Knowledge-Based Working. Intelligent Operating for the Knowledge Age

160 Pages·2005·1.009 MB·English

by  Steve Ellis (Auth.)

Knowledge-Based Working
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Knowledge-Based
Working
Intelligent operating for the
knowledge age
S E
TEVE LLIS
CP
Chandos Publishing
Oxford•England
ChandosPublishing(Oxford)Limited
ChandosHouse
5&6SteadysLane
StantonHarcourt
OxfordOX295RL
UK
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www.chandospublishing.com
FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2005
ISBN:
1843341204(paperback)
1843341212(hardback)
(cid:1)SteveEllis,2005
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Acknowledgements
Manypeoplehaveshapedthecontentofthisbook.InparticularIwould
like to thank the following:
JimFrancis,MartinMaylin,PeterBalafas,DariusBaria,DavidGurteen,
Sandy Keilloh, Robert Taylor, Debbie Lawley, Lucia Dore, Leif Edvin-
son and Dawn Cooper
for sharing their views on knowledge management with me.
ix
Foreword
I am delighted to be writing this foreword for Steve’s new book. I have
known Steve for several years, having met him originally at the Henley
Knowledge Management Forum. In that time, I had worked with Steve
on a number of occasions and shared the platform with him at KM
conferences where he has passionately presented his views and experi-
ences of working in the field of ‘knowledge-based working’.
Steve,likemyself,believesthatknowledge-basedworkingisnotabout
technology or processes or systems, nor is it about theory. It is practical
andpragmatic.Itisabouthowindividualsworkingaloneandtogetherin
teams and networks get their work done to achieve their planned busi-
ness or organisational outcomes.
Thechallengeofknowledge-basedworkingisforindividualstorealise
the need for new ways of working in this increasingly knowledge-based
world for themselves. And in this, I include senior managers and execu-
tives, as clearly they too are individuals.
New ways of working cannot be imposed on knowledge workers.
Peopleneedtorecognisetheneedforchangeinthemselves,thewaythey
relatetootherpeopleandthewaythattheyworkandtakeresponsibility
for that change. Change cannot be forced on them. It can’t be sold to
themanditdoesn’tneedtheirbuy-in.Theyneedtoseeitforthemselves
andwithothersdriveit forthemselves. Inthissense,managers can only
create an environment where people are free to do this.
This book largely sets the agenda for such knowledge workers. Steve
has pinpointed the various challenges, barriers and rewards that suc-
cessful knowledge-based work will bring to individuals, managers and
their organisations. More than this, the book explains to you as experts
orbeginnersalikethe kind ofthingsyouneedtothink aboutand todo,
no matter who or where you are on your journey.
In our numerous conversations over recent years, it has become clear
to me that Steve has learnt, the hard way, many valuable lessons in
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Knowledge-Based Working
promoting and championing knowledge-based working in the tough
financial services sector.
This has been a difficult time for Steve but the good news is that you
can learn from his experiences in this book.
I believe anyone – workers, senior managers, executives or students –
whoislookingtounderstandandacteffectivelyintheknowledge-based
world will find this book an essential manual.
David Gurteen
Gurteen Knowledge
xii
Introduction
Welcome to this book on Knowledge-Based Working. I really hope you
find the ideas within it stimulating and useful in addressing where the
whole phenomenon of ‘Knowledge-Based Working’ is taking us.
My reasons for writing this book are threefold:
n Firstly, ‘Knowledge Management’ as an organisational development
idea has been around, mostly informally but occasionally formally,
in most organisations for long enough to enable an informed critique
of some of the initial results. More importantly, some suggestions
astohowtheseresultsmightbesignificantlyimprovedarelongover-
due.
n Secondly, every time I talk to managers, give a presentation or run a
seminaronthistypeofsubjectIamfacingsimilarquestions/issuesand
challenges – such as ‘an intangible thing like knowledge can never
truly be managed’ or ‘there is nothing new about this knowledge
work, it is just like any other sort of work’, both statements I funda-
mentally disagree with.
n Thirdly,Ibelievethatmyexperienceisquiteunusualinthatalongside
spendingthelastsixyearsasaknowledgeworkpractitionerinablue-
chip,globalcorporation,Ihavealsoresearchedthefieldwidelyalong
thewaytoobtainingmyterminalqualification,whichIthinkgivesme
a justifiable platform to offer guidance from a practical, theoretical
and observational perspective.
Inaddition,thepublishersChandosweresmartenoughtosupportwhat
I saw as the need for this text by spotting a gap in the already over-
crowded market of books on organisational development.
Inpickingupthisbook,youmustalreadybeinterestedinknowledge-
based working. The reasons you should go on to read this book are:
n Knowledge-based working is already here – you and I can see it and
experience it every day.
xiii
Knowledge-Based Working
n Ifyouunderstandmoreaboutitandhowitisgoingtoaffectyourlife,
you can make some tough decisions about your contribution to the
knowledge economy from a position of strength not confusion.
n The hype of knowledge management has already significantly over-
promised and under-delivered. It would be good to know why this
happened and what can be done about ensuring that knowledge-
based working in general does not go the same way.
n There exists a dangerous but nicely opportune ‘competency vacuum’
in the field of knowledge-based working because no one has fully
cracked the code of how to do it well yet.
n Thisbookwillhelpyoufindawaythroughthecurrentfogsurround-
ingtheknowledgerevolutiontoguideyourownthoughtandactions.
Attheendofeachchapteryouwillfindasetofself-assessmentquestions
tocheckyourunderstandingagainsttheobjectivessetatthestartofeach
chapter.Interspersedthroughouteachchapterareanumberof‘reflection
points’,whicharedesignedtopromptyoutoputdownthebook,justfor
a while, and think further about the issue raised. At the end of each
chapteryou will find further guidanceon each of the reflection points.
Before we get much further I will nail my own colours to the mast. I
am an unashamed believer in the positive benefits of knowledge-based
working. I am willing to admit here and now that I cling to the fol-
lowing principles, even in the light of sometimes heavily contradictory
evidence:
n Highlyeffectiveknowledgesharingisnowthebestwaytocompetein
what is after all the knowledge age.
n Most people have a natural tendency to want to share knowledge,
althoughorganisationshaveinadvertentlydevelopedamasteryofpre-
venting them from doing it well.
n Customers increasingly expect organisations to be able to use know-
ledge well and rebel when organisations do not.
n Organisations have just begun to scratch the surface of the improve-
mentsinawholerangeofareasthateffectiveknowledge-basedwork-
ing can offer.
n Mostemployeesknowintheirheartsthattheknowledgetheyhaveis
painfully underutilised; unless and until they decide they want to use
it, the untapped potential is immense.
xiv
Introduction
n Knowledge-basedworkingofferstremendousopportunitiesandscope
for people to contribute more fully to the workplace, and society in
general,alongthewaychangingthetediumofemployeecaptivityinto
the excitement of creative involvement.
This book will provide you with underlying reasons for these beliefs,
backed by the evidence found in both my research and professional
activity.Youdonothavetoagreewiththemall,butIdohopeyouwill.
Chapter1is,asyoumightexpect,anintroductiontowhatismeantby
knowledge-based working, how it is being experienced and what it is
likely to mean to you and those around you.
Chapter 2 of this book looks at how knowledge-based working and
knowledge workers themselves should be organised and ‘managed’,
which I think is fundamentally different to what we have traditionally
seen managers do.
Chapter 3 presents four new rules of organisational behaviour that,
from my experiences, now reflect the impact that the knowledge revo-
lution is having. This chapter also presents a simple, new consultancy
model to help you if you want to complete further analysis of know-
ledge-based working – the 4Cs model.
Finally, Chapter 4 of the book looks at the immediate and future
consequences of knowledge-based working from three distinct perspec-
tives – individuals, managers and organisations.
Sometimesinlifethingscometogetherwithaforcethatisirresistible.
The emergence over the last decade or so of changes driven by infor-
mationcommunicationtechnology(ICT)andthedigitisationofsomuch
of what we now call ‘knowledge work’ is one of these occasions. If you
ask (as I have done) any group of senior executives in reasonably large
size organisations the following questions, the answers you will get
pretty consistently confirm why I think this is the case:
1. Are you expecting your employees to use more of their own and
others’ knowledge than ever before to make decisions?
2. Are you asking your IT function to facilitate greater organisational
connectivity?
3. Are you facing a changing and unpredictable business environment
where knowledge is a real competitive weapon?
4. Areyouconsistentlybeingsurprisedbymovesfromcompetitors,cus-
tomersandevenemployeesdoingthingsthatyoujustdidnotexpect?
xv