Knowledge Management
(Collison Parcell)

Knowledge Center

Learning, capturing, sharing and exploiting of knowledge, experience and good practices. Explanation of Knowledge Management of Collison and Parcell. ('01)

Contributed by: Chris Collison

What is the Knowledge Management approach of Collison and Parcell? Description

The Knowledge Management method from Chris Collison and Geoff Parcell is a framework that can be used for learning, capturing, sharing and exploiting knowledge, experience and good practices.

Knowledge Management is an oxymoron – nobody can really manage an asset which resides in the heads of employees, and is shared primarily through conversation.

What you can do, though, is: to manage the environment in which knowledge can be created, discovered, captured, shared, distilled, validated, transferred, adopted, adapted and applied. To create business value.

For creating an environment within which knowledge rapidly flourishes we need:

• The right conditions. A common reliable infrastructure and an organization that is willing to be entrepreneurial.
• The right means. A common model, tools and processes for learning.
• The right actions. Where people instinctively seek, share and use knowledge.
• The right leadership. Where learning and sharing is expected and role-modeled.

The methodology provides a number of tools, interventions and facilitation techniques to help organizations to learn before, during and after activities.
The benefits from these learning interventions can be multiplied if they are shared more widely as good practices – either through people-networks (communities), or through the capture and codification into regularly updated “knowledge products”.

Origin of the Knowledge Management method by Collison and Parcell. History

Originally derived by the knowledge management team of BP in 1998 from good practices in the US Army and other learning organizations, the methodology was published in 2001 in the book “Learning to Fly, lessons from one of the world’s leading knowledge companies”, Collison & Parcell. Once published, the methodology produced a community of practice – now in excess of 700 people from a wide variety of public and private sector organizations. In 2005 a new version of “Learning to Fly” was published to demonstrate the transferability of the approach, carrying stories of application from ten other organizations. Applications range from the United Nations to De Beers, from the BBC to primary schools in New South Wales. Elements of this knowledge management approach can be found today in a large number of organizations and business schools. Including Henley and Cranfield Management Schools.

Usage of the Knowledge Management framework by Collison and Parcell. Applications

• Preventing wheel reinvention, particularly in large, international organizations.
• Accelerating the integration process following an acquisition or merger.
• Identifying, capturing and sharing good practice in organizations.
• Dealing with cultural barriers that hold back organizations – e.g. “Not invented here”
• To build, nurture and support networks and communities of practice.
• Creating a culture of continuous improvement and learning.
• Involving leadership in the right behaviors to reinforce knowledge-sharing.

Steps in this Knowledge Management method. Process

See the diagram on the right.

• People and teams agree on a set of goals. Then they use knowledge to deliver against their targets, ultimately creating value. Where do you begin to intervene with knowledge management?
• Focus on the "Using Knowledge circle". What if you could inspire your organization to learn before, during and after any significant activity. Simple learning processes like assisting a colleague, retrospects (post project reviews) and after action reviews make their contribution here, and help to elicit new knowledge - knowledge which would have remained in the heads of the individuals concerned.
• All this learning activity needs to be connected to some kind of "knowledge bank". If you want to learn before doing, you will want to make a withdrawal. And when you have learned lessons which you want to contribute, you'll need to make a deposit.
• That's where the ability to capture and distil knowledge becomes important. But that's not the whole story. It is impossible to capture everything, so it's important to link the people and network who hold key knowledge and insights, and to encourage them to own and update any knowledge which is made explicit - captured as information.
• The environment or culture within your organization surrounds the model, which is critical to get started and sustain knowledge-sharing. This will be reflected in the right leadership behaviors, and the way in which Knowledge Management becomes embedded into core processes so that ultimately it becomes an "unconscious competence".

Strengths of this Knowledge Management framework. Benefits

• Delivering more, from less! Isn’t that what is being asked of all of us?
• Improve identification and transfer of good practices.
• Learning and improving leading to faster cycle times in product development and continuous improvement.
• Preventing the repetition of mistakes, and wheel-reinvention.
• To identify and overcome a not invented here culture.
• To improve the level of sharing and take-up of new ways of working.
• Credible approach. Proven in BP and a wide range of organizations, ranging from primary schools to corporate giants, from the UN to agile, networked non-government organizations.

Limitations of the Knowledge Management philosophy by Collison and Parcell. Disadvantages

• Requires a willingness to deal with the underlying culture and process issues – it's not just a technology quick fix – it's a holistic approach.
• Easier to demonstrate the immediate benefits in larger, distributed organizations. Although benefits are there for SMEs too.
• Deceptively simple.
• Knowledge management is often misunderstood by technology vendors peddling information management technology. There may be some management preconceptions to overcome.

Assumptions of Knowledge Management. Conditions

• Organizations achieve benefits if they work more effectively and efficiently.
• Companies that provide time-based services to clients may have to look more closely at where value is created to derive benefits from better management of knowledge.

Book: Collison & Parcell - Learning to Fly -

See also: Chris Collison's website

Special Interest Group - Knowledge Management Special Interest Group (277 members)

Forum - Knowledge Management   Here you will find interesting and educational discussions.   Knowledge on How to Use Knowledge (2 reactions) Knowledge is found everywhere in organizations. A success...           Knowledge Management Social Capability Culture and people factors can be merged into Knowledge Mana...           Technical Committees in Knowledge Management A tool to improve KM is a "Technical Committee" with employe...           Global KM Acceptance (2 reactions) KM is now globally accepted. In India and other advanced cou...           Knowledge Management in Testing of Software Kindly can I have your ideas on how knowledge management can...           The Value of Knowledge in a New Job (16 reactions) Knowledge is an interesting thing: in one respect, once we h...           Components of Knowledge Sharing Systems (1 reactions) What are the essential components of knowledge sharing syste...         Factors Hindering Knowledge Sharing (2 reactions) What is the best theory of knowledge sharing to examine the ...           Success Could Be your Failure? Make sure that your KM efforts are sustainable over the long...           Time Spent on Finding and Applying Knowledge A short article about a study of more than 200 knowledge wor...           How to Design a Knowledge Transfer Template? (1 reactions) What are the major issues that must be considered when desig...           Getting Traction in KM through Weekly Updates... I made a very interesting observation over the past few week...           Ways to Make Knowledge Capture Happen It seems to me that the most effective way to get people to ...           Knowledge Management Activity: The Share / Learn Board (2 reactions) This morning I facilitated a workshop around with the aim of...           The Role of Higher Education Institutions in New Knowledge Management Systems Technologies in information and knowledge management have be...           Closed Knowledge Management Platforms: Against the Grain? So, while enabling open sharing platforms in my organisation...

Best Practices - Knowledge Management Here you will find the most valuable ideas.   Knowledge Capturing Process and Methods (5 reactions) Who can share a more detailed documentation on the knowle...           The Value of Knowledge Sharing. The Proposition (2 reactions) Knowledge is best conserved through knowledge sharing....           The Impact of Knowledge Management in Value Creation (3 reactions) At which precise stage is value created by means of knowledg...           Methods for Explicit Knowledge Creation (1 reactions) What are the best methods or solutions to incorporate SECI k...           Social Networking for Knowledge Sharing (5 reactions) All of you know the value of Facebook and Twitter these days...           Conditions for Knowledge Management (22 reactions) Everyone speaks about knowledge management, what are the con...           Are People ready to share? (4 reactions) Very appropriately mentioned about the technology vendors. I...

Expert Tips - Knowledge Management Here you will find high-quality advice from experts.   Barriers that Hinder Effective Knowledge Sharing Effective Knowledge Sharing, Pitfalls to Avoid, Knowledge Management Implementation...       How to Identify and Map Knowledge Knowledge Identification, Knowledge Capturing, Knowledge Storage...       Positive Effects of Age Diversity on Company Productivity and (Tacit) Knowledge Sharing Tacit Knowledge Transfer, Workforce Productivity, Incentive Management...       Critical Activities to Build a Learning Organization Implementing Organizational Learning, Best Practices...       Capturing Learned Lessons How to Capture Organizational Learning? Best Practices...       How Culture Levels Explain Failures in Organizational Learning and Innovation Improving Organizational Learning, Organizational Innovation, Changing Organization Cultures...       What are Smart Creatives? Traits R&D, Product Development, Service Development, Strategy, Innovation, HR, Career Management...       People Development Approach for Successful Knowledge Management Knowledge Management, Career Management, Talent Management, Employee Induction, Human Resource Development...       Organizational Problems with Knowledge Workers Knowledge Intensive Organizations, Knowledge Management...       Knowledge Management Scope Knowledge Management, Level of Know-how...       Components of Learning Agility Organizational Agility, Organizational Learning, Knowledge Management...       Knowledge Management Focal Point Knowledge Management Focus...

Resources - Knowledge Management Here you will find powerpoint presentations, micro-learning videos and further information sources. Management of Knowledge Workers Innovation, IPP, Litigation...   Innovation and Knowledge Management The Importance of Innovation and Knowledge Management...   Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning Models, Implementation, Overview, Examples...   Knowledge Transfer and Knowledge Sharing Knowledge Management, Knowledge Sharing, Knowledge Transfer...   How to Improve Knowledge Sharing in Knowledge-intensive Organizations Knowledge Management, Knowledge Sharing Motivation, Knowledge Sharing Platform. Tacit Knowledge...   Knowledge Management Systems Architecture Knowledge Management, Knowledge Creation, Knowledge Systems, Knowledge Architecture...   Overview of Existing Types of Knowledge Knowledge Management, Knowledge Types, Tacit, Implicit, Explicit, Declarative, Procedural Knowledge...   Why Continuous Learning is Key to Your Life and Career Your Personal Growth and Development, Career Management...   Introduction to Knowledge Management: Foundation Principles and Building Concepts Knowledge Management, Knowledge Sharing, Learning Organization...   Introduction and Summary of SECI Initial Understanding of SECI. Start of workshop/training...   E-knowledge networks Knowledge Management...   Professor Evans Explains Why Fast Change Requires New Ways of Learning and Thinking Action Learning, Coping with Change, The Need of Change, The Need for New Ways of Learning...   How to Integrate Internal Organizational Knowledge with External Online Communities Knowledge Management, Knowledge Creation, Knowledge Sharing, Interaction, Knowledge in Organizations...   Knowledge Management, Organizational Learning and Intellectual Capital Intellectual Capital, Knowledge Management, Organizational Learning...   Knowledge Sharing and Organizational Learning through Communities of Practices Knowledge Sharing, Organizational Learning, Communities of Practices, Special Interest Groups...   Three Levels of Knowledge Management Initial Understanding Knowledge Management, Organizational Learning...   The Difference Between Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management Initial Understanding of the Difference Between OL en KM...   Knowledge Management Diagram Knowledge Management...   Knowledge Transfer in the E-world Knowledge Management, Knowledge Transfer, Internet, Intranet, E-Business, CRM...     News about Knowledge Collison         News about Knowledge Management         Videos about Knowledge Collison         Videos about Knowledge Management         Presentations about Knowledge Collison         Presentations about Knowledge Management         Books about Knowledge Collison         Books about Knowledge Management         More about Knowledge Collison         More about Knowledge Management

Compare with Knowledge Management: Organizational Learning  |  Organizational Memory  |  Bridging Epistemologies  |  SECI model  |  Action Learning  |  Intellectual Capital Rating  |  Levels of Culture  |  People CMM  |  MAGIC

Return to Management Hub: Change & Organization  |  Communication & Skills  |  Human Resources  |  Knowledge & Intangibles

More Management Methods, Models and Theory