Knowledge Management Thought Leader 74: Steve Denning

Originally posted 13-Jun-24

Steve Denning is a consultant, speaker, and author on leadership, storytelling, and management. He has written over 900 articles on strategy and leadership as a senior contributor for Forbes.

Steve is the former Program Director, Knowledge Management at the World Bank, where he spearheaded a major strategic shift. He now works with organizations on leadership, innovation, business agility and organizational storytelling.

Steve is a director of the SD Learning Consortium, a group of private sector firms that are committed to transforming the world of work. Steve has written over 40 articles for the management journal, Strategy & Leadership.

For more about Steve, see Profiles in Knowledge.

Selected BooksFour Knowledge Management Lists

Thirteen Key Elements Knowledge Management

Communities of PracticePlace (online presence)Help DeskYellow Pages (expertise location)Primer (FAQ)Knowledge ArtifactsBulletin Board (threaded discussions)Doorway (external access)Demand (enhance using narrative)Imagination (for transformational innovation)Risk ManagementValues (conducive to sharing)Social Media (blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, etc.)

Seventeen Myths of Knowledge Management

Knowledge is always a plusKnowledge always helps innovationKnowledge is stickyThe concept of knowledge is infinitely extendableKnowledge can be transferredKnowledge-sharing is always a good thingKnowledge is more important than valuesPeople always want to have better knowledgeThe task of KM is to enhance the supply of knowledgeThere are structural solutions to the lack of demand for knowledgeKM is the same for all organizationsKnowledge is the only sustainable competitive advantageKnowledge management will transform the business landscapeKM succeeded and no one knows itIt was the IT vendors who killed KMThe right question to ask is: how do you make knowledge-based organizations?Knowledge is the raison d’être for organizations and explains competitive advantage

Ten steps to get more business value from knowledge management

Slice through the hypeFight off the IT firmsTake a hard look at your own organizationSet your knowledge management strategyUse narrative techniques to communicate your KM strategyPay special attention to organizational valuesEncourage communities and cross-communitiesSet your incentives (carefully!)Measure progress (carefully!)Recognize the limits of knowledge

Seven laws of knowledge management

Knowledge sharing is essential to economic survivalCommunities of practice are the heart and soul of knowledge sharingVirtual community members also need physical interactionsPassion is the driving force behind communities of practiceCommunities enrich organizations and personal livesKnowledge sharing has inside-out and outside-in dynamicStorytelling ignites knowledge sharing

Three corollaries

Knowledge sharing is at some point confused with ITMiddle-management resistsVibrant communities of practice attract new talentsSupport for Change: Storytelling as a SpringboardRadical Management: Creating a Safe Space for KM[image error]