Don't do KM!
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1) The document discusses common failures of knowledge management (KM) projects and provides recommendations to ensure KM project success. 2) It emphasizes that KM projects should be business-focused and solve real business problems, rather than just implementing KM initiatives. 3) Intrinsic motivation should be relied on rather than rewards, as rewards can undermine motivation and knowledge sharing in the long-run. Business outcomes rather than KM activities should be measured.
Don't do KM!
- 1. Don’t do KM! David Gurteen Gurteen Knowledge KM Middle East 2011, United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi
- 2. You don’t do KM You solve business problems and develop business opportunities There are no KM initiatives or strategies They conceptualise the problem A project is never just about KM There are only business projects Use KM thinking & tools to respond to business issues
- 3. Most KM projects fail! Nothing wrong with KM, KM tools and techniques very powerful indeed The challenges KM projects are NOT focused on the business KM projects are tough KM project leaders are often inexperienced KM projects poorly conceived KM projects poorly managed Lack of support from senior management Lack of support from employees Lack of understanding or a misunderstanding of KM Lack of understanding of organizational complexity Lack of understanding of human behavior
- 4. Four KEY questions to ask yourself
- 5. The questions What are the business problems we are trying to solve? How do we ensure support from senior management and how do we sustain that support? How do we engage the people in our organization? How do we clearly demonstrate success?
- 6. Some further thoughts on how to ensure your KM projects are a success
- 7. Think! There is no substitute for thinking Think for yourself!
- 8. Think for yourself No substitute for thinking No recipes or prescriptions No simple set of steps You need to think for yourself No one can tell you what to do KM is highly contextual …
- 9. Context In our complex business world context is everything Things are different each of you are different your industry your organization your people history timing politics competition
- 10. Identify the business issues Identify the business problems, opportunities or risks that need to be responded to
- 11. Albert Einstein on problems If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.
- 12. We jump far too quickly to a “solution” without really understanding the problem! Its better to do the right thing badly than the wrong thing well!
- 13. Business issues and outcomes “ People will not share their knowledge” is NOT a business issue “ Implementing a knowledge sharing system” is NOT a business outcome
- 14. Business issues and outcomes “ Slowness to market of new products” is a business issue “ Shortening the time to market of new products” is a business outcome
- 15. Business outcomes These are not business outcomes Doing KM Improving knowledge sharing Creating a learning organization Creating a knowledge driven organization Setting up communities of practice These are business outcomes Cutting costs; Improving profit Improving quality Reducing staff turn over
- 16. Identify the business issues Talk to CEO and senior business managers What keeps them awake at night?
- 17. Don’t do things to people! If you have to ask “how do we motivate people” then you are taking the wrong approach!
- 18. Work with people An innovative, healthy organization requires that we work with people rather than do things to them. Alfie Kohn
- 19. Motivation is intrinsic! You cannot motivate people Motivation is inherently intrinsic People have to find it for themselves Attempts to motivate are actually manipulation and are usually seen as such And have an adverse affect
- 20. Do not reward Do not reward people for sharing their knowledge
- 21. Rewards Research shows that giving rewards (even praise) actually results in worse performance and undermines intrinsic motivation To the best of my knowledge, no controlled scientific study has ever found a long-term enhancement of the quality of work as a result of any reward system. Alfie Kohn
- 22. Alfie Kohn and Dan Pink Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Dan Pink
- 23. Do not reward Rewards punish Rewards rupture relations Rewards ignore reasons Rewards deter risk taking Rewards undermine interest Credit: Alfie Kohn Rewards are gamed
- 24. If we don’t reward what do we do?
- 25. Alfie Kohn Pay people well Pay people fairly Then do everything possible to make money (rewards) off people’s minds Incentives, bonuses, pay-for-performance-plans and other reward systems violate this last principle by their very nature!
- 26. Love what you do Loving what you do is a more powerful motivator than any goody including money. Alfie Kohn
- 27. Bob Buckman Our approach to KM is far more than stick or carrot. "Knowledge Sharing is your job. Do it!" As a reward you may keep your job.
- 28. Daniel Pink Provide opportunities for Autonomy Mastery Purpose
- 29. Some questions to leave you with! Is my KM activity focused on the business? Have I really understood the problems? Am I thinking for myself? Are senior managers bought in? Are employees & other stakeholders bought in? How do I demonstrate success? Am I measuring business outcomes & not just activity? What do I do in place of rewards?
- 30. Questions
- 31. www.gurteen.com David GURTEEN Gurteen Knowledge Fleet, United Kingdom Tel: +44 7774 178 650 Email: david.gurteen@gurteen.com