traditional value chains and driving well-established incumbents to extinction faster than ever.

There are many examples of traditional industries being nearly wiped out or made obsolete by the arrival of new entrants in the marketplace. Ride-sharing companies, like Uber and Grab, have leveraged smartphone and GPS technologies to challenge and disrupt the entire taxi industry.

HIRED, a start-up in the field of HR technology offered to fill job role vacancies (a focus on results and outcomes) by leveraging Big Data and analytics. As a result, traditional recruitment agencies are now in trouble since they cannot match the cost-efficiency and success rates of these innovative platforms.

In both these instances there were insufficient attempts made to acquire sufficient knowledge regarding challenges faced in the industry. This affected the ability to mitigate the negative consequences they brought in their wake.

Navigating within the 4^th Industrial Revolution

Given that the 4^th Industrial Revolution opens vistas of opportunities as well as disrupts industries, business leaders and HR professionals will need to rethink the way business is being managed in this new age of unbridled change. This will involve creating, retaining, and transferring knowledge within an organization continually as well as developing the right culture to sustain such efforts.

By doing so, requires an effective communication system that is adaptive and quick both in identifying areas to focus as well as in selecting key aspects of the business that has to be optimised. This knowledge is broad, covering any topic that could better an organization as it navigates through the relentless opportunities and challenges brought about by the 4^th Industrial Revolution.

However, traditional communication structures are ill equipped as changes made are slow and adaptability difficult to achieve. These structures limit innovation, as they tend to be bureaucratic, which hinders quick execution time. What is required is to have structured approaches for open dialogue as opposed to meetings based on traditional communication methods.

Conducting Knowledge Café Sessions

Structured approaches to feedback and opportunities for open dialogue provides a decisive combination of stability and agility, which enables businesses to create, test, and execute strategy — with minimal risk. Such dialogue sessions among employees in an open environment that allows for creative thinking and sharing of ideas through dialogue is crucial. One technique used for creating this sort of ambience that allows for the free flow of ideas is called Knowledge Café. This technique has yielded considerable benefits to companies that constantly seek ideas from employees on a regular basis.

Organisations that leverage the regular use of these open dialogue and feedback processes can better understand their business environment and make the necessary adjustments to their business strategy and processes when faced with the need to do so. In addition, regular feedback further optimises the acquisition, production, and integration of knowledge, facilitating a cycle of continuous learning and continuous improvement.

Developing a Culture of Accountability

In addition to hosting regular knowledge café sessions, HR practitioners need to seriously consider developing a culture of accountability in order for participation in these sessions to be optimal. A culture of accountability is deemed to exist in an organization made up of accountable employees. In such organizations, every employee feels a sense of ownership for organizational results and will do what it takes to achieve those results. As such the employees willingly participate in dialogue sessions not because they have to, but because they want to.

With accountability ingrained throughout the organisation, employees will be able to derive added value whilst overcome the challenges of shifting customer and stakeholder requirements. When workers take accountability for problems, the problems get solved. Leaders will have to ensure that this culture is cultivated and reinforced, in order to maximise the ability of the organisation to respond to external changes in the business environment when faced with the need to do so.

In the next part of this series we explore in depth, what is a “Knowledge Café” and how such a Knowledge Café session should be set up to optimize the development of a creative information sharing session necessary to survive in the 4^th Industrial Revolution.