Resilience

All organizations show resilience against external changes. As arches, organizations have the capacity to absorb energy and deform elastically before unloading back the energy. Knowledge Management is about creation, capture and application of organization-critical knowledge and this knowledge is usually in the hands of colleagues who were there for ages and perceive most ownership. They fight very hard against changes.

In many, if not most, organizations sharing knowledge is an unnatural act. Employees may fear losing power, status and control when they share what they know. They may not be able to find knowledge that is already available in an explicit manner or in the mind of other colleagues. They may not have time to learn from others or to teach their experiences. They may perceive they would be punished if they do it.

Colleagues are scared of changing model to a knowledge management one with higher uncertainty. If resilience is not managed, such employees may stop the change.

A deeper analysis of roles shows there are more people affected and they need to understand and to contribute, they need to learn new skills and behaviours. There are pockets of resistance that need special attention and handholding. Firstly there are targets who will have to change behaviours. Secondly, there are agents involved in planning and executing. Thirdly, there are sponsors among directors.

A communication plan is a necessary tool. It should include the change state with present, delta and future; communications "events" such as announcing the change prior to actually beginning to change things, after starting changes and once reached the target; target audience; delivery method; responsibility; schedule and feedback.

Resilience is natural and even good in some cases, but too much resilience blocks change. Some conservative organizations become winners in blocking change and vetoing new initiatives and sometimes do not survive. This must be considered structural and not personal and a determined workload and effort must be planned for this issue.

Organizations need to be gardened as poppy fields, as Gustav Klimt painted it in 1907.