Designing a Successful KM Strategy - A Guide for the Knowledge Management Professional

Citation

Benjamin Cowell (2015), "Designing a Successful KM Strategy - A Guide for the Knowledge Management Professional", Library Management, Vol. 36 No. 6/7, pp. 551-553. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-06-2015-0046

Descriptive review

Scope and purpose

This book is a guide for the neophyte knowledge manager on how to develop a strategy for developing a KM programme within an organisation. While written as a step-by-step guide to walk the knowledge manager through the process, the chapters can be taken on their own to allow more experienced knowledge managers to pick and choose the elements of a strategy to focus on. The authors place particularly emphasis on the need to align the strategy with the drivers and needs of the organisation, and how larger organisational activities will both impact on and be impacted by the introduction of a KM strategy.

Evaluation

Chapters 1-3 focus on defining the KM context within organisations, looking at the nature of a KM strategy, the value of a KM programme to the organisation and the role of the knowledge manager. Chapters 4-6 then look at gathering the necessary information to start building the KM strategy. First, the authors identify ten principles that the strategy must abide by, such as treating the implementation of the strategy as a behavioural change, ensuring there is an effective governance framework for the strategy, and needing to pilot the strategy prior to full implementation. Next comes some initial information gathering through interviewing or – if you are able to secure a large enough commitment of time – workshopping with key stakeholders to understand their expectations of the KM function within the organisation. The authors also recommend developing an understanding of the key business drivers at this stage, suggesting that these drivers should align with one or more “business focus areas”, and that the most important of these to the organisation be the focus for the KM strategy: Operational excellence, customer knowledge, innovation, and growth and change.

Chapters 7-13 cover the writing of the strategy. Starting with developing the vision, the authors recommend further narrowing the scope by selecting “strategic knowledge areas” to target with the strategy, which are identified by asking “What knowledge?” From here, knowledge managers will then start planning for the implementation of the strategy by looking at existing delivery mechanisms that will need to be leveraged, such as information management, technology solutions, and change management processes. There is also the need to develop a “knowledge management framework”, which is a high-level description of how the strategy will operate with and through the standard KM enablers of people, process, technology, and governance.

Chapters 14-17 guide the knowledge manager through the process of testing the strategy and building awareness and confidence prior to implementation. The authors recommend this be done through pilot projects, further identification and engagement with key stakeholders, and building the business case for the strategy – including determining the ROI. The authors also spend some time examining the process of building a “Guerrilla Strategy” – sometimes called “Stealth KM” – for cases where senior support for a KM strategy may be limited, by developing a below-the-radar strategy to build management support for developing a more comprehensive strategy in the future.

The final two chapters pull all of this together, reviewing the completed strategy and beginning the implementation process, starting with assembling an implementation team.

Summary

Designing a successful KM Strategy will be of particular help to those with limited KM experience who find themselves in a KM role, or to KM practitioners new to being given carriage of introducing a KM programme. By looking at how to develop and position a KM strategy within an organisation by aligning to areas of importance to the business, the KM strategy has a greater chance of succeeding.