Creating mindful knowledge management practices at KMWorld 2019

We are constantly inundated with information, everything we do requires the passing, creating, and accessing of knowledge. We do this so often we don’t realize we’re doing it.

Tara Mohn, knowledge management evangelist, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, discussed how mindfulness is important to productivity in her KMWorld 2019 session, “Mindful Knowledge Facilitation.”

Mindful knowledge facilitation is maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of the knowledge being absorbed, used, consulted, and shared while remaining cognizant of potential adjustments to leverage improvements and greater harmony.

Videos of KMWorld 2019 awards presentations,  keynotes, and sessions can be found here.

In order to perform their jobs, people must must facilitate knowledge, meaning they must find the knowledge needed by using personal knowledge stores (in our heads), using the usual external knowledgebases we know about, and consulting experts previously identified, she explained.

“People don’t realize that they’re sharing knowledge,” Mohn said. “Even though things get done, there are gaps in the process. By default we do not notice nuances of knowledge work, it’s just human nature.”

Practicing mindful knowledge facilitation can close the gaps, Mohn said.

“You can reprogram mind to be more mindful of what you’re doing and thought process behind things,” Mohn said.

A few easy steps to begin mindful facilitation of knowledge include:

• Disregard preconceptions 
• Practice Alternative Exploration 
• Notice the Better Result
• Recognition

All organizations, even public sector, are in the business of creating and delivering desired products.  This has become exponentially more complex due to a necessary layer of software or IT services that have become a necessary part of product delivery.   

This ever-evolving component underscores the need for agility, flexibility, and change management.

Organizations should:

• Embrace Continuous Change (not oppose it)
• Manage with outcomes (not outputs)
• Create a two-way conversation with the market (listen and respond)
• Create Team Collaboration (Collaboration improves outcomes)
• Create Learning Culture (failure is learning)

Tools to accomplish this include:

• Mindful Knowledge Work Campaign including Mindful Knowledge Facilitation Guidelines

• Encourage Alternative Exploration at point of knowledge facilitatioin
• Hold regular Knowledge Management Events
• Link2Learning, 2Xper month
• Knowledge Cafés every 6 months
• KM Share Fairs Annually
• Knowledge Management Awareness Week – Annually

“Events can bring the knowledge moment into the forefront of people’s minds,” Mohn said. “This can lead to new perspectives that create benefits you’ve never seen before. Regular events in organizations encourage more mindful strategies and recognize the good work that’s going on.”

KMWorld 2019 is a part of a unique program of five co-located conferences, which also includes Enterprise Search & Discovery, Office 365 Symposium, Taxonomy Boot Camp, and Text Analytics Forum.

Many speakers at KMWorld 2019 are making their presentations available at www.kmworld.com/Conference/2019/Presentations.aspx.

SAVE THE DATE FOR KMWORLD 2020- NOVEMBER 16-19, 2020!