Organizational Learning in Practice

Organizational
Learning in Practice
Valeria L. Hunter, Independent Information Service Advisor
September 17, 2015

Personal Context
• Experience: 30+ years in the energy industry, 8 years in KM/OL
• Seventeen years: Amoco Pipelines, BP Pipelines, BP Alternative Fuels
(Hydrogen Refueling), and BP Refining Technology
• Eight years: Battelle Memorial Institute, Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory
• Four years: Westinghouse Hanford Company, Rockwell International
• Two years: Detroit Edison

Discussion Context
• Business Segments using these practices
• Downstream businesses (Refining)
• Upstream businesses (Exploration and Production)
• Organizational Learning vs. Knowledge Management
Capital
Projects !

Simple questions - only one right answer: Best practice
Question example: What safety inspection should be conducted on “x” piece of equipment?
Response example: Create Q+A (expert) database or checklist or new Standard Operating Procedure
1
Complicated questions - better or worse answers: Better Practice
Question example: What is the best way to stop duplication of effort on technical projects?
Response example: Create a lessons learned portal or decision map or “expert search”
2
Complex questions - no apparent right answer: Emergent Practice
Question example: Why is demand dropping in “x” and “y” markets?
Response example: Engage a Community of Practice or Action Learning event
3
Fundamentally Undefined Questions: Novel Practice
Question example: What disruptions will this organization need to respond to
in 2025 and what do we need to do in order to be prepared?
Response example: Convene a Knowledge Hacking event
4 © K3Cubed Ltd. 2014
www.k3cubed.com
Developed by D. Griffiths, PhD
© K3Cubed Ltd. 2015
Questions drive knowledge acquisition, storage, sharing and development
KC Questioning Gap-Response

Knowledge Management
System Solutions
Technology systems available to practitioners
Document Repository
Local Lessons
Repository
Q&A
Forum
Self-service library of tools, templates
and examples
Lessons from organization events.
Locally validated.
Lessons of enterprise significance.
Promoted from local organizations.
Q&A Discussion Forum – Ask
questions, provide responses.
Supported by virtual community
membership.
Expertise Locator – Individual profiles
and virtual community memberships.
SME
Locator
Shared Learning
Repository

Toolkit Repository
• Find tools,
templates, and
examples in the
toolkit repository
• Submit the tools,
templates, and
examples that
you find useful at
your site to share
with colleagues.

Local Lessons Repository
Q&A Discussion Forum

. . . sharing and searching
• Lessons are
searchable
locally
• Lessons may be
searched
globally
• Global searches
also reach into
the discussion
forum

Content: Quality Lessons
A Quality Lesson
. . . includes . . . is NOT . . . has structure
• a factual statement /
factual description of a
set of events
• a specific
recommended action /
set of actions
• a reference to the
relevant existing
Standard, Practice, or
process so it can be
updated
• an emotive or
subjective view or
opinion related to an
event
• what results from
failure to follow an
existing standard
practice or process
• a set of opinions or
feedback on vendor
performance
• Expectation
• Actual Event
• Difference
• Learning
• Recommendation(s)
Lessons follow the Quality Lesson format

Question and Answer Forum
Question and Answer Forums
• Tool that allows access to employee and contractor voluntary knowledge and expertise
through threaded discussions
• Has searching capability to all previously asked questions
• Also searches the Shared Learning Repository as well as the Document Library which
contains information already validated by subject matter experts.

Introduction to Q&A Forum
• The Q&A Forum is a web-based collaboration tool for the enterprise that allows
individuals to access peoples' voluntary knowledge and expertise through threaded
discussions
• Participation in a Q&A Forum provides you with access to the knowledge and experience
of others and also allows other members to benefit from your experiences. It provides a
powerful mechanism to proactively seek early input into potential issues or
opportunities, and to improve planning and execution activities in our Operations
• Although the distribution lists for categories have SMEs as members it is important to
remember that you have the responsibility to ensure the responses are appropriate
before acting on them
• Not only do the Q&A Forums provide you with the capability to search all previously
asked questions it also searches the Shared Learning System as well as document libraries
which contains information already validated by SME’s. Forum leadership is continually
looking at ways to improve these linkages and thereby increase technical knowledge

Questions vs Information
Questions and Answers
• The Q&A database is searched before
the user can ask a question. The
search function performs an “Exact
Phrase” search to limit the number of
articles/documents found.
• If the user didn’t find a satisfactory
response:
• Refine Your Search, or
• Ask the Community
• Ask the Community: a form is
displayed into which the user can
enter a question and attach
documents, images and or websites.
• The user may attach as many
websites and documents/images as
you wish.
• When complete, the user clicks Send
and the system sends an email
notification to the distribution list.
Add Information
• Information is when the user wants
to inform and not receive a response.
• Information can be HSSE alerts,
conference notices, electronic job
postings etc. that are posted on the
Q&A Forum for information purposes
only.
• An expiration date is required.
• Information is deleted on the
expiration date which defaults to 4
weeks.

Receiving Email
• Each Category and Sub-Category within Q&A Forum is associated with one or more email
distribution lists. In order to receive emails about new questions you must be a member
of the relevant distribution list.
• Distribution list membership is by request.
• To view which distribution lists are attached to each Category within a Forum click on
‘view distribution list’ under the Category Heading. To view the distribution list for the
sub-categories you are required to click on the Category to open the list and then scroll
over the sub-category and click on ‘view distribution list’. From here you can request to
join. Membership may also be requested via Subscribe/Unsubscribe to the Q&R Forum of
your interest.

Providing Feedback
• The questioner can provide feedback on how they applied the help they received from
the responses.
• An email will automatically be sent to the question originator after three weeks
requesting their feedback on the Q&A tool. This is to enable Forum leadership to assess
the value of Q&A Forums.
• Additionally, it would also be appreciated if the question originator could update
everyone with a Final Word! (located beneath the question in the Forum). How did the
information help? This will help others in the future.
• SMEs can add a response and in particular are useful to steer if responses are going in an
unexpected direction.

Recent Activity
• View Recent Posts directly on the home page to see new questions and answers across all
Forums.
• Click More… to see personalized Recent Activity. New questions that have been asked
since your Last Visit, Last Week, Last Month, or Last year.
• It will also show you whether any new responses have been posted to questions that you
have asked and whether there are any new responses to questions that you have
responded to previously.
• Just click on the view you want then expand either questions asked or new answers to
‘your Questions’ or new responses to ‘questions you responded too’.
• Older questions or responses can be found by using the search function.

Purpose
• Allows staff to identify other people with particular interests
and experience and contact them as appropriate
• As the approved Community tool, it is the central on-line place
for a community to come together, collaborate and share their
knowledge in a positive and focused environment. Connect
Communities support Forum and Wiki functionality to enhance
knowledge sharing within communities.
How can this help?
• Helps staff network with others who have similar roles and
varying levels of experience so they can identify other people
who might help
How can this support be accessed?
• Available on the intranet
• Keep the system effective by updating your page!

Community Model
Industry1/General Communities
• Ensure community activities
address business issues
• Ensure there are clearly stated
goals
• Ensure high levels of sponsor
expectation
• Engage members in developing
good practice
• Improve the usefulness of tools
provided
• Promote CoPs ability to help
employees solve daily work
• Provide funding for face to face
events
• Provide CoP leader training
• Ensure CoP leaders are given
sufficient time in role
Enterprise Communities
• Model is federal by nature and so
aligned with the revised
performance contract
• The way for the enterprise to
leverage its technical knowledge
across the organization
• Consistent messages about the
Community role:
• Connectivity across business units
and center
• Improve efficiency by copying what’s
already done
• Sharing best practices and efficiently
documenting our knowledge
• Opportunity to standardize on an
“enterprise way” over longer term
• Supporting short term plant issues, a
virtual knowledge pool
1. Data from Communities of Practice Benchmarking Report – Using CoP’s to improve individual and organizational performance,
Knowledge & Innovation Network, Warwick Business School, 2006. Survey of 1286 CoP members, across 10 global organizations
including 3 Oil & Gas companies

Peer Assists and Peer Reviews
• Peer Assist
• Individuals or teams request support or assistance from any
employee in the company
• The horizontal part of the “T-shaped management approach“ where
teams share knowledge freely across the organization
• Peer Reviews
• Required reviews conducted as input to the decision to move
projects into future stages
• Incremental funding is contingent on successful peer review results
• Other incentives can be made contingent on successful peer review

Global and Regional F2F
• Technology conferences
• Global and/or regional face-to-face meetings (organized by CoP)
• Technology Advisor taught training courses

References
Prokesch, Steven E. 1997. “Unleashing the Power of Learning: An
Interview with British Petroleum’s John Browne.” Harvard
Business Review 75(5):147-168.
Hansen, Morten T. and Bolko von Oetinger. 2001. “Introducing T-
Shaped Managers: Knowledge Management’s Next Generation.”
Harvard Business Review 79(3): 106-116.
Archibald, Douglas, Richard McDermott, Paul Conville, and Andrew
Parker. 2006. “Communities of Practice Benchmarking Report:
Using CoPs to Improve Individual and Organisational
Performance”. Knowledge & Innovation Network, Warwick
Business School, University of Warwick:.

Contact
Valeria L. Hunter
Independent Information Services and Research Advisor
Twitter: @KnowMgr_Hunter
KM and Org Learning content website: http://www.huntvale.info
Higher Education blog: http://www.huntvale.info/blog
KM and LIS reblogs: http://www.lis750.wordpress.com
January 1, 2016 – All content consolidated at
Business website: http://www.valerialhunter.com
Email: valeria@huntvale.info
Email: valeria@valerialhunter.com

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