People-focused knowledge management

What Is the Knowledge Landscape? The knowledge landscape
(KL) of an operation or of the whole organization — similar to a
physical landscape — is inordinately complex. From a high-level per-
spective, the KL shows general features of the terrain in ways impor-
tant for enterprise governance. On an intermediate level, there are
additional specifics pertaining to tactical programs and practices. On
still closer view, details identify the nature of, and relationships
between, specific KL components relating to the operation of the
enterprise. The KL features that are of importance for enterprise gov-
ernance must include the means to monitor the knowledge condition
and where it is headed, the actual state of knowledge and knowl-
edge-related processes and activities, and areas that will require man-
agement attention in one form or another.
Purpose: Obtain sufficient information about the “knowledge
landscape” to support strategy setting, governance monitoring, 
and determination of required management actions ranging from
budgeting and priority setting to creation of policies and incentive
programs, and to identify specific needs and opportunities — all to
secure the viability and profitability of the enterprise.
Knowledge Landscape Components within an Operation
1. Current and planned knowledge management practices and
policies
2. Knowledge monitoring capabilities
3. Knowledge safeguarding capabilities and practices
4. Current practices and methods for knowledge-related benefit
analysis
5. Knowledge-related incentives and disincentives
6. Knowledge infrastructure (existing, planned, opportunities for
additional)
7. Specific knowledge processes (for securing, using, improving
the knowledge itself, the work process, and the products and
services)
8. Characterization and assessment of specific knowledge assets
9. Knowledge-related cultural issues
10. Notable roles of knowledge in operations
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People-Focused Knowledge Management
11. Notable roles of knowledge in creation and delivery of prod-
ucts and services
12. Notable roles of knowledge in customer relations, including
marketing and sales
13. Other relevant aspects
Knowledge Mapping (K-MAPs)
Knowledge mapping covers several approaches to obtain an
overview of the state of knowledge assets and knowledge flow within
an area, the full enterprise, or within a region or country. Knowledge
mapping may be part of, or combined with, other approaches such
as knowledge surveys. Typical knowledge maps, in addition to pro-
viding descriptions of the knowledge assets and flows, will also
provide pictorial maps that may indicate locations of assets, flows of
knowledge, relationships between work flows and knowledge assets,
and other significant aspects such as the quality or vulnerability of
knowledge situations in different operating areas or for different
business functions.