The Knowledge-Enabled Organization

Written for HR Professionals, this book will help you transform a traditional academic-model training department into a Knowledge-Enabled Organization that supports and fosters continuous learning that has a direct impact on business goals. In the world of Human Resources, this book is well written and accessible to everyone while also being theoretical in orientation. Tobin attacks the "Academic Research Model" under which most training organizations function and which makes the developmental process unnecessarily lengthy and expensive. He argues that training professionals need a detailed knowledge of the business goals, customers, strategies and practices of the organization for which they design training. Tobin believes that developing a Knowledge Network is crucial to becoming a Knowledge-Enabled Organization. There are four major components to a Knowledge Network: A database of specific company knowledge and experience, a directory of experts and their skill sets within the organization, a directory of learning resources inside and outside of the company, and a set of tools, methods, and capabilities that enable employees to learn from each other.

"In most businesses, when you mention the word learning, people immediately think of a formal training group, whether it is called 'training and development,' 'education and training,' employee development,' or any of a dozen other titles. Built on a traditional model, these training groups have done more to hinder progress in creating knowledge-enabled organizations than they have helped. A new model is needed, not just for the training group but for the company as a whole. Becoming a knowledge-enabled organization involves not just the training group but everyone from the CEO down; it requires basic changes in how the company is organized and run. The good news is that you can get there from here. This is your guidebook for making the journey" (from the Introduction p.3).In this context, Daniel R. Tobin:* argues that "training programs in most companies today rob the company in two ways. First, because formal training programs developed and delivered by traditional training groups are ineffective in helping the company and its employees succeed in meeting their goals, they waste large amounts of money and time. Second, by creating the illusion that formal training programs can meet the company's learning needs and those of its employees, by separating employees' learning needs and learning activities from their actual work, companies miss opportunities to improve individual and company performance, meet or exceed stated goals, and create real competitive advantage".* presents the four stages of his learning model as an alternative to the traditional model, and examines some common barriers (unavailability of data, inability to find relevant, purposeful data, failure to recognize and share tacit knowledge), and other inhibitors (misdirected measurement and reward strategies, rigid organizational structures, and policies and procedures that force people to work in the same old ways even while the leaders are pointing to new directions) to knowledge development.* examines what it means to be a knowledge-enabled organization.* argues that "one key to creating a knowledge-enabled organization is the practice of developing individual employee learning contracts for every employee in the company. The learning contract specifies the knowledge and skills that the employee must acquire over the next year to meet individual goals. These goals are tied directly to functional, departmental, and business unit goals and must have a direct relation to the company's overall business goals".* examines a wide range of learning options and how they can fulfill employees' learning contracts.* as a guide for starting to build a company's knowledge network, presents some excellent practices that companies have undertaken to build their own knowledge networks, and argues that "without a positive learning environment, no organization can become knowledge-enabled, regardless of how much it spends on tools and technologies".* dis

I found Dr. Tobin's book both useful in its content and very readable. Compared to many business books which often leave me thinking "So what is their point?," Dan Tobin gives clear examples, illuminating case studies, and practical suggestions. He is also clear regarding why he omitted the technology side of the equation - it would be outdated by the time the book came out. However, if you are interested in more of the technology side, you might want to check out Tom Kooulopolus' book Smart Companies, Smart Tools (Van Nostrand Reinhold). I especially liked Dan's description of how companies "jump started" their knowledge sharing process, as this seems to be THE major limiting factor, not the technology. As experts in the Knowledge Management field are recognizing, the big question is: How do you create a climate where people want to share knowledge? This book gives some practical suggestions and case studies of how organizations have done this. I strongly recommend checking out Dan's book as well as his earlier ones.