Knowledge Matters™

I've been head-hunted to be the principal change champion in a large health services organisation, and to work up the information/knowledge management requirements for what will be potentially a multi-million dollar initiative. Whilst I am very excited I am also quite sad because this means I will be leaving HolisTech® Pty Ltd and TARDIS .

TARDIS is a joint venture between HolisTech® and the Australian Department of Defence to build and maintain a knowledge management system. I believe it to be one of the most significant attempts at knowledge management within the Australian public sector: an attempt that truly has tried to integrate people, process, technology and content. I'm very proud to have been associated with TARDIS, so today I thought I would share with you some of the lessons I will take away.

Just over four years ago Pat Byrne and I began to put the TARDIS dream into reality. We began with an interesting set of high-level requirements and constraints, with the constraints largely setting the direction of TARDIS. The two most important constraints were:

• only existing software and hardware were to be used, and 
• software coding was to be absolutely minimised and kept to the application level.

Now with the benefit of hindsight I think these two constraints were truly inspired. The first constraint meant that seeking the technological silver bullet was simply not an option. The second meant we did not take a particularly technical approach. Instead we focussed on getting the processes right and enabling the knowledge workers by connecting them to other people and existing information sources, and up-skilling them.

The second constraint also resulted in us putting a help-desk right in the midst of the knowledge workers. This help-desk does everything ranging from meeting support, to coaching staff on the best use of the available software tools, or simply connecting individuals with each other. The help-desk to some degree has become part of the corporate memory, but more importantly it provides a people face to our largely process solution.

Our major lesson is the need for discipline,  and we think that this is the missing component in the corporate literature on knowledge management, and for that matter the management literature. It seems that as a society we are afraid of discipline because it conjures up images of corporal punishment. Yet we would say to you that ‘discipline is not a dirty word '! Indeed in 1918 one of Australia's most famous generals and citizens - Sir John Monash - captured the meaning of discipline very well. He said:

"Discipline is, after all, only a means to an end, and that end is the power to secure coordinated action among a large number of individuals for the achievement of a definite purpose".

If we change a couple of words we have a pretty good working description of the intent of knowledge management -

"Knowledge management is, after all, only a means to an end, and that end is the means to secure coordinated action among a large number of individuals for the achievement of a definite purpose".

This is what knowledge management is all about - getting an organisation to achieve a definite purpose by building on the strength and knowledge of the people in the organisation. For me the take away lessons from TARDIS are people matter above all else, and discipline matters for organisational success.

So farewell TARDIS and HolisTech® - I have learnt a great deal and I will miss you both!

Regards Graham