Knowledge is an intangible organizational asset that needs to be managed like any other asset. It needs to be developed, consolidated, retained, shared, adapted, and applied so that workers can make effective decisions and take aligned actions, solving problems based on the experience of the past and new insights into the future. -  - Definition from ISO 30401 : 2018

One of my gurus in KM asked me it is unclear to many what is the difference between KM and KM systems. If we define this Problem Canvas, there can be many who relate it to a need to 'Connect' so there is access to the organizations most critical knowledge. Some say nee to 'Collaborate' where we ensure the knowledge flows from those who have it to those who need it the most.

So is there a need to build a KM system or can KM be driven through People Practices where we celebrate true moments that enables Knowledge Management. Let us just look at 3 examples as below to understand this thought more in principle.

It is important to have a KM strategy aligned to the organizational culture

Are you a leader who is a believer and who demands a sense of urgency from your team to merit knowledge sharing behaviours to ensure KM advances? A good example could be any pre-sales team which has a stand-alone KM system (one separated from the larger organization) which the leader continues to ensure his team makes more contextual to their group behaviours and ensures knowledge capture , reuse, and creation. Think aloud; have you experiences any such stand-alone systems in your organization that is your answer.

How to advance a user basis when tacit knowledge contribution is unclear

In many large organizations there are a few experts who have been given titles such as Technical Member of Staff to name one. These are practice leaders who are domain experts and who ensure that through their knowledge practice the CoE continues to ensure relevant industry practices are followed; aligned to solving some of the most complex business problems. There are also innovators who earn credits through the IP they create, and it is this that helps build or advance many domain systems and models that are differentiators in the market for their firm.

The relevant question we can ask is how many of these leaders have contributed to advancing the larger advanced knowledge systems such as GitHub which is truly a global standard for building world class software. So should we measure external knowledge practices and advance users in their careers as truly it's their personal brand that is helping advance the organization, think again you have the answer.

Users are asking for instant gratification moments

Knowledge must be 'well defined' to be 'well understood'. There is a need to have a KM policy , mission-vision statement, and a unified portal that we spoke about earlier that drives the culture. However, without a Central KM team who interacts and has Conversations with the Leaders, Teams, and the larger Community we would truly fail to recognize moments to ensure KM is 'well-acknowledged.'

So, I leave you with this thought. Get started on your Knowledge Management journey today and let’s ensure we are In Conversation with KM!

Disclaimer : This article is based on my own experiences and are my personal views. I hope you enjoyed reading it and this would help you advance in building your own KM practices not so much KM systems.

About the Author : Michael Sequeira is an independent consultant who is passionate about helping organizations discover how KM can be a key differentiator for their business, teams, and clients. If you would like to learn more about his background and get-in-touch you can connect with him on LinkedIn.