Introduction to Knowledge Management

You Will Learn How To

Identify, create and distribute knowledge using Knowledge Management (KM) best practices
Establish criteria for applying KM solutions
Create knowledge assets from personal expertise, events and other key sources
Analyze and build communities of practice to contribute and share knowledge
Apply a comprehensive KM strategy that leverages the cultural values of your organization
Evaluate the success of a KM project to maintain effectiveness

Course Benefits

An organization's true competitive edge is the knowledge it holds—knowledge that is often contained in the minds of individuals where it can't be shared or improved and, frequently, is lost when those individuals leave the organization. A well-designed and implemented Knowledge Management program is essential for aggregating disconnected pockets of information to strengthen the effectiveness of an organization. In this course, you develop the skills and processes to build KM solutions that leverage organizational and individual knowledge.

Who Should Attend

Anyone responsible for the management and distribution of knowledge or tasked with implementing a KM initiative within an organization, including directors, program managers, team leaders and department heads.

Through a series of interactive case studies, you gain the skills to effectively apply Knowledge Management within your organization. Individual and group exercises include:

Identifying the value of KM for your organization
Designing a model for implementing KM
Selecting viable KM projects
Creating knowledge assets from interviewing experts
Establishing a community of practice
Facilitating learning through After Action Reviews
Building a viable KM vision for an organization that reflects the reality of its culture
Distinguishing between IT and KM goals
Performing a KM audit for an organization
Determining the criteria for evaluating a KM project
Developing solutions to overcome organizational resistance
Preparing a comprehensive and sustainable KM strategy

Course 213 Content

Introduction to Knowledge Management (KM)

Creating a KM model

Essential components of your KM model
Analyzing your current knowledge state
Formulating a mix of knowledge assets and communities of practice

When to employ Knowledge Management

Establishing criteria for KM projects
Applying KM criteria to select projects
Seizing opportunities and avoiding costs

Building Knowledge Assets

Capturing expertise

What is expertise?
Filling in what experts don't remember
Stages of knowledge acquisition
Differentiating between tacit and explicit knowledge
Uncovering tacit knowledge

Sources of knowledge

People
Stories
Events
Documents
Interviewing experts
Converting one-time events into permanent knowledge assets
Analyzing documents and other resources

Compiling knowledge assets

Gauging the audience and establishing the scope
Distilling principles and guidelines from existing knowledge
Checklists
Secrets for success
Critical factors
Assigning an asset curator
Implementing feedback loops

Forming Communities of Practice

Facilitating communities of practice

Life cycle of communities of practice
Creating
Growing
Sustaining
Closing

Forming the community

Defining the need and the members
The importance of the community facilitator
Carrying out the critical initial tasks

Keeping the community going

Eliciting both questions and contributions
The power of acknowledgement
Leveraging e-mail, wikis and collaboration software
Integrating After Action Reviews (AARs)
Generating knowledge assets from communities of practice

Creating Strategies for Success

Laying a solid foundation

Generating a KM-specific vision
Integrating organizational and business goals with KM
Choosing the right KM techniques
Adapting to company culture

Performing a KM audit

Exploring knowledge needs
Cataloging existing knowledge assets
Mapping knowledge flows
Selecting optimal KM practices

Overcoming barriers and pitfalls

The four major barriers to KM success
Unsupportive culture
Unaligned rewards and recognition
Uncommitted stakeholders
Overprotective experts
Employing remedies to ensure success

Tailoring a KM strategy for your organization

Accounting for your unique business needs
Leveraging your organization's culture
Ensuring sustainable KM initiatives
Customizing a KM process for your organization

Implementing Knowledge Management

Measuring the value of KM

Evaluating a KM project against business goals
Selecting key evaluation criteria
Establishing the relationship among KM and profits, product timeliness and more

Delivering a successful project

Integrating business case, vision and goal
Choosing the right project
Constructing an ongoing evaluation process

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