Can Knowledge Succession be the missing link between KM and PM? - Michael Norton

I wrote down the three comments below before attending Arthur Shelley’s Masterclass on KNOWledge SUCCESSion based on the book by the same name.

1. “Project managers think that Knowledge Management is lessons learned.”
2. “Knowledge managers wonder why projects struggle to know the knowledge needs of a project and wait until the end to even think about what has been learned, if anything at all”
3. “With businesses looking for a competitive advantage, efficiency, effectiveness. Could KNOWledge SUCCESSion finally close the loop?”

And after attending, I now feel have a better understanding on the strategic level of what is missing and where the opportunities lie to make KM and PM work together.

So, what is KNOWledge SUCCESSion?

In basic terms ‘it provides a road map for taking actions today to achieve sustained performance and capability growth through strategic knowledge projects. Action with traction ensures satisfaction.’

Is your organisation ready to adapt?

A couple of key points from the day is that a lot of organisations are working towards this approach but may not know how to link everything up.

Ask yourself, do you work in an organisation that:

• See projects as business as usual?
• See project success as something that will vary over time and will be different to different stakeholders?
• See the operation models for the organisation in constant flux and being redeveloped based on the knowledge held to make it relevant and viable?
• See projects to deliver short term and long term benefits and competitive advantage

If, not where are the gaps? Are they around the knowledge being shared?

KNOWledge SUCCESSion for me is a way of integrating and formalizing Knowledge Sharing through an organisation.

And Arthurs Roadmap helps put this in place.

In a simplistic form the road map looks at

• Mindsets (Strategic Awareness)
• Behaviour (Culture and Attitude)
• Knowing (Understanding)
• Action (Doing and Being)

And provides a range of techniques and tools to help you create the conversation in the language that is appropriate for the people that you are working with.

So often we struggle to get to a common language between different ways of working, be it project management, IT, organizational development, HR etc.

So, having a road map or a structure to use is helpful. Especially with a standard being developed for Knowledge Management Systems by the ISO.

This could be a game changer regarding Knowledge Management in organisations.

As I get more into this topic area, I will share more of what I have seen and where I need to learn more.

I suppose I should finish with a quote from Psychology Today and an article called Massively Intelligent.