Leadership and Communication Flashcards
chapter7
identify the techniques leaders need to understand for a successful KCS transformation
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
explain what ‘leadership in fractal’ means
“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
identify the four common elements of an effective vision statement
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
describe compelling purpose/value statements
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
explain components of compelling purpose statement
known by all does not reference the organization or individual brief, clear, and concise a value proposition and elicits and emotional response
define strategic framework
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
list the stakeholders for the strategic framework
stakeholders of the support organization are:
customers
knowledge workers
organizational leaders
explain why teamwork is important for KCS
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
identify the key competencies for successful team leaders in KCS environment
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
describe how leaders are accountable for knowledge workers’ success
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
list the top four motivation factors related to work
1) achievement
2) recognition
3) the work itself
4) responsibility
explain how KCS impacts achievement
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
explain how KCS impacts recognition
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
explain ow KCS impacts the work itself
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
explain how KCS impacts responsibility
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”
describe the considerations for designing recognition programs
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
describe the components of a KCS communications plan
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)
identify examples of different types of programs that could be used for engagement and socialization
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
identify tactices for handing objections
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
identify the three indicators of organizational value
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
identify required investments to implement KCS
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
knowledge workers benefits of KCS
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
customer benefits of KCS
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)
business benefits of KCS
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
