Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO)

A chief knowledge officer (CKO) is an organizational leader, responsible for ensuring that the organization maximizes the value it achieves through "knowledge". The CKO is responsible for managing intellectual capital and the custodian of Knowledge Management practices in an organization. CKO is not just a relabeling of the title "chief information officer" - the CKO role is much broader. CKOs can help an organization maximize the returns on investment in knowledge (people, processes and intellectual capital), exploit their intangible assets (know-how, patents, customer relationships), repeat successes, share best practices, improve innovation, and avoid knowledge loss after organizational restructuring.

CKO responsibilities include such things as:

Collecting relevant data that is useful for the organization as knowledge Developing an overall framework that guides knowledge management Actively promoting the knowledge agenda within and beyond the company Overseeing the development of the knowledge infrastructure Facilitating connections, coordination and communications.

CKOs must have skills across a wide variety of areas. They must be good at developing/understanding the big picture, advocacy (articulation, promotion and justification of the knowledge agenda, sometimes against cynicism or even open hostility), project and people management (oversight of a variety of activities, attention to detail, ability to motivate), communications (communicating clearly the knowledge agenda, have good listening skills and be sensitive to organizational opportunities and obstacles), leadership, teamworking, influencing, and interpersonal skills. The CKO who successfully combines these skills is well equipped as an excellent agent of change for their organization.

Other CKO tasks

Encourage individual learning and innovative thinking Implement reward plans and incentives Determine what technology is needed for the knowledge management effort and implement these

technologies. Put processes in place in order to facilitate the creation of organizational learning. Measure the impact of knowledge management on the business.

Roles a CKO must play

CKO as Knowledge-sharing Icon CKO as Trust Steward CKO as Total Trainer CKO as Techno Nerd CKO as Number-crunching Accountant

So what is the answer to the question: "Do company needs a CKO?"

Yes ... IfYou Want To

Maximize the returns on your investment in knowledge - people, processes and intellectual capital

Exploit your intangible assets e.g. know-how, patents, customer relationships Repeat your successes and share best practices

Improve your innovation - the commercialization of ideas Avoid knowledge loss and leakage after organizational restructuring.

For example: Dow Chemical has realized over $125 million through better exploitation of its patent portfolio; Texas Instruments has saved investment in a new plant by sharing knowledge of best practice from its existing plants.

No ... If

Knowledge is not important to your business (but 92 per cent in a recent survey said they were in a knowledge intensive business

You are content to leave it to local initiatives and hope it comes good A culture of knowledge sharing pervades and systematic processes are in place Knowledge leadership comes from the top and is passionately pursued Everybody has development of knowledge in their job plans Your performance monitoring system explicitly has a knowledge dimension.

For example: Bob Buckman, CEO of Buckman Chemicals has personally driven their knowledge initiative forward; Company X is developing an intranet, and hopes this alone will give them the benefits of knowledge management (we're not so sure!)

1. Job Responsibilitieso A chief knowledge officer meets with each business head prior to making an assesment.

The job responsibilities of a chief knowledge officer vary and can sometimes be difficult to define, particularly for an executive new to the role. Many CEOs do not know how to communicate the goals that they would like the knowledge officer to achieve. They simply understand that there are inefficiencies within the company, and they need someone to work them out.

A chief knowledge officer must first meet with heads of the businesses within the organization to understand which processes have worked in the past and which have not. He then explores each employee's level of product knowledge and ensures that they are leveraging that knowledge effectively to customers. An important component to this role is also to find other executives within the company who have an interest in exploring knowledge management and incorporating integrating those philosophies into the corporate culture. Once inefficiencies have been defined, he creates strategic plans to fix the problems and builds a management team to execute those plans.

2. Job Opportunitieso Candidates typically liaise through networking opportunities.

A qualified candidate seeking employment as a chief knowledge officer will find these roles in larger corporations, such as Fortune 500 companies and other multi-national organizations. Chief knowledge officers are typically hired directly by a chief executive officer through referral or through an executive staffing agency. Many qualified candidates liaise through networking opportunities or speak directly to a senior manager at his current employer, particularly when he works for a business that is underperforming.

3. Qualitative Requirementso A candidate should have an advanced understanding of organizational management.

The role of chief knowledge officer requires qualified candidates possess an advanced understanding of organizational management. Those in this position often shuffle employees

around into different jobs and reorganize systems and processes in an effort to close the gap between inefficiencies. He should also be an outstanding communicator, proven leader and maintain the ability to drive change across a large organization.

4. Educational Requirementso Chief knowledge officers need a degree.

The chief knowledge officer role maintains a similarity to that of a chief executive and chief information officer, as they are all top level executives. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hiring organizations require that all successful candidates for positions at this level possess, at minimum, a bachelor's degree in business or finance.