ikms newsletter

KM IN ASIA: RENEW AND REVITALIZE!

In 2004, there is a sense that the Asian economy will rebound and general optimism is abounding. The robust economic outlook will have tangible benefits for KM in Asia. In our Industry Focus article Moving Up the Experience Curve: KM in Singapore, KM vendors share their prediction about better growth prospects for KM in Singapore. There is a sense that strands of knowledge management are coming together in a way that will renew and revitalize the KM market here.

Along the same theme of renew and revitalise, you will also see a new iKMS newsletter in 2004, with more original content and information about KM in Singapore and Asia. We hope the newsletter can be a starting point for exchanges that will evolve into real conversations and relationships within the iKMS community.

In this issue, we kick-start the year with a feature about Storytelling and KM. We hope it will inspire you to pick up this oft-forgotten skill and practice it in your daily lives to enhance your work as a knowledge manager. We also encourage you to write to us and share your personal experiences with storytelling in your organization.

On the news front, check out KM Society Forum, an experiment in informal collaboration and communication between KM Societies, namely iKMS, Hong Kong Knowledge Management Society (HKKSM) and KM Society of Japan (KMSJ). Also, take a look at the photo journal of the iKMS AGM, which took place on 17 January.

p.s. We are also looking for writers or contributors for the iKMS newsletter. If you are interested, please write us an email.

Jacinta Chadwick, Co-editor

CALVIN AND HOBBES' TAKE ON KM...

Three references on Ignorance Management to back up the humour!

Michael H. Zack 'Managing Organizational Ignorance'. Knowledge Directions , Volume 1, Summer, 1999, pp. 36-49.

Patrick Lambe 'Ignorance Management: the lessons of small enterprises for knowledge management' Journal of Information and Knowledge Management vol.1 no 1 2002

David Gray 'Wanted: Chief Ignorance Officer' Harvard Business Review November 2003

Thanks to Maish Nichani for the cartoon and HBR link!

Research Report: Key Success Factors of KM Implementation in Singapore

The Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI) has announced its findings of the latest research report about the key success factors for knowledge management implementation in Singapore. Researched by Dr. Sattar Bawany, a doctorate candidate at Preston University, this report will provide practical guidance to help executives and HR professionals understand the complexities of knowledge management how to apply it towards organization effectiveness.

Download Research Report: Key Success Factors of Knowledge Management (KM) Implementation in Singapore

Knowledge Communities in Japan - A Case Study

Download this fascinating paper on Knowledge Communities in Japan originally written for Tech Monitor, Dr Hideo Yamazaki, Director of the Knowledge Management Society of Japan, shares his research into the uniquely Japanese approach to knowledge communities. It includes three interesting case studies, and shows clearly how technology and Asian culture continue to evolve and interact in new ways, in what Dr Yamazaki calls "post-Nonaka" Japanese KM.

Events

“KM Challenge 2004 – Driving Performance through Knowledge Collaboration” 30th to 31st March 2004

iKMS will participate in the panel discussion on KM in Asia at KM Challenge 2004, Australia’s premier Knowledge Management conference. This year’s conference will focus on how KM can positively affect performance and you’ll also learn how to measure the return of investment on your KM investments. Dr Karl-Erik Sveiby will be the keynote speaker and will presenting the results of his most recent research into the effectiveness of collaboration.

More information about KM Challenge 2004

"Getting to Grips With Taxonomies" Full Day Seminar 24 March 2004

In the first of a series of seminars on KM topics for 2004, iKMS presents a full day on using taxonomies in KM. You'll have a general introduction to taxonomies, look at some case studies, and have some hands-on practice exercises. Speakers include Abdus Chaudhry of NTU, Simon Alterman of Factiva, Raju Buddharaju of the NLB, Patrick Lambe of Straits Knowledge.
iKMS members are eligible for a S$50 cost recovery fee for the whole day. Non-members will be charged S$100 for the whole day. The fee includes refreshments and lunch.

Download the details and Registration Form here...

iKMS Exco News

The iKMS Executive Committee is following through on members’ requests at the Annual General Meeting for a focus on more events, networking and content. In addition to the evening talks, we’re planning a series of seminars (first one on taxonomies scheduled for 24 March) and site visits to KM portal implementers (the first will be Siemens). We’re also restructuring and renewing the committee as promised at the AGM, to get more KM practitioners on board, and to build our international profile. Professor Suliman and Dr Chaudhry have withdrawn from direct involvement in Exco in order to set up an iKMS International Advisory Board, comprising key international academics, thought leaders and KM Society representatives. We’re conducting a review of Exco roles and responsibilities, have decided to create the role of Events Manager, and we’ll be reviewing a system for a secure, private members’ area during the month of March. As always, your feedback and offers of involvement are welcome!

Patrick Lambe
President

THE USE OF STORYTELLING FOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

What exactly is storytelling in the context of KM? Standards Australia provides one of the best definitions – “Storytelling is a technique used in knowledge management to describe complex issues, explain events, understand difficult changes, present other perspectives, make connections and communicate experience.”

Can storytelling be used effectively in organizations made up of adults? Yes. Would the big bosses consider it too childish? As a knowledge manager, you may want to enlighten your boss after doing some research on storytelling.

Kan Siew Ning is iKMS Treasurer, Adjunct Assistant Professor in KM at NTU, and holds at least two other full time jobs with DSTA.

MOVING UP THE EXPERIENCE CURVE: KM IN SINGAPORE

How exactly is KM implementation faring in Singapore? As long as knowledge management is perceived as a good-to-have, its fate will continue to be closely tied to the ebb and flow of the economy. Given that the Singapore economy is experiencing a qualified recovery, does that mean that the same is true of KM?

To answer this question and get a sense of the KM marketplace at the start of 2004, we use as reference Straits Knowledge’s report Knowledge-based Strategy in Singapore Organizations (Straits Knowledge, 2003) where KM product and service providers were interviewed on their perceptions of the KM marketplace in early 2003. For this article I interviewed eight KM vendors – three fewer than Straits Knowledge’s sample – to try to understand the changes that have taken place since then.

Edgar Tan is Partner and Consultant at Straits Knowledge. When not working there, he pursues a life less ordinary.