Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water ...

Knowledge
Knowledge Management
The Need for KM in the Drinking Water Utilities
Toolkit Resources
Related WaterRF Research
Knowledge
The decisions that are made every day by every single person in your Utility determine the
performance of the Utility that day. Knowledge is about making good decisions and taking
the best actions in a given situation. This is why knowledge is defined as the capability
(potential or actual) to take effective action. When you have good knowledge your decisions and
actions will result in what you expect or plan to happen. Managing knowledge in an organization
means ensuring decision-makers at all levels have the ability and the information they need to
make the best decisions and take the most effective actions.
Knowledge can be thought about in many different ways. One way is to consider it in terms
of explicit, implicit and tacit. Explicit knowledge is knowledge that can be called up from memory
and described in words or visuals such that another person can comprehend what is expressed.
Emotions can also be expressed as explicit knowledge in terms of changes in body state; for
example, when someone blushes. Implicit knowledge is a bit more complicated. It is knowledge
stored in memory which you may not recall but can be triggered, usually by an external event.
Examples of triggers are questions, dialogue and reflective thought. In other words, implicit
knowledge is something you do not know you have but is self-discoverable. Tacit knowledge
describes that which cannot be recalled and put into words. It is a knowing or doing that is
known or acted upon but which cannot be articulated or explained. Examples range from
intuitive feelings to bicycle riding.
There are other ways to think about knowledge that can be useful to individuals and
organizations. For example, thinking about knowledge in terms of surface knowledge, shallow
knowledge and deep knowledge can help a manager ask relevant questions about specific
levels of knowledge. It also helps us to recognize the scope and depth of knowledge available
to maximize problem solving, decision-making and action in simple, complicated and complex
situations. Further, these three levels of knowledge help tailor learning and knowledge to
improve knowledge sharing and retention. Another way to think about knowledge is in terms of
types of knowledge grouped by similarities and differences, specifically, in terms of what
knowledge is needed to do a particular type of work or take a particular action. This is useful
when considering the knowledge needs for specific jobs, and identifying knowledge gaps in a
Utility. See the MQI paper on The Depth of KNOWLEDGE.
Another way to think about knowledge is in terms of technical, social and structural.
Technical knowledge applies to functional capabilities, and is typically demonstrated as a skill.
Social knowledge is embedded in the exchanges individuals have among themselves, and is
built on relationships and culture. Structural knowledge is what is embedded in the Utility’s
systems, processes, policies and procedures, and is usually rules-based. In Project Study
#23, the Louisville Water Company surveyed retiring managers to discover the technical, social,
and structural knowledge needed to do their jobs.
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