TheKMATWorkshopsCreatingtheInternalKMATTheKnowledgeManagementAssessmentToolTM(KMATTM)wasoriginallyconceivedasanexternalbenchmarkingdiagnostictool.Thebenchmarkgroupdatabaseconsistsofbothcompaniesanddiscreteunitssuchasdivisions,departments,orother“culturallybounded”entities.Forexample,theBusinessConsultingPracticeofArthurAndersen(AA)aswellastheUnitedKingdom’sAAOfficePracticearebothvalidentriesintothebenchmarkgroupdatabase.Thisdatabaseofdistinctentitiespermitsbenchmarkingofthetwenty-fouremergingknowledgepracticesacrossawiderangeoforganizationaltypes.Segmentationofthedatabaseisalsopossible,withgroupssuchas“revenuesunder$300million,”“fewerthan2,500employees”and“manufacturing”amongthesegmenttypesthatcanbeexamined.TheBenchmarkResultsReportthatparticipantsreceiveallowsthemtoseehowtheycompareeithertoallKMATparticipantsortoadefinedsubgroupoforganizations(culturally-boundedentities)onthetwenty-fouremergingknowledgemanagementpractices.Theycandrawa“picture”ofthe“stateofthebenchmarkgroup”withrespecttoknowledgemanagementpracticesanddeterminewhethertheyareleading,trailing,ortrackingthebenchmarkgroup.However,acompanywouldnotbeabletotakeactionbasedontheBenchmarkResultsReportalone.Additionalresearchwouldneedtotakeplacetodeterminewhatorganizationsthatgivethemselveshighperformanceratingsareactuallydoingtoimplementtheknowledgemanagementpracticesandthentodeterminehowvalidthoseapproachesmightbetoanyspecificorganization.Someofthequalitativeinformationthathasbeencapturedinthebenchmarkgroupdatabasewillhelpustoprobefurtherintheseareas,buteventhatwillnotbesufficienttoleadtoaction.Inaddition,someorganizationsmaybelievetheyarenotreadytojoinabenchmarkgrouponknowledgemanagement.Or,theymayfeelthatnoonepersoncanspeakforthegroupasawhole.Nevertheless,theymayconsidertheissuesthatsurfacefromreadingandansweringtheKMATquestionstobecriticalonesthatmeritinternaldiscussionpriortotakingaction.HelpingOrganizationsTakeActionTohelpcompaniesmoveclosertotakingaction,wehaveadaptedtheExternalKMATforusewithsmallgroupsthatareonlyinterestedinoneanother'sresponsesandviewsratherthanthoseofthebenchmarkgroupasawhole.Thisinvolvescreatingaone-timecustomizedbenchmarkgroupusingtheInternalKMAT(currentlyonlyInternalKMATquestionnairesareavailable;softwarewillbedevelopedduringthefirsthalfof1996).FollowingisadescriptionandmethodologyforbuildingaworkshoparoundtheKMATresultsinwhichknowledgemanagementpracticesareexploredinsomedepth.SelectinganAppropriateWorkshopTheKMATworkshopcantaketwoforms,dependingoftheneeds,composition,andresponsesoftheclientgroup.Inbothcases,eachparticipantfillsouttheKMAT,returnsittoArthurAndersen,andreceivesadetailedreportofhowhisorherresponsescomparewiththoseoftheotherparticipants.TheKnowledgeStrategyWorkshopCreatingaCommonLanguageandLayingtheGroundworkforaKnowledgeValueCreationStrategyWhoShouldParticipateForsomeorganizations,thefirstroadblocktoeffectivelycreatingandsharingknowledgeariseswhenmembersfindtheydonotshareaframeworkforthinkingaboutknowledgeorevenagreeonwhatconstitutesorganizationalknowledge.Thiscanoccurevenwithinaworkgroupthatsharesacommonmission.Furthermore,membersofthegroupmayberelativelyunawareofthestrengthoftheirdisagreement.TheKnowledgeStrategyWorkshopisappropriateif:·Participantsarefromthesameworkgroupandarelikelytoengageinthesameknowledgevaluecreationpractices,OR;·Participantsarefrom...
