How to Start

Beginning an organization-wide knowledge management program is a daunting task. As is the case with all such endeavours, there is usually so much to do that one hardly knows where to start. Each initiative must be tightly scoped, and given clear goals together with the means to evaluate them. At the same time, controlling scope must not mean neglecting any of the three key elements of knowledge management: people, process and technology.

Build a Team - Bring together the appropriate people from several disciplines and departments to work together to make knowledge management a reality. Depending on the nature of your organization, this may happen quickly, or may take several months of conversations to lay the groundwork necessary to get everyone to participate. Management and executive support is essential, so try to find a strong champion from the beginning. As well, a clear governance structure accelerates decision-making and helps to break down departmental barriers.

Identify the Value - Look at your organization to determine what knowledge would have the most value, and when. Ask questions such as: Who creates this knowledge and who needs it? Why is it valuable, and when is it most valuable? How can existing business processes be enhanced by integrating knowledge management activities?

Look at What You Have - Examine existing initiatives and systems to determine what has been done, and why it has or has not worked. Identify what is in your various information systems, and how these systems can be leveraged effectively. Assess capabilities and gaps in areas such as knowledge and content management personnel, information technology resources and tools such as portals and intranets.

Prioritize - Determine the highest value activities; those which will provide the greatest return with the least investment and organizational disruption. Although a great deal may seem necessary and it may all look valuable, do not underestimate the complexity and effort of rolling out a successful knowledge management initiative. Focus on one or two initiatives which can help to build teams, prove concepts and demonstrate success.

People, Process and Technology - Do not overlook any of the layers of the knowledge management pyramid. Ensure that each initiative addresses each of these sufficiently.

Plan - Ensure that you have a plan to take you from design and development, through launch and beyond. Take into account the continuing costs of managing and promoting the initiative, as well as the possibility that you might need to refine some aspects to achieve success.

Set Goals - Goals are not just for judging the ultimate success of a project, but allow you to understand what elements may not be as successful as you had hoped, so that you can take corrective measures. Goals should always be meaningful, manageable and measurable. Meaningful goals are related to the essential purpose of a project (for example, IT projects should be measured by their business impact, not how well they allowed a development team to play with cool new technologies). Manageable goals are within your control, if only indirectly; you can influence the factors which affect them. Measurable goals provide an objective means of assessing if they are being met, and to what degree.

Think About Deployment - The launch of an initiative is, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, "not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning. "Make deployment an integral part of your initiative right from the start. Ensure that your system has a respectable base of knowledge content before you launch it, or potential users will visit once and never return. Begin communicating before you launch and follow up regularly. Ensure that there is plenty of training and support. Collect user feedback, and follow up on it.

Refine - No initiative is completely successful right out of the gate. Some concepts which seemed great on the drawing board may just not work in the real world. Accept this, find out why, and use this knowledge to correct them. Your audience will appreciate the fact that you are trying to work with them, strengthening the growth of a culture of collaboration.