Replying to LO24779 --
Hello, Denham...
I'm not sure which companies you may be referring to, but I have the
opportunity to work with high-tech companies that are adopting
knowledge-centered strategies. I can describe some of how the more
successful ones are operationalizing these strategies.
> I'm interested to hear what goes on inside the winning communities:
>
> 1) Do they make intentional distinctions and work with
> language?
Structuring knowledge content is critical for finding and reusing captured
knowledge. A lot of work is spent in defining content standards, learning
how to structure and write statements used in knowledge objects, and
defining knowledge objects.
> 2) Are pattern languages working for them?
Patterns are key to creating redundancy and interconnectedness among
knowledge objects and the structured complete thoughts (statements) which
comprise a knowledge object.
> 3) How exactly do they balance awareness with problem
> solving and local learning?
Solving problems is how learning is generated...and how knowledge is
created. Capturing the context in real time is a fundamental practice
(context includes the words--symptoms and facts--used to present the
problem, the diagnostic steps used to understand and analyze the problem;
and, capturing what the problem-solver learns in the process of diagnosing
and solving the problem. Once the knowledge is captured (if it's rich in
content AND context), knowledge reuse contributes to organizational
learning on a just-in-time basis.
> 4) What role does repository building play in their vitality,
> utility and energy?
I presume repository refers to the knowledge database? Good writing
(structured content, autonomous knowledge objects, redundancy of thoughts
that create patterns) contributes to the knowledgebase vitality, utility
and energy (we often refer to rich and robust as quality criteria).
> 5) How do they manage boundaries and communication
> to the outside?
This is often determined by proprietary and confidentiality concerns.
Many of these companies include sharing structured knowledge among
partners and key customers in their strategic objectives. Boundaries
(once the parameters are established) are managed through technologies
allowing object-level security, database partitions or by separating
public knowledge from the whole database and putting it into a public
database. Communication strategies (both internal and external) are a
basic component of the knowledge-centered adoption process.
> 6) What is done to build alignment and where do ontologies
> fit?
Alignment is influenced by effective communication; frequent and
meaningful feedback; effective leadership; discipline or
principle-centered organizational structures; and a continuing
(purposeful) focus on the strategic objectives. There is relatively
little difference between successfully aligning actions and objectives in
this environment and another change initiatives.
You'll have to clarify your connection of ontologies to alignment.
regards,
Doc
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