Where do technical writers fit into knowledge management
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The document discusses the role of technical writers in knowledge management (KM), emphasizing their importance in creating, organizing, and maintaining knowledge artifacts. It defines KM, explores the relationship between people, processes, and technology, and outlines the skills required for effective documentation. Additionally, it highlights the benefits of KM, including improved organization, knowledge sharing, and learning within organizations.
Where do technical writers fit into knowledge management
- 1. Where do Technical Writers Fit into Knowledge Management? Society for Technical Communication, Toronto May 16, 2012 © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012
- 2. Agenda • Introduction • What is Knowledge Management • Where do Technical Writers fit in to KM? © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 2
- 3. Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting Organizing Chaos: The key to success is focusing on people, process, and technology, not one, but all three and how the three integrate and work together to provide superior collaboration, business process, and decision making results for the organization. © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 3
- 4. Who am I? • Stephanie Barnes • Accountant and IT Management by education • KM consultant by choice • Chief Chaos Organizer at Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, Knoco franchisee • 4 yrs KM at HP • 8+ yrs as consultant to a variety of companies including BMO, HSFO, Kodak, HP, Zenon Environmental, OSC, CIBC, ENEC • Based in Toronto © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 4
- 5. WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT? © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 5
- 6. Knowledge Management Definition • Connecting people to the knowledge they need to do their jobs whether that knowledge is tacit or explicit • Includes activities as diverse as enterprise content management, lessons learned, peer assists, and communities of practice © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 6
- 7. Explicit Knowledge (documented knowledge) • Business plans • Client lists • Letters • Project plans • Project Charters • Forms • Meeting minutes © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 7
- 8. Tacit Knowledge (knowledge in individuals’ heads) • Social networks • Previous experience • Learning from courses • Research © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 8
- 9. Knowledge Flow People to Knowledge Repository •Sharing, e.g. •Knowledge artefact Communities of creation, e.g. Practice, mentoring, documentation, expertise location lessons learned People Communicating Collecting from Accessing Organizing Knowledge •Learning, e.g. on- •Systematizing Repository the-job training, concepts, e.g. meta- lessons learned, peer data, taxonomies assists, searching Based on Nonaka and Takeuchi, “The Knowledge Creating Company,” p62 © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 9
- 10. Knowledge Management Framework Governance Purpose, Vision, Goals, Objectives Oversight Enabling Activities Policies and Procedures Change Management Lifecycle Processes Staffing Component Activities Metadata and Taxonomies Technology Documented Document Handling Sharing and Supporting Innovation Knowledge • Document Assembly Collaboration • IT Knowledge • Idea Management • Portal/Intranet • Component Content • Lessons Learned Management • Business Intelligence • Document Management Management • Communities of Practice • Workflow Professional Development • E-mail Management • Records Management • Social Media • Search Version Control • Enterprise Content • Collaboration Management • Expertise Location Metrics and Measurement Privacy © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 10
- 11. Framework - Component Activities © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 11
- 12. Some Benefits of KM • Better organization • Better use of knowledge assets • Knowledge sharing • Improved learning © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 12
- 13. Approach People Technology Process © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 13
- 14. How to get started/focused? • What problem are you trying to solve? • What challenge are you trying to overcome? © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 14
- 15. Knowledge Management Roadmap Evolve Use •Change Mgmt Implement •Change Mgmt Design/ •Change Mgmt Develop/ Test Select •Processes technology •Change •Metrics Resolve: Mgmt •Change Analyze: •Policies Mgmt •Knowledge & Collect: •Human, process flows Social, and •Business •Metrics Intellectual Processes Capital Best •Strategic •Information Practices Goals Flows •Change •Governance •Organization Mgmt •Change Strategy and Mgmt Plan •IT Strategy and Plan •Change Mgmt © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 15
- 16. Now that you have context SO, WHERE DO THE TECHNICAL WRITERS ADD VALUE? © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 16
- 17. Knowledge Flow: documentation People to Knowledge Repository •Sharing, e.g. •Knowledge artefact Communities of creation, e.g. Practice, mentoring, documentation, expertise location lessons learned People Communicating Collecting from Accessing Organizing Knowledge •Learning, e.g. on- •Systematizing Repository the-job training, concepts, e.g. meta- lessons learned, peer data, taxonomies assists, searching Based on Nonaka and Takeuchi, “The Knowledge Creating Company,” p62 © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 17
- 18. KM Framework: areas with significant documentation requirements Governance Purpose, Vision, Goals, Objectives Oversight Enabling Activities Policies and Procedures Change Management Lifecycle Processes Staffing Component Activities Metadata and Taxonomies Technology Documented Document Handling Sharing and Supporting Innovation Knowledge • Document Assembly Collaboration • IT Knowledge • Idea Management • Portal/Intranet • Component Content • Lessons Learned Management • Business Intelligence • Document Management Management • Communities of Practice • Workflow Professional Development • E-mail Management • Records Management • Social Media • Search Version Control • Enterprise Content • Collaboration Management • Expertise Location Metrics and Measurement Privacy © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 18
- 19. Documented Knowledge Lifecycle © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 19
- 20. Roles and Responsibilities: Knowledge Management Program Knowledge Management Champions •Advocate and promote the benefits of pursuing Managers •Support knowledge management policies *Governance Committee •Cross-functional team •Provide advice, best practice guidance and training on Knowledge Management *Knowledge Management Program Team •To promote the values of Knowledge Governance •To monitor, evaluate, evolve knowledge management practices *Knowledge Management Process Owner •The accountable person within the organization who owns the KM Process and is responsible for its implementation, performance, and maintenance, as well as governance and standards *Knowledge Manager •Helps to institutionalize Knowledge Management in the organization; they are team-based KM subject matter experts *Individual •Ensures that they create and maintain appropriate records in relation to their work and to manage those records in accordance with the organization’s information/document management policies and procedures © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 20
- 21. Roles and Responsibilities: Documented Knowledge Lifecycle Approvers endorse the accuracy of the content and format of a document/knowledge artefact, this group should include the document owners and support providers where applicable *Collaborators work with Creators to develop the content and format of a document/knowledge artefact *Creator bringing knowledge or documents into existence for the first time. Knowledge Management the accountable person within the organization who owns the KM Process and is responsible for its implementation, Process Owner performance, and maintenance, as well as governance and standards *Knowledge Managers helps to institutionalize Knowledge Management in the organization; they are team-based KM subject matter experts. This role is responsible for managing/maintaining the process *Managers someone who over-sees staff, can also apply to Project Managers *Owner responsible for the up-keep of a document after it has been created. The role of Owner is a new role/concept for the organization, and in some cases will be the same as the creator, while in other situations it may be someone else Publishers post a document/knowledge artefact to a knowledge repository *Reviewers assess the content of a document/knowledge artefact, should include staff who will be using the document, especially if it is a support/operational document *Users draw on the content of a document/knowledge artefact as part of their job responsibilities © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 21
- 22. Technical Writer Skills • Writing skills – Consistency – Structure – Templates • Technical skills (re: content/subject matter) • Tools skills • Interviewing and listening skills • Design skills • Usability and testing skills © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 22
- 23. How to promote your value as a Technical Writer to a KM initiative • Promote the standardization, consistency, and usability of documentation • But what else… © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 23
- 24. Where do you see yourselves fitting within the KM Framework? Governance Purpose, Vision, Goals, Objectives Oversight Enabling Activities Policies and Procedures Change Management Lifecycle Processes Staffing Component Activities Metadata and Taxonomies Technology Documented Document Handling Sharing and Supporting Innovation Knowledge • Document Assembly Collaboration • IT Knowledge • Idea Management • Portal/Intranet • Component Content • Lessons Learned Management • Business Intelligence • Document Management Management • Communities of Practice • Workflow Professional Development • E-mail Management • Records Management • Social Media • Search Version Control • Enterprise Content • Collaboration Management • Expertise Location Metrics and Measurement Privacy © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 24
- 25. QUESTIONS © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 25
- 26. Thank You! © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 26
- 27. Knowledge Workers Toronto • Two groups: – Methods: http://toronto.methods.knowledgeworkers.org – Technology: http://toronto.technology.knowledgeworkers.org © Missing Puzzle Piece Consulting, 2012 27