Corporate Memory

Louise Goswami Head of Library & Knowledge Services Development

Health Education Kent Surrey & Sussex

18 October 2013

Corporate Memory

1. Official company documentation:a. Board papersb. Procedures and policies

2. Well organised (logically) e-documents & folders

3. The “Why” as well as the “What” & “How”

“.. individuals and corporations both lose important data and forget significant details. Corporations forget through employee

attrition and as they evolve through mergers, acquisitions, consolidations and successive generations of information

storage…..

….The only way to institutionally “remember” mistakes and achievements is through knowledge management”

Joseph Lipari. (2012) The value of knowledge management programs. Risk Management 59(7), p18

Case Studies

• Continuity and Connectivity

• Institutional Memory

• Never tear down a fence until you know why it was put there

Knowledge Assets

Facilitated Learning

Collaboration

Knowledge Assets

Facilitated Learning

Collaboration

The Knowledge Management Framework

RetrospectA facilitated, forward looking team meeting providing time to reflect, understand and analyse the objectives, achievements and disappointments of a piece of work. Learning is expressed as recommendations and advice for future projects.

Its about...

Capturing knowledge and experience from those

with the know-how and making it available for

those who may want to know

It’s all about a team leaving a knowledge legacy

after they finish a piece of work and is for their

future benefit and for the benefit of others

What were the objectives of the work?

What did we or didn’t we achieve? Why?

What were the successes?Why? How can we or others repeat the successes in the future?

What were the disappointments?

Why? How can we or others avoid them in the future?

Marks out of 10 for the work as a whole?

What would have made it a 10?

Retrospect – Four Steps

• Planned Objectives achievedAgree | Why? | Recommendations

• Unplanned achievementsAgree | Why? | Recommendations

• DisappointmentsAgree | Why? | Recommendations

Retrospective Reviews: Step One

Overview focus

Participants:• Re-gel as a team• Remember•Analyse

What were the objectives of the work?

What did we or didn’t we achieve? Why?

On ‘post-its’ ask each participant to write

• Work area• Key success• Recommendation to replicate

Cluster work areas• Read, analyse, agree

recommendations, cluster

Retrospective Reviews: Step Two

Detailed focus

Participants:•Agree and celebrate

successes• Recognise causes•Agree actions to replicate

What were the successes?Why? How can we or others repeat the successes in the future?

On ‘post-its’ ask each participant to write

• Work area• Key disappointment• Recommendation to avoid

Cluster work area• Read, analyse, agree

recommendations, cluster

Retrospective Reviews: Step Three

Detailed focusParticipants:•Agree what could have

been done better• Recognise causes•Agree actions to avoid

What were the disappointments?

Why? How can we or others avoid them in the future?

• Write on post-it marks out of 10 and why• Reveal in turn• What would have made it a 10• Discuss and agree• Actions for anything new

Retrospective Reviews: Step Four

Overall project focus Participants:Agree key learning and recommendations

Marks out of 10 for the work as a whole?

What would have made it a 10?

Exercise

For a recent piece of work you have been involved in

•Identify one success

•Identify one disappointment

•Express each as a Recommendation that is Specific and Actionable

•Identify one knowledge beneficiary

Knowledge Retention & TransferWhen people leave or move post

Knowledge and Experience is lost

Contacts, how to.. , last time we did this….

Knowledge Retention & Transfer

• What do they know• Who do they know• How do they do it• Why do they do it• When do they do it

Just when people leave?

• Good working practices• Shared knowledge rich contact lists • Calendar of events• Know-Why - context documentation

Exercise

Key Operational Information• What are the key factors contributing to the

successful carrying out of your job?• Is there key documentation that you find particularly

useful in your role?• Are there any immediate issues specific to your role

that in your view need to be resolved in the longer term?

• Are there any dormant issues specific to your role that in your view need to be resolved in the longer term?

Health and Social Care KM Wiki

• Based on the KM Specialist Library• Aiming to include case studies• Do you have a case study to share?• What else would people like?• Please join the KM discussion listhttp://lists.libraryservices.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/km

Useful websites

NHS KM E-learning Modulehttp://www.ksslibraries.nhs.uk/elearning/km/

Health and Social Care Information Centre: Knowledge Managementhttp://systems.hscic.gov.uk/icd/knowledge

KNOCO Knowledge Management Libraryhttp://www.knoco.com/knowledge-management-FAQ.htm

British Council Lessons Learned Toolkithttp://episerverdev.britishcouncil.org/new/freedom-of-information/information-guide/decisions/lessons-learned-toolkit/

Coming soon NHS Health and Social Care KM Wiki