On Knowledge Behaviors
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The document discusses the importance of knowledge behaviors in high-performance organizations, emphasizing critical thinking and problem-solving mindsets. It outlines 16 habits of mind essential for effectively navigating complex problems and highlights the relationship between motivation, ability, and opportunity in influencing knowledge behaviors. Furthermore, it stresses the need for organizations to cultivate these behaviors through strategic staffing and management practices to foster a productive knowledge culture.
On Knowledge Behaviors
- 1. The views expressed in this presentation are the views of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank, or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this presentation and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this presentation do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology. On Knowledge Behaviors Olivier Serrat 2015
- 2. The Chief Cause of Problems Is the chief cause of problems solutions? Well into the 21st century, organizations that profess to manage for knowledge generation and sharing in the current competitive reality eschew the effective questions of critical thinking. Hackneyed solutions to misalignment of strategy, structure, and systems still proliferate—and spawn further problems—even though alternative organizational forms, characteristically flexible and open, have come into sight. In contrast, high-performance organizations, the locus of interest is purpose, processes, and people. Since the accomplishments of man result from ideas of enthusiasm, habits of mind and knowledge behaviors can help root out dogma and imagine or invent futures.
- 3. On Mindsets A problem is any situation or matter involving uncertainty, the response to which involves perplexity or difficulty and is not immediately known. Complex problems demand craftsmanship, creativity, insightfulness, perseverance, and strategic reasoning. However, mindsets borne of our education, experience, or (especially) environment instruct us to see things in ways that do not necessarily conduce efficient or effective problem solving, when they do not perpetuate or inflame the problem. A mindset is a set of assumptions—held by one or more persons or groups of people—that is so ingrained it acts as a strong incentive to continue to adopt or accept prior behaviors, choices, or techniques. The cognitive biases it cultivates beget mental inertia and "groupthink" and impact decision making.
- 4. On Mindfulness Exercising mindfulness, the psychological quality of self-regulation of attention coupled with curiosity and openness, can help individuals recognize and rework habitual patterns of mind. Since excellence is not an act but a practice, each of us can develop composite habits of mind that attend to value, inclination, sensitivity, capability, and commitment—all defined toward behaving intelligently when confronted with problems. These are the transcending characteristics of peak performers.
- 5. 16 Habits of Mind Persisting Managing Impulsivity Listening with Understanding and Empathy Thinking Flexibly Thinking about Thinking Striving for Accuracy Questioning and Posing Problems Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision Gathering Data through All Senses Creating, Imagining, and Innovating Responding with Wonderment and Awe Taking Responsible Risks Finding Humor Thinking Interdependently Learning Continuously
- 6. On Knowledge Behaviors Without a doubt, knowledge management has much to do with behavioral change. For that reason, high-performance organizations seek to minimize the drag of old mental models and help embed knowledge behaviors. What might these be? From the 16 desirable habits of mind, a practical, multi-agent operating model would see that individuals, groups, and organizations consciously ask, learn, and share before, during, and after an activity.
- 7. Inventory of Knowledge Behaviors A high-end inventory of knowledge behaviors— that together would enrich a knowledge culture—reads as follows: • Ask—asking questions; checking first to see what already exists; questioning accepted wisdom. • Learn—contextualizing learning to make it real; connecting and taking opportunities to learn; reviewing lessons as one goes and applying learning. • Share—conveying personal details, roles, and skills; imparting experience, evidence, and feedback; communicating achievements, outcomes, and pride.
- 8. Fuelling Knowledge Behaviors Individuals Groups Organizations Ask Learn Share Before During After
- 9. Leading the Horse to Water You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. The relationship between motive, means (or ability), and opportunity explains much human behavior by dint of reasoned action. However, intention, which is assumed to capture intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors, determines behavior, hence action. Hence, a bottleneck—or constraint—in any motivational factor will determine what knowledge behaviors may occur. Also, the three variables cannot be addressed independently but in dynamic and coordinated manner. Therefore, investigations about motive, means, and opportunity can help organizations determine better where to invest resources productively across the knowledge behavior landscape.
- 10. Staffing Matters Where organizations make a dedicated effort at boosting knowledge behaviors, they generally target job design, performance appraisal, compensation and rewards, managerial styles, information and communications technology, and training as important predictors of motivation. They should also consider recruiting personnel who already display knowledge behaviors: surely, considering person– environment fit to ensure congruence of individual and organizational values and goals is the easiest way to facilitate knowledge behaviors. An organization that values knowledge behaviors and selects personnel who swear by this value will equip itself with staff who are positive to start with. Also, investments elsewhere may no longer be so urgent because the likelihood that the organization's human resource management practices fulfill needs will accordingly be higher.
- 11. Further Reading • ADB. 2012. Knowledge as Culture. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/knowledge-culture • ——. 2012. On Knowledge Behaviors. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/knowledge-behaviors
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