Chief knowledge officer

Definition

A senior position with strategic responsibility for promoting and implementing knowledge management ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert Wikipedia)

Description

Activities in which a Chief knowledge officer might engage

General

1. Create and spread the vision;
2. Lead by example;
3. Support the business by having an effective relationship with other ‘C- level’ officers including CEO;
4. Inspire trust and be a ‘calculated’ risk- taker;
5. Present an unwavering commitment and enthusiasm for KM;
6. Apply NKM to enhance organizational capabilities, strategic operating and financial performance;
7. Institutionalize NKM.

Strategy

1. Create strategic initiatives;
2. Create and ‘sell’ value of NKM vision in driving the organization;
3. Understand and focus on customer,stakeholder and shareholder needs;
4. Develop strategy with senior leaders and coalitions and set direction.

Education

1. Educate leadership and employees about KM and its benefits;
2. Develop a strategy to facilitate training and education of knowledge workers;
3. Foster development of a culture of acceptance for organizational and life-long learning;
4. Sponsor NKM training initiatives.

Common language(taxonomy)

1. Apply POKM model to the business;
2. Apply common definitions to facilitate understanding of knowledge concepts;
3. Champion the development of a common language (taxonomy) to classify and store/retrieve explicit information in useful formats;
4. Work with leaders of NEI, INPO, EPRI and EUCG to establish a clear understanding of NKM.

Communications

1. Communicate commitment for NKM strategy to all;
2. Reinforce the value of KM to all leaders, coalitions, managers and employees;
3. Utilize a variety of communication methods to inform, form coalitions and influence decisions;
4. Be an effective storyteller that inspires, motivates, informs others;
5. Be an effective writer and publisher of NKM.

Sharing culture

1. Actively promote and support sharing NKM at all levels as well as outside the company;
2. Share NKM across companies and with Communities of Practice as supported by industry sharing guidelines;
3. Promote an organizational culture that facilitates tacit and explicit knowledge sharing, innovation and the conversion of human capital to structural or intellectual capital.

Cognitive ability

1. Value a questioning attitude and the ability to solve problems;
2. Attract the best and brightest minds to join the organization;
3. Set an example in personal learning;
4. Cultivate business acumen in the Workplace.

Process management

1. Adopt a process management philosophy and establish benchmarking methods;
2. Provide incentives and infrastructure for knowledge re-use;
3. Identify, promote and assess application of NKM ‘best’ practices and processes;
4. Maximize the value of processes to the organization through people, equipment, technology and procedures;
5. Standardize processes for maximum IT benefits.

Measure outcomes

1. Benchmark organizational performance using industry standard methods;
2. Understand strengths and gaps as part of an ongoing performance improvement process;
3. Have systems in place to measure outcomes of NKM projects;
4. Contribute to the mission and goals bottom line.

Communities of practice(CoPs)

1. Be a Champion for CoPs;
2. Support development and sustainment of CoPs;
3. Form internal and external relationships with leaders from other organizations.

Resource optimisation

1. Monitor and document business savings resulting from NKM activities;
2. Work with business leaders to understand improvement opportunities where NKM can support new business goals;
3. Advocate and establish an organizational structure that applies NKM resources efficiently;
4. Apply NKM resources to improve staff capabilities and employee development.

Motiviation innovation and rewards

1. Develop incentives and awards to recognize NKM excellence;
2. Provide positive environment for knowledge sharing;
3. Create an awards process for excellence in innovation;
4. Cultivate future leaders who have demonstrated ability to apply NKM across the organization.

Related articles

Chief information officer