Al-Hawamdeh, Suliman

--Al-Hawamdeh, 2003, Knowledge Management: Cultivating Knowledge Professionals--

The author argues for the professionalization of KM. For him, the KM professional should be the natural evolution of the information professional. He describes KM job titles, roles, skills and competencies required.

KM is multi-disciplinary: information technology, information and library science, communication and cognitive science, business and management. Coming from the library science field, he feels a bit threatened by initiatives from other disciplines to establish programs in KM.

Good description of knowledge professionals
Good analysis of the KM discipline

--Al-Hawamdeh, 2003, KM: Cultivating K Professionals--

Current KM practitioners range from corporate strategists, CIOs, Mkt executives, HR executives, consultants, etc.

... many people believe that, by definition, KM should not be concentrated in an individual or team od individuals, but instead every member of the organization should be involved in managing knowledge. ... In an organization where KM is not yet fully integrated into the working patterns of the entire workforce, there is a need for KM champions who will enable KM within the many diverse parts of the organization.

... there is still a need for K professionals who see their roles as more like facilitators and communicators. They are people who ... facilitate the knowledge activities within the organization.

Knowledge worker is anyone in the organization who deals with knowledge-intensive work.
Knowledge professional is someone who can act as a bridge between the knowledge workers and decision-makers. He ... deals with organizational knowledge and promote KM practices within the organization.

Knowledge-related job titles: CKO, K engineer, K editor, K analyst, K navigator, K architect, K broker, K asset manager, innovation officer/manager, K integrator, K leader, internal communications manager.

--Al-Hawamdeh, 2003, KM: Cultivating K Professionals--

Competencies and skills set of knowledge professionals

• Leadership and management skills
• able to devise strategies
• motivates workers and encourages KM practices
• promotes knowledge sharing
• manages internal and external knowledge resources
• analyses trends and provide directions
  
• Information skills
• information seeking and needs assessment
• information acquisition
• information organization
• information evaluation and filtering
• information synthesis
• information packaging
• information visualization
  
• IT skills
• familiarity with IT and KM tools
• good knowledge of in-house KM tools
• good knowledge of emerging technologies and likely impact on the organization
  
• Communication skills
• ability to interact with knowledge workers and management
• ability to communicate clearly in oral and written form
• ability to persuade and convince
• good listener and connector
  
• Analytical skills
• understands business process
• exhibits and promotes systems thinking
• able to visualize complex environment
• able to think logically
• able to relate to the organizational business objectives
  
• Personal characteristics
• proactive and responsive
• creative and innovative
• friendly and sensitive
• self-confident and pleasant personality
• patient and flexible
• diverse subject background