Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Planning Guide
Developing ways to “work smarter not harder”
Kirby Wright
Table of Contents
Introduction
The personal knowledge management model is Introduction to Personal Knowledge Management 2
based on research which identified that knowledge Understanding Knowledge Work 2
workers apply four interrelated dimensions - Understanding the Analytical Dimension 3
analytical, information, social and learning - as they Understanding the Information Dimension 4
address work problems. This booklets provides Understanding the Social Dimension 5
information about developing a personal knowledge Understanding the Learning Dimension 6
management plan that will help you enhance your Analytical Dimension questions 7
work style and approaches. Information Dimension questions 7
Social Dimension questions 8
Learning Dimension questions 9
KRW Knowledge Developing a PKM Plan - suggestions 9
Resources Sources for more information 11
Knowledge Resources provides customer-focused, quality
research and consulting services in knowledge management,
personal knowledge management, workplace learning,
evidence-based practice and organizational innovation.
For more information contact: This work is licensed under the
Kirby.wright@shaw.ca Creative Commons Attribution- 2007
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Canada License
For knowledge workers, engaged in tasks such as developing plans, negotiating a contract, diagnosing an illness,
investigating a crime, writing a report, the quality of work is often more important than the quantity of work. When one
considers the work of knowledge workers - managers, analysts, health professionals, engineers, accountants, police
officers, and more - one way to understand this work is to focus on the importance of encountering situations, solving
problems and making decisions.
Research on how knowledge workers engage in problem solving activities highlights the importance of four inter-related
activities: analytical processes, accessing and applying information resources, collaborative and social interactions as well
as continuous learning. These knowledge dimensions are applied in context. A number of
Analytical Information factors exist including educational background, work experience, personal motivation,
Dimension Dimension
creativity and risk capacity. As well, workers function in different organizational settings;
Social Dimension Learning Dimension each with variations in culture, leadership, work practices, level of knowledge support,
openness, innovation, etc.
There is a growing acknowledgment of the importance of supporting knowledge workers. The concept of Personal
Knowledge Management (pkm) is one way to do this. PKM focuses on the knowledge activities of individual workers
and provides a structured way for individuals to assess their own work practices and identify areas of strength and
potential improvement. The emphasis on pkm is personal - it encourages workers to consider how they work, as
individuals and collaboratively, and to develop mechanisms to work more effectively.
While the competencies and dimensions have been created as a result of a synthesis of available research and field
testing, it is important to emphasize that, for each knowledge worker, their knowledge processes will be unique. Each of
us works within a specific context; even for workers in the same organization and in similar roles, the situations will be
somewhat unique. Therefore, the information presented is intended to be suggestive. Your work may not completely fit
these patterns. As well you may perform different roles and functions.
As a suggestive guide these descriptions may give some insights about common knowledge worker activities. It is hoped
that these descriptions will make it easier for you to consider your work, compare your roles with others and get a better
sense of some of the types of behaviours you may want to explore as you begin to develop your personal knowledge
management plan.
A series of questions for each of the four knowledge dimensions have been included. Again, these questions are
intended to serve as probes. Some may be more useful than others. Feel free to create you own based on your work
requirements.
Envision - quickly evaluating a course of action by imagining how it may unfold. Envisioning is the intuitive, just-in-
time capacity to imagine how an action will unfold. For skilled practitioners, this involves simultaneously being able to
see past and future, understand outcomes and then adjusting behaviour, in real time, when actions do not result in
desired outcomes. Due to our memory limitations people usually construct mental simulations using around three
variables and around six transitions. Envisioning creates mental models; our models emerge out of own experience and
are difficult to articulate. Increasing our awareness/building capacity around mental models involves reflection (ability to
slow down thinking processes to become more aware) and inquiry (personal conversations to allow us to test our
assumptions.)
Analyze - applying formal analytical methods when a rational choice strategy is required, e.g., there is a need to provide
justification, to find agreement when stakeholders have different positions or optimization is required (the process of
identifying, through comparison, the best course of action.) Analysis involves applying formal methods which are
specific to one’s work function and/or industry; this may include forecasting, optimization, mathematical modelling,
probability and statistical analysis, network analysis, budgeting, processes mapping, etc.
Create - generating new ideas or concepts, or developing new associations between existing ideas or concepts.
Developing creative capacity may involve seeking diversity of experiences (in life and work), participating in a range of
avocations that encourage people to think differently (e.g., photography, arts, extensive reading), working with mentors
(who are recognized as being creative and open to risks) and extending networks.
Context - seeing beyond specific situations, to understand the linkages and interactions that comprise a whole system.
This involves the ability to consider diverse cause and effect elements, wider implications, multiple influences and the
interconnectedness of forces. Further, since human / organizational systems tend to be dynamic, open and complex, it
is often impossible to clearly define a complex problem, given the many elements, their changing nature and a lack of
clarity around the ideal end state or solution.
Competency Description
Source - finding quality information including ability to effectively search for information (using search tools, simple and
advanced searching techniques, looking at multiple sources - involving both internal and external sources of
information). Finding also involves browsing - less focused approaches to identifying information (including the ability
to recognize information that may have future value).
Analyze - assessing and evaluating the quality of sourced information, including a preliminary (quick) assessment of
potential value while searching and a more systematic and structured assessment when selecting among possible
resources. Analysis should include comparisons to similar information sources (of known quality), assessing currency,
determining relevance of resource in the context of the particular issue and context, assessing the source of the
information and quality of the evidence used.
Organize - naming, ordering, cataloguing, storing, culling and retrieving information for future use. Ideally, information
is organized according to personal preferences (particularly personal or private information.) If stored centrally it should
be organized using intuitive, broadly understood naming and storage conventions. Increasingly, individuals are required
to organize information embedded in a variety of media. Concerns over naming conventions, information objects
(organized into smaller, adaptable sizes), taxonomy (folksonomy) and tagging challenges are part of effective organizing
practices.
Aggregate - developing synthesis materials including the integration of multiple information elements. Involves
applying information to specific contexts and problems; summarize multiple sources and editing information for specific
users and needs.
Communicate - presenting, sharing and interacting with others around information. Communication involves
presentation of information and ideas in written, oral or visual forms. Effective communication involves understanding
the needs of audiences, seeking ways to obtain feedback and responses. As well, it is important to adjust to individual,
small or large group sizes as well as multiple audiences, integrating multiple media and linking narrative (story) with
rational and logical information presentation.
Competency Description
Collaborate - working with others to achieve collective results that participants would be incapable of accomplishing
while working alone. Collaboration involves individuals having shared objectives, trust and respect, diverse skills,
commitment and the ability to understand the dynamics of working together.
Close networks - participating in, developing and contributing to close - high trust - networks. Close networks are made
up of individuals who share common knowledge, understandings and experiences. The presence of trusting
relationships facilitates the ability to share information and insights.
Extended networks - participating in external - boundary-spanning - networks allow individuals to gain access to rich
sources of information, new insights and experiences outside of one’s immediate focus.
Dialogue - engaging in 2 way conversations with two or more people. Based on an openness to explore ideas and
participate in on-going communications rather than a purposeful attempt to reach conclusions or express a particular
viewpoint. Dialogue involves learning from each other and exploring assumptions of thinking, meaning and ideas.
Competency Description
Competency Description
One approach that you may apply to assess your information practices could involve an information audit - identifying
the information resources you use (for example, by tracking the documents, reports, internet sites, e-mails, etc. that you
encounter over a period of time). Then, assess their characteristics including the source (personal files, team or work
files, organizational resources, external resources - non-internet, and internet resources); the quality of the information
(research-based, recognized or trusted author, general with no sense of quality); the frequency of use (daily, weekly,
occasionally); currency (how frequently the information is updated) and whether you located the information by
deliberate searching, focused browsing or random scanning. Once you have assessed the characteristics of your
information resources it will be possible to identify patterns and common practices and, further, assess whether you feel
these practices are effective.
• How much time do you spend searching for information each week?
• How easy is for you to find the information that you have stored in your files or electronically?
• How would you assess your ability to integrate and synthesize various sources of information?
• How would you assess your ability to create produce new information resources for others?
• Do you have well developed search skills? What approaches do you use?
To understand your social practices it is useful to assess your personal network activities. One approach involves
identifying the people you interact with as part of your work activities. (It may be useful to develop a list of your
contacts over a period of time or review your e-mail activities and contact list to identify your contacts and networks.)
Examine your network, including assessing for each individual the level of your contact in the organization relative to
your own (higher rank, same, lower, external contact); the proximity of your contact (on work team, in same unit, within
the organization, in a different organization); the physical location (in the same office, same floor, different building or
different community); the frequency of the contact (continuously, regularly, rarely); the length of time you have known
the contact (less than one year, one to three years, etc.); and value of the contact (the person provides expert advice, the
person provides access to other contacts or the person contributes novel ideas). [It is important to emphasize that your
social contacts will have various characteristics. For example, for one individual it may be important to interact with
them regularly and others less frequently. Some contacts will be co-located and others may be in other organizations.)
The value of assessing the characteristics of your social contacts is to identify patterns and to be able to assess if these
patterns are adequately supporting your need for social interactions.
• Are you able to quickly find people who can provide you with information that you need?
• Have you added people to your network? Have you worked to maintain your networks?
• Assess your teamwork skills - how do you work with others on teams?
• Are you able to engage in difficult conversations - sharing ideas, providing alternative views, disagreeing - in ways
that encourage further discussion and maintain group cohesion?
Social Learning
dimension dimension
Expand contacts
-15 new people (re: innovation) (4 mos.)
Conduct post project reviews
-personal after action review (immediate)
Join industry network
Expand knowledge in innovation
-join HC network and attend
-read and identify leading practice
conference (immediate and 6 mos)
Table Format
Analytical
Expand sensemaking Once per week, spend Consider problems from Immediate and ongoing
skills time reviewing a various different
particular problem and perspectives before
assess from different determining cause
perspectives
Information
Improve personal file Develop new naming Consistent naming. Over next 2 months
management protocol, store by project Reduce access time to >
2 minutes
Cull existing files Review paper and No duplicate files. No duplicate files. Faster
electronic files to remove search time
duplicates, drafts and
outdated material
....
• Cross, J. (2006). Informal learning: Redesigning the natural pathway that inspires innovation and performance.