Leadership and Communication

Question 1

identify the techniques leaders need to understand for a successful KCS transformation

Answer 1

define the vision, which includes:

• a compelling purpose
• a mission statement
• explicit values
• the brand promise

define organizational metrics and goals that support the vision

capitalize on the inherent motivation factors in KCS

nurture people in a collaborative environment

gain buy-in and support for the KCS initiative

communicate, communicate, communicate

Question 2

explain what ‘leadership in fractal’ means

Answer 2

“leadership is fractal” means that at each level of the organization the understanding of what the organization is trying to accomplish is identical (compelling purpose, mission, values and brand promise). If people at different places i the organization have different views or interpretations of the vision, it creates dissonance, and the goals will not be achieved

Question 3

identify the four common elements of an effective vision statement

Answer 3

a compelling purpose - a simple value proposition

a mission statement - our approach to achieving the purpose

explicit values - defines acceptable behavior in achieving the purpose

the brand promise - describes the attributes of our relationship with those we serve

Question 4

describe compelling purpose/value statements

Answer 4

the compelling purpose/value statement is what the organization is about. it is a simple phrase that describes our value proposition

values are the definition of acceptable behaviors is accomplishing the purpose. alignment to the purpose is a result of understanding and caring

the compelling purpose has to be something we care about, something we have a connection to. motivation comes from a corresponding belief that one’s actions will make a difference in achieving the purpose

balance the tension goals of customer loyalty and operational efficiency

Question 5

explain components of compelling purpose statement

Answer 5

known by all
does not reference the organization or individual
brief, clear, and concise
a value proposition
and elicits and emotional response

Question 6

define strategic framework

Answer 6

the strategic framework aligns the benefits of KCS to the goals of the organization

provides the basis for the communication plan

is critical for gaining executive support

can help sustain KCS focus across executive turnover and changing priorities

Question 7

list the stakeholders for the strategic framework

Answer 7

stakeholders of the support organization are:

customers
knowledge workers
organizational leaders

Question 8

explain why teamwork is important for KCS

Answer 8

teamwork and collaboration are critical for KCS as the foundation of KCS is capturing and improving the collective experiences of the organization

while tools can enable collaboration, the behaviors (teamwork) are what drives the benefits

Question 9

identify the key competencies for successful team leaders in KCS environment

Answer 9

strategic agility - understand how tasks relate to the big picture (double-loop thinking)

innovation leadership - encourage creativity

dealing with ambiguity - understand how to measure things that cannot be counted and that lacks a single indicator for the creation of value

courage - willing to try new things and then iterate for improvement

motivating others - understand the motivational factors in knowledge work

customer focus - living the brand promise

Question 10

describe how leaders are accountable for knowledge workers’ success

Answer 10

leadership development - leaders at the team level (formally called managers) need the training and coaching to make transition from managing to leading. leadership is accountable for supporting the knowledge worker’s success with KCS

ensuring that the knowledge workers have the perspective, training, and coaching they need to be successful

ensuring that the technology infrastructure has the functionality, integration, and performance to support the solve loop

reporting on the status and progress on the “what’s in it for me? (WIIFM) for the knowledge worker

provide knowledge workers with continuous visibility to the impact of their contribution

Question 11

list the top four motivation factors related to work

Answer 11

1) achievement
2) recognition
3) the work itself
4) responsibility

Question 12

explain how KCS impacts achievement

Answer 12

earning the right to publish or become a KCS coach

creating knowledge articles that others use

expanding breadth of product knowledge

contributing to the goals of the organization in a measurable way

collaborating as part of a group that is create value for the business

Question 13

explain how KCS impacts recognition

Answer 13

reputation of the author - based on the creation of value in the knowledge base, one becomes known based on their articles in the knowledge base

acknowledging knowledge contribution through KCS measures and reports that visible to the group

acknowledging organization leaders as role models for others

Question 14

explain ow KCS impacts the work itself

Answer 14

reducing redundancy, always working on interesting new things

increasing confidence allows responder to handle a broad range of incidents because the knowledge base compliments existing knowledge

Question 15

explain how KCS impacts responsibility

Answer 15

licensing a responder to publish (KCS competency) without review by others (autonomy & accountability)

licensing a responder to modify/improve content

being part of a team

being part of the collective ownership of content - “flag it or fix it”

Question 16

describe the considerations for designing recognition programs

Answer 16

legitimate metrics - tied to independent feedback and customer input, most often done through satisfaction or effort surveys

alignment to organizational goals - links to and reinforces desired outcomes and the strategic framework

time constraints - clear beginning and end, and a plan for what is appropriate for the next phase of the KCS journey

balance of individual and team rewards - consider virtual teams as well as geographical and subject matter experts teams (SMEs)

compatibility with the individual - tailored to the values, interest, and styles of the person or team (don’t embarrass an introvert)

equal opportunity for participation - include recognition for different positions, roles, and responsibilities

recognition of diversity of skills - good generalists are as valuable as good specialist; recognition for each of the skills needed for success

promote collaboration, not competition - measure and recognize individuals’s own progress and achievements

Question 17

describe the components of a KCS communications plan

Answer 17

target audiences - whom do we need to engage and influence to a successful adoption?

• critical audiences are: executives, managers, and knowledge workers
• the expanded list would include IT staff, product management, marketing, and sales personnel

key messages - different audiences (executives vs. knowledge workers) require different messages because they have different roles and objectives

what’s in it for me (WIIFM) - clearly communicate relevant personal benefits, not just benefits to the organization as a whole

KCS Q&A/FAQ - capture the questions that are frequently asked and develop thoughtful answers - an easily accessible written response ensures consistent messaging

overcoming objections - consider the real and perceived objections for each audience and include enough detail in the response to alleviate concerns

elevator pitch - a quick (seconds) overview of KCS benefits and why it matters to the listeners - a good elevator pitch captures the listener’s interest, makes them want to learn more, and creates a positive perception

delivery vehicles - different audiences will require different communication tools (i.e. on-line, in-person, and through organizational communication tools). think through and identify the most appropriate delivery vehicles, by audience, so that the message will be hard and be remembered

programs and activities for engagement and socialization - with messages and communication tools in mind, identify the mechanism to socialize the ideas

• how will you create interactive conversations, solicit input, and encourage support
• what programs or activities will reach each of the target audiences?

project plan and timeline - all communication plan elements should be organized in a project plan with a timeline (and appropriate budget)

Question 18

identify examples of different types of programs that could be used for engagement and socialization

Answer 18

meetings (all-hands, group, 1:1)
"management by walking around" (MBWA) - casual skip-level communications
coaching and training
conference call
themed giveaways 
newsletters (hardcopy and online/email)
e-mail updated
bulletin boards
posters
videos
websites

Question 19

identify tactices for handing objections

Answer 19

be sensitive to the feelings behind the objections
acknowledge the validity of feelings and empathize
seek to understand the issue from the other’s person’s perspective
offer an alternative perspective (don’t debate or argue)
use “what’s in it for me” (WIIFM) to craft a response they can relate to

Question 20

identify the three indicators of organizational value

Answer 20

1) operational efficiency - increased capacity

2) self-service success
- increase the frequency of users self-service
- increase the user’s success rate

3) business improvements (products, documentation, processes, an dpolicies)
- number of improvements identified and submitted to the business owner
- number of improvements implemented by the business owners

Question 21

identify required investments to implement KCS

Answer 21

leadership and management - sponsorship, program resources, and leadership development (training and coaching)

infrastructure and development - modification of existing tools or the acquisition and implementation new tools, as well as the integration of those tools with existing systems

learning and growth - training and coaching for knowledge workers

implementation and development - of new roles and skills in the organization (coaches, knowledge domain experts (KDE))

KCS article management - the processes and resources for the evolve loop artivities

Question 22

knowledge workers benefits of KCS

Answer 22

qualitative - recognition for problem - solving skills, peer feedback, sense of accomplishment, sense of autonomy

quantitative - attrition rate, job satisfaction, technical scope (increase expertise), development of new knowledge related to competencies

Question 23

customer benefits of KCS

Answer 23

qualitative - customer satisfaction and loyalty, improved support experiences (speed, accuracy, consistency) customer/user productivity, sense of connectedness

quantitative - renewal rates, rate of repeat business, frequency of use of the web/online)

Question 24

business benefits of KCS

Answer 24

qualitative - image and reputation; good place to work, good company to do business with

quantitative - support cost per user/customer, cost per incident, cost to create or maintain content for web/online delivery, capacity, time to technical proficiency, ease of recruitment and retention

Question 25

identify the benefit of a brand promise

Answer 25

a brand promise is the list of attributed that describe your relationship with those you serve (your customers). the brand promise is based on the interactions with your customers. over time it is what those you serve say about the relationship they have with you