Questions to Ask When Starting a New Job

There was a very timely article by Michael Watkins in the Harvard Business Review a few days ago titled "Questions to Ask When Starting a New Job."

I decided to spend some time with the five key questions mentioned in the article and apply them to my context, which of course, turned into a map.  I have not yet started this job.  Therefore I anticipate that the map should evolve. In fact, I have a long list of questions ready to be asked and my plan is to continuously come up with new questions to feed a very hungry continuous learning plan.

If you've been here before, you know the drill, you can't read the map unless you open it in a different window.  Click on the map and the magic will happen.  

And I should revisit maps 28 and 29 which offered two visual approaches to "First 100-days on the job:  Map Your Experience, Optimize Your Learning." 

KM in Small Organizations - Start Small and Smart

I wrote in an earlier article (posted on LinkedIn) about the need for small organizations to find appropriate and adapted ways to integrate knowledge management practices within their organizational routines.  Each organization should look at opportunistic entry points for KM practices.  Tackling knowledge management across the organization may be overwhelming, even in a small organization, when most employees are already playing multiple roles. 

Why not start small AND smart?  Why not start where it could have a significant impact within a relatively short amount of time?  I’m talking about the Business Development Office (BDO).  Whether it is a non-profit organization constantly writing proposals seeking funding or a private sector firm looking for new clients, the Business Development Office is often ripe for the implementation of some knowledge management best practices.

Let’s take, for example, just one key concept, lessons learned, and see how it can apply in the context of the work of a Business Development Office:

·       Lessons learned from previous business development efforts

These are lessons internal to the BDO based on the team’s own experience developing and submitting proposals.  These lessons are meant to be implemented within the business development process. Proposal development is typically a short cycle environment where it would be relatively easy to implement rapid learning and adapting and ultimately show rapid results.  This is also where lessons learned can quickly be validated and embedded in work routines as best practices. 

• Lessons learned from previous projects

These are lessons documented throughout the organization about the implementation of projects.  These lessons are meant to be embedded in the design of future projects and therefore in the content of proposals.

These two sets of distinct lessons learned activities should be undertaken in parallel, but if the organization is starting from scratch, the BDO can provide the necessary impetus by 1) starting its own lessons learned practice focused on its own processes; 2) identifying opportunities for drawing from project implementation lessons (even in the absence of a more formal process for documenting lessons learned across projects).  This would help create the necessary awareness and buy-in for a more formal and rigorous process for documenting lessons across projects.

Over time, combining the rapid learning cycle of the lessons learned at the BDO process level with the longer-term lessons learned from project implementation would result in higher win rates but also in performance improvements within projects.

Managing Knowledge-Based Initiatives (Book 29 of 30)

Title: Managing Knowledge-Based Initiatives: Strategies for Successful Deployment
Author: Stacy Land

Getting to the final stretch here with this Book-a-Day Blog Challenge.  Today's book is the 29th of 30.  It's now safe to say I'll be able to complete this challenge.

The market for knowledge management books is small enough that I suspect potential authors carefully examine what is already out there and recently published to avoid overcrowding on very similar angles.  This book does a good job of complementing others with a focus on the big picture strategies for launching (and sustaining) knowledge management initiatives.  It's the equivalent of a business plan for knowledge management initiatives, asking the same kinds of questions:

• What's the current state of KM in the organization? (What does the market look like?)
• How will a KM initiative fit in?  What's the organizational alignment?  (What is your mission, what are your goals and objectives?)
• Who are the stakeholders, sponsors?  Who might hinder the initiative?  (What does the competition look like?  Who are some potential partners/allies?)
• What's the value proposition? 
• How are you going to build momentum and support for the initiative?  (What's your marketing plan?)
• How are you going to implement?  Who are you going to engage and how? (What does the detailed execution plan look like?)
• How is this initiative going to be funded?  (What financing is needed?  Where will you get it?)
• How will you deal with obstacles?  (What's your risk management approach?)
• What's your internal communications plan? (How will you build your team?)

Many knowledge management initiatives have failed to bring anticipated benefits.  Reading this book and absorbing its content does not in any way guarantee success, nor is it a step-by-step guide to KM strategy implementation.  Yet it highlights the major areas one would need to be concerned about.   I can imagine a relatively junior KM officer responsible for putting together and implementing a KM initiative and using this book to develop a well-thought out risk management strategy.  Think of all the things that could go wrong, all the possible obstacles, and identify ways to avoid or mitigate them.

There is also a good chapter on how to work with IT.  I think KM initiatives also need to work closely with HR, especially if they're going to be closely tied in with individual learning and individual performance assessments.

Looking at all that could go wrong may sound a little negative or depressing, but moving forward with blind faith that all will be fine -- because it's obviously a great initiative and everyone will join in -- is a disservice to the effort.  Be realistic, understand the obstacles and be persistent.  I can't stress that last word enough.  Be PERSISTENT (but adaptable and not stubborn).

TO DO:

• Elaborate on the need for persistence AND adaptability/agility.
• What would a chapter on "KM initiatives working with HR" look like?