E-1. Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO)

In an attempt to put some boundaries and limits on the subject of KM as a useful concept in the U.S. Federal Government, a series of government and industry brainstorming sessions were held in May and June 2000. The Federal KM Working Group sponsored the government-industry-academia workshops at the Information Resources Management College, National Defense University, to define the roles and responsibilities of a Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO). These workshops focused on the breadth of knowledge and skills needed by knowledge managers. Participants in the first session included CKOs or equivalents from the Federal government. The second session included CKOs or equivalents from the private sector, primarily from information technology and consulting businesses. Each group focused on the role of a CKO in a public sector organization, the competencies that make a CKO successful, and the most important personal attributes CKOs must bring to the job. An overall result was a deeper understanding of the importance of knowledge management to organizations as seen through the eyes of both public and private sector Chief Knowledge Officers. Dr. Robert E. Neilson, IRMC, of the National Defense University was instrumental in leading these sessions and bringing the work of the group to fruition. NDU hosts a website that addresses these important topics.

The results of the sessions are discussed below.

1. What is the role of a CKO in a public sector organization?

Responses to this question show that Chief Knowledge Officers in the public sector play a markedly different role than that of a Chief Information Officer (CIO). While CIOs focus much of their activity on physical computer and network assets, CKOs focus their efforts on an integrated set of activities that address organizational behaviors, processes, and technologies. These activities loosely fall in the areas of: leadership and strategy, outcomes, best practices/ processes, knowledge-sharing culture, communities of practice, incentives and rewards, tools and technology, education, taxonomy, and resources. (see Figure 1)

Analyzing the content for each activity indicates that a CKO's role involves leveraging the "soft stuff" in organizations. Creating a knowledge-sharing culture, championing communities of practice, providing leadership and strategy, and using incentives and rewards, are activities that are the province of the CKO, but are tough to measure using traditional and generally accepted business metrics. These activities mirror the activities of successful Chief Executive Officers (CEOs).

CKOs must also possess a working knowledge of the tools and technologies to leverage the extant intellectual base in organizations, though they are not necessarily technologists by training. In sum, their role is to create and maintain an environment and atmosphere within which all workers deliver value to the organization using existing and unexploited explicit and tacit knowledge sources. Frequently, CKOs fulfill this role by experimenting and partnering with business units. Additionally, they are charged with the task of charting clear processes, classification schemes, and tools to access and use existing data, information, and explicit and tacit knowledge in a manner that promotes sharing across time, space, and boundaries.




2. What competencies and skills make a CKO successful?

This question attempts to probe beyond some of the existing literature addressing "what CKOs do" and determine what competencies help make CKOs successful, i.e., "How would you recognize a third degree black belt CKO if you bumped into one in the hallway?" Responses can be organized into six major competency areas that CKOs, or aspiring CKOs, should possess. These are: leadership and management, communications, strategic thinking, tools and technologies, personal behaviors, and personal knowledge and cognitive capability. (See Figure 2)

Both public and private sector CKOs felt that successful CKOs must think holistically and strategically and must be able to convincingly communicate the value of KM to skeptical audiences. CKOs need to move beyond what Tom Davenport calls "serious anecdote management" (Davenport and Prusak, 1998) able to translate qualitative benefits of KM projects into quantitative benefits to win the hearts and minds of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and CEOs. Otherwise, many KM projects will fall into the management fad category.

In addition to the requisite leadership and management capabilities, and a working knowledge of tools and technologies, existing and aspiring CKOs need to possess an a priori personal knowledge base and cognitive capability set. Without a personal knowledge base and demonstrated personal behaviors, newly appointed CKOs lack credibility and have difficulty "selling" KM concepts to senior management.




3. What are the most important personal attributes CKOs must bring to the job?

Responses to this question included the following attributes: passion, patience, persistence, sensitivity, organizational savvy, smart, wise, life-long learner, "thick skinned," integrator, and depth and breadth of knowledge. With the exception of life-long learner, most of these personal attributes do not discriminate between a CKO and other senior leaders. Good chief executive officers, chief operating officers, and chief financial officers certainly possess the majority of the personal attributes in this list. Upon reflection, the question should have addressed what unique personal attributes CKOs should possess in addition to those attributes associated with senior leadership positions. (see Figure 3)

+ Add Comment [Reference e-mail: ]

Attachments (Hide)

File Size(Kb) User Date Version AttributesofCKO.gif 61 Karl Hebenstreit Feb 27, 2008 10:08 PM 1 CompSkillsofCKO.gif 171 Karl Hebenstreit Feb 27, 2008 10:07 PM 1 RoleofCKO.gif 223 Karl Hebenstreit Feb 27, 2008 10:05 PM 1