RESEARCH - STATE OF THE KM UNION ADDRESS BY PETER SENGE, 2003

STATE OF THE KM UNION ADDRESS
BY PETER SENGE, 2003
Page 2.

- DEBRIEF -

What a sobering review from a respected authority.

Perhaps again just three issues...experiential learning-it's personal... "arrogance" roadblock and culture change.

It will take another whole management generation before KM practices become part of the nature of the organisation. He is suggesting atleast the year 2020.

Why ?

Because our whole education system and social system has taught us "textbook" learning (established facts), not "experiential" learning (trial and error learning).

KM practices are founded on experiential learning, which is proactive on-the-job learning...not solely in the programmed classroom. Yet we have tried to take the principles of textbook learning into the corporate learning arena and it has largely proven unsuccessful. Any Training and Development practitioner would vouch for that.

Astute corporate knowledge workers have always used a different method. No book or generic e-learning course can teach you the skills desired without on-the-job follow-up intensive practice. KM is about proactive, just-in-time, repeated on-the-job learning to build 'talent and capability.'

Senge is saying, as many key researchers have said, that knowledge workers do not know how to proactively learn experientially.... from experience. "Learning-to-Learn." We default to the external standard...and rarely value our own judgement and assessment. In doing so, we rarely customise the "first principles" into the uniqueness of one's work ("context"). We do not contextualise our raw learning. We remain competent but not expert.

You can tell me the technique of a top-spin backhand in tennis till you are blue in the face. But if I do not spend adequate time practising and perfecting it on the court... it will never happen. Agreed ?

I have to take your basic instructions and contextualise them...my body height and shape, my level of coordination, my racquet weight...all distinct variables...and "make sense" of them all to produce a consistent outcome, a smooth back hand tennis stroke.

"Making sense" takes time. From raw instructions... we have to personalise them. In the2003 US Tennis Open, Henine-Hardenne's single handed back hand was distinctly different from Mauresmo's. They painstakingly developed their own "style" of backhand... to achieve the same end.

The average sports person commits to twice as much practice as they do to playing in a typical week. Yes ? In their training night, they are correcting their errors. They are highly self-aware of how far or how accurate they can kick, shoot, bounce or hit the ball... and they try to close those gaps. At work, have we ever been taught and rewarded for this type of active reflection ?

The skills in astute knowledge work were just not actively taught in school or at university. These information bases tested us on head knowledge of basic knowledge of disciplines that were established atleast 50 years ago. They were testing us on facts, rehashed on an examination paper.

Workplace knowledge is different to established facts knowledge or "first principles" knowledge. We are constantly dealing with multiple, uncertain variables... and yet we have to make a decision from them. But some professionals over the years reach a level of real professional confidence because of their active building of their professional expertise.

For instance, in a sales presentation, how do you read the levels of enthusiasm for the product or service you are presenting ? It still is an elusive science to understand the buying processes of your prospective customers. It takes a personalised knowledge-generating process to build a level of "expertise". It takes proactive on-the-job learning.

Another example is writing an effective business case for your new proposal. Surely this varies considerably with the type of proposal and audience it is targeted towards. Expertise is about customising generic principles and it can only happen through constant active trial-and-error... just like the sports person.

Arrogance Roadblock ?

Senge has highlighted a major hidden roadblock in creating a knowlede-sharing culture. No... not hoarding information but something even more psychologically subtle. If you are seen to learn from others...including your peers...you could be assumed to be "incompetent" and making it a career-limiting behaviour...so you NEVER ask your colleagues or subordinates for their knowledge. You would rather pretend that you are an expert and try and keep up that veneer of pretense. After all that is what you get paid for...competence ! So hoarding may be one thing...but not wanting to learn from your colleagues is also a roadblock !

Some senior consultants I worked with tried to present a 'polished, invincibility' nature to staff and customers. I sensed it was a front for their real fear of revealing areas of weakness. It was an arrogance, even a self-deluded one, that was masking their insecurity. When client relations mistakes occasionally happened they would scapegoat them onto someone or something else. Declaring mistakes to them was taboo... just like those managers in the recent Russian study.

I propose that those who Learn Little and Hoard Much are more likely to be average performers than high performers. Their silence is such because in a knowledge-sharing environment if they have to open their mouth they know they have nothing to say... and others will find out ! The high performers actually show in some studies reverse behaviours. They are enthusiastic in regularly sharing their wisdom and showing off their expertise. Another consultant in the same firm I worked for was known as a high performer and she was great at sharing expertise tips and ideas. A recent study among Samsung Life Insurance business units showed the same result.

Next month we will review how this Arrogance trap encouraged by a corporate culture has led to harmful consequences for the organisation in healthcare. Stay tuned.

Culture Change ?

Customising means personalising. This is paramount when attempting to develop your SOFT SKILLS argued strongly by Senge, the inter-personal and intra-personal(within oneself) competencies. Senge says currently most organisational cultures are inherently OPPOSED to serious learning cultures despite all the collaborative technology. So soft skills are never targeted and rewarded.... Yes ? Boy, have we got a long way to go if this is the case.

How does one really change the work ethic and the norms of an organisation ? How does one change a culture ? Is it fantasy or can it be done ?

Yes. It has now been proven...

A recent study clearly showed this can be done...by the CEO. And we are not talking about outward compliance but inward conviction... a changed work ethic by the majority of staff. See a recent example case study on organisational culture turnaround through leadership modelling.

But it takes great self-awareness...which Senge is emphatic about ... which all the respected business schools are introducing into their curriculum in the form of 'emotional intelligence competencies.' The above leadership modelling example centred around this very belief about self-awareness and succeeded. Few of today's current knowledge workers in corporations have these 'intra-personal' competencies. And that is our problem... but they can be taught. See KM Tutorial section on 'Survival Skills' elsewhere if need be.

KM is founded on these personal skills. Mmmmm.

I regret to say... from the many business associations and professional colleagues I have known, few ever practice experiential learning which requires deep reflection skills... profound learning. So...I am also convicted...it will take ATLEAST a generation of managers for KM to become mainstream. But it will take advocates and good communicators to speed up the process. What are you doing about it ?

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