A "Knowledge Strategy" For Your Organization
Read More Great Business Planning Articles
A "Knowledge Strategy" For Your Organization
A “knowledge strategy” can have a profound impact on virtually any type of organization. Simply stated, a knowledge strategy is knowing, growing and using the collective knowledge of an organization.
By: Roger Ingbretsen
A “knowledge strategy” can have a profound impact on virtually any type of organization. Simply stated, a knowledge strategy is knowing, growing and using the collective knowledge of an organization.
By: Roger Ingbretsen
Measuring, managing and improving such things as organizational intellectual capital, including employee knowledge, industry knowledge, patents, research and customer knowledge, can be used as an effective tool to increase organizational service and competitiveness. To effectively accomplish this, attention should be applied to the following.
• Understand what intellectual capital the organization presently has. Do a full assessment of college degrees held, certifications attained, and special competencies, skills and talents acquired by all employees. Produce a list of white papers, presentations, articles or other forms of demonstrated organizational knowledge. Produce an inventory of copyrights or patents held. Evaluate what assessments, creativity, innovation and research is going on and what products, services and marketing are planned to meet the organizational strategy for future sustainability and growth.
• Formally define a knowledge strategy which is focussed on technologies, products, industry needs, customer desires, processes, and services required to meet future objectives.
• After assessing what the organization has and where it is headed, do a gap analysis to start the process of filling in what knowledge, skills and competencies are needed to meet the organizations strategy. Look at patents that are not currently being used or will not be used in the immediate future to see if there are royalty opportunities to be gained. Review all formal information that has been produced for public/customer consumption to see what can be updated for re-release, or what areas have been missed that the organization could fill in with new articles/presentations.
• Develop a measurement system (such as the balanced scorecard) to assist in benchmarking the organizational “knowledge development effort” to include three major areas: human effectiveness, organizational structure and customer value.
• Capture the positive high points of the knowledge strategy process and capitalize on them by marketing organizational strengths in knowledge acquisition and the deployment of organizational intellectual abilities.
To be most effective, the “knowledge strategy” must be based on the overall “business and organizational strategy.” This approach affords the opportunity to target high priority and high payoff areas, as well as grow organizational intellectual capital in a manner that adds real value to the organization and best serves both the short and long-term objectives. A knowledge strategy helps to better ensure that every individual learning effort is aligned with the business strategy of the organization.
A knowledge strategy that is focused on the human effectiveness of the organization drives and sustains individual contribution in several ways. This is accomplished by increasing the talents, strengths, competencies, knowledge sharing and management of knowledge, so that all employees can best serve personal and organizational goals through the optimization of the organizations intellectual capital. A knowledge strategy that is focused on organizational structure drives the formation of effective business units, high impact teams, and well-defined and clear processes all aimed at cost effective efficiencies. A knowledge strategy that is focused on overall customer-value and market growth through “optimizing the delivery and use of knowledge to the customer” drives industry knowledge, product innovation, leveraging customer information and knowledge, and driving profitable revenues through customer retention.
In summary, a knowledge strategy is of critical importance to the overall strategy of an organization. It is our collective organizational knowledge that gives us the edge over our competition. “Brain is in… brawn is out.” An organization should determine the value of its collective intellectual capital and market it! A knowledge strategy will have a direct impact on the bottom line by: increasing organizational day-to-day effectiveness, help sell the brand, provide the information needed to hire and grow the right talent, evolve the best structures and processes, help organizations be increasingly more innovative, and allow organizations to prepare for, and execute to, their current needs and future growth.
• Understand what intellectual capital the organization presently has. Do a full assessment of college degrees held, certifications attained, and special competencies, skills and talents acquired by all employees. Produce a list of white papers, presentations, articles or other forms of demonstrated organizational knowledge. Produce an inventory of copyrights or patents held. Evaluate what assessments, creativity, innovation and research is going on and what products, services and marketing are planned to meet the organizational strategy for future sustainability and growth.
• Formally define a knowledge strategy which is focussed on technologies, products, industry needs, customer desires, processes, and services required to meet future objectives.
• After assessing what the organization has and where it is headed, do a gap analysis to start the process of filling in what knowledge, skills and competencies are needed to meet the organizations strategy. Look at patents that are not currently being used or will not be used in the immediate future to see if there are royalty opportunities to be gained. Review all formal information that has been produced for public/customer consumption to see what can be updated for re-release, or what areas have been missed that the organization could fill in with new articles/presentations.
• Develop a measurement system (such as the balanced scorecard) to assist in benchmarking the organizational “knowledge development effort” to include three major areas: human effectiveness, organizational structure and customer value.
• Capture the positive high points of the knowledge strategy process and capitalize on them by marketing organizational strengths in knowledge acquisition and the deployment of organizational intellectual abilities.
To be most effective, the “knowledge strategy” must be based on the overall “business and organizational strategy.” This approach affords the opportunity to target high priority and high payoff areas, as well as grow organizational intellectual capital in a manner that adds real value to the organization and best serves both the short and long-term objectives. A knowledge strategy helps to better ensure that every individual learning effort is aligned with the business strategy of the organization.
A knowledge strategy that is focused on the human effectiveness of the organization drives and sustains individual contribution in several ways. This is accomplished by increasing the talents, strengths, competencies, knowledge sharing and management of knowledge, so that all employees can best serve personal and organizational goals through the optimization of the organizations intellectual capital. A knowledge strategy that is focused on organizational structure drives the formation of effective business units, high impact teams, and well-defined and clear processes all aimed at cost effective efficiencies. A knowledge strategy that is focused on overall customer-value and market growth through “optimizing the delivery and use of knowledge to the customer” drives industry knowledge, product innovation, leveraging customer information and knowledge, and driving profitable revenues through customer retention.
In summary, a knowledge strategy is of critical importance to the overall strategy of an organization. It is our collective organizational knowledge that gives us the edge over our competition. “Brain is in… brawn is out.” An organization should determine the value of its collective intellectual capital and market it! A knowledge strategy will have a direct impact on the bottom line by: increasing organizational day-to-day effectiveness, help sell the brand, provide the information needed to hire and grow the right talent, evolve the best structures and processes, help organizations be increasingly more innovative, and allow organizations to prepare for, and execute to, their current needs and future growth.
About Ingbretsen Consulting LLC: Coach and author Roger Ingbretsen is a certified executive coach and organizational developer providing organizational and career guidance to professionals, managers, supervisors and all individuals looking for "real world" career development information. His entrepreneurial approach will help you learn how to use your strengths, plan, lead and succeed in your career. To know more and claim dozens of Rogers free articles go to www.ingbretsen.com.
Read More Great Business Planning Articles
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Business Should Start Planning For The Turn Around
Small Business - Your Pricing Strategies
6 Reasons To Make Sure Your Business Plan Is Updated
So What Is Your Business Strategy?
Your Personal Contingency Plan
Small Business - Your Pricing Strategies
6 Reasons To Make Sure Your Business Plan Is Updated
So What Is Your Business Strategy?
Your Personal Contingency Plan
