Question

As of end May 2020, during a period of severe unemployment in the USA, there were over 570,000 Knowledge Manager jobs advertised on Indeed.com. This compares with 4,300 Financial Manager jobs and 13,000 Operations Manager jobs at the same time on the same platform.

Your task is to prepare a report for a jobs agency director on the topic of: Preparing Candidates for the Role of Knowledge Manager. The report is intended to help prepare unemployed managers (the ‘candidates’) for a career change to Knowledge Management roles, thus increasing their potential success in finding a new job. The report should cover the following topics:

1. A brief explanation of the term ‘Knowledge Management’

2. An explanation for the fast-growing interest on the part of companies to employ Knowledge Managers

3. A description of what a Knowledge Manager is expected to undertake (job processes) and what s/he is expected to achieve (job objectives)

4. Key competencies that a Knowledge Manager should have or acquire in order to be eligible for such roles

Answer 1

Q: 1. A brief explanation of the term ‘Knowledge Management’:

A: Knowledge Management is the continuous process of defining, structuring, retaining, and sharing knowledge and experience of employees within an organisation. The main objective is knowledge retention and improvement of the efficiency of an organisation. The three key areas of knowledge management are - knowledge identification and collection, knowledge storage, and knowledge sharing.

Q: 2. An explanation for the fast-growing interest on the part of companies to employ Knowledge Managers.

A: Knowledgement managers are essential for the success of organisations since it involves the important functions of identification, collection, storage, and use of the information in such a way so as to ensure the information and knowledge adds to the success to an organisation. Knowledge is vital and if someone is collecting and sharing information at the right time at the right place, one can definitely expect the growth and success of an organisation.

Q: 3. A description of what a Knowledge Manager is expected to undertake (job processes) and what s/he is expected to achieve (job objectives)

A: A knowledge manager is expected to undertake (job processes) and is expected to achieve (job objectives) such as:

- Create knowledge sharing activities with employees and partners through workshops, training programs, meetings, webinars, etc.

- Strengthens the connection to aid information exchange within an organisation.

- Implementation of new ideas, processes and technology.

- Design and analyse networks and processes for easier knowledge sharing.

- Manages the knowledge management team.

- Formulates action plans and projects which aid in the knowledge management.

- Continuously identifies new knowledge being generated and ensures the application of this new knowledge within an organisation.

- Continuously works towards the up-gradation of the knowledge management structure of an organisation.

Q: 4. Key competencies that a Knowledge Manager should have or acquire in order to be eligible for such roles

A: The key competencies that a Knowledge Manager should have or acquire in order to be eligible for such roles are:

a. Communication skills are essential in order share knowledge at all levels of the organisation.

b. Processing factual and thereotical knowledge in order to know how to apply it.

c. Identification and accessing information to gain knowledge.

d. Intellectual competencies in order to be able to analyse and process information to decide on what is required and what can be filtered.

e. Ability to apply the information thus collected.

f. Motivation to be a self starter and to motivate others in an organisation to share and gain knowledge.