The deadline to register and complete our New Skills training has been extended to Tuesday 30 June. This training is open to all public library staff in England.

Our New Skills training is built around two online modules - Digital Skills and Futures Literacy - each addressing critical areas identified through the Arts Council England's Future Libraries project and its 2023 horizon-scanning report 'Come Rain or Shine'. This report underscored the importance of leadership development, digital inclusion, and futures literacy as essential competencies for a sustainable public library system.

The initiative was commissioned by CILIP and funded by Arts Council England.

Learner feedback

Learner feedback has been consistently positive, and the value of the training has been recognised for both modules in the training.

Elysia Freeman from GLL (Lincoln Central Library) said:

"As libraries work so closely with our local communities, it is essential that we work to remain a trusted and reliable source of information and assistance. We cannot achieve this without considering how current (and future) events and technology will affect our library service, and how in turn that can influence our communities. This course has shown me that not only do we need to acknowledge this uncertainty now, but that we can develop ways to work with it, rather than against it.

“I particularly enjoyed this course because I was able to fit it around my schedule, and I found that the combination of interactive elements, videos, and additional resources helped to keep me engaged each time I started a new section. I have already started to utilise the ideas I developed during this course in my current position, and I know that this knowledge will help me to become a better library leader in the future."

Fiona Tarn, Head of Libraries in Camden said:

"Development of our library team in Camden is central to our strategy to create a service that has relational practice at its heart. The team and the way they deliver the service to library users is key and the Future Literacy and Digital Literacy modules produced by CILIP are a fantastic addition to our menu of training options. Highly recommended."

Essential details:

• Cost: free of charge
• Eligibility: all public library staff in England
• Format: self-paced and online
• Duration: 3.5 hours to complete both modules
• Deadline to register and complete the training: Tuesday 30 June

Setting the Standard: Libraries NI leads the way with UK's first EnerPHit-certified public building

By David McLoughlin, Capital Project Manager, Libraries NI

David McLoughlin explores how Libraries NI was able to focus sustainability as part of refurbishment scheme that led to a UK-first for environmental standards.

"Improving the energy performance of each library went hand-in-hand with enhancing the customer experience. The projects were not just about numbers on a meter but rather creating warm, bright, welcoming places where people want to spend time."

WHEN Libraries NI set out to refurbish a trio of rural libraries – Ballymoney, Killyleagh, and Bessbrook – the goal was clear: transform old and tired spaces into modern, sustainable and welcoming community hubs.

A focus on this clear goal and a collective desire to create environmentally efficient library spaces led to a benchmark-setting achievement. Ballymoney Library became the first public building in the UK to achieve the prestigious EnerPHit standard – an accolade that would earn Libraries NI recognition as a runner-up in the EDGE2025 Awards and shortlisted in the Construction Excellence Awards for Northern Ireland.

The Libraries NI team set out the vision for these three libraries successfully securing funding from the Department for the Economy's Invest to Save initiative, which encourages public sector organisations to develop projects that deliver long-term cost savings and environmental gains. With rising energy costs, climate goals to meet, and ageing infrastructure across the estate, the challenge was both urgent and compelling.

The team's response was bold. "We recognised early on that we had an opportunity to do something significant and different," said Tim Neeson, RIBA, Libraries NI Assets Manager. "We weren't just aiming for an upgrade – we wanted to futureproof these libraries and demonstrate that public buildings, and libraries in particular, can lead the way in environmental responsibility."

Teamwork: the engine behind the transformation

Delivering these ambitious projects relied on seamless collaboration between departments across Libraries NI and external organisations. Libraries NI's team of Tim Neeson, David McLoughlin (Capital Project Manager) and Matthew Dickinson (Assets Officer) managed the physical element of the builds from conception to completion, ensuring that every technical detail met the rigorous EnerPHit standard. Working closely with architects, contractors and specialist consultants, the team managed each stage of the process to deliver high-performing, sustainable buildings that met both design ambitions and environmental targets.

The projects also benefited from the expertise of a range of staff across Libraries NI, including frontline library staff who advised on layout and customer needs, Intelligent Customer Technology staff who ensured all digital systems and infrastructure were in place, and the Marketing team who helped communicate changes and promote the new facilities to the public. This collaborative approach helped ensure the retrofitted buildings not only worked well behind the scenes but also met the needs of the people using them – from the layout and technology to the promotion and implementation of services and activities.

From furniture procurement and decanting to customer and stakeholder communications for the launch – and early engagement with customers through updates, displays, and feedback opportunities – it was a multi-faceted operation that highlighted Libraries NI's project experience.

"Working across departments created a real sense of shared ownership," said Kirsty McClelland, Service Development Manager. "Everyone involved understood the importance of this work; not just from an operational perspective, but from a customer experience and sustainability point of view."

From the outset, customer engagement played a central role to the plans as feedback was gathered at multiple points to help shape internal layouts, improve accessibility, and enhance comfort.

Raising the Bar with EnerPHit

The EnerPHit standard is the retrofit counterpart to the world-renowned Passivhaus standard which demands exceptional energy performance, airtightness, and comfort. This criterion is rarely applied to existing public buildings so meeting the benchmarks in older library structures was a complex challenge.

Through innovative design and meticulous attention to detail, Ballymoney, Killyleagh, and Bessbrook Libraries were transformed. Each was fitted with triple-glazed windows, high-performance insulation, and airtight building envelopes. Central to the upgrades were MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) systems, which improve air quality while drastically reducing energy loss.

The fresh look libraries also include subtle design nods to sustainability with for example purposely planted birch trees at the entrance of Ballymoney Library, to greet visitors whilst also reinforcing the green ethos.

Improving the energy performance of each library went hand-in-hand with enhancing the customer experience. The projects were not just about numbers on a meter but rather creating warm, bright, welcoming places where people want to spend time. Library staff and customers alike have noticed the difference – improved natural light, air quality, and steady indoor temperatures have made a noticeable impact, with filtered fresh air circulation being a key factor.

However, the improved energy efficiency was also clearly obvious and the environmental and operational benefits of the refurbishment were immediate and measurable. Energy use at the retrofitted libraries dropped by up to 65 per cent and CO₂ emissions were reduced by approximately 22 tonnes annually across the three sites.

Refurbishing libraries to the EnerPHit standard has not only improved energy efficiency but also transformed how services are delivered. Redesigned layouts by The Design Concept and Work, Rest Play have made spaces more flexible, accessible, and welcoming – supporting everything from quiet study and digital access to events and children's activities. Better lighting, insulation, and ventilation have created a more comfortable environment, while clearer zoning helps customers navigate the space with ease. These improvements enable Libraries NI to deliver services more efficiently and with greater focus on customer needs.

Libraries NI Chief Executive Dr Jim O'Hagan noted "We often talk about libraries as safe and welcoming spaces. These upgrades have helped turn that sentiment into a reality. Whether people are working, studying or simply relaxing with a book, the improved environment is designed to support their enjoyment, comfort and wellbeing."

Overcoming Obstacles with Innovation

Retrofitting existing buildings to such an exacting standard was not without its difficulties. Integrating new systems into decades-old infrastructure required a level of problem-solving that tested the limits of traditional project delivery.

Airtightness, for example, is a central requirement of EnerPHit but notoriously difficult to achieve in buildings not originally designed with that in mind. The solution involved painstaking detailing by contractors, with input from engineers, architects, and library staff to ensure every gap was sealed and every solution tested.

Additionally, the need to keep library services accessible during works required careful decanting, storage planning, and community engagement. Temporary relocations were arranged with minimal disruption, and regular updates reassured customers that their library service was not only continuing – it was evolving.

It took an enormous amount of co-ordination and communication to keep everything moving smoothly, especially behind the scenes.

National Recognition

The project's success didn't go unnoticed. In early 2025, Libraries NI was named runner-up in the EDGE2025 Awards – Physical Category for the refurbishment of Ballymoney Library. Ballymoney Library was also shortlisted in the Construction Excellence Awards for Northern Ireland.

Judges recognised the project's impact beyond Northern Ireland, showcasing how libraries across the UK can reimagine their spaces with sustainability at the forefront. Judges noted: "By prioritising energy efficiency over cosmetic changes, it features lovely eco-conscious design elements like birch trees and serves as a model for sustainable retrofits."

The recognition validated Libraries NI's approach and celebrated the incredible teamwork that made it all possible.

A Blueprint for the Future

Building on the success of Ballymoney, Killyleagh and Bessbrook, Libraries NI is already planning the next wave of sustainable refurbishments. The long-term strategy is to embed energy efficiency and customer comfort into every capital project, with performance data from the EnerPHit sites helping to shape future decisions.

This data-driven approach supports Libraries NI's commitment to its mission while adapting to the changing needs of local communities. It also reinforces the organisation's focus on sustainability, accessibility and community benefit across its estate.

Each refurbished library is not only a place for learning and engagement but now also a model for climate-conscious design and community resilience.

Reflecting on the projects, architect Kieran McCambridge said "So many older public buildings still waste lots of energy and still feel unpleasant for much of the year round.

"These refurbishments prove that there is a better path, one that cuts running costs, lowers carbon and secures the future of these vital public spaces, and we hope these projects inspire more organisations to retrofit rather than rebuild."

The EnerPHit project represents what Libraries NI stands for: connection, innovation, and care. It brought together staff from across the organisation to solve complex challenges, it delivered real-world benefits to communities, and it proved that even the most traditional of buildings can be reimagined for a sustainable future.

For customers walking into Ballymoney, Killyleagh, or Bessbrook libraries today, the positive changes are evident – a warmer space, a quieter atmosphere, a fresher feel in the air.

In the words of Libraries NI Chief Executive Jim O'Hagan, "This project shows what is possible when we combine ambition with collaboration. Our libraries are more than buildings – they are trusted spaces that evolve with our communities. Leading the way in sustainability is just one more way we are making a difference."

Charities face a unique challenge when it comes to reaching out to their supporters. Unlike businesses, which can use a soft opt-in mechanism to send direct marketing messages, charities have been bound by stricter rules. This disparity has created hurdles for fundraising efforts and communication with potential donors. However, the UK Government's recent amendment to the Data Use and Access Bill promises to level the playing field, offering charities the same opportunities as commercial entities. This marks a pivotal moment for the charitable sector, allowing them to engage with their supporters on a different basis.

The Data Use and Access Bill (the Bill) now contains an amendment which would make it easier for charities to contact supporters with unsolicited direct marketing messages after a supporter makes a financial donation. This is known as soft opt-in, an exemption to the rule that you need consent to send such messages.

Currently, Regulation 22 of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) allow this kind of contact only in commercial contexts and under certain conditions, thus applying only to businesses. Charities have long been excluded and organisation like the Data and Marketing Association (DMA) has been lobbying the Government for a change.

Generally, an organisation can only send unsolicited direct marketing messages to a person who has explicitly said they would like to receive them. They usually express this wish by ticking a box or signing up to a corporate newsletter.

The current exception to this rule is that an organisation does not have to ask for consent if a person has:

• Bought something from the business (made an actual purchase);
• Asked about services or products (completed an enquiry form);
• Almost went through a sale (asked for a price but didn’t proceed).

By doing any of the above, it is accepted that the user has softly opted-in to hearing about products and services. However, in addition to this, for a business to contact them lawfully afterwards, they need to be sure that:

• They collected the contact details directly from the person;
• There is a way to refuse this communication at the beginning and every other subsequent time;
• Only that specific business’s products and services are advertised, not of any other business.

Because of the requirement of a ‘sale’, charities haven’t been able to rely on the soft opt-in for fundraising purposes. The amendment to the Bill makes a huge change this, mirroring the existing rule:

Regulation 22 of the PEC Regulations (use of electronic mail for direct marketing purposes) is amended as follows.

A charity may send or instigate the sending of electronic mail for the purposes of direct marketing where—

(a) the sole purpose of the direct marketing is to further one or more of the charity’s charitable purposes;

(b) the charity obtained the contact details of the recipient of the electronic mail in the course of the recipient—

(i) expressing an interest in one or more of the purposes that were the charity’s charitable purposes at that time; or

(ii) offering or providing support to further one or more of those purposes;

(iii) the recipient has been given a simple means of refusing (free of charge except for the costs of the transmission of the refusal) the use of their contact details for the purposes of direct marketing by the charity, at the time that the details were initially collected, and, where the recipient did not initially refuse the use of the details, at the time of each subsequent communication.”

This means that if the Bill becomes law in its current form, a charity could contact a supporter who has donated with further messages, without asking for their consent, but the additional requirements still apply (in (iii)).

This is a big development for charities. If the Bill becomes law in its current form including this amendment, they will have to consider:

While it can be tempting to start sending bulk messages to supporters, teams should consider how consent or indeed any exemptions to it will be recorded. For example, will senior management decide on a complete overhaul of the consent framework, or just focus on new supporters and new rules from 2025? What about people who donated years ago but have had no other contact with the charity?

People won’t necessarily know of this legal change and may be surprised to see an increase in marketing messages from charities they support. It’s important to decide how a possible change will be communicated (a mass email, news post, website banner?) so that charities don’t lose supporters in their ambition to tell them more about their goals.

As a result of both implementation and supporter perception, charities should decide not only how they go forward with the soft opt-in rule but also how they will communicate this to stakeholders, the Board of Trustees, and the very teams who will be contacting supporters.

Information governance teams should consider updating related policies and being open about the future, to avoid complaints and ensure everyone understands the new rules.

The Data (Use and Access) Bill also proposes significant changes to the enforcement of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Specifically, it aims to align PECR fines with those under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This means that businesses breaching PECR could face fines of up to 4% of their global turnover or £17.5 million, whichever is higher. This means that although the opportunities for greater marketing are greater so are the consequences for getting it wrong.

Naomi Korn Associates has produced a CPD-accredited topic on lawful digital marketing and consent you can book today to prepare: Lawful Digital Marketing and Consent 25 March 2025 - 9:30am-1pm Tickets, Tue 25 Mar 2025 at 09:30 | Eventbrite.

By Ian Rodwell, Head of Client Knowledge and Learning at Linklaters LLP

20 April 2022

Storytelling is the life blood of any organisation’s culture which is why it is so important to knowledge managers. Here Ian Rodwell, Head of Client Knowledge and Learning at Linklaters, explains why this makes buildings matter more than we think.

HAVING started my career in the libraries at Imperial College and then as a business information officer at the Institute of Directors, I have spent the last 30 years working in Knowledge and Learning at the global law firm, Linklaters.

One thread that runs through my entire working life is an abiding interest in stories — those informal examples and anecdotes that emerge in everyday organisational conversations — and how we use stories to build relationships, solve problems and share knowledge. Indeed, having completed an MBA in the early 2000s, I decided to translate this interest into part-time doctoral research at the Department of Library and Information Science at City University.

Organisational storytelling is a well-researched field. And this research has recognised storytelling as a valuable activity. It helps people learn (Swap et al., 2001); share what they know (Snowden, 1999); diffuse organisational culture (Wilkins, 1984); affirm or question identities (van Hulst and Ybema, 2020); release emotion (Tangherlini, 2000); instil a sense of leadership (Humphreys, Ucbasaran and Lockett, 2012); build trust (Auvinen, Altio and Blomqvist, 2013); and make sense of the world (Patriotta, 2003).

But my interest was somewhat particular. I was curious about where storytelling takes place in organisations. And strangely, there is little research on the spaces that encourage and support the most effective storytelling and ‘how stories and storytelling vary across different settings’ (van Hulst and Ybema, 2020, p. 366). This omission is one of the ‘main concerns raised on storytelling as we know it today’ (Fotaki, Altman and Koning, 2020, p. 18). There is some evidence, however, that marginal or liminal spaces (cafés, photocopier rooms, corridors, colleagues’ homes, canteens, car parks) are linked to storytelling (Smith, Pedersen and Burnett, 2014) (Fletcher, 1996) (van Hulst, 2017) (Tangherlini, 2011) (Fayard and Weeks, 2007). These are spaces that hide in plain sight. The spaces that rarely feature in proud tours of our buildings to new joiners and important visitors. So, my research was designed to explore and potentially build on that evidence. For, if indeed, storytelling (with all its attendant benefits) was attracted to these seemingly insignificant spaces, perhaps we might see them in a new light. Maybe these are spaces to cherish, to value and to protect? And this might have implications for the ways we work, design and privilege space and encourage knowledge sharing and learning.

Having completed the first stage of my research, the unexpected then intervened. In March 2020, the country — and many of our workplaces — went into lockdown. As I reviewed the transcripts and photographs, a curious parallel emerged between the things that my participants valued from those storytelling interactions and what people said they were now missing in a world of remote Zoom and Teams exchanges.

Suddenly, my research gained a contemporary resonance I had not anticipated. The question of where we worked — and what this enabled us to do or not do, to feel and to experience — became a constant topic of discussion in both the workshops I was running at Linklaters with colleagues and clients, and in the wider media.

The story begins

But, let’s start, as all good stories should, at the beginning. Why my interest in workplace stories? I suspect it began with my father. He started work on his grandfather’s farm in Suffolk when he was 12. And I loved to hear his accounts of the old labourers, the horses they worked with and the tales he’d heard — some stretching back generations. It was clear such stories were used to diagnose and solve problems, share farming knowledge, vent frustrations and provide an understanding of ‘how we do things around here’.

And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a muddy field or state of the art office building, people tell stories. They can’t help it. When, in 1992, I moved to Linklaters, I found lawyers were inveterate storytellers. They swapped tales of the deals they were working on, the client relationships they were trying to build, and the legal problems they’d encountered and solved. And it struck me that this knowledge was, in its own way, as important as the knowledge that I was collecting, indexing and searching as part of my day-to-day role.

Stories comprised the tacit knowledge that provided context, richness and depth to the explicit knowledge codified in letters of advice, research notes and specimen clauses. And this uncodified, narrative knowledge was unlikely to be captured in formal ‘know-how’ systems. Perhaps here the role of knowledge management was to encourage conversations (and hence stories) and find ways to evolve the environments — the organisational ‘eco-systems’ — that act as the natural habitats for such conversations? For my initial, doctoral research I worked with two organisations: a law firm and a professional institute. I selected a small group of participants at each and asked them to take photographs of the five organisational spaces where they heard the most interesting, meaningful and memorable stories. Importantly, I stressed that as our interactions with colleagues are not always confined to the buildings in which we work, these might not necessarily be in the office. I then used the photographs as the basis for a semi-structured interview with each participant.

So, what did I find?

The plot thickens

The participants confirmed that storytelling was a valuable activity and they identified a range of different stories: problem stories, frustration stories, warning stories, solution stories and, even, ghost stories! And the work these stories performed was equally various. They assisted the diffusion of organisational culture; helped people ‘get things off their chest’; and, most commonly, enabled the exchange of information and knowledge. But this wasn’t just work-related knowledge. Perhaps the most commonly cited benefit was the way stories surfaced personal knowledge about people (their family lives, challenges, fears, ambitions). In these cases, the story became the storyteller.

Now, our reaction to this might be ‘so what?’ Surely this is merely insignificant gossip? My participants proposed an alternative view. They argued that such stories ‘cement that relationship’ helping you ‘feel more at ease with each other’. And this ‘rounded picture’ of colleagues could enhance team performance. Or as one participant put it: ‘we work well together because we know each other’. Consequently, I would argue that such knowledge carries a high organisational currency. And the stories that transmit it realise considerable social, affective and cognitive benefits. They comprise the social glue, the ‘connective tissue’, that enables us all to collaborate and work more effectively.

So where were these stories told? The photographs I received depicted receptions, kitchen areas, changing rooms, toilets, a colleague’s BBQ party, pubs, work cafés, smokers’ corner, ‘pet wall’, home offices, music rooms, car parks, the train home and the street outside. These were not the grand spaces we usually associate with organisations. Rather, these bore all the characteristics of liminal spaces. Perhaps it’s worth pausing here to reflect on the term ‘liminal’ — a key character in my research story.

Enter a new character

The word ‘liminality’ derives from the Latin term, limen (a threshold). It therefore implies a margin or edge between two states or spaces and the possibility of transition between the two. It is this sense that anthropologist Arnold van Gennep (van Gennep, 1960 [1909] referenced when applying the term to the middle stage of a rite of passage. As a ‘betwixt and between’ phase it is ambiguous and paradoxical. Think about how you felt when you started a new job or role (often cited as a liminal experience). Did you feel confused, anxious and uncertain as well as simultaneously energised and excited by the possibilities and opportunities ahead? If so, welcome to the world of liminality.

Van Gennep’s work was developed by a later anthropologist, Victor Turner, in a series of studies between the 1960s and 1980s1. The concept of liminality has subsequently been applied across a range of academic disciplines — including literary criticism, sociology, psychology, political science and business management.

But you may wonder what has this to do with space? Well, the term ‘liminal’ has been attributed to a range of locations —urban wastelands, hotels, beaches, prison waiting rooms, motorway service stations — along with more prosaic organisational settings: corridors, fire escapes, bathrooms. These are mundane, marginal and border spaces where things are easily blurred. And this theme of ‘blurring’ came out loud and clear in the research. Several participants noted how these spaces, for example the gym changing room, blurred distinctions and hierarchies. These were places where anyone spoke with anyone — resulting in conversations that might not have occurred elsewhere (and one feature of liminal spaces in rites of passage is communitas — the fostering of social connections and support within a group of equals).

Others noted how these storytelling spaces also blurred identities. For one participant, ‘crossing a threshold’ and leaving the building to go to smokers’ corner enabled her to ‘switch on a different part of yourself that you don’t necessarily have in the office’. While for another, the evening commute on the train is where she transitioned from ‘work self’ to ‘home self’. And this transition affected the nature of the interactions and the stories exchanged with the colleagues that travelled with her. But the most consistent theme was that of blurred ownership. A number of the spaces were not ‘owned’ by any particular group. They were neutral spaces, often on the border between different teams. Participants spoke about kitchen areas as places where you could meet anyone from the office — a space for ‘gatherings and paths crossing’. The encounters here were often serendipitous — the changing room, the toilets, smokers’ corner, the café where you ‘bumped’ into people. And there is a long thread of research that recognises such random encounters as valuable for transmitting ideas and stimulating creativity — especially where these ‘incidental information exchanges’ occur across diverse groups.

So, space, particularly liminal space, seemed to play a key role in stimulating the interactions that lead to storytelling. But then, for many, the pandemic completely transformed the spaces where we worked.

A twist in the tale

Back in the summer of 2020, as I studied my participants’ photographs (which, due to the University’s ethical research requirements, were absent of people), they struck me as an eerie, unsettling portent of what was to come. Our vibrant office spaces, full of social interaction and congregation, now empty and denuded of life. Consequently, I began to reflect on what was happening to organisational stories now we weren’t, physically, in the organisation. Had they migrated to new spaces — the virtual spaces of Zoom, Teams, instant messaging and email? Or were stories, deprived of their natural habitat, now faced with potential extinction?

The early signs were not encouraging. From the workshops I ran within Linklaters, with clients and at various conferences, a recurring topic was the struggle to replicate virtually random, unplanned encounters. And this was experienced as a loss — a sentiment echoed by then Chief Economist at the Bank of England, Andy Haldane who, in his Autumn 2020 speech, cited serendipity as the ‘cradle of creativity’2. A similar theme was that of ‘information friction’ — denied the rich data we gain from face-to-face interactions, people talked about operating in a vacuum and consequently misreading situations. Some were finding it more difficult ‘to get things off their chest’, to retain a sense of proportion.

So, perhaps what some of us were finding challenging about working remotely —what we missed about the buildings we had relocated from — was our separation from those liminal storytelling spaces?

The final chapter…?

For the next stage of my research, I will return to my two research sites and ask what actually happened to the spaces of storytelling during lockdown? And how might these habitats change in a new world of hybrid working? I believe these are important questions. My research to date has confirmed that storytelling is a valuable activity — and that the spaces in which it occurs matter too. The findings have consequences for anyone working in organisations and, in particular, to those of us involved in knowledge management. The 2018 International Standard on knowledge management systems (ISO 30401) suggests that not only do stories and conversations form part of the ‘Knowledge Spectrum’ but that KM ‘focuses on managing the working environment, thus nurturing the knowledge lifecycle’3. I suggest the research to date has demonstrated that the term ‘environment’ should not be considered metaphorically but, instead, grounded in the material, physical world.

But will the pandemic — and its effect on where we work — mean that storytelling environments become increasingly virtual? And how might an appreciation of the role of liminal space in storytelling influence the virtual spaces we create? How can we best introduce serendipity, unplanned interactions between diverse groups or the creation of spaces where hierarchy dissolves? Or, to take a more pessimistic stance, will the predicted flight from offices to remote and hybrid working signal the decline of storytelling and, worryingly, the benefits it gives us all. Are stories now a threatened species in the changing habitats of organisational life?

Watch out for the next episode in this particular story.

Would you like to be part of the story?

Check out my blog for those interested in liminal spaces.

References

1 See for example, Turner, V. (1969) The ritual process: structure and anti-structure. New Brunswick: Aldine Transaction.

2 Haldane, A. (2020) ‘Is home working good for you?’ Available at: www.bankofengland.co.uk/-/media/boe/files/speech/2020/is-home-working- good-for-you-speech-by-andy- haldane.pdf?la=en&hash=099975AB9B41135F1DC132D90C5466DDD4598218 (Accessed: 31 October 2020).

3 International Organization for Standardization (2018) ISO 3041:2018(E) Knowledge management systems — requirements. Geneva: ISO. p.vi

Auvinen, T., Aaltio, I. and Blomqvist, K. (2013) ‘Constructing leadership by storytelling — the meaning of trust and narratives’, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 34(6), pp. 496–514.

Fayard, A-L. and Weeks, J. (2007) ‘Photocopiers and water-coolers: the affordances of informal interaction’, Organization Studies, 28(5), pp. 605–634.

Fletcher, C. (1996) “’The 250lb man in an alley”: police -storytelling’, Journal of Organizational Change Management, 9(5), pp. 36-42.

Fotaki, M., Altman, Y. and Koning, J. ‘Spirituality, symbolism and storytelling in twenty-first century organizations: understanding and addressing the crisis of imagination’, Organization Studies, 41(1), 7-30.

Humphreys, M., Ucbasaran, D. and Lockett, A. (2012) ‘Sensemaking and sensegiving stories of jazz leadership’, Human Relations, 65(1), pp. 41-62

Patriotta, G. (2003) ‘Sensemaking on the shop floor’, Journal of Management Studies, 40, pp. 349-375.

Smith, R., Pedersen, S. and Burnett, S. (2014) ‘Towards an organizational folklore of policing: the storied nature of policing and the policy use of storytelling’, Folklore 125(2), pp. 218-237.

Snowden, D. (1999) ‘Storytelling: an old skill in a new context’, Business Information Review, 16(1), pp. 30-37.

Swap, W., Leonard, D., Shields, M. and Abrams, L. (2001) ‘Using mentoring and storytelling to transfer knowledge in the workplace’, Management Information Systems, 18(1), pp. 95–114.

Tangherlini, T.R. (2000) ‘Heroes and lies: storytelling -tactics among paramedics’, Folklore, 111, pp. 43-66.

Van Gennep, A. (1960[1909]) The rites of passage. Translated by M.K. Vizedom and G.L. Caffee. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

Van Hulst, M. (2017) ‘Backstage storytelling and leadership’, Policing, 20(5), pp. 1045-1064.

Van Hulst, M. and Ybema, S. (2020) ‘From what to where: a setting-sensitive approach to organizational storytelling’, Organization Studies, 41(3), pp. 365-391.

CILIP President Paul Corney stepped down from the role in December. This is his final Presidential Musings feature, in which he speaks to Chris Payne, head of the International Olympic Committee’s Information, Knowledge and Games Learning (IKL) Unit about putting on the planet’s biggest sporting event during a pandemic.

It is, according to international research, the most recognisable logo in the world: the Olympic rings, symbolising five continents coming together. And the Olympic and Paralympic Games are the major global sporting event, taking place every two years, with alternating summer and winter editions.

Imagine the logistical challenge facing each host city, with numerous stakeholders, as it prepares for a massive influx of tens of thousands of athletes, officials, media and spectators. Plus, the challenge of ensuring the maximum legacy, over decades, from the one summer of sport. Then imagine the whole thing, seven years in the planning, being postponed for the first time in its history. All the venue agreements to be renegotiated. All the plans redrawn. And, from a blank sheet of paper, a safe and secure way found of hosting the world’s biggest sporting event – featuring more than 10,000 athletes – amid the worst global pandemic in a century.

Playing an important role in supporting the planning, delivery and legacy of each Games is a professional knowledge and information management team who call upon an array of skills familiar to many CILIP members.

I’ve always considered the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as one of the best examples of how to pass on the baton of knowledge from one event to another: how to capture the right knowledge and ensure it is made available in a format that is useful for future local organising committees (LOCs); how to use innovative technology to bring logistical experiences to life; how to ensure that lessons are identified, learned and processes updated; and how to create a legacy that is sustainable.

In the light of Covid-19, I was even more impressed with how the IOC managed to deliver incredible games in Tokyo, albeit with no spectators. I was intrigued at how the knowledge management specialists adapted. So I was particularly delighted when Chris Payne, who heads up the IOC’s Information, Knowledge and Games Learning (IKL) Unit, agreed to share their story for the benefit of the global CILIP community. Chris, who is also one of the KM “Chefs” featured in The KM Cookbook, has kindly agreed to respond to a few questions.

I’ve described in outline why I believe the IOC focuses on knowledge and information management, please describe the how and the what.

Chris: Our mission is to promote and stimulate both innovative and integrated learning in the delivery of the Olympic Games.

We then heavily promote the individual’s right to learn, in ways that best suit them; offering quite a variety of learning options – for individuals in both the organising committees and increasingly in the IOC administration itself. Good organisational learning starts with the right attitude – we need people with a lifelong commitment to learning new things. There is so much change, developing new capabilities is critical, and the “what” focuses on this.

For example, we nurture and develop the natural progression in the way people consume content, from data to information to knowledge to learning. The effectiveness of “what” we do is really judged by how much we help Games delivery stakeholders reach sound conclusions and make robust decisions.

We work hard at what we think is a meaningful source for all key information assets, ensuring the architecture is aligned with the way people work. We help people understand where knowledge can be found, often, for example, by promoting various community discussions, using a network of champions.

And then we promote the learning opportunities, including a lot of social learning, executive education and experiential observation opportunities.

Please tell our readers a bit about you, the composition of your team, the skills you draw on and how you work with the organising committee of the host cities? Why is your function crucial to the IOC?

Chris: I’ve been around the major events world a long time now. I think two things have helped me a lot over the years. I am a huge fan of John Adair’s work on leadership, which I learned about as a young Army officer; it’s been a rock on which I’ve built many teams.

I also use a systems-thinking approach to problem-solving, mostly human systems in the Games world, given the massive cultural variations we see. A practical systems-thinking approach offers tools to challenge complex situations and find solutions.

Overall, we’re working within the framework of the IOC’s Agenda 2020+5 – a collaborative initiative involving all constituents and stakeholders of the Olympic Movement. Its intention is to secure greater solidarity, further digitalisation, increased sustainability, strengthened credibility and a reinforced focus on the role of sport in society.

At a more operational level, we are one year into a new strategy, which is built on four main project portfolios. There is always a lot of room for improvement, but I’m confident this is a good strategy that will help us in the coming phase.

Data and Analytics (DA) is about measurement and insights. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it! We develop self-service options that keep up with the demand for analytic capability.

Information Management (IM) is about structure and standards, orchestrating a consistent information architecture and associated master data that creates, we hope, a cohesive information systems user experience. IM also work hard on information lifecycle management. We quite often retire blocks of knowledge which are no longer relevant to specific learning (though we do keep it all in a reference library).

Knowledge Development (KD) is all about contextualising content to support learning activities, ensuring a good quality foundation for learning.

Games Learning (GL) is about developing capability, aiming to provide fit-for-purpose and thought-provoking learning experiences. We are constantly looking for new ways to deliver learning – aggregating the best of the other three portfolios, to ensure learning outcomes are achieved.

In terms of working with the organising committees, we have a very high cadence dialogue across the full lifecycle, and we do this with up to five organising committees at once. We see distinct phases of demand, usually related, sequentially, to budget, organisation design and operational readiness.

We emphasise a number of evergreen approaches, for example they must grow as a learning organisation. Every Games context is so different, there is no such thing as an Olympic expert or a silver bullet knowledge-source that will solve their problems.

I think KM is important, but organisational development and learning more so. You could say we are an OD consultancy service for them in many ways.

The bottom line is that there is a direct correlation between good knowledge and de-risking delivery. The Games are complex, but they are arguably the most compelling knowledge uptake exercise that exists, especially when you consider that there are no second chances, no delays allowed!

Recognising confidentiality and diplomatic constraints, to what extent have you had to overcome resistance or “not invented here” syndrome at the IOC and with the host cities?

Chris: That’s a really interesting question. And, actually, it’s not something we encounter unduly. The organising committee inevitably has a big appetite for knowledge, and most of what it needs to consume is driven by the demands of the overall Games delivery challenge.

We develop close knowledge-sharing relationships with them which are fundamental. Why? Well, they have to very quickly develop an understanding of what they need and when, with our help, and I think they realise they take huge risks by not availing themselves of the long operational experience of the IOC.

The other aspect to mention here is change. We don’t want a copy-cat approach, we want suitable change, to exploit opportunities to deliver more efficiently. The organising committees get this, everyone wants efficiency, so they know we want to see ideas and challenges to the status quo.

The role of the IOC is to ensure a fertile environment for these ideas to flourish and be aligned with many stakeholders. Even if some of the ideas don’t work out, the important thing is to try, fail fast and learn in time to adjust.

Which brings us back to the knowledge-transfer imperative. We in IKL play our part, but I think the whole eco-system works against any notion of not invented here.

Organising the world’s biggest sporting event during the pandemic must have been incredibly tough. What was the biggest single learning?

Chris: Much of the complexity in the Games comes from the volume and variety of stakeholders. Each needs very specific services to allow them work effectively.

The pandemic created a huge challenge, but it drove the stakeholder community together in a way that was remarkable. A really strong commitment to a clear and compelling stretch target promoted closer working and a willingness to overcome seemingly unsurmountable problems. I think this will influence how we work better in the future.

The net result was stronger relationships to support the incredible amount of change that was necessary to ensure delivery. This change was organisational, but also individual, with, for example, rigorous respect of health protocols and always erring on the side of precaution.

One aspect of this worth mentioning is the critical importance of communicating horizontally and vertically, openly, transparently, and continually. I think our Games delivery leadership did this incredibly well, and there are many lessons there too.

And what else did you discover that would be relevant for the CILIP community?

Chris: One interesting project we have developed, working closely with our Olympic Studies Centre (OSC), is what we are referring to as an institutional memory of the Covid experience. By interviewing key actors in the process to develop solutions to allow the Games to go ahead in a pandemic, we aim to preserve, safeguard and archive an unprecedented situation. We will essentially create a blueprint for the IOC and future Games editions, looking carefully and various countermeasures, processes and scenarios, in case another such delivery threat emerges. This has been a fascinating process as the Covid impact has evolved in many unexpected ways and the learnings are considerable. We hope to use such experiences to produce a comprehensive case study for the public record in due course.

Many will have experienced the acceleration of hybrid working that Covid provoked. The IOC was no exception. We had the huge adoption of many tools and were happily well set up in advance to exploit these tools. We remained very effective and productive, despite being all home-based for a long period. We’re moving into a hybrid rhythm now, but I’m not sure we’ll ever quite go back to the previous norm.

Did the IOC/IKL invest in any specific innovations that enabled you to deliver the Games? If so, what and how did it/they help?

Chris: Several, but I’ll mention one specifically. Many experiential learning opportunities were not possible in Tokyo and that will be the same in Beijing. We did, and will deliver again, an observation programme, but heavily reduced. To compensate for this, we have increased our work on virtual 360 camera-based tools that allow people to still visualise key locations, efficiently capture lessons, analyse them, and generally get some learning done remotely. The technology allows us to see spaces in various states of evolution as the Games approach. Kind of a virtual time machine for key Games job sites. The benefits extend to a reduction in cost, time and carbon. There will be a lot more of this in the coming Games.

I think perhaps this is taking us closer to engines that will allow cost-effective development of an artificial but scaled and realistic 3D landscape for any given host city. And the really exciting thing from my perspective is the placement of knowledge assets in the right context and space in this virtual environment, plus many VR training opportunities. Currently, these kinds of solutions are cost-and time-prohibitive for a specific Games edition, but things are evolving quickly.

Now that Tokyo 2020 is over, what new learnings might you expect from the second Games to be held during the Pandemic, in Beijing in February?

Chris: I think it will be more of the same, but who knows? The really tricky thing is expecting and planning for the unexpected or unknown, especially given an entirely different cultural context in Beijing. The trick, I think, is to equip leaders with the right potential scenarios, and to link those scenarios with executive decision-making processes and relevant levels of delegation. This in a nutshell is the highly effective Playbook approach developed by our Games delivery leadership. It’s worth having a look at the Playbooks, they are very interesting knowledge artefacts in their own right. We will operate within the Playbook constraints again in Beijing and take a formal, structured approach to making the various scenarios actionable in our own context – for example, delivering the observer programme, or conducting data capture. And above all, of course, respecting the health and safety imperatives.

Paul: I’ve watched the development of the IOC’s knowledge and learning capability over the last decade with great admiration. Underpinned by information management and data analytics, it has become one of the “go to” examples I use when describing what effective knowledge transfer looks like. I find it compelling that their current strategy is organised into four portfolio projects:

• Data and Analytics (DA) is about measurement and insights.
• Information Management (IM) is about structure and standards
• Knowledge Development (KD) is all about contextualising content to support learning
• Games Learning (GL) is about developing capability

When Chris Collison and I were working on their contribution to our KM Cookbook, what struck both of us was how aligned their activities are with the ISO KM Standards 30401 and specifically the clarity of its mission.

“Our mission is to promote and stimulate both innovative and integrated learning in the delivery of the Olympic Games”

Over the past year in these Presidential Musings pieces, I have called upon a wide range of people in different disciplines to share thoughts and ideas on topics that I thought might be of interest.

My sincere thanks to: Patricia Eng and Carol Aldridge, Martin White and James Robertson, James Macfarlane, Kate Thompson, Mike Wall, Luis Suarez, Neil Usher and Rob Cottrill and, of course, Chris Payne, for giving their time and sharing their thoughts.

I hope you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have working on them.

About Chris Payne

“I’ve been working in the Olympic world for many years, notably spending nine years end-to-end with London 2012, before moving to the IOC a year later. We currently run 43 information, knowledge and learning initiatives, and are always looking forward to the next evolution. We have already started with Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032, laying knowledge foundations. My current mild obsessions are finding ways to do cost-effective natural language processing of unstructured data, and really exploiting the potential of hypertext as a tool for thought and knowledge exchange. I am married with three children and live in the hills behind Lausanne. In my spare time, I like to get lost exploring the Swiss countryside on my e-bike, always with a spare battery!”

As the Knowledge Management profession prepares for its biggest challenges, one of the sector’s pioneers, Hank Malik, sees KM chartership as a much-needed evolution.

He had hoped to be in the first cohort of the programme but had to wait until his role as KM lead for Petroleum Development Oman came to a natural conclusion: “The KM Chartership programme has a number of different elements that need to be lined up – ducks in a row – and it was quite a challenge to do that. When my role in Oman ended, that was the perfect time to reflect on achievements and challenges.”

Why KM?

Hank’s route to KM started in learning and development. After university he worked for a big American IT company, Control Data Corporation, which had created one of the earliest eLearning platforms called Plato. “Later whilst working for Lotus I went to a conference in Boston and met the creator of Lotus Notes, called Ray Ozzie. Ray said he had got the inspiration for Lotus Notes from Plato, so a nice career connection there! Lotus Notes was one of the earliest software solutions for KM. It was the first killer app for KM. A breakthrough, and way ahead of its time; a collaborative early web-based platform.”

His experience of collaborative technology and early Groupware with its foundations in learning technology, helped to shape a foundation for his concept of Knowledge Management. “I think there’s a flow between the first bedrock of interactive learning, Plato, and the creation of Notes as a platform. And I see Notes as the founding tool of KM software.

“So I arrived in KM from a learning background, not documents, information or records – I guess we all come in from different elements and meet in the middle – but my view is that learning – including building the ‘learning organisation’ and learning from experience – has potentially the biggest value in KM. Applying Learnings from practices worth replicating and avoiding the same mistakes has achieved the biggest benefits for KM, particularly in the Energy, Oil and Gas sectors.

Career and qualifications

Hank did a masters in knowledge management in the financial sector before working for big management consulting names such as Arthur Andersen, PWC, IBM and Deloitte as an advisory and billable consultant in their external client-facing knowledge practices. He led KM Projects globally, including working in the US, Europe, Middle East, and Japan. Later Hank moved onto leading his own KM Teams within the Energy sector including oil, gas, and renewables both in the UK and abroad.

So, over his career he has experienced the value of professional qualifications both as an employer and an employee: “I was one of the early KMers to achieve the Certified Knowledge Manager (CKM) status from the Knowledge Management Institute and was bowled over by the inspirational Doug Widner, founder of KMI.

“That was one of the first global KM certifications, and I’ve been looking for other alternative accreditations. So, when I’m looking to hire both Knowledge Managers and KM consultants, a globally recognised KM qualification does add some credence, some value. But in the KM world there is a plethora of qualifications and accreditations from both academia and the private sector. It is quite confusing. So, by creating an internationally recognised standard through Chartership, CILIP can really set the foundations for something that is globally recognised. As an employer, if someone had the CILIP KM chartership or the CKM from KMI I would see that as valuable. It shows people have a willingness to commit to professional development and towards career progression.

Because there’s such a multitude of different KM training available worldwide, I was very supportive of Paul (Corney) and CILIP’s approach to giving some more standardisation. I was at KM UK in 2019 when Nick Poole presented the very early ideas about CILIP KM Chartership. It attracted my attention because it wasn’t a certification so much as a professional validation – accreditation – and what particularly interested me was that it was based on reflection, self-assessment, and self-evidence rather than an exam or a test.”

Reflection

“This is the first time I’ve taken a self-assessment accreditation as opposed to an exam. I found it both interesting and challenging. To be reflective you need to be honest with yourself and it’s hard to look at how I could have done things better or be self-critical. The honesty with yourself as a professional, I found that really interesting. I thought it was a valuable exercise in itself, even without the accreditation.”

Hank described how the process allowed him to apply a “lessons learned and retrospective” approach to his own practice, and to situations where, in a fast-moving workplace, he would not have stopped to look.

“Chartership prompted me to look back and reflect. I was finishing off a long-term engagement in Oman which had been a great success and we’d won global awards and recognition. But I also needed to reflect on what did not go so well or could have been approached differently.”

He said he was equally challenged and interested by the task of creating the evidence base to support this. He also found the focus – one that is less career-based, more organisation-based – helpful, and also that it linked knowledge management with information management, innovation, and LEAN Six Sigma.

Working with others

One of the results of the chartership process has been a desire to help others who want to achieve the same thing. He received some useful tips about reflective writing, but they were more ‘generic’ and Hank hopes he will be able to add the extra dimension of his personal experience in his role on CILIP’s Mentor Scheme, where he is currently working with others going through KM Chartership.

He says there were two big takeaways from his own Chartership. “For me, reflective writing was one of the challenges. I hadn’t done it for a long time, and it was interesting to get additional feedback on that. Understanding how to put it all in 1,000 words. I thought this would be a breeze, but your effective ­career history in two-and-a-half pages, was not straightforward. Also, the evidence base was something you really need to think about. It took a lot more time than I thought it would with evidence annexes, documents, and references.”

But he said a big revelation was the fact that the thousand-word reflective piece was “not only career focused but had to based on the organisational context. For me that was a key takeaway and if people are thinking of chartership, think of it as something, ideally, within the organisation. There’s a big push and they’ve added more emphasis on the context of the organisation – asking you to be reflective of the organisation you work for. That look in-house, to demonstrate real tangible evidence (it might be an assessment or a presentation or a paper you’ve written), helped a great deal to compile.”

Prove value

Hank’s enrolment in, and support for CILIP’s KM Chartership programme is underpinned by a conviction in the value of KM. But this is one of his key concerns for the profession. “You need to prove value. It’s one of the biggest challenges and downfalls of the whole KM sector, that it’s often perceived as being intangible, soft or weak in value. But very much you need to prove the value, cost savings, cost avoidance and particularly in the oil and gas sector, it’s about reducing major incidents, making sure we don’t make the same mistakes. We could potentially be losing lives, losing production, harming the environment. This is where I’ve seen KM adding some real tangible benefits, real value.”

Asked for an example, Hank outlined the process for gathering and sharing “lessons learned” evidence and how this forced non-KM people to be conscious of KM and its value: “We were working with high performing Project Team, so the KM value being achieved was being stated directly by the heads of project teams, which was documented. The biggest push was about connecting expertise together and a lot of the value was identified as anecdotal, captured through a very rigorous lessons learned approach. We physically went out to capture the knowledge learnings in the oil fields of Oman. It was about getting project teams to share their learnings into a knowledge base from which we could then extrapolate key learnings with monetary value. So, it needed culture buy-in. It needed support.

“Unfortunately, I’ve seen quite a few KM teams closed down, particularly in this pandemic. They were not seen to be adding real bottom-line value. So, it’s more important now than ever that knowledge managers are seen to be generating real value.”

But how is this done? “The KM role is about selling. We capture and validate the knowledge, curate it, package it up and then publish and present it. I had a KM comms manager working for me whose job it was to do the marketing, the branding, the website and design the newsletter. It has to be publicised and promoted because this is as much about marketing ourselves. But often KMers do a poor job of marketing and branding the value.”

Digital evolution: the need to re-skill

Hank sees the marketing of KM value as an old problem – one that has been exacerbated and exposed by Covid. But the pandemic, combined with digital technology has also thrown up some new, more existential, challenges. The promise of digital and digitalisation may have been around for some time, but its real impact on professions and culture are only just emerging. “I’ve been annoying people, saying they need to rebrand themselves for the digital world. Knowledge managers have traditionally just attempted to gather knowledge through connecting and collecting and they have done this fairly well. But now I think they urgently have to become familiar with new Digital tool sets. They need to be able to use business analytical and intelligence tools and communicate more directly with the professionals whose knowledge they are gathering. I think it will mean more skills needed as data scientists, more analytics. You don’t have to be a technologist, there are plenty of them around. But knowledge managers have to be able to talk in the new digital language. They have to be open to learning things about business analytical skills, business intelligence, things which the traditional knowledge manager veers away from. They need to embrace the opportunities of Digital Transformation and quickly.”

Turf war and future opportunities

Another Covid-related threat and opportunity for KMers is the battle for virtual, specifically digital collaboration. With his history in collaborative technology, it’s an area of particular interest: “KM and collaborative tools go together. They are one of the building blocks of KM,” Hank says, adding that he has seen the acceleration of this during the pandemic as “a wonderful opportunity” for knowledge managers to “take that area”. Hank believes that “if Knowledge management doesn’t do it now, it’ll go to digital transformation and IT. They’ll take it away from KM.”

From his personal experience across many sectors he thinks the evidence clearly shows that KM is always needed and that IT isn’t always the right delivery point for collaboration and collaborative tools.

Hank’s argument is that collaboration is about humans, and so humans need to be put back into technology – and KM provides many ways to do this. From Hank’s point of view it is not a new problem. He says: “We had this in the early 2000s – eBusiness was going to transform the way we worked but they ignored the people, the culture piece, which is critical. In the 90s there was a huge explosion of big KM conferences. Every IT vendor was there branding their tools KM tools and KM solutions. It became a big bandwagon. In my latest book, Knowledge Management – A Primer and catalyst to support digital transformation, written with Jordan Richards I mention we are now in Release 4 of KM (see graphic). This wave is the digital wave and again in this one I think KM has taken a backseat, and again technology has pushed away and thinks ‘we don’t need knowledge management now’. The problem is that knowledge managers often aren’t doing what is needed on this front. They aren’t doing the lessons learned, focus groups, knowledge sharing, the real tactile stuff we used to do because of more remote working. No ‘lunch and learn’ or getting people into a room, sharing and communicating. And I don’t think virtualisation and the push on hybrid working is helping with that either.”

However, despite the downsides of virtual, he does see the proliferation of online collaborative tools as a big opportunity for KM to demonstrate its value and the value of the human element in technology, connecting the two together.

Opportunity

The pandemic has meant working from home and the implementation of many solutions and the creation of what Hank calls the concept of the ‘hybrid worker’. In most cases though, he thinks the reality is digital chaos: “Workers are fatigued by the multitude of collaborative digital tools suddenly thrown at them. It happened so quickly with no direction or strategy about what tools to use where or when, about the governance, and the policy stuff about behaviour and change management. That, I think, all comes within the realm of KM and a lot of it has just gone out of the window. Maybe we should have been more forthcoming, saying ‘here, this will make your life easier – if you use this toolset, like this, with these supporting ways of working’.”

The problem of IT implementations clashing with human culture pre-dates Covid, but the pandemic and lockdowns have accelerated and highlighted the reasons why virtual and digital collaboration is unlikely to work without KM. “We’ve missed opportunities in the past with collaborative tools. As the likes of Yammer, Teams, and Slack, and the plethora of other collaborative tools appeared, they should have been part of a KM model but instead they’re managed by IT departments who don’t see KM as adding high value to technology. We lost a huge opportunity there. In some forward-thinking organisations these tools and their implementation do come under KM, but in 90 per cent it’s IT.”

However, Hank sees the current digital chaos caused by the unmanaged adoption of these tools as an opportunity for KMers to raise their profile in digital transformation. The battle will not be an easy one though: “I think Knowledge Managers should focus on the digital workspace, the collaborative thing. That’s our area: Learning, communities, networks and knowledge bases. But if you ask a digital transformation manager about KM, my guess is that it won’t be on their radar at all. I think that’s a huge gap we need to close. One of the questions out there is about humanising digitalisation and I think that is the role of KM. It’s a fantastic opportunity for KM if we can embrace it urgently and prove our value.”

We will soon have five generations in the workforce. Retired Professional Group (RPG) colleagues have been discussing how professional bodies and other organisations need to adapt to meet the needs of an age diverse workforce that will include generation alpha (those born after the early 2010s).

The importance of sharing good practice across different roles and sectors is well recognised. But we also need to build understanding across different generations.

In February 2021 RPG members joined the first virtual IFLA knowledge cafe with a discussion of ‘Age Diversity in the Workplace’ hosted by the KM and CPD / Workplace Learning" Sections. Maggie Farrell (Nevada, USA) and Svelana Gorokhova (Moscow, Russian Federation) chaired the sessions and the conclusions reached included the following:

• Don’t assume – while there are general characteristics for each generation, each individual is unique. Factors that might define preferred communication and working styles include diversity, life experiences, etc.


• Listen – be patient – observe. This will enable all of us to value input from each other and advance the organisation.


• Employees are coming to our organisations with differing expectations. How can we structure organisations that meet those expectations? Can we be more flexible? How do we adapt?


• Professional development – newer employees are coming to the workforce with an expectation that their positions and their companies will change. How do we help employees meet not only current needs but future needs?

Marc Freedman author of How to live forever – the enduring power of connecting the generations (2018) and CEO of Encore.org argues that we live in an age-segregated society, one where housing, employment, education and pensions policy combine to separate the old from the young. He feels that this “age apartheid” is out of step with demographic trends and counter-productive. The secret to happiness, longevity, and living on is through mentoring the next generation.

Mentoring for professional registration is a good example of cross-generation working. Think about becoming a CILIP mentor to candidates for Chartership or Certification. Training is provided, and it is an excellent way of communicating with younger information, library and knowledge professionals, and gaining an insight into the many changes taking place in different settings. There is no lower or upper age limit to becoming a mentor.

See the “Diverse Generation Staff” infographic created by the RPG team for the various issues and styles linked to age diversity.

The Impact of Covid

Working from home sounds straight forward, but increasingly less experienced colleagues have been asked to make prompt and often binding decisions because there has been no experienced colleague to turn to for quick guidance.

At work the opportunity for a quick thumbs up about a challenge, often carried out in informal settings, is all about learning and sharing experience; that opportunity is not always there when working from home. The process is not just learning from the head of the herd, this is also about working in teams.

For many there has not been a choice regarding the use of Teams and Zoom. Top tips from RPG for a successful multi-generational workforce:

• Do not stereotype
• Be respectful
• Exercise Flexibility
• Communicate openly and actively
• Plan for the future

RPG is keen to engage with a broad range of members and non-members including those who are retired or semi retired and those on career breaks, part timers and portfolio careerists. Although RPG attracts a lot of members aged 50 and over there is no lower age limit to becoming a member of RPG.

As a CILIP member, you’re able to join any regional network, devolved nation or special interest group (including RPG) via your SocialLink Profile. There is no extra charge to join extra groups.

CILIP Groups including RPG

See the list of CILIP groups that you can join (login to CILIP website required).

You can also review what updates you receive from CILIP (and add RPG to the updates list).

Retired Professional Group – email with feedback and questions: chair.rpg@cilip.org.uk

David Byrne, Facilitator Creative Groups UK, ex Head of KM at BT Legal and Retired Professionals Group Committee Member.

Rory Huston is Global Head of Knowledge for engineering consultancy, Cundall. He was one of the first Knowledge Management professionals to sign up for CILIP’s new KM Chartership and here he speaks to Rob Green about how and why he decided to invest in his professional development by becoming a Chartered KM practitioner.

When CILIP launched a new route to Chartership for Knowledge Management practitioners, it handed those working in the sector an opportunity to look at professional registration in a specifically KM-focussed way. Rory Huston, Cundall’s Global Head of Knowledge Management says he was keen to be part of the first wave of Chartered KM Practitioners.

He says: “Chartership is an expectation for engineers in my sector, with employers expecting you to go for chartership, as a signal of competence. Now CILIP has developed a route for my skills to be recognised alongside my engineering peers, it was a no brainer to gain parity. In addition, as I have spent a lot of my career working either on my own or in a team of two or three KMers, I wanted to have my skills assessed by an independent body, to see if there were any areas I needed to strengthen.”

Mentor

As with all of CILIP’s professional registration routes, there is help and guidance throughout the process, including support from CILIP staff and a network of mentors who work directly with candidates. Rory adds: “I found an excellent mentor to help me through the process (thank you Keith!), and we started meeting regularly. I started writing up evidence sections on my phone on the way to work, but lockdown gave me the opportunity to crack on and get it completed, and Keith helped me finesse and refine it. I have been supported by my company throughout, which has been helpful too.”

While KM Chartership is relatively new, professional registration itself is well established and CILIP has plenty of experience in helping candidates through the process. Rory says: “I was incredibly lucky to have a superbly helpful mentor, Keith Wilson, who is experienced in CILIP Chartership, so could guide me through the process. He ­really helped me break down the process, encourage me, and keep me working on it one step at a time.

“He helped me to get a format for the evidence (what, so what, what next!), and to understand the concept of reflective writing. As the process went on, it became more valuable, as I started to see the value of what I had achieved, what I had done, but what the gaps were. He also made me think hard about what sort of career I want to have, which has been a good focus point. I see KM as an accelerant for a company; it doesn’t necessarily design a product for clients, but it helps ideas catch a light far faster; so if this is the case, what companies do I want to help accelerate? It was a lot of writing, and for poor Keith, a lot of reviewing, but we got there at the end. When lockdown is finished, I owe him a big slap-up meal somewhere!”

Recognition

The idea that Chartership brings wider recognition of the skills KM practitioners have developed over their careers is a strong draw. In many industries, chartership is not just desirable it is expected. Giving KM practitioners a chartership pathway helps to highlight professional equivalence between very different sectors – in Rory’s case Knowledge Management and engineering.

That comparison between engineering and KM is something Rory is all too aware of, as he explains: “For the first 10 years of my career I was an acoustic consultant, providing engineering consultancy to clients, including schools, offices, transport buildings and TV studios. As an example, my last major project was the London 2012 Olympic broadcast Centre.

“Upon completion of the project, a one-year internal secondment came up into our KM team. It sounded fun, and I thought, ‘well, I’ll pop into that role for a year, fix a few things that would make my life easier, and go back to engineering’.

“The truth was though that almost ­immediately, I loved it. The opportunity to improve collaboration, support hundreds of people deliver better projects, and reach their potential, I have found so engaging. The great thing about KM is how multi-faceted it is; every day is a learning day. In many respects, it’s an integration role, highly dependent on culture and context.”

Natural home

Until now, Rory has been “scavenging” his training and development from other organisations, but says CILIP’s commitment to Knowledge Management and its support of the discipline should see it become the natural home for those working in the sector. He says: “I was learning from those around me, institutions such as APQC, KMI, the Henley Forum, nuggets from the now sadly defunct KIN network at Warwick, and LinkedIn. I wasn’t a member of any of these, so have been “scavenging” for various nuggets of knowledge throughout my career! I did a particularly useful course, the KMI’s five-day Certified Knowledge Manager course a while ago, which was great for two reasons; namely it introduced me to lots of concepts, some of which I knew, some I didn’t, but also being able to say ‘I’m a certified knowledge manager’ gave me ­increased confidence that I was ­competent.

“I’m very excited to have taken that on a step further forward with Chartership, which gives an independent accreditation from a UK-recognised institution. I’m also excited to see our President Paul Corney describing the desire to create a home for KM in CILIP… no more scavenging!”

And while Chartership is important for an individual, it also adds value to an organisation. Knowledge management is a valued support to Cundall’s work, and to have an accredited KM lead can only increase the value of that service. Rory says: “We have around 1,000 staff in 20 locations worldwide, from Belfast to Brisbane! Cundall provides design consultancy for the engineering elements of buildings, including building services, structure, fire engineering, acoustics, and sustainability. With 20 different disciplines in the company, we have many people to join up. We have four big agendas at the moment in Digital Transformation, Sustainability, Project Management and Technical Excellence. The first two agendas deeply affect both the service we provide to industry, and the company itself, so there are large change and programme management areas my work touches on, as well as KM.

“As you might imagine in such a complex business under change, much of the knowledge we deal in is tacit, and so we heavily leverage communities of practice and collaboration technology.

“Knowledge management is important for us to help win future work with clients. If the company is well networked. As an old HP quote goes ‘if only HP knew what HP knows’, KM helps the business offer clients the best of what we can do. Good communities, and access to the knowledge we require when we require it helps us offer cutting-edge ideas to clients, without them necessarily being the guinea pig, as we might have executed the idea previously in a different market. Healthy communities of practice also mean we can be more efficient solving difficult problems. At the end of the day, clients come to Cundall ­because they know we are a trusted, robust brand, which requires us to be able to leverage our 40-years of experience in the field for them.”

So KM at Cundall can be felt both internally and externally – even if it is not always fully understood. “My clients are almost exclusively internal, and chartership is regarded highly by them. The field of knowledge management is often new or at least murky to many. Having both the benefit of an ISO backing up our profession, and now Chartership helps to validate our maturing discipline. Some say KM really kicked off as a serious profession around the mid-90s, so it’s about time.

“Primary for me, KM is about working with people to create frameworks and processes to make knowledge sharing more accessible. It’s 20 per cent about tech and 80 per cent about culture (I think I got that one from Chris Collison’s book Learning to fly). However, when dealing with people, there are quite a few psychological elements in learning how groups work, how to give people autonomy to get things done, whilst having reporting frameworks etc.

“KM is, on the one hand, quite process driven, but on the other, it can be quite a freeform art to design around your company’s culture. Introducing KM can be about embedding deep cultural change, and typically change takes around two years to fully embed, so it’s not a journey for the short-haul.”

Cultural change comes about in ­iterations, so it is perhaps not surprising that the work of knowledge manager sometimes goes unnoticed – and perhaps that is a mark of a successful KM strategy. Fortunately Cundall recognises Rory’s continued contribution to the organisation, and even included news of his chartership on the company website, saying: “Cundall has a firm commitment to ­developing our people, and we also strive to provide our clients with the best possible service, wherever they are in the world. We’ve invested in sharing our knowledge to make the most of the extensive insight and expertise all our staff have to offer, and we are proud that Rory has been recognised for his work in this field. We look forward to continuing this work and enhancing the knowledge we deliver on every one of our projects.”

Chartership clearly brings benefits to an organisation and, in turn, helps raise the profile of knowledge managers and the work they do. But for those who go through chartership, there will also be personal ­benefits. Rory says of his experience: “It’s quite ­interesting how chartership has opened doors in the KM community for me. Upon my announcement of being chartered, quite a few interesting KM leaders started connecting with me, and this in turn has led to a much more interesting feed on LinkedIn, which I am learning from!

“I don’t know whether this is down to people recognising me as being a fully-fledged member of the KM community, or whether this is my own confidence. It’s funny, reflecting back (one of the things the Chartership process asks you to do) I wonder whether I had been guilty of ­imposter syndrome in the early stages of my career. There are few if any fully-fledged KM qualifications out there, so chartership will put many of us on parity.”

Rory officially became the second Charter KM Professional (following on from Arup’s Elena Costello) and when asked if it is a route he would recommend to others, he is unequivocal. ­“Absolutely,” he says. “I think the process has helped me think about my next steps, given me renewed confidence having my skills and achievements ­validated by my peers. Most in KM don’t get into it through a degree, but perhaps move sideways, falling or even tripping into it! Having a bar for professional standards will be very important as we move into the next era of KM.”

KM practitioners should visit Knowledge Management Chartership