A CASE STUDY OF THE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT NETWORK IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

DR PETRO JANSE VAN VUUREN – DRAMA FOR LIFE, WITSELMI BESTER – SOUTHERN AFRICAN KM SUMMIT

Applied theatre and knowledge management: the role of strategic narrative embodiment in

shifting a professional group from potential community to coalescence

The College of Human Sciences’ School of Arts Triennial Conference Exploring the African continent through the Arts14-15 September 2016, UNISA, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Knowledge Management (KM) is a modern management discipline that is increasingly important for organisations who want to thrive in a knowledge economy. To promote and develop the field, the KM network of Southern Africa is forging a stronger community. To do so, the convener of the Southern African Knowledge Management Summit (SAKMS) employed a methodology from the field of applied theatre: Strategic Narrative Embodiment (SNE). This paper outlines the apparent role that SNE played in shifting the group of KM professionals at the 2016 SAKMS from potential community to coalescence, as outlined by Etienne Wenger’s stages of community development framework. The study makes use of data in the form of the client brief, planning and design documents, facilitation material and responses, delegate feedback and selected interviews. The data is analysed for evidence of the shift (coalescence to community) based on the framework of Wenger and the original brief from the summit convener. The aim is to review the relative success of SNE in achieving the intended shift and offer recommendations for its future employment in such contexts. Finally the study expects to reveal some emergent narratives of KM professionals in Southern Africa and suggest steps for further development.

Background

Background

Participatory processSense-makingShiftInterplay between individual & collective

AGENDA

SNE – what

it does?

SNE – what it

did?

Application of SNE at the

SAKMS

Purpose & pointers

Reflect bac

k

Background

Agenda

Janse Van Vuuren, P & Bester, E. 2016. Why we used SNE and what it did and did not deliver.[Online]. Available at: http://sakmsummit.net/sne-at-2016sakms/ [Last accessed: 13 September 2016]

Stages of Professional Community Development

Etienne Wenger

How to measure the shift?

Potential community Discovery of similarities Imagining of the value of community

Coalescence/ ‘aboutness’ Domain (What we do) Practise (How we do it) Community identity (Who we are)

Mirror

Develop

Strategic Narrative Embodiment (SNE)

Applied Theatre for leadership and organisation development.

Translates transformational effect, story shaping and ensemble skills of drama performance for work performance.

Two levels: Design Technique

The SNE model

SNE at the 2016 SA KM Summit

Pre-summit conversationsReview of 2015 materialFirst session: global & local view of KMHarvest current strengths - roots

Papers & case studiesCapture learnings as leaves Cafés = maximum engagement

Ongoing represented by Olive Tree metaphorMembers invited to cluster notes and present synthesisOngoing story sharing invited

Embodiment exerciseIntroduction of movement language to share storiesRapid Role Recast

Choose actions for ‘tomorrow’ – fruits Post Summit synthesisPost Summit conversations

Uniqueness of SNE

The use of embodiment in the following forms:Exercises that access the DEC (Direct Experience Circuitry) to

momentarily bypass the NC (Narrative Circuitry) Park habitual narratives & experiment with other perspectives

Sharing and translating stories into movement vocabulary Access different knowledge new insight & breakthrough Community building effect: equalisation & vulnerability

Actors used to mirror stories from the community Distance through projection experimentation

Rapid Role Recasting Present and alter perceptions and beliefs in the network

What SNE did and did not deliver

Accurate representation of diverse voices, not forging consensusMinimum interference of dominant voices and habitual narrativesDifferent kinds of knowledge are accessedWorks with what is present, rather than what is desiredCreates space for messiness, divergence and spontaneous

engagementAllows for emergent narratives to arise, rather than only

confirming habitual narrativesRelates individual to communal perspectives and vice versa.Does not guarantee harmony, safety and comfort.

Pattern 1: Shift from habitual narrative to different narrative.

Habitual narrative- KM ‘vs’ IM/IT- It is about the soft issues & culture- And implementation

Shift in nuances of KM narrative- Rigor of methodology- ImplementationLEAVESCase study Café’s

Shift in nuances of KM narrative- Tackle obstacles, interacting role

players & components, tenacity & to be flexible and adaptable

Rapid Role Recasting

Shift in nuances of KM narrative- Commitment to change methodology,

document & share methodology- Get foundational building blocks in

place; make KM implementation a reality FRUITS

Shift in nuances of KM narrative- Document, improve & standardise- Tools & techniquesEnd of Summit feedback

What s

hould

be the

purp

ose f

or th

e KM C

ommun

ity in

the n

ext y

ear?

What was

it lik

e for

you:

the g

ift to

me?

The g

ift to

the K

M Com

munity

Harve

st fro

m the O

live T

ree:

ROOTS

Harve

st fro

m the O

live T

ree:

LEAVES

Harve

st fro

m the O

live T

ree:

FRUIT

S (com

mitmen

t to a

ction

next

day)

End of

Summit

feedb

ack:

Take h

ome m

essa

ges

Messa

ges t

o the

KM C

ommun

ity0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

2016 SAKMS - Distribution of messages

Promote better understanding of the advantages of KM. Shits in KM and KM professionalMake the concept of KM an automatic everyday occurrence.  Unearth TRUE best practices to rapidly accelerate the advancement of the field.Troubleshooting & peer support. KM Practitioners Group

Pattern 2:Amplification for Community, connect d to Trouble shooting & Support.

Edith on the amplification of community

“A shift for me was discovering that there are more people like you, whether in government or in the private sector. A lot of people are going through the same thing.”

“Even though we don’t come from the same house, for these few days everyone started opening up. You can see what someone else is going through and we are starting to see what solutions we can give each other from the current home that we are in. Then you can go back to your original home.”

Pattern 3:Increase of the will to Change, even though it was not one of the Top 5 purposes selected for the Community.

Strategic intent shifted from ‘Best Practice’ to ‘Change/Evolve/Growth/Innovation/Success’

Signal that there is a realisation that the solution for ‘Value challenge’ will result from change in community.

What s

hould

be the

purp

ose f

or th

e KM C

ommun

ity in

the n

ext y

ear?

What was

it lik

e for

you:

the g

ift to

me?

The g

ift to

the K

M Com

munity

Harve

st fro

m the O

live T

ree:

ROOTS

Harve

st fro

m the O

live T

ree:

LEAVES

Harve

st fro

m the O

live T

ree:

FRUIT

S (co

mmitmen

t to a

ction

next d

ay)

End of

Summit

feedb

ack:

Take h

ome m

essa

ges

Messa

ges to

the K

M Com

munity

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

2016 SAKMS - Distribution of messages

Promote better understanding of the advantages of KM. Shits in KM and KM professionalMake the concept of KM an automatic everyday occurrence. Unearth TRUE best practices to rapidly accelerate the advancement of the field.Troubleshooting & peer support.KM Practitioners Group

Sandra and Sipho on the broadening of the will to act

“I would like to see us not only teaching KM, but practising it ourselves” (Sandra)

“I want to be a champion of legitimising Kmin government. In the absence of legislation I can relate KM to the United Nations and the African Union. My position now is that I want to make KM happen in government. (Sipho)

How to measure the shift?

Potential community Discovery of similarities Imagining of the value of community

Coalescence/ ‘aboutness’ Domain (What we do) Practise (How we do it) Community identity (Who we are)

Mirror

DevelopShift from habitual narrative

Increase in will to change

Amplification for community

Thank You !

Bibliography

Janse Van Vuuren, P & Bester, E. 2016. Why we used SNE and what it did and did not deliver. [Online]. Available at: http://sakmsummit.net/sne-at-2016sakms/ [Last accessed: 13 September 2016]

Wenger, E. n.d. Communities of Practice: development stages. [Online]. Available at: http://esflive.archiv.zsi.at/files/CoP_development_stages.pdf. [Last accessed February 2016]

Wenger, E. & McDermott, R. 2002. Cultivating communities of practice: a guide to managing knowledge. Harvard Business School Press.