Posted by Randy Jordan on November 05, 1999 at 12:24:30:

In Reply to: Re: Knowledge Management Job Titles posted by Laura Catterick on November 04, 1999 at 16:45:18:

Laura,

You sound like you are in the exactly right frame of mind to me. The use of knowledge job titles is a good tactic. Could you also create a KM advisory group (formally or informally)? A limited sized group composed of representitives from different departments or areas, who will become the "local" KM advocate/educator - even if they don't know it for a while.

What I mean is, people in other departments aren't going to learn about KM until they know why they should. They need to know how it helps them without creating more chaos or stress or work that they don't want. Most people can't guess what other people really want, you have to get them to tell you. Sometimes you can't ask them directly, so you have to draw it out in ethical, but useful (to them) ways.

Problem solving is a good way to get people involved - especially when it is their type of problem being solved. The "advisory groups'" stated goal could be to identify common problem themes across departments, that KM MIGHT be able to address.

Don't promise solutions. But see what happens if you offer to just pay attention to someone's problems. Also, people love to give advice to other people - it is not like real work if you don't have to do the work. (This is nothing like what I'm doing now.)

You might put up a KM webpage (simple one to start) or get one of those free, online www. - virtual meetingroom sites - accessable from around the globe. Then you invite a select group of people to put up the two most common kinds of problems they would like improved, in their areas. Also ask them for the outcome they'd like or how they would know when the problem is resolving.

The "carrot" for them is talking about themselves in terms of issues they would really like to resolve, in a non-threatening context. Tell them you know they are capable of resolving the issues by themselves. But, who has the time to sit and think about these things when deadlines are so intrusive and a coping process is already in place?

The point of this is managers don't want more new stuff to think about. They want to smooth out their situations. KM will only be valuable to some, when it reduces problems or generates revenue. If you don't ask them to take on additional responsibility, but instead, to share problems so others can learn about the "real world" they work in, they might "show up".

The advisory group can generate some ideas about how KM processes might address the problems managers share. All you need is for one or two managers to have an AHA! experience - and improve something or see how to, and they will stimulate interest in others.

To get upper management to buy in, they need to have the concepts of KM benefits translated into the language of results. And if you stimulate interest in their "customers" - the managers they would otherwise have to convince KM is worthwhile, It may be easier for them to help than not help.

If you can, position the job titles as a way to identify a live, working process that supports solving problems AND generating revenue. When we have to explain KM benefits as concepts, the audience has to be interested in KM already, and willing to translate concepts into concrete examples. When we say, "It's what Bill did, to increase sales 12% and reduce courrier expenses 30% last month", people will want to learn about KM.

You are asking the right kinds of questions. Maybe you can find out your organizations experience with the type of job title changes you're thinking about. Since many KM processes integrate the best elements of all the assorted TQM and re-engineering-like programs, did your organization create job titles for anything like that? If you can talk with proponents of such programs, you might learn what effect the titles had. You can improve on the success or avoid the pitfalls based on organizational experience (Hey, KM in action!). You might also create a larger, broader-based support group, more quickly.

Thanks for making me think so much!

Randy :-D

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