Knowledge Management and Knowledge Creation is not a privilege for large companies with a large budget and is not necessarily expensive !!
Knowledge Management and Knowledge creation is not hot-air.
Knowledge Management and Knowledge Creation have very practical, cheap and fast applications !!

Do you recognise this situation ?

Knowledge is present in your company.
Your knowledge makes your company successfull.
New knowledge and new ideas keep your company successfull.
Your workers have to find and obtain fast a lot of relevant information.
The information your workers use change fast.
Your workers don't have time for innovative ideas.
The culture in your company blocks knowledge streams.
Information is locked away in drawers and the heads of workers.
The way your workers handle existing knowledge and new knowledge make your company successfull.

What GSWconsulting can do for you...

Competent, motivated, up-to-date, creative, involved, evolving, effective and efficient workers are crucial if a company wants to grow and survive.

Knowledge Management and Knowledge Creation can be applied everywhere.

Knowledge Management and Knowledge Creation is not just a theory hovering far above the daily reality of the workers or management.
I has an impact on the daily activities of each person in the company.

A short introduction to the Purpose of Knowledge Management and the definition of Knowledge Management and Knowledge Creation is described in the paragraphs below.

The role of GSWconsulting varies from case to case - examples:

• Helping to define the needs of the company and workers
• Helping to define the specific goal of the knowledge management/creation project to be achieved.
• Helping the company into the knowledge creating spiral by advising how to facilitate the knowledge creation cycle in changing context
• Advising how knowledge can be integrated in daily processes
• Defining the Key Business Processes
• Leading knowledge capturing and knowledge evaluation meetings
• Project management in setting-up knowledge management based quality management systems
• Looking for and defining quick-wins making knowledge explicit, sharing knowledge and cost-effective methodologies.
• Defining relevant Communities of Practices
• Finding and defining strategies to activate and maintain the knowledge creation spiral
• Integration of active knowledge management in daily activities where necessary
• Assessment of (planned) changes to improve knowledge capital
• Helping to define the action plan and cocktail of actions needed to achieve the specific goal of the knowledge management/creation project
• Consulting how to handle the knowledge creation spiral...
  

GSWconsulting is focussing on the direct practical approach of Knowledge Management and Knowledge Creation.

Basic info on Knowledge Management, Knowledge Creation and one of the approaches of GSWconsulting is described below or click on the links below:

• The Brain-model approach
• Definition of Knowledge Management
• Defintion of Knowledge Creation
• One example of judging knowledge creating initiatives

…what this can mean for your company…

…if you want to know more: 

  consulting@gswconsulting.org

Or click "contact" to find more contact details.

The BRAIN-model approach

Traditional and proven definitions of knowledge management and knowledge creation of professionals working for over 20 years in the knowledge management business are described below.

Next to these definitions GSWconsulting adds a point of view which can be the base of knowledge management and handling knowledge in a well functioning company - or as a base to tackle knowledge related problems in a company. Having the more traditional and proven definitions in mind helps structuring the complex issue of handling knowledge.

A company is a living organism and can be compared to the human brain.
A brain performs a variety of tasks in relation to its environment. In the course of history, hundreds, maybe millions of books were written about the goal of life, the meaning of life - the end goal of the functioning of the brain can be unclear over a lifespan, but its functioning in a certain moment -now- is very clear.

The goal is clear: when you are thirsty you will try to find a drink.
When you want to drink, the neurons in your brain are triggered and steer your body to get the job done.

If you start a career or a company, you either can or can not have a clear picture of your goals.
But every company has a goal at every moment. More clear then the meaning of life, the company has a well written defined goal, has clear targets and achievements to be fulfilled.

To achieve this all employees have to work together as one workin organism. In a world where survival of the fittest is the rule.
The similarities in the functioning of a company as a working organism with employees as elements, and the brain as a working organ with neurons as elements can be made very exhaustively. A number of books can be dedicated to this subject.

Some simplified major characteristics of both the brain and a company - when working well, and applicable in the area of knowledge management and knowledge creation - are:
• Different areas in the brain/company are specialised.
• The brain/company has defined goals, and every element (i.e. neuron/employee) is working to reach this goal
• In a good working brain/company the right information is present and is passed on through all necessary intermediate elements.
• The combination of different elements gives new ideas (and competitive advantage).
• A functioning brain/company gathers experience and is able to learn and create.
• A young brain/company learns in other ways than an experienced brain/company (one of the analogies which delivers great material).

Many more items of a company and a brain stand the test of the comparison…
Such as the test of how to handle - or not to handle knowledge. Interesting additional dimensions next to the brain are added by companies e.g. intercontinental cooperating teams, but also in these cases the brain model - ill or well functioning - helps to solve the problem.

Many companies struggle with knowledge items, or have problems sharing effectively knowledge, storing knowledge, optimise training, generating creative ideas… So next to the healthy brain model, a number of steps to deal with accute or chronicle knowledge disorders can be planned…. An example can be found on the bottom of this page

Of course we are working with human beings - and facts as the attitude of the employees are determining the knowledge creation process. Coaching can discover hidden skills. Also the integration of knowledge management and the creation chain in the daily activities of the employees can positively influence the knowledge capital of the company.

A lot of attention should also be given to the culture of the company and the cultural behaviour of the employees.

Remark: in literature a lot of attention is spent on these transition phases in knowledge.
A neglected area, but also an important ons is that these transition phases can be applied to the values of the workers. This is very important since the culture of a company is the ground where the knowledge is growing in. Even good ideas and great processes don't work if the culture is a lunar landscape. The brain does not function well if the body is tired, not fit, and is having the wrong food day after day.

Also the use of strategy maps is an indication that the functioning of the brain can be compared with the functioning of a company.

If you want to know what all these things can mean in your company…

Knowledge Management can be applied to all levels. Investments of the company can vary from practically nothing to more expensive approaches, all with specific advantages and disadvantages.

A project plan, advice and project goals are made in cooperation with the Customer after setting the initial goals and analysing the situation. Several degrees of coaching and project management during the execution of the Knowledge Management / Knowledge Creation project.

Sometimes creative 'moves', cultural changes, and/or low cost simple tools can make the difference for many companies.

You get a short introduction of What GSW consulting can do for you by clicking on the link in this line.

…if you want to know more:

• Mob: +32 (0) 486 739301
• consulting@gswconsulting.org
  Or click on "contact"

Or for a free informational contact:

• info@gswconsulting.org

Definition of KNOWLEGDE MANAGEMENT
:
Knowledge Management is:
o The whole of attitudes, practices and tools to improve:
• Knowledge:
 Explicit knowledge: stories, principles, methods and models
 Tacit knowledge: experience and exercise
• To know:
 Relevant questioning and effective answers;
• To be able to:
 Execute actions, based on experience and knowledge
• Persons who know and acquintaces
 Individuals and human networks
o To improve and innovate the knowledge intensive:
• Products and services
• Key Business Processes, practices and culture (including habbits, values and believes)
o To complete the mission of the group or organisation.
Source:Translated from S. Warmoeses and P. Merlevedes "De Vierde Golf"

You get a short introduction of What GSW consulting can do for you by clicking on the link in this line.

• When tacit knowledge is made explicit,
• When this knowledge is communicated among workers,
• When this communicated knowledge is combined,
• When know knowledge is emerging from this combined knowledge,
• When this known knowledge is applied, experienced and converted into tacit knowledge.
  
  These are steps in the Knowledge Creating Spiral.
  
  (Exact definitions of tacit, explicit, socialisation,… can be found in
  H. Nonaka Takeuchi, The Knowledge Creating Company, Oxford University Press Inc., 1995)
  
  (H. Nonaka Takeuchi, The Knowledge Creating company, Oxford University Press Inc., 1995)
  
  
  (H. Nonaka Takeuchi, The Knowledge Creating company, Oxford University Press Inc., 1995)
  
  As we see, also Knowledge creation is a process, or better, it is a series of processes !!
  
  Handling knowledge is also a process. The definitions of Knowledge management and Knowledge creation are also the answer to how to apply them in the broadest sense: from one-person companies to the largest multinationals…
  Going from new car models to a better e-mail infrastructure… an approach how to handle Knowledge Management.

You get a short introduction of What GSW consulting can do for you by clicking on the link in this line.

One example of judging knowledge creation initiatives.

As usual, for every company another cocktail of solutions will be the best boost. For every action, usage of software a study on the influence of the knowledge stream in the company can be made - this can be quite complex since knowledge management is a multi-disciplinary area. The pro-active approach although is more advisable: defining what changes can be made to increase the knowledge capital and knowledge creating capital of the company. This can be done for specific projects and goals, or for improving the existing situation.

Simple matrixes help to assess the effectiveness of actions on the knowledge creating capital of a company. Below a few examples are listed: the darker the colour, the more applicable and profitable the changes are. Several parameters are not in this graph - e.g. the related costs.
This matrix shows us why phenomena such as Communities of Practice can be profitable compared to other techniques - some matrixes can be made for the influence of IT-supporting systems.

On the horizontal axis the impact of the organisation is displayed, on the vertical axis the different knowledge creation transitions.

You get a short introduction of What GSW consulting can do for you by clicking on the link in this line.

…what this can mean for your company…

…if you want to know more: 

  consulting@gswconsulting.org

Or click "contact" to find more contact details.

© GSWconsulting 2005