18 IT Pro January ❘ February 2002 1520-9202/02/$17.00 © 2002 IEEE

Using Connectand Collect toAchieve theKM EndgameDouglas Weidner

Knowledge management (KM) is illdefined in the marketplace. Therefore,companies mistakenly segregate criticalIT infrastructure needs such as e-learn-

ing, performance support, process improvement,reengineering, change management, and KM.They fence off efforts in these areas from eachother, even setting them up as competitive initia-tives, each with its own champion. Initiative lead-

ers strive to increase per-formance, but they oftencompete for precious fewresources in a vacuum ofknowledge about otherstrategic efforts.

In particular, most em-ployees and managerslack knowledge aboutKM. KM can only en-hance organizational per-formance when under-stood and intelligentlyapplied, which includesintegration with otherimprovement initiatives.You can begin to under-stand KM by understand-

ing basic knowledge processes.

BASIC KNOWLEDGE PROCESSESKnowledge can be defined as understanding

gained from experience. It is helpful to describeknowledge as the only active force in an activity,although the inputs to the activity can be data,information, or knowledge. In other words, dataor information simply cannot be the active forcebecause it takes knowledge to perform the activ-ity. In such a model, the knowledge (activity) canprocess data or information to make a decisionor solve a problem.

Or knowledge can also be an input, and thenthe activity is to validate it, structure it intoanother form (such as a lesson or a proceduremanual), or to enrich it with new insights—thecreation of new knowledge that we call innova-tion.

Most personal knowledge resides in the headof an experienced person as tacit knowledge. Asa knowledge manager, can I claim to get insideyour head and manage the neuron links that rep-resent your knowledge? Of course I can’t. Soknowledge management is a misnomer; I can’tmanage knowledge. What I can manage are theorganizational knowledge processes that contin-uously involve employees.Figure 1 shows my ren-dition of a knowledge life cycle model.To begin toharness organizational knowledge, you mustunderstand the processes that develop it.

Knowledge acquisitionAs Figure 1 shows,employees can acquire infor-

mation and knowledge from the world outside theorganization. Employees attend classes; performresearch of various sorts, including piloting real-world applications; browse the Web for relevant,electronically available information; and readhard-copy resources—such as reports andpatents—for information.The acquisition processprovides raw material (information and unvali-

Innovation drivesorganizational success, the trueknowledge managementendgame. KM must harness theprocesses that deliver innovation.

How KM Works in StrategicPlanning

Lessons Learned in IntegratingConnect and Collect

Inside

January ❘ February 2002 IT Pro 19

dated knowledge) for the next core knowl-edge process, knowledge production. Otherterms used for acquire in this context includesearch, gather, find, capture, and validate.

Knowledge productionThe knowledge production process oper-

ates on the raw materials provided by theacquisition process. An individual actingalone can produce knowledge or he can workas part of a collaborative team or community.There are at least two aspects of knowledgeproduction:

• validation of information considered byothers to be knowledge, and

• innovation, the creation of new knowledge.

Simply put, new knowledge derives fromthe skillful, sometimes fortuitous, combina-tion of externally gathered information orknowledge, personal past experience, anddeep reflection on both of these resources.Onoccasion, such reflection can lead to newknowledge (innovation).Otherwise,a deeperunderstanding of existing knowledge emerges.In either case,validation is an important ingre-dient.One person’s knowledge can be anotherperson’s information, unless some meansexists to validate it. The validation processbecomes even more important when we con-sider the final core knowledge process,knowl-edge integration.

Other terms used for produce include col-laborate, refine, innovate, and validate.

Knowledge integrationMany people who write about KM consider

knowledge transfer to be a knowledgeprocess. I prefer the stronger connotation ofknowledge integration. If I transfer knowl-edge to you and do not convince you of itsvalidity and efficacy, it can sit collecting duston your desk (if it is written or explicit knowl-edge), or you could soon forget it (if it ismerely spoken to you and intended to become part of yourtacit knowledge).

If I have only transferred the knowledge to you—notinstructing you in its worth, not allowing others whom youtrust to share such knowledge with you, not exposed youto the improved practices that such knowledge enables—our organization will not reach its desired outcome:improved performance and value through organizationallearning.This is the difference between transfer and inte-gration.

Organization

Step 3: Integrate knowledge

Step 2: Produce knowledge

Transferknowledge

Step 1: Acquire information

or knowledge

Training

Researching

Browsing

Readingpublished or

patented work

Outside world Individual, team, or community

Expose best practices(redesign processes withembedded knowledge)

Structure and storeknowledge for instant access

Share knowledge

Instruct/presentknowledge

Figure 1. Knowledge life cycle model.

Other terms for integrate include store, instruct, pres-ent, share,and expose (to best practices or lessons learned).

Deeply embedded processesThe knowledge processes just described underscore all

that people in an organization do.As an example, consideran organizational process such as strategic planning.Whether you have personally participated in strategicplanning or not,you will find that it—as with all other orga-nizational processes—consists of embedded knowledge

Basic knowledge processes—acquisition, production, andintegration of knowledge—occur throughout the organization to foster organizational learning.

20 IT Pro January ❘ February 2002

K N O W L E D G E M A N A G E M E N T

processes. The “How KM Works in StrategicPlanning”sidebar gives you an example of how KMaffects that organizational task.

MANAGING THE PROCESSES, NOT THE KNOWLEDGE

If you can’t manage the knowledge, how do youmanage the core knowledge processes—acquisi-

tion, production, and integration?Part of managing these processes calls for the

design and implementation of a systemthat integrates two all-important KMconcepts:

• Connect. This concept involves pro-moting collaboration, usually in the form

of building and sustaining collaborativecommunities of practice. CoPs are for the

cultivation—care and intellectual feeding—ofpotential knowledge contributors, especiallythose that create new knowledge.

• Collect. This concept involves building andenriching knowledge repositories or bases.Knowledge bases are the grain bins of harvestedknowledge, stored for ready access and futureuse or reuse.

ConnectHumankind has dealt with knowledge since

before recorded history. The roots of today’s col-laborative, knowledge-sharing communities andnetworks date to ancient tribal elders who sharedtraditions and culture, often while seated aroundthe campfire. These traditions have their presentcounterpart in social nets of friends and trustedassociates.These knowledge-sharing, informal net-works or communities evolve and exist in everyorganization, regardless of formal organizationalstructure.

Many modern KM systems capitalize on thesenatural human instincts; they use storytelling andenable connections among trusted individuals toform communities. But the level and complexity ofknowledge—and the approaches to acquiring, cre-ating, and sharing it—have changed considerablyover the millennia. Although storytelling and dia-logue between trusted associates remains effective,such knowledge methods don’t fully meet the needwhen the level and complexity of the neededknowledge doubles with each generation. Whenprocesses are developmental and complex, such asthe evolving KM methodology, for instance,knowl-edge sharing only partially satisfies the need.

CoPs are a modern manifestation of the need toconnect.Because many KM practitioners have writ-

Congratulations; consider yourself the newly appointeddirector of strategic planning.You might be rightfully proudof your position and the impact you can have on your orga-nization’s direction.You might even be so proud that youhaughtily reject your organizational knowledge man-ager’s offer to assist you. After all, what doesa knowledge manager know about the intri-cacies of environmental analysis, visioning,and scenario planning, just to mention a fewcomplex strategic planning tasks? Theknowledge manager contends that strategicplanning is merely a unique combination andfocus of the three basic knowledge processes—acquisition, production, and integration—a topic in whichthe knowledge manager is expert. Let’s shed a new KM-inspired light on the director of strategic planning’s role.

One of the strategic planner’s initial tasks, as might bedefined in the company’s documented planning process, isto understand the market by performing market research.In the military, on the other hand, such research is less con-cerned with a market and more focused on, say, the worldorder, but the parallel is clear. Either way, this sort of activ-ity is one of information acquisition.

After accumulating sufficient information, the strategicplanning team convenes or collaborates to validate the col-lected information. Careful analysis of the implications ofall such information and prior experience results in the cre-ation of a strategic plan—the creation of new knowledge inthe form of strategic insights and resultant strategies and tac-tics.

Finally, the team could publish the strategic plan so that ittransfers the actionable knowledge it contains to the rest ofthe organization. But unless the strategic planning team canweave such strategies and tactics into the very fabric of theorganization—in other words, integrate this information—improved mission success is questionable.

Further, consider the actual hiring process for the direc-tor; is this not a knowledge acquisition process? Don’t otherkey executives validate your planning and industry knowl-edge during the interviewing process? Also, consider theplanning process methodology itself; continuous improve-ment of the strategic planning process by the team is aknowledge production process.

So, is the director of strategic planning a planner or a care-ful steward of the three knowledge processes? As the care-ful steward of the three knowledge processes, the plannercan benefit from a KM perspective and should welcome theassistance of the knowledge manager.

How KM Works in Strategic Planning

down structure, shown in Figure 2, and references—thebooks of knowledge—shown in Figure 3.

This knowledge base tool shows knowledge referencesmetaphorically as books of knowledge. For instance, thesebooks include bibliographies, formal documents (policies),informal documents (work products), lessons, and tem-plates, as shown in the Figure 3’s list of references. Other

January ❘ February 2002 IT Pro 21

ten about them and how they work, I will notwrite about them here.

CollectMankind’s knowledge-leveraging activities

took a great leap forward when Gutenberginvented the printing press in the 15th cen-tury.This invention, possibly the one with thegreatest impact on humankind in the past mil-lennium, enabled previously unarticulatedknowledge to be made explicit by documen-tation in books. Printers could manufacturebooks by the millions and distribute them toknowledge seekers well beyond the campfire’srange. Because of this new capability forexplicit knowledge articulation (codification)and transfer (publishing), the great scientistsand inventors of the 16th through 20th cen-turies could integrate the knowledge of oth-ers into their own work.They could “stand onthe shoulders of giants,” according to IsaacNewton.

These two knowledge lessons of history—collaboration and codification—provide theprinciples for the basic infrastructure assump-tions of today’s comprehensive KM systems:to leverage existing knowledge (both tacit andexplicit) and to foster innovation (the creationof new knowledge). Developing knowledgebases is key to these efforts.

Knowledge basesKnowledge bases range from public ones

hidden from the user behind a search engine toprivate, highly structured, company or organ-ization repositories.Repositories can hold doc-uments in the traditional file folder metaphor,organized around topics.You could also organ-ize more robust knowledge bases (in terms ofdepth of material) around processes. Such anorganization would, for instance, providebooks of knowledge to support each specificactivity’s knowledge requirements.

Let’s take a look at a knowledge basedesigned for the US Department of Defense in1994 to house its business process reengineer-ing methodology (Michael J. Marquardt andGreg Kearsley, Technology-Based Learning:Maximizing Human Performance and Corporate Success,CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, Fla., 1998).This one will giveyou a glimpse of the evolving full life cycle KM methodol-ogy knowledge base,which my organization,the KnowledgeManagement Professional Society (KMPro), uses in itsCertified Knowledge Manager (CKM) program. Thisknowledge base has two key components: a work break-

Figure 2. Evolving KM methodology work breakdown structure (WBS) in US

DoD knowledge base tool.

Figure 3. Books of knowledgereferences in knowledge base tool.

edge base—and the strategic KM initiativebehind it—is beyond this article’s scope. Doingso involves a full life cycle methodology, some-thing much different than the knowledge lifecycle model. A KM methodology addresses thewho, what, why, when, and how of KM, fromplanning to design, implementation, and contin-uous improvement.

The “Lessons Learned in Integrating Connectand Collect”sidebar offers some tips for helping

organizations integrate these two concepts.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CONNECT AND COLLECT

Before you consider implement-ing a full KM methodology,I’d likeyou to understand how an organ-

ization functions when operating inconnect-and-collect mode. Suppose

a knowledge worker,shown in Figure4, faces a problem. The problem could

occur because he is new to the job and needsadditional training. Or it could be that he hasuncovered one of a myriad of unique situationsoutside his personal knowledge base (under-standing gained from prior experience or training).

Here is the process that this knowledge workercould follow as he experiences the positive fruitsof a typical day in the life of a connect-and-col-lect environment, along with some reflectionsand possible results. Let’s follow the connect-and-collect problem solution through Figure 4.

Step 1: Do we already know this?The knowledge worker realizes that although

he does not know how to solve the problem,peo-ple in his organization might know the answer.To find out if “we already know this,” the knowl-edge worker accesses the knowledge baserelated to the job at hand. Perhaps one of thebooks of knowledge associated with this activ-ity will provide the answer.Typically, knowledgeworkers might find this information throughtraining (online lessons are available), answersto frequently asked questions, recommendationson tools to use, or any of several helpful knowl-edge nuggets accumulated over time in theknowledge base.

The key benefit to the knowledge worker is that he cantap into a vast resource of specific knowledge about thetask without divulging that he does not know how to dosomething. Companies have found that this self-servicefeature is of considerable advantage in change manage-ment to encourage employees to accept new ways of doingbusiness.

22 IT Pro January ❘ February 2002

books of knowledge could include barriers,guidelines,keysto success, checklists, techniques, tools,and so on.Althoughdepicted in Figure 3, these potential books are not now pop-ulated for this particular activity in the KM methodology.

Making connect and collect work togetherHow you actually implement such an involved knowl-

K N O W L E D G E M A N A G E M E N T

So how does a knowledge manager integrate both connectand collect? Here are a few general tips from my experience.

➤ Reinforce natural instincts to build trust and a culture ofknowledge sharing. Reinforce these instincts by, for instance,fostering an environment that makes it OK to ask foradvice, if it is not already documented in the knowledgebase. Also, reward those who can provide wisecounsel, whether to ongoing group discussions ordirectly to the knowledge base when the organiza-tion finds gaps in necessary knowledge.

➤ Provide appropriate technology-enhanced col-laboration tools. These tools include simple onesfor discussion groups to use, such as cellular phones,pagers, and e-mail servers capable of storingthreaded messages.These tools can also include expertlocators, which automatically uncover experts within theorganization based on, for instance, e-mail content.

➤ Provide intuitive repositories for accumulating mission-critical knowledge. These repositories should cover lessons;best practices; keys to success; and recommended checklists,templates, and tools.An often-made mistake is to create doc-ument repositories. Though important, they alone do notprovide the best knowledge to the right person at just theright time to solve the problem, make the decision, and so on.To be truly effective, knowledge bases must be much moregranular with nuggets of knowledge in the context of theactivity being performed.This last thought points to the con-fluence of e-learning, performance support, and KM, butthat’s another topic.

➤ Enrich the technology with managerial practice and busi-ness process. Remember, it is not simply the infusion of col-laborative technologies and knowledge bases, but culturalchange management that will ultimately determine KM’ssuccess. This brings this discussion full circle to a compre-hensive KM methodology. Such a methodology instructsemployees in how to create and execute strategic KM ini-tiatives that optimize the embedded knowledge processesof acquisition, production, and integration to truly create alearning organization.

Lessons Learned in IntegratingConnect and Collect

January ❘ February 2002 IT Pro 23

Step 2: Whom can I ask forhelp?

In this case the knowledgeworker’s problem seems unique,and helpful knowledge is not avail-able in existing knowledge bases.He must turn to others for help.The help could be in the form of anamed individual who is expert atthis activity and has volunteered tobe on call to help others. Or helpcould take the form of a subset ofthe CoP that has always existed,but which management has identi-fied and authorized to resolveissues in its area of expertise. In thisexample, the knowledge workertakes step 2 by posing his questionto the community.

Steps 3 and 4: Sharingknowledge and enrichingthe knowledge base

The community discusses the problem to reach a reso-lution (step 3).As several discussion threads develop, threepositive outcomes result.

• The CoP discussion group solves the problem. Theprocess has stimulated the company’s best minds asso-ciated with this particular activity to collaborate on cre-ative outcomes,which represents the critically importantproduction of new knowledge (innovation).

• The discussion group validates this new knowledge andharvests it. One discussion partner volunteers to sum-marize the discussion outcome in terms of what theknowledge base needs. She will also post that newknowledge to the knowledge base manager for verifica-tion and filing in the knowledge base.This is step 4.

• The addition of this new knowledge enriches the knowl-edge base. The next worker with the same type of prob-lem can find the answer in a self-serve mode. Thismechanism eliminates the problem of needlesslyexpending the energies of those creative folks (in thediscussion group) that thrive on facing new problems,not repetitiously answering frequently asked questions.

Connect-and-collect functionality built into an enter-prise knowledge portal addresses many needs. It optimizesthe possibility of getting the best knowledge to the rightperson at just the right time to solve the problem at hand.It simultaneously stimulates the organization’s brightestand most capable people to help solve tough issues, whichproduces new knowledge. This last outcome is the essen-tial innovation that drives organizational success, the trueKM endgame.

Connect and collect

Step1: Ask“Do we already

know this?”

Step 2: Ask“Who can I

ask for help?”

Step 4: Enrich theknowledge base

Step 3: Share, validate,

and harvestlearning

Enterprise knowledge portal

Books ofknowledge

WBS

Figure 4. Day in the life of a connect-and-collect environment.

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universities can also use andcontribute to the knowledgebase (step 7).Finally,the newKM knowledge and innova-tive ideas continuously feedthe revision of instruction(step 8). Or, sometimes thisknowledge leads to the incu-bation of a start-up (step 9).Instruction can take place inworkshops for new candi-dates or in lesson modulesfor already certified knowl-edge managers as they pur-sue a life-long journey ofcontinuous learning,anotherpart of the real KMendgame.

I hope that this basicexplanation of KM willbegin to break down the

barriers that separate KMfrom other disciplines. It ismy strong contention andfirm belief that an ability toleverage knowledge is soessential to performancethat any improvement ini-tiative—information man-agement, quality, reengi-neering, organizational de-velopment, project man-agement,you name it—thatignores the daily inroads

being made in KM, does so at its own peril.Also consider the typical lack of a diagnostic and pre-

scriptive mentality in applying KM. Many KM initiativesresemble a solution in search of a problem.The present KMmantra—“let’s install a portal and say we have done KM”—is a classic example of a person with a hammer seeing everyproblem as a nail.

In contrast, the CKM community realizes that organi-zations should first use knowledge audits to analyze orga-nizational problems and assess potential knowledge-building opportunities. Only then can an organizationapply the proper prescription such as connect and collect—not just a generic tool, such as a portal—to all problems.■

Douglas Weidner is the Chief Knowledge Officer for theKM Professional Society (http://www.kmpro.org) and exec-utive director of its Learning Center, which includes theCertified Knowledge Manager program. Contact him atdouglasweidner@kmpro.org.

24 IT Pro January ❘ February 2002

CKMERS MUST PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH

So, if connect and collect are key to the KM endgame,who practices this approach? The problem with visions isthat everyone is too engrossed in today’s problems to seethe vision, much less implement it. Because certifiedknowledge managers should practice what they might bepreaching to their organizations, KMPro’s CKM programis proving the connect-and-collect model as it uniquelyapplies to a KM professional learning program.

Figure 5 outlines how the CKM program works. Certi-fication candidates draw knowledge from many sources,including workshop instruction (step 1);the knowledge baseof KM methodology activities, lessons,guidelines,and so on(step 2); demonstration technologies in the Innovation Lab(step 3); and their community of fellow graduates (step 4).When the community is activated, it enables peer-revieweddiscussions and contributes to the body of knowledge (steps5 and 6). In this powerful learning community,participating

K N O W L E D G E M A N A G E M E N T

Step1: Receiveinstruction in KM

Step 4: Ask“Who can I

ask for help?”

Step 6: Enrich theknowledge base

Step 5: Share, validate,

and harvestlearning

Certified Knowledge Managerknowledge portal

CKM community

Connect with CKM CoP

Step 2: Ask“Do we already

know this?”

Step 8:Enrich theinstruction

Step 9: Incubatestart-ups

Step 3:Check CKM

Innovation labStep 7:

Share knowledgewith participating

universities

Books ofknowledge

WBS

Figure 5. Connect and collect in KMPro’s CKM program.