All 18 entries tagged Management

Boundaries in knowledge sharing

We're in the era where there's not too little data - but simply too much.

The internet played a big part - and everything that subsequently followed = migration from print to soft-media, social media, websites, mobility, search engines.

So it's not a challenge of where can I get the information as much as to how we can disseminate information appropriately. In organisations, that requires individuals to know more about something than others - but most importantly - to share that.

I've been in, seen, and heard of cases where although one knows enough about something, they don't want to share it because they are afraid of sharing too much that it affects their performance. How so? Because apparently knowing too much can be dangerous if you're trying to outperform another person.

I think what's missing here is the alignment of objectives, as we've learned in so many of our classes (latest is OPP i believe), that if there's an alignment in goals & objectives, sharing knowledge that will benefit your colleague, your team, and your company should not be faced with such barriers.

Shujaat Alikhan : 06 Jul 2014 18:51 |  Tags: Kbam Knowledge Management Mbe |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Life–Cycle – tangibility

Lice Cycle management as already talked about by many can be seen from a lot of perspectives.

But after spending time reading them, I realized that life cycle management is very similar to every other form of management that is done correctly - paying attention to the whole system or cycle.

Very commonly, we tend to pay attention to a particualr subject or matter when working - while not caring too much about its context, or how it started and what are the possible outcomes of it, because we simply want to work on whatever is then and there.

This is very similar to how we're supposed to do our disseration, the literature review is for us to understand the context of the subject we are covering, and know enough about how things work in that area to come to a substantiated conclusion.

When working, many often just face a problem, fix it and move on, but if they understood how work is normally conducted, from beginning to end, they will know how and why the issue became a problem because everything is tracable. This is the same concept as life cyle costing especially, where everything is recommended to be documented for tracability as well.

From this observation, I suggest everyone to try applying this same 'life-cycle' method of start to end - and even cyclical approach to everything.

Shujaat Alikhan : 05 Jul 2014 06:48 |  Tags: Asset Cost Cycle Kbam Life Management Mbe |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The art of knowledge

After having the opportunity to dive into the realm of what knowledge really is about, I'm surprised one aspect is left out. Sure it's true tacit and explicit knowledge have their own dynamics, but what about short term and long term knowledge affecting work as well?

Isn't it better to have knowledge that sticks to you rather than having to around about it finding the answer everytime?

I believe this has to do wtih what interests and does not interests us as well. Tacit knowledge will be easily adapted if we have an objective or goal infront of us and we try our best to reach it, and if that means we come by some relevant information, it can be related to as well.

Therefore, finding work in the field that interests you might be a good idea if you want to become rich in knowledge that you do not have to go search for it all the time, but it will pass by you and you will most likely remember them well, at least that's what I plan to do.

Because in the end, having to look up or read things that have no interest to me isn't what I want to do all my life.

Shujaat Alikhan : 04 Jul 2014 10:36 |  Tags: Kbam Km Knowledge Management Mbe |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Ensuring knowledge sharing

How can we be sure that the individual will share the knowledge?

Can't it be that the individual does not intend to share the knowledge and instead consdier that knoweldge as their asset and try to sell it elsewhere? If that's the case, some innovations cannot happen (potentially) in a company.

My guess would be that companies do have ways of coping with such issues, such as signing legal documents that bind the individuals to the company and that the creation the individual comes up with is considered the asset of the company. Yet, if the individual does not share it with the previous company, and instead brings it to another company (such as a competitor)?

A possible method that might be in use already is that the knowledge creation process is designed in a way that no one person will only be involved in the creation process, but it is actually part of a series of steps until the that creatoin/innovation can be reached. This might mean that the process is very fragmented that to reach a breakthrough or invention, the necessary steps have to be taken.

But also, if we look at this from another perspective, why should the company even have to worry about this, if they can make the employees loyal and attached to the company? Wouldn't that allow knowledge to be shared openly and accessibly? Surely if an employee feels like they're being trusted and empowered, there's a higher possiblity that they will reciprocrate with the same manner towards the company, right?

This is just based on simple logic, which i think is true of human nature.

Shujaat Alikhan : 15 Jun 2014 20:39 |  Tags: Kbam Knowledge Management Mbe Sharing |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

KBAM isystems in SMEs

The initial thought we had on how to present KBAM was truly dreadful, and I think it is, because of the time we had and the large scope of the 2 similar (yet quite different) concepts: Knowledge and Asset management.

Observing from what every group presented, surely there were some similarities (in terms of what was covered) - but we had very different approaches for WaveRiders. So it hit me that, is there a generic model that most organizations follow, such as off-the-shelf models of KBAM? Surely it's not so hard to find off-the-shelf products for knowledge management or asset management individually, but to have a total package - it must be very expensive and considering it's for SMEs, it's worth looking in to.

Especially for those of you concentrating on SMEs for your dissertation and maybe working/owning and SME sometime in the future, it's interesting to see how these very large concepts can be adapted on a small scale, first in terms of learning them, then how to actually acquire and adopt them to the SME you are involved in. Is there a best-practice that companies use to apply the total package?

For instance, there are plenty of Safety Mangemnet Systems that are availabel today, adapting the govering bodies' requirements and tailoring the details to meet their market. But sometimes, these management systems can be adopted to an SME level, but it seems that there is always a compromise - limited capabiliteis becuase you're paying less (consideing what's worthwhile for the size of your company). This trade-off is something I totally disagree with, becuse trying to buy something that's not 100% doing what its supposed to is simply defeating the purpose of having it in the first place.

So I think it is best to hire someone from who is an expert in that field into the small-sized company - then creating a project team to implement it (many of you have done this in your presentations). I feel that this will allow a system to be built based on the organziation, while adapting the important requirements of the governing bodies that are mandated by law or to be part of a group that supports this type of certification. Surely, this will allow the company to optimize their asset and knowledge on a system built specifically for them and surely less expensvie than what's available in the market.

Shujaat Alikhan : 13 Jun 2014 23:59 |  Tags: Kbam Management Mbe System |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Effective Knowledge repository

From the dicussions on how WaveRiders can effectively move forward over the next 5 years, it made me think that with all the asset improvements and knowledge improvements a company can have, it all is not possible if there is no systmem supporting it.

The same idea is applied to when there are a lot of good ideas that can improve an organization, but without a proper knowledge-pool that is interactable, knowledge is simply wasted. However, with a system that not only pushes but also pulls information and systemically stores it within an organization, the knowledge can be effectively reached and used.

So the idea that to manage all assets, a system is needed, and likewise to store knowledge effecitvely, a system is needed as well. So is it possible that one is independent from the other? Quite straightlyforwardly I feel this isn't possible, because in every instance of asset management, there is knowledge involved in its system to gather, analayze, and execute knowledge or data to attempt an action. That means no matter what, knowledge cannot be escaped, it's available to everyone but just in a free form.

Therefore, having a system to manage knowledge, which will therefore make the company become smarter at making decisions, as well as for asset management should be the best solution.

Shujaat Alikhan : 11 Jun 2014 23:58 |  Tags: Kbam Knowledge Management Mbe |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Knowledge Management & IT

Reading on how the concepts of Knowledge management, specifically knowledge framework, it's always intrigued me to find ways around making knowledge a more unified, tangible, and accessible thing in an organization.

And after thinking about it a lot, it seems that the most simple and easy way to start...is by blogging!

To have some sort of repository centre for knowledge, it should obviously be digital in a company, but limited to any single method might not be the best idea because knowledge might come in many forms, such as some random tips from an experienced person, or a well rehearsed practice in solving a problem that can be adopted by others to use as well.

So having a dynamic system, where people can post up their learnings, insights, knowledge, reflection, etc - and making it interactive (such as this blog system is to a certain extent) so that people can share their views on the idea as well to spir creativity and innovation.

But no matter how fancy this framework may be, in the end, I truly believe it's down to culture. No matter how nice a car you have, if you are too lazy to drive, you'll always use public transport, or vice versa. Same applies to having a proper framework - so i think this requires a lot of thought and I hope one of us at least can really make this happen, effectively in the respective organizations you guys go into.

Shujaat Alikhan : 08 Jun 2014 17:39 |  Tags: IT Kbam Knowledge Management Mbe Technology |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Management setting an example

Why should any employer do something their boss didn't do?

Why should I try harder when I can see you who is higher in position than me does not?

These questions are often echoed in the health & safety conversation, where the relucatance to accept a new practice, that requires more work & effort sometimes, strictly needs the guidance and leadership of superiors. But the only way the leadership can be convincing is if they walk their talk, so they have to act on what they say as well, and not just expect people to follow new rules and regulations when the leaders themselves don't follow it.

It would be simply useless to enforce a no smoking area in a company when the leader of the company smokes wherever they want right?

Likewise to instilling a safety culture, that if the leader doesn't show the importance by doing it themselves, then no one will see its importance.

Shujaat Alikhan : 07 Jun 2014 23:59 |  Tags: Asset H&S Health Kbam Management Mbe Safety |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Asset Management – Don't take it for granted

After having a chance to go through all of Asset Management's aspects in the moodle, I'd like to share that although these contents may seem tedious or overly techincal for some, the importance of these points to the success of an organization is as vital as making as closing a lucrative deal.

Without getting into detail, the proper understanding of how to efficiently manage the organizations facilities (both in the planning and operational stages) are very importnat because any breakdown or mistake in these systems may stop the company for working properly.

For instance, the clearest example is emergency planning, the contigency plans are planned out to the smallest details in the organization, because it is supposed to help save the company in times of crisis, although it may not be staring at the company in the face at the time of planning, but proper leadership will not oversee these matters definitely.

Also, when conducting business plans, or feasability studies for starting a business, or expanding the company, assets management is extremely importnat and needs to be considered in detail, as I can explain in another occassion when I had to do it for my previous employer.

What's importnat is when these aspects are looked at from a real-life perspective, they are key to a company's success, as much as any other aspect of running a business.

Shujaat Alikhan : 05 Jun 2014 23:59 |  Tags: Asset Kbam Management Mbe |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Leading with vs. without resources

During our Leadership & Excellence class today, Paul mentioned about how we dont have unlimited resources, which in our instance was time.

However, I am certain there are instances where the resources may seem limitless, yet it is not the determining factor that the result can be well.

For example, the fact that we have 1 month to work PMAs does not mean we will use it all, and even if we do (time here is the resrouce), it does not mean we will score any better than others who work within the suggested time, because the output only requires a certain amount of time and effort.

Also, instances such as leaders who can create their dream team with all the resources, such as technology, budget, and backing of the management does not necessarily mean that team might perform superbly to their expected output or much more than other teams who do not possess the resources such as the 'dream team'. This because having all the resources in the world does not mean having the best leader for that group/instance.

Therefore, I truly believe that leaders cannot be determined by any particular instance, because they may not perform well at one place/environment, while excelling somewhere else. So having all the resrouces but not the right expertise might be a factor for a leader to fail at one place, while having limited resources but the right attributes of this leader is useful at another environment.

Shujaat Alikhan : 10 Feb 2014 21:48 |  Tags: Excellence Leadership Leadership&Excellence Management Mbe |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem