Knowledge management is a concept that has grown over the years since its inception in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the corporate sector. The focus back then was in the creation of information systems to steer the idea behind knowledge management: sharing of knowledge. Gradually organizations have realized that it is no longer about systems that support processes and knowledge, but rather about the knowledge owners: the people. Now how do we get people to share knowledge?
By 2000 as the concept of knowledge management found prominence in the corporate sector, organizations noticed that despite effect systems and process management, the owners of the knowledge (people), still held the key to knowledge sharing success. They have the prerogative to share or not. Focus therefore shifted from knowledge systems to the role of people in building, maintaining and propagating knowledge. How do we motivate people to identify, create, develop, review, store, share and use knowledge for organizational success.
Since dealing with people, especially in matters focusing on change of culture and attitude, constantly proved to be difficult, an ingenious solution (at the time) was identified. Organizations focused on development of units, divisions or departments focusing on knowledge management. The outcome of this, especially for larger organizations, was a focus on the Chief Knowledge Manager or Knowledge Management Coordinator heading that department/division/unit. Such positions indicated the importance to the organization of knowledge and a (usually senior) person to steer organizational efforts to manage it.
The belief was that investing resources in a KM-specific position would ensure that the organization would be a ‘learning organization’. In the event, it was difficult to meet expectations for a variety of reasons, including:
- Inertia associated with pre-existing practices which often created barriers to knowledge sharing and learning
- A variety of (national, cultural, technical) contexts within organizations
- Relatively high fragmentation of internal systems designed to support KM
The Fate of Chief Knowledge Managers/ Knowledge Management Coordinators
The challenges associated with knowledge management gave birth to a new concept: Knowledge Management Champions. This is the practice that is currently being adopted by most organizations. Why? Because
- organizational knowledge is generated from interactions with different functions in the organization. Linking all the sources of knowledge and identifying critical organizational knowledge requires cross functional teams.
- what is needed is to spearhead the changes in organizational culture required to move from a more bureaucratic way of doing things to one that is more dynamic, more accepting of different ways of working, and more open to outside influence.
This is where the role of Knowledge Champions truly comes into its own! A single person – or even a small team, especially if it is based solely in the head office – is simply not enough.
Does it mean that Chief Knowledge Managers is an outdated model?
No. Just like in any organizational culture change process, there is need for a team just as much as there is need to a lead champion for the change process. Chief Knowledge Managers are not an outdated model, they have changed roles. Currently, the role of Chief Knowledge Managers/Knowledge Management Coordinators are to provide guidance, tools and support to knowledge management champions, to networks, to communities of practice; and to work jointly with these teams in pushing the “learning organizations” agenda. Knowledge mangers need knowledge champions and vice versa. In other words we don’t need a big sailing boat but a lot of “optimists” (for learning) and a little wind for setting the sails.
