KM Chicago: January meeting follow-up
The most recent KM Chicago (http://kmchicago.blogspot.com) meeting was a roundtable discussion format, focusing on helping KMers in transition. I thought that it was a really rich discussion with a lot of good tips and suggestions, some of which include:
- Approach career opportunities with the idea of “fit” in mind. How can you answer the questions:
- What are they trying to achieve with this position?
- How can I make the critical difference in this role?
- How can I best communicate this?
- When discussing previous experience that wasn’t 100% focused on KM, show how the skills/responsibilities relate to or are KM (e.g., knowledge sharing, capture, etc.)
- On the other hand, where organizations are looking for a KM role that isn’t actually branded as KM (more on this below), describe your experience and skills in their terms
- Focus your resume on impact statements
- Organizations are often looking for people who have “been there, done that” and not those who are new to the particular skillset they’re looking for - particularly in the realm of technology. For those KMers who are looking to expand their skills, volunteering at organizations who need the particular skillset you’re trying to develop is a great opportunity to gain experience and prove that you have actually been there, and done that
Job search strategies were also discussed and tended to hammer home the key points below:
- Create a database of personal contacts, let them know what you’re looking for
- Network, network, network (at event such as KM Chicago —- PLUG!)
- “If you’re not on LinkedIn, you might as well not even be trying”
- Set up saved searches on vertical job search engine sites, such as www.indeed.com and www.simplyhired.com
To the last point above, and what I mentioned earlier, not all KM roles are identified as such. Many use similar terms to describe the same ends, or may only be KM-ish in nature, but may still be an excellent fit for you. With that in mind, I captured a list of these similar terms that were thrown around during the meeting. So if you’re stuck on what to search for, or other ways to describe what you’ve done, try using some of these keywords:
Informatics, process control, content management, knowledge management, knowledge manager, information management, web 2.0, web analytics, market intelligence, competitive intelligence, online community moderation, community management, communities of practice, social media, organizational change, adoption, taxonomy, collaboration, learning management, organizational learning, learning organizations, competency development, training, distance learning, distance education, informal learning, expert mapping, knowledge transfer, innovation, optimization, optimize processes, business improvement, knowledge integration, systems integration, records management, communications
And, if there are any keywords that we might have missed, feel free to let me know in the comments.
Workshop on Knowledge Retention
On October 7th I’ll be taking part in a lunch panel discussing the subject of organizational knowledge retention. The information is just below, but more details and registration info can be found here . It should be a great discussion - please join us if you can.
Knowledge Retention: How to Keep Knowledge from Walking out the Door
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008
Union League Club, 65 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago?
“In years gone by the physical plant and equipment were the assets to be guarded. Now, increasingly, our most valuable assets walk out the door at five o’clock every day. Though the workers leave the machines and computers behind when they go home, they take the experience and skill-sets with them. If they don’t come back, we’re in deep trouble.” (Source)?
How do organizations identify and deal with capturing and retaining knowledge from employees who are retiring or leaving? Join SLA Illinois and KM Chicago members for an exploration of this important issue and how information professionals can play a relevant role within their organizations.
Lunch Panel
Three KM practitioners will discuss their experiences, followed by a question and discussion session. Bring your questions and comments on this topic!
- Curtis Conley is a knowledge management professional and doctoral candidate at Northern Illinois University. Curtis’ KM experience in professional service firms has included the implementation of tools and processes targeting knowledge retention, capture, sharing and reuse. His dissertation and research focuses on the factors critical for the success of KM initiatives in organizations.
- Laura Claggett is the manager of Knowledge & Library Services at UOP LLC - a petrochemical technology company headquartered in Des Plaines, IL. Her team of knowledge management professionals works on knowledge retention of technical experts, mentoring, technology mapping, social network analysis and document management. Laura has an MLS from the University of Illinois, an MBA from Dominican University, and is an adjunct faculty at Dominican University’s GSLIS.
- Rich Doody is currently a manager within the Knowledge Management group at PepsiCo in Chicago. He was formerly the Knowledge Management Program Leader at Kraft Foods and has extensive experience in proprietary knowledge retention approaches with scientific and technical knowledge. He holds a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Afternoon Workshop
Facilitator: Kathy Hagen
In order to meet the challenges of today’s competitive environment, organizations must be able to access and use the accumulated experience of their employees. Experienced employees are retiring and changing positions at unprecedented rates. What is your organization doing to make sure that this wealth of knowledge is not walking out the door? This interactive half-day session will focus on identifying critical knowledge, defining knowledge risks and developing a knowledge transfer plan.
Before starting her own business, Kathy held positions that combined knowledge management, process improvement, change management, and information technology in the life sciences, manufacturing, and retail industries. Kathy worked with Deloitte as a Senior Manager heading the Intellectual Capital Practice and served as the Assistant Director of Exploratory Development Informatics and Knowledge Management at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals in Groton, Connecticut. Prior to Pfizer, Kathy Hagen was the principal leading the Global Knowledge Management Practice for Health Care at Computer Science Corporation. Kathy serves on the Leadership Team for the Twin Cities Knowledge Management Forum. She teaches Knowledge Transfer at the Minnesota State College and University System and is a guest lecturer at St. Thomas University Graduate School of Business. For more information, see http://www.klhagen.com/ .