Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water ...

4 | Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water Utilities
surprises and shocks that occur over time in the environment. * Simply put, efficiency reduces cost,
effectiveness produces the right products and services, quality keeps customers happy, and sustainability
keeps the utility and its performance around for a long time. At any given time different
utilities will put different emphasis on these measures. However, they are all dependent on the
actions of every employee every day.
Thus the real source of overall performance lies in the employees and the knowledge they
possess and apply. In most utilities there may be someone who knows just how to handle any given
situation, but does the person with the problem know who that is? As times change, knowledge is
lost when the past actions no longer work; much is also lost when time is spent trying to find the
right knowledge to handle a situation. In essence, organizations often do not know what they
know!
Another force pressing utilities toward becoming knowledge organizations is the loss of
senior, experienced people at all levels. Unfortunately, it is often only when the organization loses
knowledge that it becomes aware of the importance of knowledge. Further, the realization of the
enormous economic value of people has sparked an intense competition for people, especially
workers who want to learn, grow and make decisions as they gain experience. The younger workers
are attracted to knowledge oriented organizations where they are empowered—and held
responsible.
As the utility’s environment grows more dynamic, uncertain and complex, knowledge
becomes of greater importance to overall performance and sustainability. The critical nature of
water with its associated quality and health requirements, when combined with the complexity of
the overall utility system make water utilities highly knowledge intensive.
*Efficiency can be improved by reducing mistakes, optimizing processes, broadening worker responsibilities,
and reducing time spent searching for documents, information or expertise. Effectiveness improves when
employees know their job, can learn fast enough to keep up with changing work needs, and know who to
tell, or ask, relative to the impact of their actions. When employees become aware of where, and why, the
utility is heading in a given direction, why changes are needed and what their role is, they can take better
actions to support those goals. Quality of products is not free and it doesn’t come from technology alone, it
also takes knowledgeable workers who observe carefully, understanding deviations and how to create and
maintain quality. Sustainability is more complicated and requires continuous employee and organizational
learning, resilience and adaptability, and preparing for contingencies. It is likely that every utility is already
using some Knowledge Management now such as teams to resolve internal issues and networks to facilitate
communication.
To be optimally effective means to look at the entire utility from a knowledge perspective, making KM
a central part of overall leadership, management and day-to-day decision-making. It also means treating
people as a major asset rather than as an expense; it means investing in them, demanding more of them, and
at the same time supporting their professional growth. In the old days of stability and long range planning,
senior leaders could make responsible decisions that would determine the organization’s future. Not so
anymore. It now takes many people in the organization to understand what is going on and to handle the
uncertainty and surprises that come along. This is why the human element, and the knowledge possessed
by the workforce, is playing an increasingly important role in determining the organization’s future health.
It can be said that Knowledge Management is a journey, not a destination.
©2011 Water Research Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.