Nation Building (NB)

1. Nation Building (NB) Knowledge Management (KM) Virtual Work Environment (VWE)

2. Tacit – Explicit Knowledge Tacit Knowledge is what we do not know that we know. Examples: know-how; rules of thumb; experience; insight; intuition; etc Explicit knowledge encompasses the things we know that we can write down; share with others; and put into a knowledge repository. Explicit Knowledge can be replicated and is codifiable.

3. Explicit Knowledge to Intellectual Capital Intellectual Capital includes everything an organization knows. It can be anything/everything; but bottom line: it is knowledge that an organization can turn into operational and mission success. (packaged Explicit Knowledge)

4. Locations of IntellectualCapital • Email • Personal computer drives and network drives • Web Sites (Content Managers) • Filing cabinet and desk drawers • Corporate Data Bases

5. What VWE is • Definition of a VWE • A secured extranet work environment which houses an organization’s operations, information processes, and knowledge infrastructure. • It is an adaptable, integrated, shared community workspace where co-located or distributed people can collaborate, work on tasks, and solve problems cooperatively. • It extends operations beyond physical, ‘brick and mortar’, constraints and is a force multiplier.

6. What VWE is • VWE is not a Technology • VWE is a “complex adaptive collaboration community” – the environment functionality remains constant while approaches can be uniquely optimized to match each business need. • The community is governed by norms, policies, and rules for the good of ALL of the community members

7. Process • 30 % • People • 30 % • Training • Technology • 20 % % • 20 KM/VWE Core Tenets Build and implement from the bottom up; Model and encourage middle to engage; Catalyst to shift Top Down at tipping point

8. Simmons, 2007 “Work is something you do,Not a place you go.”

9. VWE End Goals • Create and facilitate an environment for “human” collaboration; • Which, accelerates the speed of knowledge exchange; enhances Situation Awareness (SA); and spreads knowledge from the center to the tactical edges (and back); • Which, becomes the foundation for “Agile Commands” with a goal of organizational success.

10. SO…..WHAT IS THE PAYOFF

11. Why Do It? [ Why Build and adopt a Virtual Work Environment] • Faster • Communication response time is almost instant, while preparing response is still slow. Centralized knowledge reduces response time. • Better • Knowledge is not littered in emails or in network and workstation drives; but is centralized and accessible from anywhere at anytime.

12. Why Do It? [ Why Build and adopt a Virtual Work Environment] • Cheaper • Development cost less and refinements are less expensive. Operations saves on response time; saves labor hours; and saves knowledge production costs. • Smarter • Organizational SA improved. Reduced knowledge handling improves accuracy. Less disjointed knowledge enhances decision making.

13. Shifted Initial Design Phase from 7 Months to 3 Months

14. UUNS Process Improved from 6 Months to 75 Days

15. Doctrine Process Improved from 39 Months to 18 Months

16. Henry Ford: "If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have asked for a faster horse.“ In the case of a VWE, the difficulty of starting the journey is imagining the right path and destination.

17. “Working “Faster”; “Better”; “Cheaper”; and “Smarter”

18. Thank You. Any Questions?

19. Steps in Nation Building • Missionary Phase • Convincing a segment of the population to accept a paradigm shift. • Infrastructure Construction • Assure basic utilities are operational and reliable. • Environment Stabilization • Create training for key players – police, teachers, hospitals, etc • Self Sustainment • Identify, and facilitate creation of core processes – economic cycles – making money, buying services, etc • Shared Values • Start building National Consensus that is inclusive not divisive. • Political/leadership • Identify leaders, build connections between leaders, and model appropriate traits for roles • External Catalysts Leave • Establish an exit strategy that dissolves relative to success of other steps.

20. Steps in Knowledge Management / Virtual Work Environment (VWE) • Missionary Phase • Convincing a segment of the population to accept a paradigm shift to KM. • Infrastructure Construction • Assure basic utilities are operational and reliable. • Environment Stabilization • Create training for key players – Facilitators, Cyberians, etc • Self Sustainment • Identify, and facilitate creation of core processes – economic cycles – “What’s in it for Me” (WIIFM), etc • Shared Values • Start building Enterprise consensus that is inclusive not divisive. • Political/leadership • Identify leaders, build connections between leaders, and model appropriate traits for roles – KM Networks - CoPs, CoIs, etc • External Catalysts Leave • Establish an exit strategy that dissolves relative to success of other steps.

21. Catalysts Leave Top Down Political / Leadership Share Values SelfSustainment EnvironmentStabilization Bottom Up InfrastructureConstruction MissionaryPhase Surge KM Nation Building Model

22. Steps for VWE Commit resources to establish path to success -surge operations. Real-time iteration – Process improvement Just-in-time training – Learning Organization Local control to provide local solutions. Qualified facilitators Passionate leads, or sponsors Solve important problems or points of pain

23. Points to Consider Technology • Technology should match Organization’s Skills • Technology reliability/performance will strongly influence adoption • Technology is the support tool for the three main pillars

24. Risks: Counter Offensive • Those biased by their vision of solution • “What is an old Gunfighter like me caring about KM” • “I never heard of anyone dying from lack of KM” • Those that are cynical that this is just another fad (25/50/25) • Those that do not want more efficient processes

25. Sabotage Approaches • Lip Service • Prolonged argument • Hijacking • Scarcity creation • Direct conflict “A Multidimensional View of Resistance to Organizational Change” Szabla, 2007

26. Fatal Barriers Lack of a stabilized, reliable, operationally sustainable, cyber environment – Servers, applications, firewalls, etc. Insufficient resources for a surge operation. Need for broad PME to create shared vision and values. Perceived lack of Command interest. Major cultural resistance. Agile Commands VWEs Paradigm Shift Tacit Networks Fringe Service

27. Basic Ingredients for a High-Performing VWE • Commit resources to establish path to success • Real-time iteration – Process improvement • Just-in-time training – Learning Organization • Local control to provide local solutions. • Qualified facilitators • Passionate lead, or sponsor • Solve important problems or points of pain

28. Lessons Learned • People • Focus on changing behaviors not cultures • Executives are not top priorities • There must be a WIFFM for each individual • Process • Do not spend a lot of time building sophisticated solutions • Process development should be quick build cycles • Process has two meanings – KM Process & Business Process

29. Lessons Learned • Technology • Technology should match Organization’s Skills • Technology services/support will influence adoption • Technology reliability/performance will also influence • Training • Training of the KM principles are critical for adoption • Training of VWE practices is also critical • Provide ‘just-in-time’ support (VWE help desk)

30. After the Tipping Point • Guides are not needed. • People infrastructure is self sustaining • VWE becomes the Organizational culture. • VWE can bring efficiencies to business processes. • VWE can enhance telework and together provide the natural infrastructure for COOP.