Knowledge Management and Its Influence on the Records and Information Manager.

• Author: DUFFY, JAN

Knowledge management's (KM) applicability and utility are wide-ranging. As the functionality of desktop technologies is enhanced to include content management, collaboration, profiling, and so on, KM will begin to play a much more significant role in business processes.

Although improved technological features influence KM's growth and adoption rates, the notion that it is neither a technology nor a function but a set of principles (listed in Figure 1) to which an organization or group of people subscribe is still valid. Thinking of it in any other way will, by default, limit knowledge management's potential. Whether or not an organization has a formal KM program or designated individual(s) responsible for the management of knowledge, these principles can (and should) be adopted.

Figure 1: Principles of Knowledge Management * Focuses on reuse -- capitalizes on lessons learned and what is known * Recognizes importance of creating new organizational knowledge * Promotes an integrated approach to identifying, capturing, retrieving, sharing, and evaluating * Stresses human interaction (not technology) as the focal point of collection, transfer, and reuse The idea that managing knowledge contributes to an organization's value becomes more compelling as KM's applicability and scope expand to coincide with developments in KM-related technologies. Records and information managers have an opportunity to participate in this venture and thus become major contributors to their organizations' value-enhancing efforts. The decision is whether RIM managers want to be the process drivers or merely bystanders watching the parade pass by.

Becoming the driver will require courage and commitment. RIM professionals will need to re-architect their role and acquire new skills. Most difficult of all, they will need to incorporate new ways of working and adopt new ways of thinking. At the same time, many of the processes and standards currently followed will still apply. The challenge, of course, will be to recognize when the old ways are no longer appropriate and to summon up the courage to change, replace, or simply stop doing them.

Garnering support may be difficult because not everyone will understand the benefits of KM as well as RIM professionals do, nor will others necessarily recognize that they are the most suitable candidates to lead the charge. RIM professionals must have the boldness to insist and the ability to persuade management that adopting KM principles is absolutely the right thing to do -- and that records and information managers are absolutely the right people to do the job.

This type of radical change is often referred to as "creative destruction" because it requires existing systems to be demolished as new ones are developed and implemented. A transformational leader is needed to move this process forward to successful completion. To paraphrase suggestions made by Dino Kasdagly in his recent presentation to the Twin Cities Chapter of ARMA, transformational success requires the leader to

* create a sense of urgency, confidence, and control

* communicate the objectives repeatedly, regularly, and widely

* publicize and celebrate early victories

* recognize but don't make a fuss about the less successful things

* make allies of the organization's informal leaders

* build a team of people with the ability to drive the transformation

* use rewards to motivate people to embrace the changes

* turn ideas and concepts into action and then act on them (Kasdagly 2001)

What will help RIM professionals to make a decision about their role? Why is KM becoming more commonplace? How is it being used in the 21st century organization? What are the challenges to be faced by those who decide to take the lead in this important endeavor?

Applicability of Knowledge Management

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