HBR on Knowledge MgmtChapters 1-3Joey DeBonoCarolyn Coolidge

AGENDA

Chapter Introductions AssumptionsOverview, details and examplesQuestions

HBR Chapters 1-3The Coming of the New OrganizationPeter F. Drucker, Jan 01, 1988The Knowledge-Creating CompanyIkujiro Nonaka, Nov 01, 1991Building A Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 01, 1993

HBR Chapters 1-3The Coming of the New OrganizationPeter F. Drucker, Jan 01, 1988

The Coming of the New OrganizationPeter F. Drucker, Jan 1988

Premise

Identifying organizational trends

The Coming of the New OrganizationPeter F. Drucker, Jan 1988AssumptionsSpecializationChanges in managementCross-discipline (-function) task forces (teams)

The Coming of the New OrganizationPeter F. Drucker, Jan 1988Examples

Symphony Orchestra

Hospitals

British administration in India

The Coming of the New OrganizationPeter F. DruckerFuture StepsManagement issues of Motivation/RewardNeed for unified visionManagement structure with Task Force TeamsTop Management supply, prep, testing

HBR Chapters 1-3

The Knowledge-Creating CompanyIkujiro Nonaka, Nov 01, 1991

The Knowledge-Creating CompanyIkujiro Nonaka, Nov 1991Uncertainty Competitive advantage = Knowledge

The Knowledge-Creating CompanyIkujiro Nonaka, Nov 1991

Japanese Management Styles

Tapping tacit insights (soft)

Redundancy

The Knowledge-Creating CompanyIkujiro Nonaka, Nov 1991

Japanese Management StylesSlogans, metaphorsAnalogies, symbols

HBR Chapters 1-3Building A Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 01, 1993

Building a Learning OrganizationDefinitions

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993 What is a Learning Organization?Peter Senge, the Fifth Discipline5 component technologiesSystems thinkingPersonal masteryMental modelsShared visionTeam learning

Behavior v. Thinking

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993 What is a Learning Organization? an organization skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights. p51

5 Definitions of Organizational Learning, p77

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993Chronologically:

Organizational learning is a process of detecting and correcting error. Chris Argyris, 1977.

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993

Organizational learning means the process of improving actions through better knowledge and understanding. C. Marlene Fiol & Margorie A. Lyles, 1985.

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993

Organizations are seen as learning by encoding inferences from history into routines that guide behavior. Barbara Levitt & James G. March, 1988.

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993

Organizational learning occurs through shared insights, knowledge and mental models . . . [and] builds on past knowledge and experiencethat is, on memory. Ray Stata, 1989.

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993

An entity learns if, through its processing of information, the range of its potential behaviors is changed. George P. Huber, 1991.

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993 Suspend disbelief and assume:

an organization skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights. p51

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993A: In the absence of learning, companiesand individualssimply repeat old practices.

change remains cosmetic, and improvements are either fortuitous or short-lived.

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993A: Learning Improvement3 MsMeaningManagementMeasurement

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993A: if you cant measure it, you cant manage it [sic]. p70

Current tools reveal little about sources of learning or the levers of change

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993Learning Organization SkillsSystematic Problem-solving

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993Learning Organization SkillsSystematic Problem-solvingExperimentation (new approaches)

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993Learning Organization SkillsSystematic Problem-solvingExperimentation (new approaches)Learning from past experience

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993Learning Organization SkillsSystematic Problem-solvingExperimentation (new approaches)Learning from past experienceLearning from best practices (of others)

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993Learning Organization SkillsSystematic Problem-solvingExperimentation (new approaches)Learning from past experienceLearning from best practices (of others)Knowledge transference

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993MeasurementHow to Build a Learning OrganizationSlowlyCultivate cultural attitudesCommitmentMgmt processes accrued slowly/steadily

Building a Learning OrganizationMeasurement

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993Assume traditional maxim: if you cant measure it, you cant manage it. p70Traditional measuring tools: learning curves, manufacturing progress functionsIncomplete: single-measure of outputFocused on cost or priceIgnoring quality, delivery, new product introductions

Tell little about sources of learning or the levers of change

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993New[er] Measure p72Half-life cycleDeveloped by Analog DevicesMeasures the time it takes to achieve a 50% improvement in a specified performance measure.

Weakness: focuses solely on resultsUnlikely to capture short-run learningSystemic changes are long-run, e.g. total quality culture, or new approaches to product develop.

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993MeasurementHow to Build a Learning Organization

Building a Learning OrganizationBuilding

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993How to Build a Learning OrganizationSlowlyCultivate cultural attitudesTrustCommitmentMgmt processes accrue slowly/steadily

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993An Organizations Learning Trace p73Three over-lapping stagesCognitiveBehavioralPerformance improvement

Suggested capture tools (surveys, et al.)e.g., Mystery Shopper

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993Foster environment conducive to learning

Open up boundaries

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993Create Learning forums

Building a Learning OrganizationDavid A. Garvin, Jul 1993Shift focus toward a commitment to learning

HBR Chapters 1-3

Questions?